Live from Las Vegas . . . In the Beginning PTR - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
As of January 1, 2019, we have closed our forums. This is a decision we did not come to lightly, but it is necessary. The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk. The server software itself must be updated, and it cannot be without removing the forums.
So it is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to our long-running forums. They came online in 2000 and brought together so many wonderful Disney fans. We had friendships form, careers launch, couples marry, children born ... all because of this amazing community.
Thank you to each of you who were a part of this community. You made it possible.
And a very special thank you to our Guides (moderators), past and present, who kept our forums a happy place to be. You are the glue that held everything together, and we are forever grateful to you. Thank you aliceinwdw, Caldercup, MrsM, WillCAD, Fortissimo, GingerJ, HiddenMickey, CRCrazy, Eeyoresmom, disneyknut, disneydani, Cam22, chezp, WDWfan, Luvsun, KMB733, rescuesk, OhToodles!, Colexis Mom, lfredsbo, HiddenMickey, DrDolphin, DopeyGirl, duck addict, Disneybine, PixieMichele, Sandra Bostwick, Eeyore Tattoo, DyanKJ130, Suzy Q'Disney, LilMarcieMouse, AllisonG, Belle*, Chrissi, Brant, DawnDenise, Crystalloubear, Disneymom9092, FanOfMickey, Goofy4Goofy, GoofyMom, Home4us123, iamgrumpy, ilovedisney247, Jennifer2003, Jenny Pooh, KrisLuvsDisney, Ladyt, Laughaholic88, LauraBelle Hime, Lilianna, LizardCop, Loobyoxlip, lukeandbrooksmom, marisag, michnash, MickeyMAC, OffKilter_Lynn, PamelaK, Poor_Eeyore, ripkensnana, RobDVC, SHEANA1226, Shell of the South, snoozin, Statelady01, Tara O'Hara, tigger22, Tink and Co., Tinkerbelz, WDWJAMBA, wdwlovers, Wendyismyname, whoSEZ, WildforWD, and WvuGrrrl. You made the magic.
We want to personally thank Sara Varney, who coordinated our community for many years (among so many other things she did for us), and Cheryl Pendry, our Message Board Manager who helped train our Guides, and Ginger Jabour, who helped us with the PassPorter-specific forums and Live! Guides. Thank you for your time, energy, and enthusiasm. You made it all happen.
There are other changes as well.
Why? Well, the world has changed. And change with it, we must. The lyrics to "We Go On" for IllumiNations say it best:
We go on to the joy and through the tears
We go on to discover new frontiers
Moving on with the current of the years.
We go on
Moving forward now as one
Moving on with a spirit born to run
Ever on with each rising sun.
To a new day, we go on.
It's time to move on and move forward.
PassPorter is a small business, and for many years it supported our family. But the world changed, print books took a backseat to the Internet, and for a long time now it has been unable to make ends meet. We've had to find new ways to support our family, which means new careers and less and less time available to devote to our first baby, PassPorter.
But eventually, we must move on and move forward. It is the right thing to do.
So we are retiring this newsletter, as we simply cannot keep up with it. Many thanks to Mouse Fan Travel who supported it all these years, to All Ears and MousePlanet who helped us with news, to our many article contributors, and -- most importantly -- to Sara Varney who edited our newsletter so wonderfully for years and years.
And we are no longer charging for the Live Guides. If you have a subscription, it's yours to keep for the lifetime of the Live Guides at no additional cost. The Live Guides will stay online, barring server issues and technical problems, for all of 2019.
That said, PassPorter is not going away. Most of the resources will remain online for as long as we can support them, and after that we will find ways to make whatever we can available. PassPorter means a great deal to us, and to many of you, and we will do our best to keep it alive in whatever way we can. Our server costs are high, and they'll need to come out of our pockets, so in the future you can expect some changes so we can bring those costs down.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for your amazing support over the years. Without you, there's no way us little guys could have made something like this happen and given the "big guys" a run for their money. PassPorter was consistently the #3 guidebook after the Unofficial and Official guides, which was really unheard of for such a small company to do. We ROCKED it thanks to you and your support and love!
If you miss us, you can still find some of us online. Sara started a new blog at DisneyParkPrincess.com -- I strongly urge you to visit and get on her mailing list. She IS the Disney park princess and knows Disney backward and forward. And I am blogging as well at JenniferMaker.com, which is a little craft blog I started a couple of years ago to make ends meet. You can see and hear me in my craft show at https://www.youtube.com/c/jennifermaker . Many PassPorter readers and fans are on Facebook, in groups they formed like the PassPorter Trip Reports and PassPorter Crafting Challenge (if you join, just let them know you read about it in the newsletter). And some of our most devoted community members started a forum of their own at Pixie Dust Lane and all are invited over.
So we encourage you to stay in touch with us and your fellow community members wherever works best for you!
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Hi everybody! No WDW trip this month. Instead your frozen margarita lovin writer brings you a mini-break in Las Vegas.
The back story:
Two years ago when I ditched my exboyfriend we had already paid for a trip to Las Vegas in February, right after Mardi Gras. I needed someone to travel with. Enter Crazy Judy! I met Judy at work, she's a friend of my boss. Now she's my friend! Judy is an independant IT contractor, she's working for a bank right now. She's about 50, single and a total party girl. She's very involved in our local music scene. Everybody knows Judy.
So was born the first Crazy Judy trip to Vegas. We spent three nights four days at the Luxor. The first night both os us got in late and so we just had cocktails and room service We saw Spamalot and the Follies at Tropicana. We had dinner at Craft Steak and Shanghi Lily. It was a great trip and we decided to do it again sometime.
I was unavailable to participate when Judy went back to Vegas last year . . . I don't think I could afford it. But I got to hear all about Cher and Elton John! And how miserable she was with her travel buddy!
This year we talked about a couple of things. Including going to WDW. I booked a room in May for the two of us at Saratoga Springs. The airfare went on sale 1/2 price to Vegas. Judy bought us two tickets for the week after Mardi Gras. Thats March 1-4 so we leave in 2 days!
I know that I am working tomorrow and Saturday so I probably won't have time to update much before I leave, but I am taking my laptop with me!
We are flying direct to Vegas on Southwest. We, fingers crossed will arrive at about 10:30 am! Our flight back leaves Vegas shortly after noon and goes through Houston!
Digs:
Using hotwire we scored a Five star room on the Strip for about $100 a night. Of course you don't know what hotel you are booking using Hotwire until after you pay for it! We had fantastic success! We have a room at the Wynn for 3 nights!
Eats:
On Sunday night we are having dinner at Picasso at the Bellagio. Monday night we are slumming it downtown. We don't have reservations anywhere. I'm thinking we're going to eat at the Golden Nugget's buffet. Tuesday night we're having an early dinner at Enoteca San Marco, which is Mario Batali's casual restaurant at the Venetian! I don't have any lunches planned, but Judy loves the restaurant at the Paris and I love Cafe BaBaReba in the Fashion Mall.
Shows:
On Sunday night we have tickets to the second showing of Zumanity at New York New York. Our tickets are in the center of the first row of the balcony area.
Monday night Judy wants to see the Rat Pack revival downtown at the Plaza. Finally on Tuesday night I have front row center tickets for Phantom of the Opera at the Venetian. I've seen in on Boadway and touring here in New Orleans, but Judy's never seen it. She's very excited and I just love that show! (plus I found a special offer and saved $40 on each ticket!)
Judy has work to do in the mornings so I will probably be on my own for breakfast. I imagine I'll be hunting down some breakfast buffets!
Oh have a marvelous trip. I've been trying to get DH out there for a few years. I love the downtown area with their lights and overhead shows.
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Oct '99: CSR ~ May '02: CR ~ Nov '04: SOG ~ May '06: SOG ~ Dec '07: Solo @ Pop ~ May '08: Pop w/friends ~ Oct '08: SOG ~ Dec '09: Pop w/LeAnn ~ Sept '10: Solo @ Pop ~ Spring '11: AKL ~ Jan '12: Pop for 1/2 Marathon ~ Sept '12: 1st trip for DL 1/2 Marathon? ~ Feb '13: Pop w/pals? ~ Mar '13: Tokyo Disney w/PP's?
Okay I wasn't going to do this, but I am SO frustrated!
Planning this trip to Vegas was NOT supposed to be my job. It was supposed to be Judy's job to decide what we were doing and organize it. I'm working 50-60hrs a week, just like her, and planning two vacations to WDW, including one for her.
I have ended up doing everything. I made dinner reservations. I bought show tickets. I mapped out an itinerary roughly over the last week. All of this in the midst of Mardi Gras and its absolutely fall down tired aftermath.
She just called to tell me that she printed boarding passes and was calling the hotel about an upgrade. She has decided that the agent who told her upgrades only occur at check in must be wrong. The room is apparently very important. She has still not called the Spa to book our appointments. This was supposed to be done yesterday.
Thankfully, Vegas is dead right now or we wouldn't have show tickets or dinner reservations at all!
I don't think I'll ever let anyone else be in charge of planning a vacation ever again.
Rant Over . . . now back to our regularly scheduled trip report
Okay I am now working on packing and it looks like its going to be chilly in Vegas at night . . . I don't have anything dressy for chilly weather . . . uh oh . . . time to dig in the closet.
the Wynn for 100$ a night, "call the cops"...omg what a deal.
I LOVE Vegas, I think i'd actually move there if I could.
sounds like all your planning is paying off. Great shows and ressies.
FYI the Four Queens has a restaurant call "Magnolia Cafe" and their prime rib a awsome. They used to have a special for $7.99. delish!
Have fun.
Hey everybody! Its my last night in Vegas! Internet access at the Wynn is expensive so I'll be back with the start of my report when I get home tomorrow! Tonight we're off to see Phantom at the Venetian!
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