Forums Closed
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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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!
Best wishes for a wonderful and magical new year!
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01-25-2010, 12:50 PM
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#1
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PassPorter Guide
Community Rank: Globetrotter
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 3,041
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Feature Article: 'Lounge'-ing Around Walt Disney World - A Quest to Visit Every Disney Lounge
'Lounge'-ing Around Walt Disney World - A Quest to Visit Every Disney Lounge
by Sue Kulick
To those who say "Disney is just for children!" I raise my glass and point them in the direction of the fine lounges available at most Walt Disney World (WDW) resorts! My husband and I have a quest; we intend to imbibe a beverage in every Walt Disney World lounge. We have made it through quite a few lounges, with several more on our list. What makes a WDW lounge special? The theming, of course! After all, it is Disney, and no one does theming better than Disney. Each lounge used to have a specialty drink on its menu, something that was consistent with the resort theme. In the recent homogenization of the menus, the specialty drinks seemed to go away, too. However, we have noticed a recent reinstatement of some of the resort-inspired specialty drinks. That makes us very happy indeed. So ... let's revisit some of our favorite haunts, and have a specialty beverage or two!
Despite Wilderness Lodge being our home Disney Vacation Club resort, it is NOT our favorite lounge! The number one spot belongs to The Outer Rim at Disney's Contemporary Resort. The lounge is decorated in retro space-aged funk, with low chairs and tables and a high tech fun filled bar. The specialty drink at this bar is the Sunken Treasure, a lovely green-colored delight complete with pineapple, flag, and umbrella. Relax with your drink and watch the sunset over Bay Lake!
On to number two: Territory Lounge at the Wilderness Lodge. Here you can sit in comfy couches or around intimate tables while sipping a Northern Exposure. You will be surrounded by wood and dark tones complimented by images from the Northwest. Enjoy a cheese and fruit platter or some wings while you search for the hidden Mickeys in this lounge! Next on the list is Martha's Vineyard at The Beach Club. This lounge is off to the side of its big sister, The Cape May Café, but what it lacks in size, it makes up for in quaintness! It's intimate and cozy. We sipped our Passion Fruit Mai Tai's in a small seating area, and the bartender brought us pretzels!
We also enjoy the Gurgling Suitcase at Old Key West. This lounge is located near Olivia's, and the specialty drinks here are available with dinner at Olivia's as well! My husband Steve likes the Turtle Krawl, but I am partial to the Sultry Seahorse. Enjoy it with an appetizer of delicious crab cakes.
The Polynesian offers up the Tambu Lounge, a lounge we have had the privilege of staying in until closing…twice! The Tambu Lounge is on the second floor of the Poly, and often holds the overflow crowd waiting for Kona Café and Ohana. They offer table and bar seating, and they also offer a delightful concoction called the Island Sunset!
Close behind the Tambu Lounge on our list of favorites is Boardwalk's Belle Vue Room. The Belle Vue Room is situated on the Inn side of BoardWalk, and offers a cozy nook with chess boards, comfortable couches and a patio. There is a good selection of Scotch here, and the atmosphere makes you want to order a brandy or a port. I usually opt for a glass of their wonderful wines!
Animal Kingdom Lodge is home to Victoria Falls. This lounge is settled nicely between the main lobby and Boma, tucked in a corner with lots of ambiance and culture. My first trip there was a disappointment, as when I asked for a specialty drink (after finding none on the menu) the bartender offered a Pina Colada. Hmmm…I can get that pretty much anywhere. My next adventure there was a bit more successful, as I had the Boma-inspired Victoria Falls Mist, although I am not sure if it Boma or Victoria Falls had it first!
Just a few short months ago, I got to try River Roost at Port Orleans Riverside and The Crew's Cup at Yacht Club in the same trip! We went to River Roost the night that Bob Jackson was playing the piano, and if you ever get a chance to catch his show, don't miss it! I actually only had a Corona that night, but there is a drink there called the Sassagoula Sunset that is high on my list for next time. The Crew's Cup at the Yacht Club is set off to the side, overlooking the meat locker at the Yachtsman Steakhouse. No real specialty drink here, though. I ended up having a rum punch that was actually quite good, but made with a bit of a heavier hand than I usually like.
Last but not least on our list is Rix, at Coronado Springs. The only reason it is last is because we haven't tried it since it was Francisco's! See, Francisco's held a very special place in our hearts. In 1998, we stayed on Walt Disney World property for the very first time at Coronado Springs and enjoyed fabulous margaritas. That made it officially our first ever WDW lounge! We have stopped into Rix when it wasn't open, and it looks lovely, all done in warm Mediterranean colors. I was also happy to see that they have several specialty drinks on their menu. This is a must-do on a future trip.
We have yet to try Mizner's (Grand Floridian), Scat Cat's (Port Orleans French Quarter) or The Turf Club (Saratoga Springs). But we have many trips ahead of us, and as long as we continue to be adults at Walt Disney World, we will enjoy an adult beverage at one of the many wonderful lounges!
View the full article and download a free formatted PDF of it here!
Added to PassPorter's Article Collection on 08-27-2009 05:25 PM
What do you think? Please add your own comments, experiences, or news related to this article in this thread! Reader feedback is welcomed and encouraged.
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11-19-2010, 10:26 PM
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#2
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Community Rank: Day-Tripper
Join Date: Oct 2010
Concierge Level: 7
Posts: 14
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Lounge around the world -- another take
I would like to applaud this article about the joy of Disney World for adults. I would also like to add the perspective of an adult, travelling by herself. My husband and I needed to take separate vacations because of elder care, and thus I found the joy of doing the World as an elder adult alone. On my first trip, I had a fabulous time, and now I have another one planned in 2 weeks. I experienced myself as both a kid and as an adult. As a kid, I delighted in the fantasy and the magic, and as an adult, I took behind the scenes tours and enjoyed learning how the magic was created. I was amused by the Disney representative's responses as I booked dining for one. Some of them thought this was the greatest and others seemed sad for me that I was alone. To each his/her own--but I have to say that my visits to Disney World by myself have been the happiest vacations of my life.
JanaB
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