Our "Loop Hole" Trip to Disneyland: December 28, 2009 - January 3, 2010 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!
Welcome! We're happy you've found the PassPorter Community -- the friendliest place to plan your vacation to Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland, and the world in general! You are now viewing the PassPorter Message Board Community as a guest, which gives you limited access. As our guest, feel free to browse our messages by selecting the forum you want to visit from the list below.
To post messages and ask questions, join our FREE community today and you'll get access to tools and resources not available to guests, such as our vacation countown timers, "living" avatars, private messaging system, database searches, downloads, and a special PassPorter discount code. Registration is fast, simple, and completely free. Just click the Join Our Community link.
If you think you've already joined, log in below now. If you don't remember your member name or password, please visit our Member Name and Password Recovery page. You are also welcome to contact us.
Our "Loop Hole" Trip to Disneyland: December 28, 2009 - January 3, 2010
Our "Loop Hole" Trip to Disneyland: December 28, 2009 - January 3, 2010
We are leaving for California in just six weeks! Can I successfully plan a trip in this short amount of time? Or will we "go with the flow," following the itinerary laid out for us by the group we're traveling with?
The Cast: Me: I’m Michele, the mom. I love Disney, and after taking 3 trips to WDW within the past 4 years, my husband has declared a moratorium on WDW trips. I never got to go to Disney as a kid, and I am a relatively recent convert. Chris: He’s my husband. We’ve been married for 20 years. He is the person that I admire most in this world - I chose wisely! He likes Disney, but doesn’t love it with the same fervor and delight that I do. Peter: He's our 10-year-old son. He’s a fun kid! Like me, he loves Disney. Unlike me, he doesn’t love thrill rides. I’m not sure how this happened. Ben: Our son Ben passed away in 2003, at the age of 16 months. He was a beautiful boy who was born premature, and dealt with many health problems during his brief time with us. He is in my heart always, and I feel his presence very strongly when we are at WDW. I wonder if DL will give me that same feeling?
How this Trip Came to Be:
We are going to California with a large group from Ohio University. My husband has been invited to accompany the group on this trip because he is a low-ranking university administrator. Peter and I are going along for a nominal fee. We are welcome to go with the group to the Tournament of Roses Parade, Knotts Berry Farm, Disney Land (!!!) and a few other LA attractions. Or, we can treat the group’s itinerary as a cafeteria plan of sorts, selecting some activities and making our own plans on other days. My secret hope is that we'll spend a little more time at DL and DCA than the day that is listed on the itinerary.
The Itinerary - So Far :
Monday, December 28, 2009 Fly from Columbus, OH to LA, check in at Knott’s Berry Farm Resort, Dinner at Downtown Disney in Anaheim
Tuesday, December 29, 2009 - Spend day at Universal Studios Theme Park in Hollywood
Wednesday, December 30, 2009 - Tournament of Roses BandFest at Pasadena City College, Sightseeing in LA (TBA)
Thursday, December 31, 2009 - Tour of Hollywood: Chinese Theater, Walk of Fame, Kodak Theater, Visit Santa Monica Pier and Beach
Friday, January 1, 2010 - 121st Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade, Afternoon spent at Knott’s Berry Farm Theme Park
Saturday, January 2, 2010 - Spend day at Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure
Sunday, January 3, 2010 - Depart LA for Ohio
The Title of this Trip Report:
My last Trip Report was called Our Last Trip to Disney…For a Long Time (see the link in my signature.) The title reflects Chris’s declaration that we would not return to WDW until we went to Yosemite, The Grand Canyon, and Alaska, as well as a few other places he would like to visit. This trip to California is particularly exciting because I’ll get my Disney fix without going against my word!! I love a good loop hole!
Registered Message Board Members save 30% off PassPorter guidebooks! When you register you'll have access to a discount coupon good for 30% off the list price of PassPorter books in our online store.
I love DL, its smaller and more manageable and things are closer together so you can accomplish a lot in a day. BUT for your first trip I would definitely do my best to fit in 1.5 or 2 days if there is something on the itinerary you don't mind missing.
My DH has family in San Diego so anytime we fly out to visit them we must go to DL too Usually we also go to San Diego Zoo and Sea World... longer trips we also go to the Wild Animal Park but I prefer the zoo. Not sure if you will have a rental car to make that trip though since San Diego is about 1.5 to 2 hours drive... worse with traffic which I seem to always hit when I go there. I'd stick to DL for 1.5 to 2 days and some of the other things on their itinerary this trip if I were you
Registered Message Board Members Get Our Free Newsletter! When you register you'll have the option to sign up for our weekly PassPorter Newsletter. It's chock-full of feature articles; news; tips; contests; photos; and special offers in our online store.
Update: Our "Loop Hole" Trip to Disneyland: December 28, 2009 - January 3, 2010
Just a small update...
I got in touch with an old friend who lives in Hermosa Beach. She really wants to see us while we're in LA. I'm excited because I haven't seen her since I was pregnant with Peter. He's 10 now!
I have to decide which part of the itinerary to ditch. Any suggestions? Anything but Disneyland!!
How great! Apart from Disneyland, don't ditch seeing the sights of LA, like the Chinese Theatre etc. We did that while we were in LA and I'm really glad we got to see all those places.
PassPorter's Free-Book to Walt Disney World It’s hard to believe anything is free at Walt Disney World; but there are actually a number of things you can get or do for little to no cost. This e-book documents over 200 free or cheap tips to do before you go and after you arrive. You could save a considerable amount of money following these tips. Perhaps more importantly; you can discover overlooked attractions and little-known details most people whiz by on their way to spend money. Click here to see free sample pages from the e-book! Get this popular e-book free of extra charges when you join the PassPorter's Club for as little as $4.95. A club pass includes access to all our other e-books; e-worksheets; super-size photos; and more! This e-book is also available for separate purchase in the PassPorter Online Store for just $5.95.
Update 2: Our "Loop Hole" Trip to Disneyland: December 28, 2009 - January 3, 2010
Another small update:
I got my PS request at Blue Bayou, which was suggested by mzozzietj! It sounds like a really interesting place to dine. I love PoC, so it will be cool to watch the boats go by. I wasn't sure I'd get the PS because our trip is only 5 weeks away.
Another small update:
I got my PS request at Blue Bayou, which was suggested by mzozzietj! It sounds like a really interesting place to dine. I love PoC, so it will be cool to watch the boats go by. I wasn't sure I'd get the PS because our trip is only 5 weeks away.
WOW, so glad you got it and I hope you love it since I recommended it, LOL
About This Page: 
Me: I’m Michele, the mom. I love Disney, and after taking 3 trips to WDW within the past 4 years, my husband has declared a moratorium on WDW trips. I never got to go to Disney as a kid, and I am a relatively recent convert. 
Chris: He’s my husband. We’ve been married for 20 years. He is the person that I admire most in this world - I chose wisely! He likes Disney, but doesn’t love it with the same fervor and delight that I do. 
Peter: He's our 10-year-old son. He’s a fun kid! Like me, he loves Disney. Unlike me, he doesn’t love thrill rides. I’m not sure how this happened. 
Ben: Our son Ben passed away in 2003, at the age of 16 months. He was a beautiful boy who was born premature, and dealt with many health problems during his brief time with us. He is in my heart always, and I feel his presence very strongly when we are at WDW. I wonder if DL will give me that same feeling? 
My secret hope is that we'll spend a little more time at DL and DCA than the day that is listed on the itinerary. 
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
PassPorter Guide Author
Hybrid Mode
