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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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I am going to Disney Jan. 3rd to 11th, which I am so excited for. It will be just me and my boyfriend, and it is his first time. I have been three times, but always as a child, obviously I missed a lot of the planning and had little say into where we went
What are things we just can't miss? This is my first time planning, and I am worried we will miss something awesome, but I don't want to plan too much...
So what do you guys think, what is one thing at Disney you just can't miss?
My personal favs are ... Haunted Mansion (my all time fav), Expedition Everest, any character meal (Chef Mickeys is the best), PhilharMagic, Tom Sawyer island, World showcase (allow all day and night), Lion King show, Wishes, look for hidden mickeys, slow down and take in the detail of EVERY park - subtle differences, theming and costuming are all part of the 'show'.
Seek out the 'not so usual' characters. Everyone has a pic of 'Mickey & Me' but how special is the White Rabbit, Geppetto, Jiminy Cricket or the Beast?
Fantasmic, whilst raved about alot, is a great show but not always the best use of time. Plan to see it early in your trip, that way if you get caught up doing something better you can re-schedule without disappointment.
Let your inner child come out...wear matching or silly shirts, mickey ears or an unbirthday hat, 1st time buttons, whatever, just have fun and remember you are on vacation in the most magical place! Have fun.
Hi, welcome to the boards!!!
I´d suggest a Disney Travell Book for a start. It will help you get the idea of the parks and rides.
Plus the disney web site is great! Do you like restaurants? Have done advance reservations already? If you plan some special meals at restaurants the reservation is a "must do".
I´d suggest to foccus in the favourites rides, visit one park per day, and let the inner child run free .
I don´t know your age, but the World Showcase in Epcot is great for adult fun, with great restaurants and places! Plus DHS is also great for grown ups! Start with Magic Kingdon (the disney everyone imagine) and try to watch Wishes at night!
Final tip - and mostly often suggest and forgoten - try to arrive early!!! Is you are early birds at early afternoon you will have visit most favourites rides and done whatever you want!
Definitely Philharmagic and all the 3-D shows!!! Haunted Mansion, all the mountains (splash, big thunder, expedition everest) Soarin'. Exploring the countries in World Showcase in Epcot is really fun.
Getting to the Magic Kingdom for its opening at least once.
There's just something about that walk along Main Street with the view of the Castle that is much more magical early in the day when the street isn't crowded.
I'd suggest setting aside at least one full morning or afternoon to do the Kim Possible missions in World Showcase. As you may know, those are an electronically-aided scavenger hunt that will take you back and forth all over WS. They are tremendous fun! We had to force ourselves to quit or be late to a dinner ADR.
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“People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.” —Winnie-the-Pooh
I think you'll just miss the Christmas decorations.
No, not all of them.
We got to the GF two days after New Year's, and all its lobby decorations were still up (but for the Gingerbread House which is taken down right after Christmas, I believe. That gingerbread has to be majorly stale by that point anyway!)
I'd suggest dashing over there if you're not too terribly tired upon arrival. The GF lobby is spectacularly decorated. I don't think I'll ever forget looking up...and up...and up some more to the top of its magnificent tree.
The GF decorations will more than likely come down during the night of Jan. 3, which is why I recommend making a point of going to see them the day you arrive if you're interested.
The big Christmas tree in each park will stay up through the majority of your stay, I'm guessing. Both those in the MK and Epcot were still up when we left on Jan. 9 this year. You'll find that some other holiday decorations may still be in place in the parks, but most will be taken down very soon after your arrival.
So you'll get a hint of how beautifully WDW is decorated for the holiday season--enough to make you long to return in December if you're a Christmas decorations nut like I am.
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“People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.” —Winnie-the-Pooh
Let's face it, we Passporter fans can help you plan the perfect trip -- but first, some questions for YOU:
1. Thrill rides -- yes or no?
2. Sit-down meals or fast food?
3. Any favorite Disney characters? (And this question is for HIM, too )
4. Are you spending 8 days there? (If so, you'll have time to see and do just about everything.)
5. And are you staying on property?
Let's face it, we Passporter fans can help you plan the perfect trip -- but first, some questions for YOU:
1. Thrill rides -- yes or no?
2. Sit-down meals or fast food?
3. Any favorite Disney characters? (And this question is for HIM, too )
4. Are you spending 8 days there? (If so, you'll have time to see and do just about everything.)
5. And are you staying on property?
I just want to thank everyone who responded! I can't believe how quick and informative the responses have been. Thank you all so much!
I have the passporter, and I am so glad I got it!
No thrill rides, and definitively sit down (I have allergies, so I hate eating the same hot dog and burger on allergy friendly bread)
I love Winnie the Pooh and he is a big fan of the Pirates Movie, as well as National Treasure, and those sorts of Disney movies.
We will be staying 8 days! and we will be at Pop Century.
Thank you all so much, and I am looking forward to more information!
I think you should get a WDW guide book or 2 and do some planning. It will make the dif. of waiting on lines, or enjoying the attractions more. It shouldn't be too bad, I think you are going just after most of the crowds leave
The 2 books I love are Passporter, and WDW-The Unofficial Guide. The Unofficial Guide also has a web site which is very useful, touringplans.com I particularly love the park Crowd Calendar, and their touring plans. The idea is get to the parks a few min before opening, and ride the most popular attractions first, before the lines get long, and use fast passes. For example in Epcot- you could get a Fast Pass for Sorin, and ride Test Track.
With the touringplans.com I like the Adults Selective touring plans. It also insures you don't overlook anything.
You don't mention how many days you have- but for a 6 day plan- I'd do:
2 days MK
2 days Epcot
1 day DHS
1 day AK
I don't know if you will be staying on site, if so you will have access to the Extra Magic Hours.
If you plan on going to any restaurants for dinner at WDW you need to make reservations.
The fireworks at MK and Epcot is a must. Fantasmic at DHS, and AK has 2 live shows. Our fav is Festival of the Lion King.
Looks like you have some planning to do, Have a great time! WDW is one of those places where it pays to plan!
MK
It's a Small World
Peter Pan's Flight
Monster's Inc. Laugh Floor
Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin
Jungle Cruise
Wishes
Spectro Magic Parade
Epcot
Soarin
Test Track
The Seas with Nemo and Friends
Try to see all the World Pavalions (Morocco is my favorite)
Illuminations
HS
Toy Story Midway Mania
Beauty and the Beast-Live On Stage
Voyage of the Little Mermaid
Lights, Motor, Action!
Indiaina Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
Fantasmic
AK
Festival of the Lion King
Finding Nemo the Musical
Kali River Rapids
Kilimanjaro Safaris
Maharajah Jungle Trek
Anything that brings back those wonderful feelings of being little again.
Now Im not an old pro like all these people, but when we went, it seemed pretty much EVERYONE suggested I get a Dole Whip. I did. My kids STILL talk about Dole Whips and I cant wait for another!
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I love this picture because my daughter's facial expression matches the Queen of Hearts exactly, and it was completely unintended!
Looks like you will be there long enough to easily fit in the "best" stuff and then some.....
My list is:
MK- Philharmagic, Carousel of Progress, Pirates of Caribbean
EP- Soarin', Mission:Space, World Showcase including the films- O'Canada is great!
DHS- Osborne Lights, TOT, Toy Story Mania, Star Wars
AK- Safari, Expedition Everest
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What can't I miss?- Advice Please
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I think you'll just miss the Christmas decorations. Our must sees:
)
~Angie
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