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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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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.
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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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19yo DD will be at Dresden University, Germany for this spring on a study abroad semester. So of course DH and I want to go visit her. We are finding that it is cheaper to fly into Berlin from Boston (by about $600 per person) and then taking a train to Dresden. Has anyone here ever done this? How hard is it to get from the airport to the train station? Should we spend the first day and night in Berlin and then move on? Any thoughts, comments and suggestions would be appreciated !
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Disney Magic Western Feb. 21st, 2009
Last edited by Big Baloo; 02-05-2018 at 06:33 PM..
We haven't taken the train, we drove from the airport out there a few years ago, which was fine, albeit snowing, as it was Easter and they had snow the day we arrived!
If you haven't been to Berlin before, I would definitely spend some time there. There is so much to see and do there - the Checkpoint Charlie Museum was amazing, albeit scary with some of the ways people tried to get out and the Pergamonmuseum was really something to see. We went up the TV tower and had some wonderful views (the Fernsehturm) and had a wonderful lunch with Sabine at the Reichstag (stunning building) and then there's the Brandenburg Gate and seeing remnants of the wall. Yep, definitely enough to keep you busy for a good two or even three days...
Dresden is beautiful as well and even more so in that it was flattened in the Second World War. It was just breath taking to walk around it and realise everything had been rebuilt since then, especially as it was done during the Communist era.
There are a couple of trip reports that might help you:
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Love, love, love both cities. Berlin has so many fascinating things to see - Berlin Wall, Brandenburg Gate, Checkpoint Charlie, Stele (sp?) Memorial, Victory Tower, Wilhelm Kaiser Church, and on, and on!!
Dresden, though, was my favorite on our 2012 trip. Everything historic in the downtown area is close together. The Zwinger, the opera house, the Catholic church and the Frauenkirche; plus so much more!
These are truly two wonderful cities to visit in Germany. I have no idea about the train travel. We were with a sister-city group and traveled by bus with 15 Americans and 15-18 Germans!
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Haimia
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So it's been a few months since I last posted on this. We finally made our air and hotel reservations this weekend, and DD heads out this coming Sunday.
We are flying out on an evening flight on April 20th from Boston to Berlin via Dublin. From Berlin we will be boarding a train for Dresden. We are staying at the Dresden Hilton that is close to the Frauenkirche (on points, yay!) We are also planning on going to Prague for a day trip on the Monday and then back to Berlin on Wednesday to see the Wall and a few other highlights and then back to the states on Thursday morning. Rather a quick trip, but it will be good to see where daughter is living and to check in with her, not to mention to visit some new to us places.
Any advice or tips anyone may have would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks! I think the best part will be seeing our daughter, but I am looking forward to seeing some places that I've only ever seen in a book or online.
One question though--I have always heard about people raving about European chocolate and was wondering what types would be worth buying? I tried a few different ones in the Azores and Barcelona in 2016, but was a bit disappointed. They seemed chalky and one was downright grainy. But in fairness, I am one who is taken in by flashy packaging. (I did, however have the best pizza I've ever eaten in Barcelona!) So again, any and all info/opinions are appreciated!
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So we're leaving on the 20th of this month out of Boston, with a layover in Dublin and landing in Berlin on Saturday morning. From there we have train tickets (first class! Woot!) to Dresden. DD will meet us at the train station and we will head over to our Hotel (Hilton Dresden, paid for with points. Can I get another Woot!?)
That afternoon she wants to show us around the campus of her university and a few other points of interest. Saturday night will be an early one, with dinner on the fly. (We'll let her choose where)
Sunday will be more touring around Dresden, and if the weather cooperates, we will try to add in a hike in the "Saxon Switzerland" about 45 minutes by bus from the city.
Monday she has classes, so we will be on our own during the day. We want to go to Prague, and just take in the feel of the city. No special plans, as DH is more of a "see where the day takes us" kind of traveler, (except for Disney trips, of course.)
Tuesday will be Meisen or if DD has a better plan, we'll do that instead.
Wednesday we will be taking the train back to Berlin (after a tearful goodbye to DD, I'm afraid) and after checking in to our hotel (POINTS!) we will be hitting up all of the famous historic tourist stops that we can fit in, such as Checkpoint Charlie, the Wall, Brandenburg Gate, etc.
The next morning we will head to the airport to head back to Dublin (a 4 hr layover this time--time enough to get into the city???) and then back to Boston, and the trip back home.
Hope to have plenty of time to spend with DD, find some magnets, see DD. sample a few local brews or pours, make sure DD is doing well, see some areas that we've heard about all our lives, visit with DD, and try a donner and a berliner! (and see our girl!)
I hope it all works out as well as we hope--and again, and and all suggestions are welcome!
I don't remember now how far Dublin was from the airport (we were there in 2001), but I wouldn't think it's a good idea to try and make it in there, even if it's close. It's just not worth it for something to happen and you not to make your flight home.
Oh wow, it all sounds wonderful.
Thanks!
I don't remember now how far Dublin was from the airport (we were there in 2001), but I wouldn't think it's a good idea to try and make it in there, even if it's close. It's just not worth it for something to happen and you not to make your flight home.
That's a shame--oh well, maybe some other time, then.
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