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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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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.
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07-06-2006, 01:54 PM
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#196
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Community Rank: Legend Extraordinaire 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Ohio Football Hall Of Fame
Posts: 42,304
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Re: Girl Power - - Take Two Day 4 Part 1 Updated 7/5
Great update!! What a wonderful time the two of you are having at AK!!! The pictures are adorable!! Ice cream for lunch sounds good to me!! Can't wait to read more!!
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07-06-2006, 07:03 PM
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#197
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Community Rank: Explorer 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Longfellow's "Jewel by the Sea"
Posts: 14,165
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Re: Girl Power - - Take Two Day 4 Part 1 Updated 7/5
I'm so glad you saved Little Red [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img], but ewwwww!!! I get so riled from annoying people, I'm sorry you had to put up with it. Karma from having such a magical breakfast I guess [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]. Great update Jill, and thanks for the fabulous photos!!!
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07-06-2006, 08:22 PM
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#198
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Community Rank: Trekker 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Nova Scotia Canada
Posts: 1,906
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Re: Girl Power - - Take Two Day 4 Part 1 Updated 7/5
Jill, now that I've finished my own TR I have the luxury of catching up on some others! Loved the chipmonk food fight, and the Viking hat--that girl was born to pillage and plunder! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]
Thanks for the detailed report on the Princess Tea, it sounds lovely. Glad your girl had such a good time--the pictures tell the story! Sounds like you ran into some really great CMs too.
Looking forward to more.
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07-06-2006, 08:24 PM
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#199
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Community Rank: Jetsetter 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: San Mateo, CA
Posts: 2,490
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Re: Girl Power - - Take Two Day 4 Part 1 Updated 7/5
[ QUOTE ]
Weird pair on the safari (we met their long-lost cousins on our Sunrise Safari. Total wackos!)
[/ QUOTE ]
I had the EXACT same thought. OK, I couldn't post here until I posted to our trip report or Eileen woulda had my head. But, your report is fabulous! Mary Devall has done it again in terms of totally charming me. Can't wait for more! BTW, your little tip about the margarita stand saved me a very anxious moment on a very warm day in Epcot! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]
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07-06-2006, 09:22 PM
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#200
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Community Rank: Navigator 
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Peoria IL
Concierge Level: 1
Posts: 6,423
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Re: Girl Power - - Take Two Day 4 Part 1 Updated 7/5
Just getting caught up, again. Don't you just love an interactive dessert? I'll have to keep it in mind if we ever make it to AP.
Great morning at AK. How sweet was that of the CM to give Mary Devall that key chain? It's CM's like that that really know how to spread the Disney magic. Love the pictures of the two of you with the characters. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]
[img]/ubb/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif[/img] on climbing the ropes in the Boneyard. You are braver than I am! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]
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07-08-2006, 07:17 AM
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#201
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Community Rank: Explorer
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Columbia, SC
Concierge Level: 6
Posts: 7,014
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Re: Girl Power - - Take Two Day 4 Part 2 Updated 7/8
Day 4 Part 2
After our tasty [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/yuma.gif[/img]lunch at Tusker House, we ventured over to Camp Minnie-Mickey where we first stopped at the next Kids’ Discovery Club. Mary Devall had a blast sticking her hand into different holes in a log [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/eek.gif[/img] and trying to determine what was in each hole. She made it through (with a little help from the CM’s) and received her next stamp. Camp Minnie-Mickey is always a “must do” for us because the characters are plentiful and the lines are usually fairly short. Once again, we were not disappointed.
 
 
 
On our way out of Camp Minnie-Mickey, we ran into several more friends and had to stop to say hello.
  
Mary Devall was so excited about collecting the stamps in her Kids’ Discovery Club book, so we moved on the Discovery Island to find the next stop. The AK map highlights each stop, but finding them is another story altogether [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img]. If you ever see parents walking around AK looking confused [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img], they are most probably looking for one of these stops. The one on Discovery Island was actually off of the exit from ITTAB and down a winding pathway. Mary Devall kept cheering me on, so at least I had encouragement [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]. Not surprisingly, the CM was by herself. I told her that they had her well hidden and she laughed in agreement. Another little girl joined us shortly with her mother huffing and puffing behind her.
The stop was about bugs, so the girls spent the next five minutes learning all about our littlest friends. Mary Devall and I both looked through the eyes of a bug which was cool. I couldn’t resist taking a picture of her.
With her book stamped with a spider stamp, we found our way out of there and moved on to the stop in Asia which was thankfully much easier to find. The CM had just started the “lesson” with several children, but he urged Mary Devall to join them. They identified animal sounds and then he talked at length about the environment and what they could do to help. Mary Devall enjoyed the Discovery Club to no end, but I learned a lot also. Mary Devall received her monkey stamp and then we decided what to do next.
One of the stops for the Discovery Club was at Rafiki’s Planet Watch and since we had already visited Rafiki’s when we discovered the club we knew that Mary Devall would not be able to complete all of the stamps on this trip. At first, we decided that she could do three stops on this trip and then we would do 3 again in October. She got the three and then Asia was so close that we went ahead to Asia. She was enjoying herself so much that I figured we might as well do all the ones that we could that day and leave Rafiki’s Planet Watch for October (and then once she had all six stamps, she would get the big Rafiki stamp which was our quest in all of this [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]). So Mary Devall hopped back in the stroller and we took the route via Expedition Everest to Dinoland. We stopped for a few minutes to watch the coaster zoom out of the mountain. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img] There was no way that Mary Devall would ride this (and we all remember my chicken exit [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]), but she did enjoy watching people screaming down the mountain.
Once again, the Discovery Club stop was a little difficult to find. We headed to where it appeared on the map in Dinoland, but ended up on a mysterious path. We backtracked a little and found it closer to Dinosaur. The CM from the Camp Minnie-Mickey Discovery Club spot had moved over to this one and she was just beginning her lesson about dinosaurs and invited Mary Devall to join. The children gathered around a mini expedition site where the CM unearthed bones and asked the children to identify them. With a lot of hints and coaxing, Mary Devall identified the long neck dinosaur (proud mommy moment [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img]). The lesson ended with another environment pep talk. She asked the children how they could help by taking care of their pets. Mary Devall answered that she helps her dad pick up dog poop in the back yard to keep the yard clean (actually she points it out and dad picks it up [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]). The CM (Lauren) pointed out the fact that Mary Devall had only one stamp left after she stamped her book for Dinoland. We told her that we didn’t have time to go back to Rafiki’s Planet Watch today, but would finish on our next trip in October. She asked Mary Devall to take an oath (raise your right hand and repeat after me) that she would protect the planet and listen to her mom and dad (I liked that she threw that in there also[img]/ubb/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif[/img]). She stamped the Rafiki’s Planet Watch spot and then pulled out the big Rafiki stamp and finished her book for her[img]/ubb/images/graemlins/woot.gif[/img] . If she would have handed Mary Devall $1000, she wouldn’t have made her any happier than she did. We thanked Lauren profusely and then headed for the exit. We saw another friend on the way out and had to stop.
Then we [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/zwavin.gif[/img] goodbye to AK for this trip and hopped a bus to MK where our dinner at LTT awaited us!
Next up . . . I know you!
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07-08-2006, 07:57 AM
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#202
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Community Rank: Globetrotter 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Manchester, England
Posts: 3,595
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Re: Girl Power - - Take Two Day 4 Part 2 Updated 7/8
What a fantastic update! Mary Devall clearly had a great time at the Discovery Club. We'll definitely try this next trip.
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07-08-2006, 08:01 AM
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#203
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RED SOX NATION!!
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Connecticut
Concierge Level: 9
Posts: 136,854
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Re: Girl Power - - Take Two Day 4 Part 2 Updated 7/8
What a great time at AK, and I love all the pictures of Mary Devall with all the characters [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif[/img] I'm glad she had such fun with the Discovery book [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]
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07-08-2006, 08:15 AM
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#204
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Living Seas wannabe
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Jacksonville, FL
Concierge Level: 6
Posts: 31,940
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Re: Girl Power - - Take Two Day 4 Part 2 Updated 7/8
What a wonderful afternoon participating in the Discovery Club!!! Great update and photos!
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07-08-2006, 09:46 AM
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#205
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Community Rank: Navigator
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Peoria IL
Concierge Level: 1
Posts: 6,423
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Re: Girl Power - - Take Two Day 4 Part 2 Updated 7/8
Love the bug picture! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]
Don't you just love it when a CM does a little something special? And people wonder why we all love WDW so much.
What a great day. Can't wait for more.
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07-08-2006, 11:49 AM
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#206
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Community Rank: Legend 
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: North Central Ohio
Posts: 21,629
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Re: Girl Power - - Take Two Day 4 Part 2 Updated 7/8
What a very nice CM Lauren is! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif[/img] Too bad they don't have better directions for the stops. Love the pics of Mary Devall! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]
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07-08-2006, 12:07 PM
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#207
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Community Rank: Globetrotter
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Orange, Texas
Posts: 3,717
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Re: Girl Power - - Take Two Day 4 Part 2 Updated 7/8
Love the bug picture!!! Mary Devall is a cutie!!
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07-08-2006, 02:13 PM
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#208
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Community Rank: Explorer
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Concierge Level: 6
Posts: 7,386
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Re: Girl Power - - Take Two Day 4 Part 2 Updated 7/8
Wonderful update - it sounds like you had a truly magical day in the Animal Kingdom!
Joy
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07-08-2006, 10:04 PM
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#209
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Community Rank: Trekker
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Nova Scotia Canada
Posts: 1,906
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Re: Girl Power - - Take Two Day 4 Part 2 Updated 7/8
Thanks for the report, Jill, my kids got the Discovery Club booklet but we didn't take the time to figure out what it was...my little scientist would love that. Next time! Loooved the bug-head photo! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]
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07-08-2006, 10:11 PM
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#210
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Community Rank: Legend
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Newtown Square, PA
Concierge Level: 6
Posts: 23,859
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Re: Girl Power - - Take Two Day 4 Part 2 Updated 7/8
How cool that Mary D. got all of her stamps!! What an awesome afternoon you guys had. That bug picture is the cutest!! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/love.gif[/img]
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