Passing through the Panama Canal - a Passporter's Tale **Updated 8/21** - Page 28 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!
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What great updates Terri - sorry that you did not get to snorkel like you were used too but you got some great pictures (even with the little disposable camera)
It seemed to be agreat outing though and what nice afternoon just enjoying the local area and having lunch.
The rainforest sounds sooo relaxing....must be a wonderful break.
Loved the party pictures....you and Lesley both looked as if you were having a fantastic time...
Great updates! Aruba looks beautiful - a coworker of mine visited this spring and I was surprised at how desert-y it looked in his pictures, too. Your food pics are making me hungry! Can't wait to hear more.
Such wonderful photos! The buildings reminded me somewhat of Grand Cayman, which I thought was beautiful!
Now we have a snorkeling excursion in Aruba...wonder if we will end up kayaking as well
More, please! I'm enjoying this immensely
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.
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Panama Canal Day!!!
Today was the Panama Canal Passage day!! This is what we had been waiting for! I decided to get up early and be up on deck for the passage. Lesley decided to wait a bit. She probably made the right decision. We were originally scheduled to pass through the canal at 630am - but as you will see... we didn't quite make it through at that time.
I woke up at 430am, got dressed and headed up to Deck 10 forward to watch the transit. I wanted to see everything!! So I arrived at about 5am and it was DARK and actually pretty cold. I had my sweatshirt with me - good thing - I needed it.
Ships waiting in the distance for their turn to pass through the canal. There were about 40 of them... it looked like a parking lot.
Everyone up on deck waiting for the passage
The city of Colon - on Limon Bay in Panama
630am came and went - and it was HOT up on deck. The left side of my face was baking - good thing I had bought the 50 SPF sun screen... Finally we heard that the US sub would have priority and that we would transit at about 800 or 830am... so I decided to stay on the deck so that I could see the fully thing.
A US Navy Los Angeles class attack sub
At 830 we finally started our transit toward the Gatun lake. I shot videos and as soon as I can get them uploaded to Youtube, I will add them here.
Gatun locks in the distance
The Navy sub entering the right lock
Shaka on deck with friends
Me on deck 10 (taken by Shaka - I am in the red DVC baseball cap).
Tugs coming out to get us and guide us to the lock
Approaching the lock - we went in the left lock behind the blue ship
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We approached the Gatun locks and entered the left lock - with the US sub in front of us. We did learn that the video webcams were off during our transit, due to the sub's presence and the need for security.
The mule trains lined up the right guide wall waiting for our arrival at the lock
Mules on the left guide wall
The rowboat bringing out the first guidewire to the ship
In the first chamber of the lock
The walkway retracts into the lock walls
Goofy was up on deck to see the transit
Edging into the lock
Entering the second chamber of the locks
Mickey on deck at the Gatun locks
Looking beyond the 3rd chamber into Lake Gatun
The mule train pulls us forward into the next lock chamber
Panamanians waiting for the Magic!
Ships waiting in Gatun Lake
After our transit (I had gone back to the room and talked to Lesley - and to change shirts since I was DRENCHED in sweat from the heat of the morning), we decided to go up onto the deck and walk around a bit.
The crew was also preparing a BBQ cook out on deck
Decorative breads for the BBQ
Executive Chef Patrick prepping for the BBQ
Gatun dam - makes the lake possible
Me - Looking back at Gatun locks
Lesley - looking back at Gatun Locks
Great photos, Terri! I love the breads! That took someone a lot of time!
Wow, what a crowd of people waiting for the Magic!! Mickey is truly an icon!! Can't wait for more!
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