Cindybelle's DoD Trip Report, May 2009 WDW--Updated 6/19 - COMPLETE! - Page 6 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Not all the photos were taken INSIDE the building -- here are some good pics taken behind the building, as we waited for entry to our private dining room.
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Cindy, I'm catching up bit by bit and page by page. The patio and desserts for the Fantasmic Dessert Party look awesome. Makes me wish I was already retired so I could have joined in the fun.
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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.
I had such a blast with the five girls from Texas and their moms that I certainly didn't need a GIFT to keep enjoying myself with them. But at the end of PP's lunch meet at Flame Tree BBQ, Robbie purchased a tee shirt for me which all the girls signed. I took a picture of the shirt as soon as I got home (yes, it's wrinkled and dirty, just like me!), but I'm happy to say the signatures are still on there after washing and drying the shirt. I will treasure this forever! The girls also gave me a commemorative watch, which I'm proudly showing to everyone at work. (Basically, I'm driving everybody nuts by saying, "What time is it?" while I shove my wrist at them.)
Thank you, thank you to Tiffany, Vanessa, Lauren, Alexis, Jeanene, Robbie, and Clari! I'm ready to go back to WDW with you anytime!
Vanessa's back makes a dandy writing surface!
Here's the front side of my new shirt:
And now the back -- these signatures will be worth a fortune someday!
And my new Mickey watch:
Thanks again, girls!
Now, here's another souvenir I carted home: a Goofy cup. (You can never have too many Goofy souvenirs, right?) During the PP's quest at Epcot on Sunday, we stopped at the Cooling Station for some liquid refreshments. When I saw Liz with a Minnie cup, I simply HAD to buy myself the Goofy version. Here we are, enjoying our frozen blue whatever-it-was. It was good and cold! My Goofy cup is currently adorning a table in my office (along with the Goofy and ToT hats, photos purchased from Disney of various PPs on the ToT, RnR, & EE rides, and my PP picture frame). Anyone who comes into my office makes the mistake of looking at my pile of stuff and saying, "Oh yeah, you went to Disney World last week -- how was it?" (They're learning slowly NOT to ask me an open question like that!)
Like I said earlier, Epcot's Flower and Garden Show is absolutely spectacular in May. How to settle on five photos for this thread -- decisions, decisions!
Sheri and Stitch -- which is which?
Cindy with one of the ostriches from Fantasia.
I took this shot our last evening (Tuesday) as I was heading for the Mexico pavilion and our final "meet" for the Decade of Dreams -- drinks on the patio overlooking Illuminations. I absolutely love the shot I got across the water, with the clouds surrounding Spaceship Earth. (Sigh.)
Being such a BNTB fan, on Saturday morning I begged Sheri to take my picture with topiary Cogsworth & Lumiere.
For you Lion King fans, here's a topiary you're bound to like:
you are too much. strangely, i can really SEE you in my mind with that watch on asking your co-workers what time it is....ha haha...thanks, you made me smile today thinking about it! oh, stitch is the blue-grey guy in the pic in case no one knows which of us is which...he he he....
Cindy's Trip #14 - PhotoBucket & other pic sharing
I've uploaded 50 Epcot photos and 50 MK photos to PhotoBucket. So if you were on the trip last week, you have access to my photos. I haven't titled them or anything -- just trying to get them on there so you can use them. Eventually I'll get all my photos from the trip on there.
EVERYBODY: I've also created a "snapshow" for each of the four parks. They're really fun to watch, so be sure to PM me with your email address if you'd like me to send those to you. Whether you were on the trip last week or not, I'll be happy to share those with you.
I've come across some photos that are just too good NOT to share here, so forgive the "randomness" of these:
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.