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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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'm a Disney World veteran, but a Disneyland Newbie. I'll be visiting for the first time in Oct. for 2 nights. We're staying at the Villas at Grand Californian since I'm a DVC member. So I'm looking for Disneyland veterans to tell me what's not to be missed at Disneyland. What are the attractions or restaurants we should definitely visit?
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I would definitely head for those that are unique to Disneyland - things like the Indiana Jones Adventure, Alice in Wonderland, Grizzly River Run and now World of Colour.
As for restaurants, if you're staying at the Grand Californian, the Napa Rose is a must. It's beautiful food. The Blue Bayou is very atmospheric at the Disneyland Park and we've had great meals at Ariel's Grotto in the California Adventure, Goofy's Kitchen at the Disneyland Hotel, PCH Grill at Paradise Pier and Storyteller's Cafe at the Grand Californian as well.
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How many days are you visiting parks? Are you getting hoppers? Do you plan on visiting both parks?
We plan on doing both parks and getting either 2 or 3 day hopper passes. We should be landing at LAX at 12:30 so not sure if we'll go to a park that day or not but we'll be doing the following 2 days since we won't be flying out until 8:00 pm.
I would suggest using your first day to settle in at the villa, explore your hotel and then hit DTD for shopping, browsing and taking in a meal or two. Then using your 2 day hopper, hit one park the following day and the other on the 3rd. I also suggest hitting what is unique to Disneyland/California Adventure (Matterhorn, Indiana Jones Adventure Alice in Wonderland, etc) , and take time to notice the influences of Walt Disney in his original park.
I'm a Disney World veteran, but a Disneyland Newbie. I'll be visiting for the first time in Oct. for 2 nights. We're staying at the Villas at Grand Californian since I'm a DVC member. So I'm looking for Disneyland veterans to tell me what's not to be missed at Disneyland. What are the attractions or restaurants we should definitely visit?
When are you going? We are also going in October and on certain nights they have Mickey's Halloween Party, but that's an extra ticket so its something to consider if you'll be there at that time.
I personally think that POTC and Space Mountain are better rides at DLR vs WDW. Also if your budget allows, eat at the Blue Bayou or Napa Rose for sure. Storytellers and Goofy's Kitchen are good for a slightly smaller budget. We also really enjoy Carnation Cafe.
Soarin' is longer at DCA than it is at Epcot. I would make sure I rode that. My other favorites are Indiana Jones, POTC (much longer than WDW), TSMM, and the Haunted Mansion.
As far as dining goes, I would go to the Blue Bayou for sure and Cafe Orleans for the Monte Cristo sandwich!
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