Have Pen, Will Travel: A Solo Trip Report--Includes Dining and CSR Reviews and Photos! - Page 10 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Originally Posted by mom to 3 princesses and 1 prince
While iasw is my sentimental favorite, EE is my very favorite attraction! One trip, I rode it 7 times in a row! We even took the time to ride it during the marathon!
7 times?!? i'm impressed! and DURING the marathon? like 'run run run...everest...run run run'? you are my hero!
but yeah--i really liked it. i liked it so much, in fact, that i contemplated missing sleep to ride it again...but more on that later.
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DURING the marathon? like 'run run run...everest...run run run'? you are my hero!
Yep, exactly like that! They were passing out FPs as the runners went by, and even though we really couldn't afford it timewise, we couldn't pass it up. I've got to take the time to post my marathon report on here...
Originally Posted by mom to 3 princesses and 1 prince
Yep, exactly like that! They were passing out FPs as the runners went by, and even though we really couldn't afford it timewise, we couldn't pass it up. I've got to take the time to post my marathon report on here...
Before I continue on with my day, I’d like to address the experience of Disney solo vs. Disney with my friend...
I learned a lot by meeting my friend at Epcot and sharing half of a day at AK with her. As I’m all about learning, this is a very good thing! Here are my lessons, in order of importance...
1. I cannot do research like I need to do unless I’m by myself. This is a very good lesson to learn, as it will serve me well when I return to do The Grand Research Trip in the fall.
2. I never want to get trashed in Epcot.
3. I now kind of know what it would be like to take a child to Disney World. This is a very good lesson to learn, as it will serve me well if/when my husband and I decide to adopt. Clearly we’d be taking our child to Disney at some point, and now I understand better the complexities and difficulties associated with taking kids to WDW. (I also realize that escorting a drunken friend is not as difficult in many ways. However, it is also infinitely MORE difficult in many ways--for example, there’s nothing with which to threaten her, and she has a room key to which she can charge things.)
4. Related to number 3--I have a whole new respect for the millions of parents who take children--often multiple children at a time--to WDW every year. You guys are amazing. Seriously. Pat yourselves on the back right now!
5. I prefer Disney when I am alone. Though it was also fun with my husband. I’ll report back on what it is like with my mother. It may only suck with my one friend--that possibility totally exists.
OMG, how have I missed that fried wonton dessert?!?! That looks absolutely heavenly! I'm not a huge fan of Y&Y except for the Yak Attack, but I'll make a trip for that dessert alone .
Glad you decided to hit the reset button! I'm sitting next to one of those big stuffed Yetis right now! I love him! EE is my favorite ride and I like having the reminder of WDW close by--in the room filled with Disney related books, mouse ears, movie lithos and WDW photos--I needed something else right?
Day 3 Part 2--Solo vs. Not in
5. I prefer Disney when I am alone. Though it was also fun with my husband. I’ll report back on what it is like with my mother. It may only suck with my one friend--that possibility totally exists.
I think the reason your day with your friend sucked is because you were there to have fun, she was there to get drunk. I think WDW with a friend can be lots of fun, you just need to choose your WDW friends wisely!
I totally agree with the above post. Disney can be enjoyed the right way with the right friends. And going with children can be extremely fun, and you can get alot accomplished. I went with my older children who appreciate the fact that we are their to experience the park, rides, and details of the parks. It was just as much fun to watch them enjoy themselves as riding the rides.
Sorry, but you friend was just their to party. Such a shame, and such a waste of money. I could never imagine getting that smashed in such a great, fun, expensive place.
First, I'm sorry you have the germy bug. Seems everyone has brought back more than memories from WDW lately.
Second, I feel for you with your "situation" at Epcot. I have been on both sides of the coin on that one. Back in the day, my girls and I would plan a day of drinking around WS but we were all drunk (never sloppy) and still tell stories of our ridiculous hangovers. I remember just about dying in World of Disney downtown, another friend barely lived thru Stitch's Great Escape and we once had security called to our room at CBR for loud laughing/music. But when it's you that's sober and with a completely different goal as the person you're with - it stinks.
I'm so happy you tried EE and loved it, it's one of my faves.
I'm also taking note your experience at Epcot. As you know, I'm trying to plan a solo trip during F&WF this year and I was thinking about having some FL friends stay with me. Your notes on how much fun going solo is are causing me to rethink my plans. I beleive I'll keep my solo adventure - solo.
Looks like you are getting a lot of research done.
Alone vs. Park mate - It really depends on the person your with. I also think it depends on their purpose (to support you while having fun or their own agenda)
Thanks for the shout out to Moms. I think it's easier to control my kids then an Adult. My kids might get antsy but that is easier to nip then a brain imbalance due to alcohol. LOL.
Off topic when is the "teaching" blogs going to be up. I'm waiting on pins and needles.
We will be there when you are in May. Do you have your days planned yet? If we are in the same area the same day I would love to say Hi. even if it's just for a snack.
Originally Posted by mom to 3 princesses and 1 prince
You should have been at the race I went to today. It was in Corktown, which is the Irish section of Detroit. I ran a 5K with my dad and daughter. We saw many men in kilts!!!
OOOO! Runners legs AND kilts!? Be still my heart!!
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