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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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As nippy as the day before was, today was sunny and warm enough for the girls to wear shorts. Since we had to leave tonight to take the red eye home, we were staying closer to home. After another leisurely morning, we picked up burritos at Karen and Zack’s favorite place and took them to the park in San Mateo for a picnic.
As soon as we finished eating, Mary Devall and Maddie asked to ride a little train that was running near us. Mary Devall was the oldest by far, but I that she still loves doing these things. They also discovered that the same man who ran the train sold snow cones, so they were in heaven.
We had such a fun afternoon filled with simple pleasures. They threw balls and played on the monkey bars for a good hour before we wandered through the Japanese gardens and then headed back to Karen’s.
Karen had bought a party bullet for frozen drinks that she had been meaning to try out all week, but today was the first warmish day that we had. Thankfully, the party bullet was set up outside because we had several mishaps during the FAB production. Pina coladas blew out the top and then fell out the bottom, but we ended up with two pretty good drinks that we enjoyed while sitting in the sun in Karen’s back yard.
Eventually we went back inside and I was forced to do the unthinkable - - pack. Amazingly we managed to get everything back into our bags before we reconvened in the kitchen and tried to finish up all the leftovers that we had accumulated this week. Karen and I also tried to finish up the wine too.
When it was time to leave, Mary Devall just when she said goodbye to the dogs. This was not going to be a pretty departure.
Once at the airport, Karen and Zack stayed with us until we checked in and checked our bags. All too soon it was time for us to go through security and we had to say . were exchanged and were shed (although Karen thought that Mary Devall cried more for the dogs ) and I was just thankful that we already had Christmas plans with these two. This trip had been pure perfection and the two of them were big reasons for that.
We were cutting it close, so we finally had to say our final goodbye and get in the security line. By the time we made it through, took a bathroom break and arrived at our gate, our plane was already boarding. We settled in our seats and were quickly in the air.
Maddie turned off her tv and announced that she was going to sleep. She snuggled into her Bullseye pillow pet and that was the last we heard of her until the plane landed in Atlanta. Mary Devall, on the other hand, watched a bit of tv before she tried to go to sleep. She slept, but about once an hour, I would hear a voice saying “I can’t go to sleep.” I would get up and cover her up and she would go back to sleep each time.
Neither Thom nor I slept at all, but instead watched movies. The flight attendant kept me plied with Bailey’s and coffee while I watched “The Five Year Engagement” and the beginning of “The Avengers” that we missed on our Disney cruise this summer. I’m lousy at sleeping on a plane anyway, so I didn’t even try.
By the time we landed in Atlanta and took a bathroom break, the Sky club was just opening so we decided to spend our layover there. I couldn’t bear another cup of coffee, but I did enjoy a bagel.
The quick flight to Charlotte was uneventful and we were soon at baggage pickup waiting on our luggage. To save time, I volunteered to pick up the car while Thom waiting . . . big mistake on my part.
Maddie went with me and we had no problem finding our car since we had left it on the top deck. Once in the car, I realized that Thom had not left the parking garage ticket in the car. I gave him a call and he told me what I feared - - he had it.
So . . . I figured I would just wing it. Maddie and I went to the cash only window and I told the lady my story. She let out a big sigh and said “Well, I’ll have to write out a manual ticket for you then.”
She asked me when we had left and I told her “January 27th.” I didn’t even realized what I had said until she screeched “January 27th!” I immediately corrected myself with “July 27th” and told her that I had been flying all night. She either (a) felt sorry for me or (b) picked up the “zip it” tone in my voice because she was a lot nicer after that.
After she filled out her paper work and I paid, Maddie and I were finally released from parking garage prison. It was no surprise that Thom and Mary Devall were waiting on us with the luggage by the time we reached “Arrivals.” So much for saving time!
It was noon on the dot when we arrived home and this is what the girls looked like when we were only minutes from our house.
Maddie and Thom went right to bed, but Mary Devall and I decided to stay up until bedtime . . . and somehow we made it . . . although bed time was at 7 p.m. that night! That ended up being a good decision because I never had a bit of jet lag.
Final Thoughts
With the exception of Eileen’s bum knee , this trip was pure perfection. Our introduction to Disneyland could not have been more special. From our gorgeous rooms at the Disneyland Hotel to the VIP viewing at two events, we were spoiled each and every day. It’s hard to pick out the highlights from a trip that was essentially one big highlight, but I’ll do my best:
Our flights: With two little girls who had never flown cross country before, first class was the way to go for us. It took a big bite out of our budget and we may never do it again, but I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. The service that we had on our flight out made four hours go by very quickly.
Our hotel: Big, gorgeous rooms with killer views . . . what’s not to love? Staying club level was such a treat. The lounge was right above our rooms and acted as a “home away from home” especially for Eileen who was probably on a first name basis with the CM’s by the time we left. You just couldn’t beat having someone bring you a glass of wine as you relaxed in a cushy chair and rested your poor, tired park feet. By far, the biggest draw of staying at one of the DLR hotels leads me to my next highlight:
The proximity of everything to everything: Not only could we see both DL and DCA from our room, but we could walk to both in a span of minutes. If we wanted to cut off a few minutes, we could take the monorail from DTD directly to Tomorrowland inside of DL. If we wanted to visit DTD, it was literally steps outside of our hotel. If we wanted to walk from one park to the other park, it was steps away also. I could go on and on . . . in fact, I just did.
The weather: OMG!!!
VIP treatment: We will never be able to go to Disneyland without Karen. She arranged for us to see the two biggest events at DLR - - Fantasmic and World of Color - - without having to wait in a single line and with VIP viewing. When you actually saw the crowds for both, you realized the enormity of these gifts. She also got us up and at ‘em two mornings to make sure that we took full advantage of early entry for resort guests. The extra hour each morning allowed us to accomplish a crazy amount of rides before most people even got in the park. Karen usually took on the task of being the FP runner also, so she maximized every second of our time.
Mary Devall’s birthday: This girl has had some pretty spectacular birthdays in her 11 years, but this one may have topped them all. From morning to night, she enjoyed surprises, gifts, and special desserts compliments of her fairy godmothers. I don’t think the smile left her face all day.
Fantasyland: I was quite simply enchanted with the charm and aged beauty of Fantasyland. Even after the triplets of doom (a.k.a Mr. Toad’s Wild ride, Pinocchio and Snow White), my girls were all aglow from our morning in Fantasyland. I can still hear them giggling as our car zig zagged down a little hill on the Alice in Wonderland ride.
Cars Land: Since this was our first visit to DCA, there was no way we could grasp the extent of the recent updates to the park. Except for Cars Land, I really wasn’t sure what was new and what was old, but there was no doubt that Cars Land was a great addition to DCA. I still can remember the moment when we turned a corner and . . . bam! . . we were in the middle of Cars, the movie. It was incredible and I loved every single thing about it from the rides themselves to the roast beef at Flo’s Café. And seeing it at night was like an entirely new experience from seeing it in the day. Bravo, imagineers, bravo!
DL and DCA in general: I’ll admit it. I was biased going into this whole thing. I wasn’t raised on Disney World, but once I discovered it at the age of 21, I claimed it as my own. Nothing could touch it . . . not even the original . . . um . . . . I was wrong. Literally, from the moment that we stepped into our first park, DCA, I was hooked. There may be only two parks, but there is so much to do in each one that you certainly don’t miss two others. There was also so much for Maddie to do that she never had to wait on a bench if others were riding something that she couldn’t or wouldn’t ride. I still am not sure quite what it was that made me love DLR so very much. Most likely, it is a combination of everything that I’ve highlighted. What I do know is that I want to go back.
Northern California: How do you top four days of perfection at DLR? Well, just head up the West Coast about 7 or 8 hours and you’ll find it. Karen and Zack were a fantastic hostess and host. Not only did they show us everything they loved about where they live (or as much as they could in 4 days), but they opened their home to us. We loved seeing all of the sites, but we also loved seeing where they live and getting a taste of their day-to-day life. Their home is beautiful and reflects the phenomenal people that live there.
And speaking of phenomenal people . . . I’ve saved the best for last. Four years ago, three ladies entered my life and, well, it’s just never been the same since. Spending time with Eileen, Sharon and Karen is the reason we even crossed the country to begin with . . . and it’s the reason why this will go down as one of the best vacations ever. In our own whacky way, we all just sorta fit.
I’ll end with the same words with which I ended the trip report on which I first met them:
“And certain moments I never want to forget . . . Eileen fussing over Mary Devall’s sash and then giving her the history of the sash . . . Sharon flashing me her beautiful smile the first time I laid eyes on her . . . Karen transporting yellow cupcakes across the country for my little girl . . . and me toasting a magnificent trip with my three new friends. This is how I count my blessings.“
What a great wrap up! You had so many wonderful moments, and the smiles on all your faces are so infectious! I was grinning the entire time reading your TR!
I really hope you can come out to visit DLR again!
__________________
Huge Disney Fan...Always Have Been...Always Will Be!
Disneyland 60th Anniversary Celebration TR here!
2013 WDW trip here!
2011 trip to Hawaii here!
She asked me when we had left and I told her “January 27th.” I didn’t even realized what I had said until she screeched “January 27th!” I immediately corrected myself with “July 27th” and told her that I had been flying all night. She either (a) felt sorry for me or (b) picked up the “zip it” tone in my voice because she was a lot nicer after that.
Oh. Em. Gee!!! That made me laugh so hard!! (But, had it been Sharon saying she'd been on vacation for seven months, no one would've blinked an eyelash. I mean...girlfriend practically *IS* on vacation for that long these days.)
Love you guys lots! Lots, lots, lots!
And it's killing me that my knee is all healed and junk, and you're all off at Disney World without me. Withouuuuuuuuuut meeeeeeeeee!
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I think there's something in the air here making my eyes water.
The beautiful friendship you all share is amazing. Thank you for letting us in on it all!
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I started this at midnight, thinking "I'll just read the first entry." And now, here I am, at 1:52 in the morning, just finishing. I was feeling bummed about not making it to WDW this year and having to "settle" for DL. (Seriously, that's how I was thinking of it. I was trying to put on a happy face, but I was really disappointed.)
After reading your TR, I am SO excited to go on this new adventure. So, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for sharing this wonderful TR with us, as I can stop moping now and start really getting into planning this trip!
Also, lol, it seems like you had a wonderful trip, and Zack is just so funny with all his poses, and so sweet with all that he does for the girls. He seems like a good guy. And your girls are SO beautiful, and I love some of the funny things Maddie says. "I would have done the wrong thing!" How adorable!
About This Page: 
Since we had to leave tonight to take the red eye home, we were staying closer to home. After another leisurely morning, we picked up burritos at Karen and Zack’s favorite place and took them to the park in San Mateo for a picnic.
that she still loves doing these things. They also discovered that the same man who ran the train sold snow cones, so they were in heaven.
Pina coladas blew out the top and then fell out the bottom, but we ended up with two pretty good drinks that we enjoyed while sitting in the sun in Karen’s back yard. 
Amazingly we managed to get everything back into our bags before we reconvened in the kitchen and tried to finish up all the leftovers that we had accumulated this week. Karen and I also tried to finish up the wine too. 
when she said goodbye to the dogs. This was not going to be a pretty departure. 
. 
were exchanged and 
were shed (although Karen thought that Mary Devall cried more for the dogs 
) and I was just thankful that we already had Christmas plans with these two. This trip had been pure perfection and the two of them were big reasons for that. 
while I watched “The Five Year Engagement” and the beginning of “The Avengers” that we missed on our Disney cruise this summer. I’m lousy at sleeping on a plane anyway, so I didn’t even try. 
I immediately corrected myself with “July 27th” and told her that I had been flying all night. She either (a) felt sorry for me or (b) picked up the “zip it” tone in my voice because she was a lot nicer after that. 
, this trip was pure perfection. 
This girl has had some pretty spectacular birthdays in her 11 years, but this one may have topped them all. From morning to night, she enjoyed surprises, gifts, and special desserts compliments of her fairy godmothers. I don’t think the smile left her face all day.
. . we were in the middle of Cars, the movie. It was incredible and I loved every single thing about it from the rides themselves to the roast beef at Flo’s Café. And seeing it at night was like an entirely new experience from seeing it in the day. Bravo, imagineers, bravo! 
I wasn’t raised on Disney World, but once I discovered it at the age of 21, I claimed it as my own. Nothing could touch it . . . not even the original . . . um . . . . I was wrong. 
Literally, from the moment that we stepped into our first park, DCA, I was hooked. There may be only two parks, but there is so much to do in each one that you certainly don’t miss two others. There was also so much for Maddie to do that she never had to wait on a bench if others were riding something that she couldn’t or wouldn’t ride. I still am not sure quite what it was that made me love DLR so very much. Most likely, it is a combination of everything that I’ve highlighted. What I do know is that I want to go back. 
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Holly: 
Disney Magic - Oct 2015
How adorable!
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