A New Grade, A New House, and A Surprise! TR August 21-31 - Page 31 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Looks like fun at MK. That was awesome that the Photopass photographer took you around the Hub and did a photo shot. Dinner at 1900 PF looked like fun. Sorry the rain spoiled your evening at MK.
Nice update. Sorry the rain ruined the evening. I hope you got back to do Sorcerer Mickey and save the MK. I love your mini photo session. Sounds like the photopass photographers saved the day twice that day.
You know what? You're right - 2 awesome PP photographers did save the day!
Quote:
Originally Posted by lauriep
Too bad the rain kept interfering with your plans, but you still had fun! I love when you get a photopass person who really wants you to get your money's worth!
Stinky rain! Who knew it rained in Florida in August LOL! I love those photographers too - I usually mention we have the CD, but I hadn't this time, so it was extra magic!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cam22
Great time at MK and 1900 Park Fare, except for the rain washing out Sorcerers!
Thanks! We did have fun (even if the kids still bring up that night and complain....)
Quote:
Originally Posted by chezp
I'm glad you were able to get the Photopass pic at the Merida meet - I love all the Photopass shots you got.
Thanks Cheryl!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Colexis Mom
Great pics from MK! Sorry about the rain!
Thanks Marnie!
Quote:
Originally Posted by taylan1
So sorry about the rain. You still managed to get a lot done.
We tried our best!
Quote:
Originally Posted by KMB733
Looks like fun at MK. That was awesome that the Photopass photographer took you around the Hub and did a photo shot. Dinner at 1900 PF looked like fun. Sorry the rain spoiled your evening at MK.
I still smile thinking back to how crazy we must have looked posing with each statue and a photographer following us around
__________________
Stacey
Why do these kids look so pathetic?
Find out in: A New Grade, A New House, and A Surprise!Final Thoughts 01/30
We arrived at the park today at 9:30, only to find a crazy bag check line! No way was the park a 2/10! It had to be busier, much to our dismay - we were really hoping to get the kids into the Jedi Academy today since they had changed their minds and now wanted to do it (of course!).
We headed right to the Jedi sign up only to find a massive lineup! By the time we got to the front, they were signing people up for the 5:00 shows; we chose the 7:10 show instead as this worked best with our dinner reservations (hopefully!).
After this, we did something we never do - split up. Alex and Dave went to Indiana Jones and Star Tours, Sabrina and I to RRC. We went into the single rider since stand-by was at 40 min (and this made me very nervous, as I didn't really want to be separated from Sabrina, but she was fine with it). I am so glad we did this though because we got to wait in the air-conditioning, only to find out rather quickly that the ride was down. We took off and went over to TOT, where the wait was 20 minutes. We rode this, then headed back to RRC to find only a 20 minute wait there, so we hopped in line (and didn't have to ride separate after all since we were in the regular line. Phew!)
We're in the front - Sabrina is covering her eyes. She loves the ride, but hates the 'ghosts'. Go figure.
Waiting to ride RRC.
Once we left RRC, we snagged a few PP pics, then met Dave & Alex at the hat, where we watched a bit of the Disney Chanel Rocks show. We followed this with lunch at ABC Commissary, then stopped in to see AI again (ahhh...air conditioning.......).
Have to get this 'cold' shot every time!
We wandered over to check out Little Mermaid next, then another first for us, the Great Movie Ride. I think we lucked out here - we got the Western side, and isn't that the rarer one? No matter, we enjoyed it and it was neat to see the scenes from movies.
At this point, we decided to head back to the hotel and rest for a bit. We had a 5:30 ADR at Cape May Cafe, but we wanted to try and get in when they opened at 5:00 so we would have a better chance of making the Jedi Training. We grabbed a cab to BC, checking in early and explaining to the CM why we were there early. She was lovely and got us in very quickly. We ate lots and were out of there in plenty of time to catch a boat to HS. I have to say though that we were not fans of the clam bake. I don't eat seafood, so I was a write off anyway, but DH didn't care for it either, so it will be a while before we return there.
Waiting for dinner.
On the way to HS, DH's phone rang - it was the granite people calling about our house. They wanted to know if we were building two houses. Ummm...no? They had us down at two different address and needed the right one. We cleared it up, but were left a little uneasy about what we were going to find when we got home (all was well though!)
We got to the waiting area with plenty of time so I waited for a bit with them, then I left Dave with the kids and went to get front row "seats". While waiting, I chatted with the PP photographer who told me he did the magic shots with Darth; I asked if we could get them after the show and he told me we'd have to wait a few minutes for him to upload the training pictures, then we could. I scored a prime spot and got to see the kids march in to the stage area, looking all proud and excited. Dave joined me and I took tons of pictures in addition to the PP pics. I honestly think I grinned like a fool throughout the whole thing - I was so happy they got the chance to do this.
After the training, we posed for the PP pics which made Dave's day - he's a huge SW fan.
We laughed because it kind of looks like Dave is picking Darth's nose with the light saber......
Next we made it over to Fantasmic in the nick of time. We got decent seats, but the stadium filled up very quickly after we arrived. Alex so happy to be there, but Sabrina not so much. All she kept remembering was the fireworks, but she survived (lots of me crushing her against me during the loud parts and hugging her, telling her she was okay....).
Sabrina's face is priceless in this one...makes me laugh every time!
We shopped our way out of the park, stopping for a few last PP pictures.
When we got back to the hotel, DH checked in at the front desk to see if Sabrina's retainer had turned up yet. That's right - the retainer found a week ago that was to be sent right to our resort still hadn't shown up! Dave was at the front desk daily, offering to go get it if only someone could tell us where it was! But, today was the day - it was finally here!!!!! As an added bonus, they included Fastpass vouchers to any rides to make up for our trouble. Only in Disney - we lose something and they try to make up for it!
Up Next: Really? A Fight in MK??
__________________
Stacey
Why do these kids look so pathetic?
Find out in: A New Grade, A New House, and A Surprise!Final Thoughts 01/30
So great that the kids got to do Jedi training! You got some great photos there. I love the PP ones with Darth, too. You did luck out getting the rare Western scene on the movie ride!
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PassPorter Guide Community Rank: Legend Extraordinaire
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Looks like a great day at DHS!! Glad the kids got into the Jedi training academy, love the pictures! Sorry dinner wasn't that great. Glad Sabrina's retainer finally showed up and how wonderful that Disney made it up to you.
What a great day at the Studios - I'm so glad the kids got to do the Jedi training.
Thanks! I was really happy for them too - I still grin when I look at the pictures and see how happy they were
Quote:
Originally Posted by lauriep
So great that the kids got to do Jedi training! You got some great photos there. I love the PP ones with Darth, too. You did luck out getting the rare Western scene on the movie ride!
Thanks Laurie! It's funny about the GMR - we've never ridden it and I didn't think anything about getting the western side until later when I remembered posts on here about it being uncommon to get...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Colexis Mom
Great pics from the Studios! Glad the kids got to do the Jedi Training! And glad the retainer finally showed up!
Yay for the retainer! LOL! You should have seen me cleaning that sucker! And of course, we had to joke with Sabrina if she was sure it was hers.....someone else could have lost a red sparkly retainer at the monorail too
Quote:
Originally Posted by KMB733
Looks like a great day at DHS!! Glad the kids got into the Jedi training academy, love the pictures! Sorry dinner wasn't that great. Glad Sabrina's retainer finally showed up and how wonderful that Disney made it up to you.
Thanks! I was thrilled that they got in And I still think it's funny that they gave us something when *we* lost it!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cam22
Another great day! The kids look so happy as Jedis in training! Thank goodness the retainer finally made it back to you!
Alex still talks about the fact that he is a Jedi We were very happy to get that darn retainer back!
__________________
Stacey
Why do these kids look so pathetic?
Find out in: A New Grade, A New House, and A Surprise!Final Thoughts 01/30
But, great time at MK, sorry about the rain though!
I'm glad you were able to eat a little early and get the kids into Jedi Training, they looked like they had a great time with it. The pictures came out really great!
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LOL! I love those photographers too - I usually mention we have the CD, but I hadn't this time, so it was extra magic!
)
And I still think it's funny that they gave us something when *we* lost it! 
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