Checking off that Bucket List ~ Disney Style! - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Myself: known as Lisa, Mom, Lisa #2, "Fred" - (turned 41 on the trip) - this was my 18th trip to WDW!!!
Husband: Known as Scott, Dad, "Bud" - (44) - his 17th trip to WDW!
Daughter: Known as Emily, Em, "Freddy Fred" (13) - her 16th trip to WDW!
How the title came to be: This trip was a sort of last minute trip (booked only 7 weeks prior) thanks to significant credits on Southwest Airlines............and we were celebrating my Birthday in Disney!!! Top of my Bucket List!!!! And along the way, we just kept checking off things that were on our Disney Bucket List!!
Now to get started!
WARNING: This Trip Report is NOT for the slow paced, weary one.........and it is FILLED with TONS of photos.............including LOTS of food porn!
Part 1 of Friday, December 28th
Today was finally the day to finally head back to WDW!!! Originally I was going to work a half day at work………..what the heck was I thinking??? With Christmas and crazy work schedule prior, there was NO time for packing in between and 2 days before I was stressing……….so quickly changed that half day for a full day so that I could relax a bit!
We somehow managed to pack each of us in a carry on size suitcase and each had a tote or backpack, so there was no need for checking luggage. Because we were flying out of Providence and back into Hartford, we had made arrangements for my step-father to drive us to the airport, so he picked us up at home around 11:45 a.m. and we headed for the airport – there was NO traffic at all, and with him just dropping us off curbside, we were quickly in the airport and through security (this was a bit busier than usual) and actually had time to sit and enjoy our lunch (we didn’t realize all the extra time we would have with no having to park, check luggage, etc. – one could get used to this!!) at Johnny Rockets.
Emily & I shared the cheesesteak and fries and Scott had a hot dog and fries – it was YUMMY! We were able to score a table right next to the wall of windows to sit and watch the planes coming and going while we ate – it was so different from our “normal” rushing through the airport and waiting at the gate immediately! This was much more leisurely.
We had done the Early Bird Check In for our flight and had A Boarding, so after lunch and grabbing a Diet Coke from the kiosk, we headed for our gate, rolling our carry ons behind us and were soon boarding Southwest for warmer temps (we were due to get quite a bit of snow in CT the next day!).
Next thing we knew, we were landing at MCO at approximately 5:15 p.m.!!! Ahhh……….home!!! We had arranged for Disney Magical Express (a first for us!) for this trip (we usually rent a car, but the prices were OUTRAGEOUS for this long weekend – and hind sight, I am grateful as the traffic was horrid getting into the parks!). So again, another perk to no checked luggage, we got off the plane and headed straight for DME check in………however, no one told me it was clear across the other side of the airport!!! Holy smokes, thought I had walked all the way to Magic Kingdom by the time we found it! Although, I still think that if we went the way I thought to go, it would have been quicker! When we got off the plane, I had a message from Garden Grocer (another first for us!) that they had just delivered our groceries to POR and to just let Bell Services know when we got there and they would bring to our room. (I am liking this service already!)
We finally found DME and checked in there and were soon on the bus for POR – and we scored FRONT ROW SEATS!!! Well, Emily and I did – Scott had to sit behind us!! From what we could tell, this bus was only stopping at POR and POFQ – we waited about 10-15 minutes for the bus to fill up and then we were on our way along that ol’ familiar route to the Bubble!!!
I tried to get a pic of the WDW sign……but I guess our driver knew I wanted to hurry and get there and he was driving quite fast! And it had started raining at this point. But alas, we were here!!!
We got off at POR and checked in, got our room keys, my birthday button, and let Bell Services know we were heading to our room – 9803 in the Parterre Place – a Royal Room!!! It was just over the bridge just past the main building, so it was not too far away.
Emily LOVED her new carry on Zebra print suitcase we got her for Christmas (this was at the TOP of her wish list!!)
We LOVED our room!! Although it was smaller than we had expected (guess we are used to DVC studios!) – We quickly unpacked while waiting for Bell Services to bring our groceries – and I took lots of pics of the room before we got it all messy! I just love all the detail they put into these rooms – I have to say, I think my favorite was the headboard with the fireworks – and then the faucets!!!
The fireworks over the bed!
Bell services delivered our groceries within 15 minutes of us being in the room –
we quickly got ready to head out to the Magic Kingdom – NO WASTING time here!! So we walked to the bus stop – and maybe waited 2 minutes before a bus was there bringing me to my home away from home!!
Up next: check, check, checking that list!
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Lisa Co-Guide to Sharing the Adventure: Disney World Trip Reports
Yay!!! So excited that you started your TR! I'm so happy you posted pics from POR because that is where we are staying now (long story) haha. It sounds like a very relaxed beginning to your trip Can't wait to hear how your first night HOME was
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Love the room! 
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