An Island Frame of Mind (A Cam and Luke PTR) Updated 5/22 - Page 7 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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The SWW parade is really good if you don't mind getting there early to get a good spot. We've not seen the fireworks yet, but we plan to this trip. Of course, we love visiting Darth's Mall.
We got to see a little of the parade before but did not have the best spot at all, so that is definitely on our list to get a good spot for. Now Darth Mall - I could spend a fortune in that place!
Love your dining choices! I tried to book Hollywood & Vine myself before they announced the Star Wars meals and I could not either. I am pretty sure they blocked it until those meals were set. I jumped in and got ours booked too as soon as it was announced! Glad you were able to get a reservation too! The Disney Food Blog did a review of the Jedi Mickey Dine and it looks fabulous! I can't wait!
I am looking forward to your review of Trattoria al Forno as we love Italian and just were not able to work it in this trip. I love that WDW is adding all these new places for us to try! It makes going back time and time again so much more exciting.
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Your dining choices look fabulous! I'm glad you were able to get all of your first picks. I must put Sanaa on my list for December. Everyone raves about it!
I'm so happy I saw this before I got too far behind! I can't wait to hear about the Polynesian Villas!
Luke has been researching over the past few days how best to use the transportation at the Poly. I'd say the boy is excited.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Big Baloo
Sounds like some great dining plans you've got going on ! This past February, DH and I enjoyed a late lunch at P37 and I remember being very happy with it. Hope you enjoy it, too!
Great to hear a good review on P37. Can't wait!
Quote:
Originally Posted by OhToodles!
The first half we've done, but none of the second half. I look forward to your reviews, especially the Star Wars dinner as I'm sure we'll have to try that next year.
And I agree about the disconnect between DVC and ADRs, it's very annoying.
The last 6 reservations are brand new to us, so we are definitely experimenting on the last half of our trip.
Dinner plans look good, and have 2 of the places I just noted on Tara's thread about where you'd like to eat one day - Portabello's and Pier 37! Look forward to your review!
I'm very excited about trying these two.
Quote:
Originally Posted by taylan1
We got to see a little of the parade before but did not have the best spot at all, so that is definitely on our list to get a good spot for. Now Darth Mall - I could spend a fortune in that place!
I think we do spend a fortune at Darth's Mall each year.
Love your dining choices! I tried to book Hollywood & Vine myself before they announced the Star Wars meals and I could not either. I am pretty sure they blocked it until those meals were set. I jumped in and got ours booked too as soon as it was announced! Glad you were able to get a reservation too! The Disney Food Blog did a review of the Jedi Mickey Dine and it looks fabulous! I can't wait!
I am looking forward to your review of Trattoria al Forno as we love Italian and just were not able to work it in this trip. I love that WDW is adding all these new places for us to try! It makes going back time and time again so much more exciting.
I had the same feeling that H&V had been blocked until they were set for SWW. I saw review on Jedi Mickey Dine and it did look wonderful -- food and characters.
Having new dining spots definitely helps those of us fortunate to return more often.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Coop
Signing in! I almost missed this! Plans sound good. We did Paradisio 37 last year and it was very good! I'm sure you'll like it!
Yeah! I love hearing that others enjoy a particular restaurant we've chosen, especially when it's a new one.
Your dining choices look fabulous! I'm glad you were able to get all of your first picks. I must put Sanaa on my list for December. Everyone raves about it!
Tara
Sanaa suits Luke and I so well. There is spicy durban cooking for him and slow cooking for me. My mouth waters just thinking about buttered chicken and roast.
I always love following along on your trips, staying at the Poly will make it all the sweeter! We love the resort and can't wait to see all the changes when we arrive in July. The studios look beautiful!
Love all your choices. We have not been to Le Cellier for many years and added it to our list too. I am excited to hear your reviews about Tratitoria Al Forno, so far hearing such good things as we have a ADR there in August so will be happy to get another review before we go.
I love Kona for breakfast (we ended up adding on a breakfast there as well when we switched some of our days there) - I love Tonga Toast - like my ultimate favorite....I think I am ready for some now.....LOL
The Wave sounds like the perfect ending to a great trip!!!