Solo-on-a-Scooter takes the A-Train. LIVE TR, 8/29 - 9/11/2015 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!
Welcome! We're happy you've found the PassPorter Community -- the friendliest place to plan your vacation to Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland, and the world in general! You are now viewing the PassPorter Message Board Community as a guest, which gives you limited access. As our guest, feel free to browse our messages by selecting the forum you want to visit from the list below.
To post messages and ask questions, join our FREE community today and you'll get access to tools and resources not available to guests, such as our vacation countown timers, "living" avatars, private messaging system, database searches, downloads, and a special PassPorter discount code. Registration is fast, simple, and completely free. Just click the Join Our Community link.
If you think you've already joined, log in below now. If you don't remember your member name or password, please visit our Member Name and Password Recovery page. You are also welcome to contact us.
Registered Message Board Members Get Our Free Newsletter! When you register you'll have the option to sign up for our weekly PassPorter Newsletter. It's chock-full of feature articles; news; tips; contests; photos; and special offers in our online store.
I, too, remember Dr. Don's sense of humor. He had my DS hysterical with laughter when he gave him the dried elephant "poo" and proceeded to tell him he could throw it at me. My boys still talk about the amazing vet they met at Disney.
And yes, I continue to save for a visit to Africa. I have to get to Alaska first.
This isn't really part of the PTR, but it has me even more excited about my trip. I just saw Dr Don Neiffer on the Today Show. He was one of my favorite vets at Disney and he's now Chief Veterinarian at the National Zoo. He was announcing the birth of the twin pandas last night. Very exciting to see him and the new babies!
Oh wow, that's so exciting! I was just at the National Zoo last month, but I didn't know one of the pandas was expecting. Now we'll have a reason to go back soon!
That is a neat Disney connection. Pandas are my favorite! I missed the announcement of twins. How exciting!
It is exciting. Pandas have twins 50% of the time, so it's not at all unusual, but two pandas babies are better than one!
Quote:
Originally Posted by tcmary
I, too, remember Dr. Don's sense of humor. He had my DS hysterical with laughter when he gave him the dried elephant "poo" and proceeded to tell him he could throw it at me. My boys still talk about the amazing vet they met at Disney.
And yes, I continue to save for a visit to Africa. I have to get to Alaska first.
I'm so glad your boys have a fun memory of Don's time at WDW. I'll miss him, but it's very cool that he has the job of Chief Vet at the National Zoo.
Quote:
Originally Posted by pamcarey
Oh wow, that's so exciting! I was just at the National Zoo last month, but I didn't know one of the pandas was expecting. Now we'll have a reason to go back soon!
I don't think the vets really knew yet, either. It's hard to tell with pandas!
Quote:
Originally Posted by jandsdennis
Wanting to get in on this before I get to far behind. Looking forward to all the live updates at the AK vet window. So interesting.
Thanks for joining in. The first vet window visit should be Sunday morning.
FP+…. The rides are fun, but there are fewer and fewer that I can do without ill effects, so I really am not worried about FP. I did, however, make a FP for the Safari for every single day! That’s 10 safaris!! I know I won’t do all of them because it’s bound to rain a few days, but that’s the only ride I really would be sorry to miss. The other FP for AK I let the system pick for me, and I scheduled them early so if I do go to another park later in the day I may be able to get more FP. For Wednesday mornings, when the Vet window is closed, I’ll go to Epcot one day and DHS the other, so I will get some early time at all three parks.
The extras….. Do I get Memory Maker or Tables in Wonderland? In the end I decided on NO to both, but I’m open to being convinced otherwise. I love the idea of getting some photos of myself with MM, but I don’t do any character meals or any rides that have photos, so I don’t think I’ll get it. I really don’t need tons of photos of myself and can get other guests or CMs to oblige here and there. TIW just doesn’t make sense with my iffy dining plans. I have the DVC and AP discounts to work with, and that should be fine.
Why solo? Many people have asked me why I don’t invite a friend on this trip to help me with luggage and other fetching and carrying. My answer? I have enjoyed all of my trips, both alone and with friends, but I truly love being alone and I think of my “normal” trip as a trip when I’m on my own. I want my farewell tour to be as close as possible to my ideal trip. I find when you’re sick what you crave is normality and, for me, “normal” is solo. Besides, I won’t really be alone…I’ll have you folks to chat with when I post my report at the end of each day!
I too decide against the Memory Maker as it will be just me and the DH this trip. If something happens and I need pay for images later or by a cd at full price I can.
Looking forward to your updates.. not long now. Are you packed yet?
__________________
Dreams, Wishes, Hopes... these are the parts of childhood we should never lose.
sounds like a good idea to take the train. i am thinking of doing a solo trip end of january early february, the reason why at that time is because it's the value season and to escape our horrible winters. the reason solo, is that i have nobody to go with me, used to go with my daughter, but it is now impossible, she has a 2 month old baby and they can't financially.
Registered Message Board Members save 30% off PassPorter guidebooks! When you register you'll have access to a discount coupon good for 30% off the list price of PassPorter books in our online store.
Laurie, we loved memory maker and TIW, but we really, really used them both!! If you aren't sure of your plans, I think you should save the money to spend elsewhere. Just my two cents but you are right about photographers being willing to take photos with your camera as well! I know you will be happy with all of those Safaris booked! I love my family so much, but I also enjoy solo trips!! I love the freedom of just being able to do what you want, when you want!
I think you made the right decision with not getting Memory Maker or TiW. I'm sure other guests or Photopass photographers will be happy to take your photo whenever you want.
Some good insight into your trip. By going solo you are your own boss and you won't have any conflicts with anyone regarding planning and things you want to do!
__________________
October 6, 2017-Enjoying an amazing dinner at Victoria & Albert's with PP's Dot and Drew
My TR from my most recent trip is now underway. Includes: Universal Studios Florida, Disney World and Sea World Orlando Trifecta TR -Updated December 10th! TR is now COMPLETED!
PassPorter's Free-Book to Walt Disney World It’s hard to believe anything is free at Walt Disney World; but there are actually a number of things you can get or do for little to no cost. This e-book documents over 200 free or cheap tips to do before you go and after you arrive. You could save a considerable amount of money following these tips. Perhaps more importantly; you can discover overlooked attractions and little-known details most people whiz by on their way to spend money. Click here to see free sample pages from the e-book! Get this popular e-book free of extra charges when you join the PassPorter's Club for as little as $4.95. A club pass includes access to all our other e-books; e-worksheets; super-size photos; and more! This e-book is also available for separate purchase in the PassPorter Online Store for just $5.95.
How cool that you have 10 FP+ for KS! I love it! I think your reasoning on not getting either MM or TiW is sensible. I have sometimes wondered about our getting every single trip as it has gotten quite pricey. I admire your ability to travel solo. And I'll definitely be looking for your daily updates to tag along.
I too decide against the Memory Maker as it will be just me and the DH this trip. If something happens and I need pay for images later or by a cd at full price I can.
Looking forward to your updates.. not long now. Are you packed yet?
I began packing last week because I can only manage a bit each day. It's not easy managing all this as I get around the apartment with a walker! It's getting done, though.
Quote:
Originally Posted by a_bernard
so nice that you get to do another trip to WDW. like you say, you might as well enjoy it while you can.
No sense in stopping the fun of life!
Quote:
Originally Posted by a_bernard
sounds like a good idea to take the train. i am thinking of doing a solo trip end of january early february, the reason why at that time is because it's the value season and to escape our horrible winters. the reason solo, is that i have nobody to go with me, used to go with my daughter, but it is now impossible, she has a 2 month old baby and they can't financially.
Solo trips are wonderful if you have the temperament for it. If you're used to traveling with a certain person, it can be hard to go solo. Just be selfish, though-- do as you please all day every day!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tara O'Hara
Laurie, we loved memory maker and TIW, but we really, really used them both!! If you aren't sure of your plans, I think you should save the money to spend elsewhere. Just my two cents but you are right about photographers being willing to take photos with your camera as well! I know you will be happy with all of those Safaris booked! I love my family so much, but I also enjoy solo trips!! I love the freedom of just being able to do what you want, when you want!
Solo trips are awesome! I've gotten some great photos with memory maker in the past, but since I'm not doing any character meals or rides with photos it seemed pricey this time. As you suggest, I'll have the photographers use my camera on occasion.
Quote:
Originally Posted by pamcarey
I think you made the right decision with not getting Memory Maker or TiW. I'm sure other guests or Photopass photographers will be happy to take your photo whenever you want.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2
The TiW definitely wouldn't make sense this time. I hope I don't regret passing up MM.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SuperDave
Some good insight into your trip. By going solo you are your own boss and you won't have any conflicts with anyone regarding planning and things you want to do!
Exactly! And I won't feel bad if I have to go back to the room or spend a whole day there. I'd hate to ruin plans for someone else.
Quote:
Originally Posted by num1DVCfan
I think having your vacation exactly the way you want, is how it should be. If you are happiest solo, I say go for it!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cam22
How cool that you have 10 FP+ for KS! I love it! I think your reasoning on not getting either MM or TiW is sensible. I have sometimes wondered about our getting every single trip as it has gotten quite pricey. I admire your ability to travel solo. And I'll definitely be looking for your daily updates to tag along.
I think if you do as many character meets as you and Luke do, it's worth it! You've gotten some wonderful photos.
Registered Message Board Members Get Our Free Newsletter! When you register you'll have the option to sign up for our weekly PassPorter Newsletter. It's chock-full of feature articles; news; tips; contests; photos; and special offers in our online store.
About This Page: 
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
Us 
Dreams, Wishes, Hopes... these are the parts of childhood we should never lose.
I love my family so much, but I also enjoy solo trips!! I love the freedom of just being able to do what you want, when you want!
Linear Mode
