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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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 Art Institute is definitely one of my favorite places. I love the Tiffany windows. And, of course, Sunday on the Isle of Grand Jatte!
Glad someone turned in your iPad! Don’t I recall that being a fairly new one that you got from Mufifn after breaking an older one?
Oh my gosh, Colleen! I could live in that place!! I forgot about the Chagall Windows!! They are gorgeous!!!!
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This morning, we got up, had breakfast and Muffin took off for a final sales call here in Joliet. I got a shower and just hung out in the room while packing up until he returned.
Today was Katie’s birthday, so I texted her some fun birthday gifs and then called her. She thanked me and told me that everything was fine at home and that Lilly was good.
We headed back to Chicago and the Hyatt to pick up my iPad. I checked in at the front desk and it only took about 15 minutes until a security guard brought my iPad to me. I had to fill out one form and show my ID and punch my code in on front of her and then my iPad was back in my hands!. There was no hassle at all and I am eternally grateful to whoever turned it in.
Then we were on our way to Ft. Wayne, which was a long, boring drive. There was lots of traffic and it took us about 3.5 hours. We checked in at another Hyatt for the night and I am sorry to say that the bed was exactly the same as the first one. . Well, at least it was only for one night.
We were pretty hungry, so we drove over to an Outback Steakhouse. I had steak and lobster and Muffin had Salmon. Dinner was pretty good.
The place was empty!
Yummy bread!
Caesar salad
Steak and lobster
Salmon
Our bellies full, we went back to the Hyatt and spent a quiet evening watching TV.
Thanks for the correction to my reply, Tara. OF COURSE I meant Chagall!
Sorry the bed seems to be the same uncomfortable one.
Nice that you can tag along on Muffin’s trip. I’m sure it makes being on the road less of a drag for him!
Thanks for the correction to my reply, Tara. OF COURSE I meant Chagall!
Sorry the bed seems to be the same uncomfortable one.
Nice that you can tag along on Muffin’s trip. I’m sure it makes being on the road less of a drag for him!
It really is nice and I don’t mind sitting in the car for a while. We get to talk about lots of things that we don’t get a chance to otherwise! I also get to see lots of places I wouldn’t go otherwise and Muffin says he really does like the company.
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Today we got up, checked out and packed up the car to head back, once again, to Chicago. We again spent most of the day driving and before turning in the car, we stopped at Portillo’s for lunch.
We had to drop the car at the airport Hertz, which is like a mile from the terminal! We did stop to drop our bags off first, thank goodness!! Our flight to Nashville was not until 5:30 PM so Muffin got a newspaper and I got a magazine to pass the time.
We took Southwest and boarded on time with an uneventful flight. It was seriously only about 50 minutes in the air.
When we got to Nashville, we again stopped to rent a car. This time we got a Dodge SUV. We drove the short distance to the Hyatt (I know, but Muffin had enough points for free stays at Hyatts for the week.). Honestly, I don’t know if the bed or the pillows were a little better, but I was finally able to get to sleep here. Anyway!
We drove over to the Gaylord Opryland and had dinner and drinks at a pub sort of place called Fuze. There were many dining options at the Gaylord but the valet guy told us if we ate there we got free valet parking, which saved us 29 bucks!
The Gaylord lobby:
The Conservatory:
After dinner, we walked around the resort for a bit, which was amazing! This place rivals anything I have ever stayed at in Vegas! There are restaurants, shops, an indoor garden complete with a waterfall and a riverboat ride at this place!
We stayed here many years ago on my only other trip to Nashville for two nights and I don’t remember it being this extensive. It was really lovely! We stopped at the Falls bar for a nightcap before heading back to the Hyatt and went immediately to sleep!
Some more pictures of the Gaylord:
Fuse:
I ordered a Nashville Cheesesteak and it house made potato chips and it was delicious!!
Muffin ordered a burger and fries and said it was very good!
At the Falls bar in the Conservatory:
On our way out:
Now here is our dinky hotel
Honestly the inside looked pretty much the same as the other Hyatts.
Glad you got your iPad back. The Gaylord Opryland is just gorgeous! Your meals looked really good. My son will be in Nashville for a work conference this weekend. Not sure where it is being held. Probably not anywhere as beautiful as the Gaylord! Sounds like a nice and relaxing road trip for you and Muffin.
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Portillo’s Now I’m homesick! From the edge of the one picture it looks like you had a Chicago Dog! My fave! Did you get chocolate cake?(I feel as though I already asked you that at some point?)
Was the bed at the Nashville Hyatt any better?
That’s some resort! Wow!
Glad you got your iPad back. The Gaylord Opryland is just gorgeous! Your meals looked really good. My son will be in Nashville for a work conference this weekend. Not sure where it is being held. Probably not anywhere as beautiful as the Gaylord! Sounds like a nice and relaxing road trip for you and Muffin.
It was unbelievable! If we ever get back to Nashville, I told Muffin, with or without him I was staying there!
Quote:
Originally Posted by chezp
Before
you said it, I was thinking "that resort looks like something you'd find in Vegas!" - it's true, great minds do think alike.
It was Vegas all the way, Cheryl!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by cubfancolleen
Portillo’s Now I’m homesick! From the edge of the one picture it looks like you had a Chicago Dog! My fave! Did you get chocolate cake?(I feel as though I already asked you that at some point?)
Was the bed at the Nashville Hyatt any better?
That’s some resort! Wow!
Oh my gosh! You probably do awesome on the pictures where they show you a tiny part of something and ask you to identify it! Indeed, it was a delicious hcago dog with all of the trimmings! We just couldn’t leave without getting one! Next time, I will try the cake. You are not the first person to say it was good!!
Weird.y, this bed was a little better and the pillows were much better.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Colexis Mom
Glad you had a great time at the Gaylord!! Love the pictures! Thank goodness you were finally able to get a good nights rest!
Thanks, Marnie! I was so grateful to get a decent nights sleep.
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I forgot about the Chagall Windows!! They are gorgeous!!!!
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Pixie Dust
She thanked me and told me that everything was fine at home and that Lilly was good. 
. There was no hassle at all and I am eternally grateful to whoever turned it in.
. Well, at least it was only for one night.
PassPorter Guide Author
Now I’m homesick! From the edge of the one picture it looks like you had a Chicago Dog! My fave! Did you get chocolate cake?(I feel as though I already asked you that at some point?)
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