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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Pita,
I hope I didn't steal your thunder by all my replies to your post. I just can't believe that Potato! For food at DTD, there's lots of restaurants, but they also have McD's and Earl of Sandwich for those of us with picky kid eaters! Have fun on your trip!!
Stephanie
I've read somewhere that it takes about 2 boxes worth to get a complete set, as long as you pack the box as efficiently as possible, which is why I suggested buying a potato head elsewhere. If you buy a Mr. Potato Head at a toy store, you'll get a good bit of the basic parts that are included in this list, as Once Upon A Toy has ALL the pieces, including the basic ones.
I'd say alot at least a whole morning or afternoon for the Downtown Disney Marketplace and browse through all the shops. You and DH could switch off with the kids if you want to browse stores that they find boring; just hang out at the play area outside the Lego store.
Besides all the other stores mentioned in this thread, I also love to browse the Christmas store for Disney-themes decorations (open year-round - Christmas in July!)
On your way to the West Side, take the route through Pleasure Island. PIs shops are open during the day, allowing you to browse through them without paying the fee to get on the island at night. I particularly love the Art of Disney store, because I think they have the best selection of posters, prints, and postcards anywhere at WDW.
On the West Side, besides the places you mentioned, there is of course DisneyQuest, several excellent restaurtants, and the AMC movie theater. Many people don't like to see movies while on vacation (I can see them at home, why would I waste my precious vacation time and money on a movie?!), but I like taking a couple of hours off in the middle of a hot day to sit in a dark, cool theater and enjoy a first-run movie on a big screen.
If you are taking the Disney busses to get to DD, ask if the West Side bus stops are in operation. They are shut down quite a bit but might be open for business during the peak season; if so you will be ablt to catch a return bus from there, as it's much less crowded than the Marketplace bus terminal. Be prepared, however: the West Side bus terminal has little or no shade!
If you are driving, park at the West Side. Sure, it means a long walk through PI to get to the Marketplace side, but the West Side's parking lot is much easier to understand, navigate, and find a spot in. West Side is much less crowded in the middle of the day than Marketplace.
We bought the Mr. Potato Head a few years ago and we got about 40 pieces in our box - but in order to do that, you have to stuff as many pieces as possible inside your Mr. Potato Head and then pack more around him in the box. If you don't buy a Mr. Potato Head, you should be able to fit quite a few pieces in the box. It's a great deal and the Disney pieces are adorable!!
The stores I love to visit are Once Upon A Toy, Christmas Store, World of Disney (my favorite!!!), Art of Disney, and now I know I'll be adding the new pet supplies store to my list!
If you are staying in Disney resort, don't forget that you can have your World of Disney (and other Disney-run stores) purchases sent to your room so you don't have to lug them around all day.
Also, if you have an annual pass, mention it the CM when checking out. You get a discount on all purchases at World of Disney - and some perks at other stores too. Even Ghirardelli has been known to give free chocolate to AP holders.
Finally, you can also have non-food purchases shipped home from World of Disney.
It pays to combine all your purchases together and do it in one or two trips - rather than buy little things all throughout the parks each day.
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These are my favorite DTD places!!! 
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