The "I Said I wasn't Going to do a TR" TR... **Updated 1/27** - Page 5 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Poor Lesley! What a way to start the vacation. So glad that she wasn't hurt.
Love the pictures of the castle. Makes me want to go back NOW! I don't know how you stand being so close. I'd be there every other weekend.
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Great update, Terri!! Absolutely the fireworks photos!! The castle looks so amazing! I hope they decorate it that way next year too! Can't wait to hear more
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GoofyMom
That first photo of the fireworks over the castle is the prettiest one I've ever seen!
[Doing my best Goofy impersonation} AW SHUCKS.... I am NOwhere near the greatness in the photo department of Lizardcop or PrincessSharon - but my little camera and I continue to work on bonding...
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Day 2 -
Plans for the day – get Lesley and Mitzi all checked out of the Hilton vacation condo, return Lesley’s rental car at the Radisson in Kissimmee, drive to Saratoga Springs and get checked in. Mitzi’s husband was to meet us there so that Mitzi could return home with him – and Lesley and I were heading to DTD for some lunch, a bit of shopping before we headed off for Mousefest 101; Mousfest kick off meet, a few rides and then dinner and a parade with a gaggle of Passporters!
After waking up, showers, packing and loading my car with all the suitcases – we loaded up and while Lesley headed to get gas in the rental car – I went shopping for an evening bag. Confused yet? Well – Friday night I had to leave Mousefest to head back to the house so that on Saturday morning I could teach my class. About 2 weeks before Mousefest – a colleague who I have dated a couple of times asked me if I was interested in attending the Corps’ holiday party with him. Now – since I had to be in Jacksonville that evening ANYWAY – (and I really like this gentleman) – I decided it was a better option than sitting at home, watching TV and whining to the cats and anyone on the boards that might be listening about not being at Mousefest…
As I was preparing my outfit for the holiday party – I realized that my “party purse” – the little black clutch I use for house keys, DL, make up and a bit of cash was NO WHERE to be found. I tore the house apart and could not find it (missing the red one too) – so I mentioned to Lesley I needed to get a purse. She suggested the outlet mall – so I headed there. I walked into Naturalizer – found a silver purse and a new pair of black heels for the party. I think it took me 10 minutes. I called Lesley to let her know I was done – and after meeting in the parking lot – we took I-4 west to Kissimmee to the Radisson and turned in her rental mini-van. We gathered everyone into my car and headed to Saratoga Springs so we could check in and hopefully get into our room for the evening. So far – we were right on schedule.
We pulled into Saratoga Springs – and after a “Welcome Home” at the gate – we headed for the Carriage House to check in.
Decorations at Saratoga Springs. Since this is my home resort - do these count as MY Christmas decorations?
We stood in line for a few moments and headed off to see CM Greg about a room. Poor Greg – he thought we were going to be SO happy with the room we had been assigned…. In the centrally located “Springs” – walking distance to the pool, Carriage house, gym, spa – etc and what did we do??? Say that we wanted a DTD view room at Congress Park – and that we had sent a request and if at all possible – could he move us??? He said we were the first guests he had met to ask to NOT be put in the Springs… We were assigned to room 2547 in Congress Park – but the room was not ready yet. Greg also told us we had a “water view”. We thanked him – and while we were there – we saw Yvonne (Tinkerbelz), he DH and DD and Robin (RobinKay6573) checking in – lots of waving and a few Hi!!s and we headed out to the parking lot to meet Mitzi’s husband, Ralph. We said goodbye to Mitzi and then we drove over to Congress Park, parked the car in front of our building and walked to DTD for a lunch at Earl of Sandwich.
I had the caprese salad (Eh….the sandwich is MUCH better – next time I get the sandwich) and I don’t remember what Lesley got – a beef and bleu(??). We didn’t do much shopping, since we needed to get moving to get over to the Tomorrowland Terrace to listen in on Mousefest 101 and the kick off program. We walked back to SSR, and right then the MK bus pulled up (note here – since I almost ALWAYS have my car at WDW – I find it much easier to drive to EPCOT, MGM and AK – MK however – bus, monorail or boat as much as I can!) and we boarded. We were walking in the gates within 20 minutes. The Family Fun Day parade was underway and we saw Clarabelle and Horace in the crowd. The tree had been moved to Town Square over night and the entire street was hung with garland. Disney Magic at work!!!
Christmas decorations on Main Street
We also stopped and saw where Santa was meeting his guests -
We made it over to TT and saw Mike Scopa talking about being a Mousefest newbie. We listened in a bit, made a biological break and then – when we returned, we saw Miss Belle* as well as Tiff and Dawn = so we sorta climbed over to the corner and huddled up with numerous other Passporters!! It was great fun to see old friends and meet lots of new folks – like Lorie, and Carol (I SO want a pair of jeans ala Carol!) and Yvonne and crew (again) as well as Tigger Tails, song bird and others!! Great fun!!
Jeans by Carol - I want to order a pair right now!!!
Yvonne and Barb chatting away!
One of our fearless leaders (with the Passporter Goddess in the background!)
Still digging in that bag - what's she looking for??
Dawn (DawnDenise), Debbie (debe) and Tiff (tigger22) Comparing Mousefest notes (or were they discussing cameras?)
After the kick off – Sara, Lesley, Debe and I headed to the Monster's Inc Laugh Floor (that is cute!) - Sara even tried to text in a joke - but could not get a cell signal. Space Mountain for a zip into outer space. While Debe does not ride - she came in with us through the queue and waited for us at the end - I've found more Passporters who giggle and laugh and scream at the same time while on Space Mountain - I think it is contagious!!
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the fireworks photos!! The castle looks so amazing! I hope they decorate it that way next year too! Can't wait to hear more
That first photo of the fireworks over the castle is the prettiest one I've ever seen!
I am NOwhere near the greatness in the photo department of Lizardcop or PrincessSharon - but my little camera and I continue to work on bonding...
PassPorter Guide Author
We were assigned to room 2547 in Congress Park – but the room was not ready yet. Greg also told us we had a “water view”. We thanked him – and while we were there – we saw Yvonne (Tinkerbelz), he DH and DD and Robin (RobinKay6573) checking in – lots of waving and a few Hi!!s and we headed out to the parking lot to meet Mitzi’s husband, Ralph. We said goodbye to Mitzi and then we drove over to Congress Park, parked the car in front of our building and walked to DTD for a lunch at Earl of Sandwich.
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