Go your own way - Decade of Dreams - UPDATED 6/24 - COMPLETE!! - Page 79 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Great updates...love all the pictures from Epcot, you really do have such an amazing eye - you catch just the perfect angles. Lunch at Nine Dragons sounded delicious, I have never really been tempted to go there but after seeing and hearing about your meal it definitely might move up on the list.
I'm guessing it was Kung Pao chicken, as I couldn't see any sesame seeds on it?
Glad you didn't have to be evacuated from your boats as those sea rescues are notoriously tricky...
And I'll be the first to say that I wasn't impressed at all the last time we ate there, but it is now so much better.
Thanks, Cheryl! I am so happy to hear this. I have wanted to eat there but like others have been put off by what I have heard. That and it was never very high on my list of priorities. The problem I always have is even if I go to WDW for 2 weeks, it's just impossible to eat at all the places I would like.
Love the pics, Cheryl!! I can't believe how empty Epcot seems to be - I hardly see anyone in your pictures!
Thanks for the reveiw of Nine Dragons. As everyone else has stated, I kind of avoided this resturant due to various bad reviews. But after reading your experience, I think I"ll add it back on my list of "must try" for my December trip!
Cheryl, I've done a considerable bit of catching up on your report today beginning with June 7 and reading through today. My head is so full right now that I can't seem to remember everything I wanted to say to you. First, for all the lovely pictures. The ones of WL took me right back to last year's vacation. I love the VWL. I feel I've been virtually to the F & G Festival as you took so many great pictures. Second, we had our last lunch at Nine Dragons, too, and found it to be a terrific value and very good food. Luke had the same meal as you. And I know at one time I had some other thoughts but they are now gone. so much for including us in your trip.
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Wednesday 6 May – part six: that will make a good Christmas present…
On the way out, we looked for the restrooms and finally found them in the San Angel Inn. I took the opportunity to look at their menu. They’ve changed it dramatically since we last ate there and there are now a number of fish items on it, so maybe we will try it again in the future, as that was previously one of my main beefs about this place.
We headed out and I suggested that, as we had a final hour to kill, I could use a Grand Marnier Slush. However, those are in France and that’s quite a walk away. Well, how about taking a Friendship? Perfect solution.
On the way there, we found a stall selling some lovely artwork of Disney and I knew the ice castle image would be a perfect Christmas present for Mark’s parents and his youngest sister and brother in law, as they had all loved that on their visit here in 2007. I also got a Flower and Garden Festival one for s. I didn’t realise it, but the artist was there, so while I went to pay for it, he signed it for me, which was really neat.
We were still in time to make the Friendship as well. In fact, it’s probably just as well we stopped for the prints, as otherwise, we would have had quite a wait. It was a pleasant enough journey over, but oh my goodness, it’s definitely quicker to walk – just not on a blistering hot day like today. :
We headed to the stand and I got a Grand Marnier Slush, while Wendy got the lemon one (I can’t remember the name of it now! ) and we walked to the area by the water along the front of France to find some shade.
Once our drinks were low enough in our glasses that we wouldn’t spill anything, we carried on walking. When we got to the UK, Mark called and I had a chat with him. It was so nice to be able to say “see you in the morning”. We continued our hot walk, stopping for a couple of Photopass pictures on the way out of the park.
We were so relieved to get to the ramp for the monorail, as as soon as we were in the shade, it was so much cooler. The sun really was brutal today. Wendy had commented that I was starting to burn through my factor 50 a couple of minutes earlier, but by then, it was a bit late to do anything about it. That shows how hot it was today.
We were even more relieved to get into the monorail and its air conditioning, as it gave us a chance to cool down. Thank goodness we also had to take the resort monorail, as by the time we got back to the Contemporary, we had cooled down a lot.
We went to retrieve our luggage and the guy came back with the two big cases, but failed to find our other two bags or my two jackets. Good grief! Wendy went with him to look out our items and let’s just say he didn’t get a tip, as according to Wendy, two of them were in plain view.
We sat in the lobby and took turns to go and use the restrooms. It was now that I was very glad I still had my case, as it had my washing items inside, so I was able to freshen up, which I desperately needed after the hot day out today. That done, I suggested a Mickey Bar, before Disney’s Magical Express came and Wendy went to get one each for us.
We sat there, enjoying them, then it was time to go outside and the bus was there within a couple of minutes. We think it was early and it’s probably just as well it was, as it then proceeded to stop at the Wilderness Lodge, Polynesian and the Grand Floridian, before we were able to go to the airport. It’s just as well they leave a lot of time for those buses, as we were picked up at 3.55 and didn’t leave the last stop until 4.35.
Our bus arriving
Fortunately, we were at the airport just after 5.00 and, as soon as we walked in and got up to level three, Virgin Atlantic was right in front of me. I walked straight up to bag drop and was seen immediately and had no problems with my luggage, which came in at 22kgs, less than I thought and way below my limit. I couldn’t say the same for the family next to me, who were obviously way over their limit, as they were having to unpack their case to try and get it down to the right weight. I had nothing but sympathy for them, having had to play that game once before. It’s not much fun to have to do that in front of everyone. :
I went up to Southwest to find Wendy and, when I did, we headed for security. We opted for the expert line, but once we got through the initial passport check, this became a bit of a mess. We didn’t realise that it then divided into two split lines until the woman behind us seemed to cut in front, then we worked out what was going on. We were quickly through and sadly that’s where we had to say goodbye to head to out separate gates. Fortunately, it was so much easier now that I knew Wendy and Ben would be coming down for a night to see us in December. I’m so glad all my persuasion on that front finally worked out.
Oh, how sad to see the pictures you took from the Magical Express, heading away from WDW That's always my least favorite part of any Disney vacation. Thanks for posting the pics, though
Just got caught up! Your pictures from the F & G fastival are WONDERFUL!! So sorry to see this trip end. (As I was sorry in real life to see it end, too. )
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) and we walked to the area by the water along the front of France to find some shade. 
Wendy went with him to look out our items and let’s just say he didn’t get a tip, as according to Wendy, two of them were in plain view. 
I’m so glad all my persuasion on that front finally worked out. 
That's always my least favorite part of any Disney vacation. Thanks for posting the pics, though 
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