CiavoFamily: First the Universe and then the World! - Day 1 - UPDATED 9/3 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Only two more sleeps and we are on our way to Orlando. This may be the last trip for a while due to ds#1 Ben going to college in a couple of years and ds#2 Zach going to private school this fall. Zach going to school came totally out of the blue, we home school our children and Zach expressed a strong desire to attend high school, long story short he will be attending Haddon Heights Baptist this fall. I have very mixed feelings, I know a few of you home school and you know what I mean.
Anyway, on to happier thoughts, our trip.
8/26-8/28 at the Portofino Bay Hotel Club Level - I'm so excited to stay here
8/28-9/2 at the Polynesian GV
We found out a few months ago that Lou's cousin and her family will be in Orlando part of the time, they are there as I type. They will be joining us for dinner one night and perhaps for fireworks and dole whips at the Poly.
My dining plans are a mess. Originally we were booked for 9/1-9/9 and I got all my dining requests. Then the high school monkey wrench was thrown in and by the time all was said and done most ADRs could not be had.
Here's what we got so far for dining:
8/26 - Dinner at Mama Della's at Portofino with the cousins
8/27 - late lunch at Mythos
8/28 - ?
8/29 - Dinner at 50's Primetime
8/30 - Dinner at Teppan Edo
8/31 - ?
9/1 - Dinner at 1900 Park Fare
9/2 - ?
Airport parking at Winner Airport Parking is booked. Photopass is purchased. Last minute Target run being done tomorrow along with last minute pedicure.
Next up:
Missions and Goals
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Last edited by Ciavobella; 08-24-2009 at 10:08 PM..
Great start! You are going to love PFB at universal. The boat transportation to the parks is so convinent and the front of line privilage for resort guess will spoil you forever for WDW LOL. The pool areas are very nice along with those great rooms (and bathrooms!). I have eaten many a fantastic meal at Mama Dellas, you've made a good choice. Mythos is great, try the risotto of the day. If you are looking for another dinner option we've eaten at Bubba Gumps and Pasta Amore at City Walk and can say both were good. We also have eaten at both of Emeril's places and prefer the one at City Walk. If your family likes sushi the Orchid Lounge at the Royal Pacific resort is very good. Whats nice about it is if you and your DH like sushi, but the kids not so much,they can order from the menu at Jakes the downstairs restaurant. Jakes is also a good AppleBees kind of place.
I hope that you and your family have a magical time at the world
__________________
Heather - "I'm Tinkerbell's biggest fan!"
WDW - August 1997 Off Property
WDW - January 2005 AKL
WDW - May 2006 Pop Century
WDW- november-dec 2007 pop century
WDW- dec/jan 2009/2010 pop century
WDW- oct/nov 2012 art of animation
WDW- sept 2013 port Orleans riverside
WDW- july 2015 beach club
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Goals and Missions
Made it back from my pedicure and Target stocked with the essentials, now I just need to pack. I have not packed one stitch yet, no, not one. I messed up a little this morning with the SWA boarding passes, we are A39-A43, not that bad I guess. Without further ado the goals and missions:
My List of Shame:
Tom Sawyer Island
Swiss Family Tree House
O, Canada!
Indiana Jones
Rafiki Planet Watch
Haven't Done in a While:
Safari (2001)
Maestrom (2001)
American Adventure (2001)
Indy Speedway (2001)
The Land (2003) - I think this is closed for refurb.
New and Excited about:
Portofino Bay Hotel - after staying here we will have stayed at all the USO resorts. I think we saved the best for last.
Rip Ride Rocket Roller Coaster- I hear there are long waits. I won't wait more than 1 hour, but I bet my older guys and dh will.
The Simpsons Ride
Wet and Wild
Celebrate a Dream Come True Parade
Idol - I wouldn't really say I'm excited, but it's new anyway
1900 Park Fare - I'm very excited I got this ADR. I hope it lives up to expectations.
Shopping at Design A Tee and TrenD
I hope the crew from Up! is still at DHS, also meeting Mater and Lightning McQueen would be lovely. I'd like to meet Frozone Still haven't seen Turtle Talk and would like to fit that it. Yet again I would like to spend some time really exploring the nooks and crannies of World Showcase, if I can only convince the rest of the crew. I'm going to make a point of going to Norway to smell Laila, we'll see if I make a purchase. We're also looking forward to spending time at both resorts, enjoying the lounge at PBH, relaxing poolside, watch Wishes from the beach, renting Sea Raycers, taking in a movie on the beach at the GF. I've been working out lately and I hope to make it to the gym at least three times, wish me luck with that goal.
Prayers and pixie dust appreciated for a safe trip and a time of renewal for my family. We've had a rough summer, this trip can be either exactly what we need or a disaster.
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Still haven't seen Turtle Talk and would like to fit that it. Yet again I would like to spend some time really exploring the nooks and crannies of World Showcase, if I can only convince the rest of the crew. I'm going to make a point of going to Norway to smell Laila, we'll see if I make a purchase. We're also looking forward to spending time at both resorts, enjoying the lounge at PBH, relaxing poolside, watch Wishes from the beach, renting Sea Raycers, taking in a movie on the beach at the GF. I've been working out lately and I hope to make it to the gym at least three times, wish me luck with that goal. 
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