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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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I can finally say I've stayed at Wilderness Lodge! It was Nov. 30-Dec. 5, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! I thought I'd post some of my pics and thoughts about the place. (If you want to read about the rest of my trip, see http://www.passporterboards.com/foru...d-12-13-a.html)
First, yes it's just as magical at Christmastime as you've heard it is. I mean, wow. Even in the daytime, when I arrived, that tree is not to be believed. Standing in the lobby, I couldn't manage to get a photo of the entire thing.
OK, here's a peek at the top:
My room wasn't ready, so of course I looked around the lobby area before heading for the parks. Lots of great touches to tie into the national park theme.
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The theming around the entire pool area is so wonderful! Just look at the geyser!
I was starting to wish I'd brought my swimsuit after all -- this was the last hot day before wintry temperatures hit, but I simply had to get to the MK -- you understand, right?
Wow, for a minute I thought I was in Wyoming!
Then I walked on a comfortable wooden bridge all the way out to the dock, enjoying the landscaping.
The boat that goes back and forth from WL to the MK is so inviting!
At the end of a long day in the park, how lovely to come back to WL and see the magnificent Christmas tree all lit up!
I found myself coming up with excuses to visit the front desk, just to admire all the woodsy and Christmasy touches. Plus, everybody at the front desk is so nice!
My room was ready, and I knew DME would have magically transported my luggage there already. On the way to the elevator:
I was in room 5048. I had requested a quiet location, saying I really cared more about quiet than about a view. I was very pleased with 5048, which was one wing further than the atrium space and about halfway down the hallway. Perfect!
The interior of the room did not disappoint!
My only criticism is about the lighting -- I found the lights above the beds way too bright, and I like to read before I go to and the light was kind of bright. Luckily I always travel with a little reading light, so I turned off the overhead lights and used it. Of course, I was probably spoiled by my October stay at the Polynesian -- which had similar lights, but on DIMMER SWITCHES. I was wishing for a dimmer switch at the WL -- then my room would have been absolutely PERFECT.
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Similar to the BoardWalk Resort, WL has a separate double sink area with a handy shelf underneath for all your toiletries in addition to a fairly deep shelf above the sinks. I really like that feature. I don't know if you can tell, but I did think this was odd: the spigots were set back so that they were directly underneath the shelf you see just under the mirror. If you're washing your face, be careful you don't bump your head! (I managed not to do that for 5 nights -- so you can, too! )
Behind me in this photo is the closet, which was nice and big.
Now, those lights above the sink look nice and bright, but I found I wanted even more light when "getting my face on," so I would swing the bathroom door out toward me so that the mirror on the back of that would pick up the lights above the sink. That mirror on the door was great -- I rarely bothered to look at myself in the "mirror mirror on the wall."
I like to look at the hallway carpets for more theming, so I stepped out to take these pics:
And are there hidden Mickeys out there? I would think so!
Well, as long as I was roaming the 5th floor hallways, I might as well locate some more cool light fixtures!
And I always enjoy the way Disney labels practical stuff in a magical way for each resort.
This isn't a great shot, but it gives you some idea of the scale of the main lodge and its atrium.
I had 2 chairs in my room next to a small table, and I used it for breakfast one morning.
Now, I was thrilled to discover that although my room overlooked the loading dock area, at night I could see the Wishes fireworks from the MK! I enjoyed sitting out on my balcony two different evenings and comparing oohs and aahs with the family next door.
Cool, huh? I think these are the same little friends who helped Snow White get through her first night in the woods. They certainly made me feel cozy and warm.
And, just because you asked so nicely, here's another view of my headboard:
And that's all the WL photos I took on my first day! Boy, did I well there!
Love what you said about taking the boat to MK just because you could! That's how DH and I felt when we stayed there too! You took pics of everything we loved about the resort too. Thanks for sharing I can't wait to see/read more
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Special ops issued us flip-flops, a guitar and a week or two! -Roger Clyne
We also just returned from our first stay at the WL and we also LOVEED IT!!! We had a great time dec 4th-11th. Your pictures are wonderful! Thank you for sharing.
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My boys:
My husband:www.totalbullgrit.com-- a Southern good ol' boy, dad, and geek.
Melissa
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), so I headed out the back door.
and the light was kind of bright. Luckily I always travel with a little reading light, so I turned off the overhead lights and used it. Of course, I was probably spoiled by my October stay at the Polynesian -- which had similar lights, but on DIMMER SWITCHES. I was wishing for a dimmer switch at the WL -- then my room would have been absolutely PERFECT. 
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