“We didn’t do THAT!!” “Well, there’s a 1st time for everything!!” PTR - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Whew, it’s been a busy week. My DS graduated from Pre-K….twice! He was enrolled in our villages UPK program at the public school, but he also was in the UPK program at the community center he goes to for daycare because of his age. So…Wednesday afternoon he had a graduation ceremony at the public school and last night he had the ceremony of the community center. Last night’s graduation was so cute!! They had little caps and gowns for them to wear!! Of course, I bawled like a baby when I saw him in that, just thinking that in another 13 years I’ll see him like that again. (And you know how fast that will come!!) They had asked for a baby picture earlier in the week, which I thought they were going to use to make a collage or something. However, they scanned them into the computer and made a movie for the parents of all the baby pictures and pictures that the teachers had taken throughout the year. It was amazing to get to see what they do when they are at school! You see the end results (pictures, crafts, etc.) but you never get to see the process! (And yes, I bawled again!)
In another bit of interesting news,I neighbor a few doors down, whose sons my DS plays with all the time mentioned that they were going to Disney this summer. I had never said anything about us going because I don’t like telling people with kids that we are going because then their children are like “Why can’t we go??” However, since she brought it up, I ask her when they were going. She said that they were going August 25th to the 30th. I was like, “No way! We are going the 24th to the 3rd! Did you get Free Dining? Where are you staying?” They are staying at POR with free dining! They just booked two weeks ago through AAA. I asked if she had made any dining reservations and she said that though she had not, the TA told her that she could. Well, then you know what happened then! I ran down to my house grabbed my Passporter and told her, “This is your Disney bible!! Everything you need to know is in here! ” After she stopped looking at me like I was crazy, we cracked that sucker open to the dining section and she said, “180 days? What’s this about having to make reservations 180 days before we go? I don’t have 180 days!!! ” I told her don’t worry, pick out some restaurants you may want to try, and just get online and see when they have open reservations. If you are flexible about the times you want to eat, you’ll probably do all right. Her son’s birthday party is today, so I’ll find out how she did and report back!!
Day 6: Breakfast will be something small in our roomsthis morning and then we are off to EPCOT! This is the last day I have on our itinerary for EPCOT, so it will be a full day. Here are some of the attractions/rides on the plan for today (All the 1st are listed in green.):
Soarin’ – This attraction was not at EPCOT the last time we went, so I can’t wait to try it! (While we are here I figured we could grab Fast Passes to ride again later!)
Test Track – We loved this ride on our previous trip and know that our car fanatic DS will too! (P.S. He saw Cars 2 yesterday and that’s all he talked about from the time I got home from work yesterday until he went to graduation! )
Mission Space – For me, it’s the green version, but if they want to risk it everyone else can try orange!
Living with the Land
Innoventions West & East
Lunch @ Sunshine Seasons and then a break
Spaceship Earth
Kimpossible – I figured we could just roam around with the kids while they do the missions and have a relaxing afternoon.
Dinner @ Garden Grill at 6:30
Nothing planned for the rest of the evening, maybe catch Illuminations.
When looking at my plans earlier and how loose they are compared to vacations we have taken before, I’m really glad that we are able to have so much time at Disney. I know we won’t be able to do everything, but that just gives us a reason to come back again!
I love being able to share Disney excitement with others as well I have not met someone yet who didnt thank me repeatedly for introducing them to PP Our trip will actually start right as you are ending yours....Sept 3-10 for us!
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PREVIOUS TRIPS: 1997- Off-site, 2002-Contemporary, 2009- POFQ, 2011- Beach Club, 2012- Disney Magic, 2013 Disney Fantasy
Registered Message Board Members save 30% off PassPorter guidebooks! When you register you'll have access to a discount coupon good for 30% off the list price of PassPorter books in our online store.
Congratulations on your son's graduation...I remember crying at my oldest when she graduated from her little day care program, I bawled like a baby. Scary as I just bawled at her HS graduation, it goes so fast
My youngest tells me not to be sad as she has 7 years until she graduates....lol
I'm not sure if I read wrong, but it looks like in a previous post you said you had a Fantasmic Package at Garden Grill. Fantasmic is at the Studios and packages are available at Momma Melrose, Hollywood and Vine and Hollywood Brown Derby. I just want to make sure you aren't making a mistake or have incorrect info.
Otherwise it sounds like it is going to be a great trip!
I'm not sure if I read wrong, but it looks like in a previous post you said you had a Fantasmic Package at Garden Grill. Fantasmic is at the Studios and packages are available at Momma Melrose, Hollywood and Vine and Hollywood Brown Derby. I just want to make sure you aren't making a mistake or have incorrect info.
Otherwise it sounds like it is going to be a great trip!
OOPS!!! No, I meant Hollywood and Vine!! My list of confirmations is in order of the days they are booked and I must have skipped over that one when writing that section of the PTR. I can't believe no one else caught that!!
Registered Message Board Members save 30% off PassPorter guidebooks! When you register you'll have access to a discount coupon good for 30% off the list price of PassPorter books in our online store.
If you read the previous post, I mentioned that my neighbor is going the same time we are. Well, yesterday her son had his birthday party at Clubhouse Fun Center (games, mini golf, and go-carts), so I wanted to catch up with her about her plans. However, since my DS is still too short to ride a go-cart solo, mom had to drive him in one of their 2-seater carts. Not once, not twice, but THREE times!! Now don’t get me wrong, I like driving the carts, but after a couple times, it gets old. (My neighbor’s son is so cute. DS became extremely upset that he could not drive himself, so my neighbor’s son offered to let my DS ride with him. However, only an adult could drive those not tall enough. I just thought it was so nice for him to offer with no prompting from an adult!) So, needless to say, I didn’t get to talk to her very much. As we were leaving, I told her that we would have to exchange cell phone #’s so that I could text/call her so the boys could do some rides together. She said that she got one afternoon and was trying to make dining reservations, but was getting frustrated because there were no breakfast options with characters available! However, she said she kept trying and was able to get a Cape May reservation for 9AM for one of their mornings. I told her that it happens like that all the time because people are changing their plans, so keep trying!!
Day 7: Oh, can’t wait for this day as we are having breakfast at the Kona Cafe! Just thinking about trying that Tonga Toast makes my mouth water. Then it is off to Magic Kingdom.Here are some of the attractions/rides on the plan for today (All the 1st are listed in green.):
Dumbo
Peter Pan’s Flight
Mickey’s Philharmagic
The Haunted Mansion
Tom Sawyer Island
Splash Mountain
No lunch scheduled today because I thought we might still be full from breakfast, so just a snack or something back in the room during our break.
Country Bear Jamboree
Buzz Lightyear
Monster’s Inc.
Dinner @ Tony’s Town Square at 5:35.
Space Mountain
Wishes!
I wanted to do the dessert party, but it doesn’t seem like there are any dates available in August. Does anyone know if they are going to open any?
Your plans for Epcot and MK look great. I love Kona for breakfast.
It's great that your helping your neighbor out. Hopefully you will be Ble to get to together at WDW
Great plans! Kona breakfast is amazing--I love the Samoan!
Ooooo....what's the Samoan?!!
Nevermind, went to allears.net and found out! That sounds good, but I've never had hollandaise, wonder if I would like it? Well, I could just do what my husband and I always do. He'll choose one thing, I'll choose another, and then we split it so that we both can try more than one thing on the menu (and not feel like a pig doing it! LOL!).
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My DS graduated from Pre-K….twice! 
He was enrolled in our villages UPK program at the public school, but he also was in the UPK program at the community center he goes to for daycare because of his age. So…Wednesday afternoon he had a graduation ceremony at the public school and last night he had the ceremony of the community center. Last night’s graduation was so cute!! 
They had little caps and gowns for them to wear!! 
Of course, I bawled like a baby when I saw him in that, just thinking that in another 13 years I’ll see him like that again. 
(And you know how fast that will come!!) They had asked for a baby picture earlier in the week, which I thought they were going to use to make a collage or something. However, they scanned them into the computer and made a movie for the parents of all the baby pictures and pictures that the teachers had taken throughout the year. It was amazing to get to see what they do when they are at school! 
You see the end results (pictures, crafts, etc.) but you never get to see the process! (And yes, I bawled again!)
In another bit of interesting news,I neighbor a few doors down, whose sons my DS plays with all the time mentioned that they were going to Disney this summer. I had never said anything about us going because I don’t like telling people with kids that we are going because then their children are like “Why can’t we go??” However, since she brought it up, I ask her when they were going. She said that they were going August 25th to the 30th. I was like, “No way! 
We are going the 24th to the 3rd! Did you get Free Dining? Where are you staying?” 
They are staying at POR with free dining! They just booked two weeks ago through AAA. I asked if she had made any dining reservations and she said that though she had not, the TA told her that she could. Well, then you know what happened then! 
I ran down to my house grabbed my Passporter and told her, “This is your Disney bible!! Everything you need to know is in here! 
” After she stopped looking at me like I was crazy, we cracked that sucker open 
to the dining section and she said, “180 days? What’s this about having to make reservations 180 days before we go? I don’t have 180 days!!! 
” I told her don’t worry, pick out some restaurants you may want to try, and just get online and see when they have open reservations. If you are flexible about the times you want to eat, you’ll probably do all right. Her son’s birthday party is today, so I’ll find out how she did and report back!! 
)
I have not met someone yet who didnt thank me repeatedly for introducing them to PP 
My list of confirmations is in order of the days they are booked and I must have skipped over that one when writing that section of the PTR. I can't believe no one else caught that!!
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