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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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We just got back safe n sound in the middle of the night and are knee deep in unpacking and righting the house, but had to stop and see that you started your TR already! Can't wait to hear more!
So glad you've started your TR! Can't wait to read it all!
We leave on the 25th for our annual trip. We started going later last year, after too many freezing days in early Feb., like when I met you and Shari! But I think this year you had warm weather, right?
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Donning my Wellies to cut Peat in Scotland
Melissa
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So glad you've started your TR! Can't wait to read it all!
We leave on the 25th for our annual trip. We started going later last year, after too many freezing days in early Feb., like when I met you and Shari! But I think this year you had warm weather, right?
Melissa, we talked about you last week! It was unbelievably warm for my entire trip -- low 80's during the day to 50's at night (Sheri was "freezing.") Sounds like I left at the right time -- last Thursday. They got a cold snap over the weekend. I hope you'll have nice warm weather -- you never can tell, that's for sure!
And even though the forecast was for mild temperatures, after the Feb. trip of 2010 I took no chances -- packed my long underwear! But I'm happy to report I left it in my suitcase.
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
yes, melissa, we were recalling very fondly our meet up with you and your family...hope to run in to you again on a future trip! ha ha ha...cindy DID take her longjohns out of the suitcase just long enough to show me. and yes, some of the time it was "cold" to me and very warm to cindy. somehow, she managed to convince me it was NOT that cold though....however, i will let her tell that story in good time...it is a classic cindy/ sheri story to be sure....ha ha ha.
Well, since Brent & Liz are back in Michigan I guess I'd better continue with my story. I had just waddled out of Jiko after my enormous feast and two glasses of Honey Pot, right?
Well, I had a lot to walk off and so I explored the gorgeous lobby. Night had fallen by now, so everything seemed extra magical.
“The Igbo people of Nigeria enact their traditions and beliefs through the arts of dance and music. Masks are central to their celebration of history, spirit beings and scenes from daily village lift. The grandest of these “masquerades” is Ijele, a giant structure that incarnates the spirits of Ibgo ancestors.
The Ijele mask is an enormous 16-foot high, 240-pound assembly that is carried on the head of a single dancer. The success of his ceremonial dance brings prestige and good luck to the entire community.
The spectacular Ijele in the AKL lobby is the first of its kind ever to leave Nigeria. It was commissioned in 1983 specifically for exhibition in North America. Igbo elders chose the adorning elements and symbols to represent their culture to the rest of the world.”
Now, you might as well know that I simply love birds -- all kinds of birds. I find them utterly fascinating creatures. I had a parakeet growing up, and that was MY bird. I'm just warning you that you will be seeing lots of bird drawings, sculptures, carvings, plus live birds in this Trip Report. Don't say you weren't warned!
So I love this sculpture in the back of the AKL lobby:
Of course I went outside to the fire pit and beyond. Some animals were still grazing nearby, although most had gone to bed. No worries -- I kept enjoying all the African touches, like this outdoor "light."
I’d missied the storytelling for the night (which had occurred at 6:30 p.m.), but the young woman who would be leading it on Sunday was still there, so I promised to come back after spending the next day at the Animal Kingdom park.
Back inside, I took note of many beautiful details in the common areas:
And anytime I'm at the AKL, I make a point to see this fellow, whether I have any outgoing mail or not:
Don’t remember what I ate, but I’m sure it was yummy and that I had a bit of everything. I do love a good buffet!
After breakfast, I snuck into Jiko for a daytime shot:
And then I took my time enjoying the lodge during daylight.
And remember my night shots of the Ostrich sculpture from the previous day? Well, of course you do because I just posted it a couple minutes ago. So you want to see it in the daytime? Sure!
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Took the bus to AK for the day – of course! And just in case you doubt my word, here is irrefutable proof: some Disney PhotoPass of moi in the wilds of Africa and Asia.
And did I run into my ole pal Goofy? Gawrsh, of course I did!
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But I think this year you had warm weather, right?
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