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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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What a great day! The boat ride sounded fun, and can't believe the food options were so good, and were reasonably priced!
The waterfall was gorgeous!!
Sorry the trip is coming to an end..
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What a great day! You brought back some great memories of Lindau for me and that boat trip sounded so neat - we were there too early in the season and none of them were running, but I do remember seeing that concert venue and thinking exactly the same as you.
Your pics are wonderful!! I'm so glad you found your camera.
My DH's family is from Germany and he has always told me how beautiful it is and has always wanted us to visit. After seeing your TR; now I want to see if we can swing a trip!
We must get to Germany. What cute little towns! The boat ride sounded perfect. What a way to see the area! And those waterfalls, wow! How funny that you forgot your camera and then Meri forgot her bag with her stuffed animals. The lady at the store was funny too! Dinner looked delicious. Sounded like a lovely last full day exploring!
__________________
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Oh man, I feel like I have so many things to comment on, and yet I'm speechless! Does that make sense?
Everything continues to look so quaint and beautiful! The waterfalls are especially gorgeous, as those are my favorite types of scenery shots! I love all the different angles of the cascades!
The food looks yummy, as always! That was an awesome boat ride! Great views and food service! What more could you want? Lol!
I'm looking forward to seeing a picture of your clock, too! I hope it arrives soon!
We need to figure out a reminder method for you and Meri to make sure things don't get left behind!
__________________
Huge Disney Fan...Always Have Been...Always Will Be!
Disneyland 60th Anniversary Celebration TR here!
2013 WDW trip here!
2011 trip to Hawaii here!
Looks like you had an amazing day! The boat ride sounded like a nice way to see the area, and I can't believe how well priced and a variety they had on their snack menu. Love the pictures from the waterfall too!!
I was shocked at the variety of foods they offered! And wines, and beers, and all sorts of other things, as well!
Quote:
Originally Posted by lauriep
Another great day! The tour of the lake was beautiful and I love the cuckoo clock town. Guess Meri is just like her mom, leaving her belongings all over town! And you can't get mad at her, having just done it yourself. I'm glad you bought a clock-- you'd think about it forever if you didn't. Please post a photo when it arrives.
This one is ours! I'll post more detailed photos when it arrives, of course!
Quote:
Originally Posted by cubfancolleen
What a great day! The boat ride sounded fun, and can't believe the food options were so good, and were reasonably priced!
The waterfall was gorgeous!!
Sorry the trip is coming to an end..
I really want that goulash again!
Quote:
Originally Posted by chezp
What a great day! You brought back some great memories of Lindau for me and that boat trip sounded so neat - we were there too early in the season and none of them were running, but I do remember seeing that concert venue and thinking exactly the same as you.
You never know! Maybe one day we'll go see a show there together!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Colexis Mom
What a great day in Lindau and Triberg! The pictures are amazing!
I want to go back!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by davishomeschool
Your pics are wonderful!! I'm so glad you found your camera.
My DH's family is from Germany and he has always told me how beautiful it is and has always wanted us to visit. After seeing your TR; now I want to see if we can swing a trip!
I highly recommend it. What area is his family from?
Quote:
Originally Posted by disney_duke
We must get to Germany. What cute little towns! The boat ride sounded perfect. What a way to see the area! And those waterfalls, wow! How funny that you forgot your camera and then Meri forgot her bag with her stuffed animals. The lady at the store was funny too! Dinner looked delicious. Sounded like a lovely last full day exploring!
Forgetfulness obviously runs in our family!
Quote:
Originally Posted by scrappyjae
WOW...loved the waterfall pictures. The towns are just so quaint. Glad you guys were having such a great time.
The waterfall was really pretty. I wish I'd had the energy to get to the top, but I was just done!
Quote:
Originally Posted by OCEANGRLLG
WOW....Great pics!!! So cool that the Germans like a good Monster Truck Show!!! The clocks are beautiful!!
There are definitely some amazing craftsmen in that area!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dlandmom2
Oh man, I feel like I have so many things to comment on, and yet I'm speechless! Does that make sense?
Everything continues to look so quaint and beautiful! The waterfalls are especially gorgeous, as those are my favorite types of scenery shots! I love all the different angles of the cascades!
The food looks yummy, as always! That was an awesome boat ride! Great views and food service! What more could you want? Lol!
I'm looking forward to seeing a picture of your clock, too! I hope it arrives soon!
We need to figure out a reminder method for you and Meri to make sure things don't get left behind!
I just need to staple things to myself, apparently.
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We woke up at 7:30am today. Andrea called in late to work, so she could have some time with us before we left, and we all walked down to the bakery together to have breakfast. The girls were really in a bickering mood today (mostly Meri's fault - she was in a "mood" this morning) and they couldn't seem to get along to save their lives! We (mostly) enjoyed breakfast, and then walked back to the house. I packed up the van, and we all did a last-minute sweep to make sure that nothing was left behind - at least nothing positively urgent.
At 10:15am, there were kisses and hugs all around, and lots of "I love you"s, and then we pulled out of the driveway and hit the road.
Goodbye Holzgerlingen!!
Amazingly, on this trip, we never got into Stuttgart! Uh, HELLO!!! I know, I know. I'm sorry! Just gives us reason to go back! As if we NEEDED another reason, lol! We drove towards Heidelberg, stopping at this really cool rest stop along the way. The sink was in the wall, and had three automatic "sections" on the top - all the way to the right was the soap dispenser, and you stuck your hands under and soap plopped out onto them. Then you scooted your hands to the left a little, and the middle section was the water - which would come out to rinse you. Lastly, you moved just a little further left, and the automatic dryer came on! It was absolutely awesome! I wish I had taken a picture, but... of course I didn't. *doh*
We finally reached Heidelberg at 1220pm, and followed the GPS to the castle.
Except... the GPS took us RIGHT TO the castle. On a road that is restricted. Uh, oops! LOL! We turned around (doing a 20 point turn, lol) and we couldn't figure out exactly where the heck to go. The GPS really wanted us to go up that road, darn it! LOL! I saw other cars parked on the side of the road, so I said heck with it, and did the same.
Our first order of business was getting something to eat. We were all very hungry!! Fortunately, just up the hill was a cute restaurant.
So we popped in there, and I'm so glad we did! We sat outside and relaxed, and just enjoyed the atmosphere. Meri played on the iPod, and we all discussed the trip, our favorite parts, etc.
Meri got spaghetti
I got buffalo mozzarella caprese salad (it was phenomenal) and asparagus soup (delicious)
They brought us bread, too, which was absolutely delicious!
Mom got pasta Napoli
To note - this restaurant is cash only. We expected this coming in, thanks to Cheryl's previous TR where they went to Heidelberg and had the "cash-only" experience, so we were prepared! The service was great, and there were two younger boys (maybe 8 and 10?) who were serving, as well. They brought out food, and brought napkins and set tables. It was really cute. I will also note, the bathroom is in the basement of this place, and you have to take this interesting path through the building - it looks like you're walking in restricted areas, because you go through some storage areas, etc, but then before you know it, there you are in the restroom! So just keep following those signs, and you'll be in the right place!
We finished up at around 1:40pm according to my notes, and then we walked down the hill a little, and then we made a right to head up to the castle.
We walked around the outside for a few minutes, enjoying all of the beautiful views of this castle...
Then we walked over for a spectacular view of the town below. I could have stood here for days, just looking at everything. It's beautiful!
Then we went in to the shop, and got tickets to the castle. We chose to do just the courtyard and "brewery" area, which was 5 euros for adults and 3 euros for kids age 6 and up. There's a guided tour that actually goes INTO the castle, and I guess it would have been wise to do that, but we didn't. I will also tell you, the gift shop is cash only, unless you spend over 20 euros. Then you can use a credit card.
It was 2:00pm on the nose when we went through the entryway into the courtyard...
We walked through a little archway / hallway, and found another lookout area, and some more lovely views. Of course, there was also scaffolding, as was par for the course on this trip! May must be "scaffolding" month in Germany!
After we were done poking around the castle, we figured we'd better hit the rest rooms. We had to walk through the little snack area, and then there were some large vats... Meri got a kick out of them. Especially because one was in a room (where it took up the entire room) and you could climb around it and walk on a platform on top of it!
There's a little snack area in here, and a seating area, as well.
And the bathrooms are to the right of the room with the huge vat. It took me a while to figure it out, lol, but I got there!
We picked up some stuff in the gift shop, and then said goodbye to the castle at 2:30pm. We headed back down to the car, holding our breath and hoping that it was still there!! I tell you, the walk down the hill is interesting. It's somewhat of a steep angle (steeper than I'm used to, anyway) and the road looks like this:
Meri kept wanting to run down the hill and I kept telling her to stop it. Finally the last 20 feet she decided to run, and unsurprisingly tripped and hurt herself. Dummy. I picked her up and dusted her off and kissed her skinned knee, and told her to listen to me next time, and not run when I told her not to run. :eyeroll: I mean does she think I make these things up arbitrarily??? LOL! She was fine, but dramatic, of course.
When we got back to the car, mom drove, and I got to be the passenger. I put in the address of the hotel in Frankfurt, and off we went.
When you see "WC" on a rest stop sign, you know that there's a bathroom at the parking area / rest stop...
The trip was fairly uneventful. We were blown off the road by a car that cut in front of us and nearly skimmed the front of our van - it was pretty crazy! Then we were blown off the road again by a smart car!! That was especially funny! Finally we were there at the Holiday Inn, at around 330pm, and we got settled into room 108!
We went down to the restaurant to eat dinner, before returning the rental car.
They started us off with some bread, with two spreads - one was a mayonnaise type, and the other was cottage cheese. Neither impressed me much, but mom liked both.
We all three got tortellini in a pesto sauce (well, Meri and I shared mine). It was delicious!
After dinner, it was time to say goodbye to the Beast.
We filled the tank with gas before heading to the airport (just a couple of km away from us), and popped over to the rental car return. There were no additional fees (though I came dangerously close to forgetting Meri's booster seat in the van!!!) and they told us we drove a total of 2259km during the course of our rental (about 1404 miles)! Not too shabby, I'd say!!
After saying a final goodbye to The Beast and Duchess, we went through the terminal and took a bus to Terminal 1 (the rental car return was in Terminal 2) and then took the Holiday Inn shuttle back to the hotel.
We got settled in the room. Meri took a bath, mom played on the computer, and I read a book. Then after Meri went to bed, I did some work, and mom read. Then finally it was time to sleep. Tomorrow would prove to be a very long travel day...
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Bummer that you missed Stuttgart, but geez you guys saw so much! I continue to be amazed by the beauty and history of all that you saw. Every time I see pictures of castles and their courtyards, I wonder what it would've been like to live during those times and stroll through the grounds!
So sad to say goodbye to The Beast and Duchess. I'm glad you took pictures to remember them! Thank goodness you didn't forget the booster seat!
Now I'm ready to hear about your journey home. I remember wondering if you were able to get out on that morning flight. I'm sad that things are coming to an end though.
__________________
Huge Disney Fan...Always Have Been...Always Will Be!
Disneyland 60th Anniversary Celebration TR here!
2013 WDW trip here!
2011 trip to Hawaii here!
Heidelburg is so picturesque! Not that the rest of the places you saw weren't, but... well you know what I mean! So very cute. Sounded like a lovely day!
__________________
Tanya
Every click helps feed .6 bowls of food to rescued animals. Give a quick click every day and help animals in shelters! www.theanimalrescuesite.com
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You brought back some great memories of Lindau for me and that boat trip sounded so neat - we were there too early in the season and none of them were running, but I do remember seeing that concert venue and thinking exactly the same as you. 
The pictures are amazing! 
What cute little towns! The boat ride sounded perfect. What a way to see the area! And those waterfalls, wow! How funny that you forgot your camera and then Meri forgot her bag with her stuffed animals. 
The lady at the store was funny too! Dinner looked delicious. 
Sounded like a lovely last full day exploring!
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