Goin' Down the Bayou, a PTR ~ November 1-10 - Page 12 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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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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A girls only spa weekend at the Hotel Hershey sounds wonderful! I think we are going to head back for the Christmas lights this year, the girls were reading about it and were very excited about it! We may just make it a day trip too, though.
I just booked a weekend for Christmas this year. We are hoping to see the lights too. Not sure if doing the park since most of the rides open are kiddie ones and the "kiddies" going are now past that stage. I say every year I want to go out and do the light so hopefully having made the room reservations we won't back out this time. Going 1st weekend in December and staying at the Lodge.
Oh yes I definitely recommend a girls spa weekend. I haven't gone since Evan has been born as all my babysitters go with me. Oh well, maybe in about 10 more years I'll get to go again.
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Great plans for day 8, very odd that DHS closes at 4pm, maybe it won't be so crowded so you can get on the rides you missed. My boys love GG too and Ihope the girls love Illuminations.
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Go Kaeli!! Maybe there are lots more rides in your future at Disney! And I did hear that Hershey was expensive. We should be going there in the spring with the middle school music program (middle school ). That is where they usually go. And it's good to hear the allergies are handled well. And of course when you put "free" and "chocolate" in the same sentence, it doesn't get much better than that. (Unless you put "free" and "frappuccino" in the same sentence)
And that's my Bagalini!! Same color and everything! I LOVE it!! Put your photopass card right in the zipper pouch on the strap and you can take it out quickly whenever you see a photog and don't have to look for it
Okay...day 6...if that is the 6th, you'll be eating at our hotel and we'll be at CG. If day 6 is the 7th...I think we'll also be in Epcot that night for EMH. (Did we already know that?? I'm so confused )
Great plans! We usually watch IllumiNations from the Canada/UK/France area!
Thanks, Marnie!
Quote:
Originally Posted by lauriep
4pm is a VERY early closing time for DHS!! I guess it must be for cast viewing of the Osborn lights-- nice of them to do that, but I don't recall it happening before, either. For Illuminations, there are lots of good spots. Just think of the lagoon as a square, with the area between the two free-standing gift-shops at the entrance from FW as one flat side. The BEST places are looking from a flat side, rather than a "corner". Then look above you. If you have a clear sight-line with no branches you should be fine. I usually watch from between Norway and Mexico. There's a wheelchair-viewing area there and it's a good spot. If you really want to go into it, you can also check the wind direction and choose a spot where the smoke will blow away from you!
Thanks for the tips, Laurie! I'll definitely be watching the wind before we choose a spot, smoke blowing in our face would not be good for Kaeli's asthma.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lazanya
Great plans!
Thanks!
Quote:
Originally Posted by mommapants
nice update. weird about DHS. I have watched IlumiNations from lots of places. Wind direction is a big one. I like from in front of Italy.
It is so weird, I've never heard of a park closing that early before (besides AK) Even if it is for the Osborne lights, it's still so early. It doesn't getdark that time of year until about 6, so that's 2 hours they'd be closed before they could even turn on the lights!
Quote:
Originally Posted by valegirl5292
Great plans for day 8, very odd that DHS closes at 4pm, maybe it won't be so crowded so you can get on the rides you missed. My boys love GG too and Ihope the girls love Illuminations.
That's what I'm hoping! Touring plans has that day at DHS rated really low, I'm hoping that lots of people stay away because of the short hours I hope they love Illuminations too!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by dwonderz
More Great Plans! That's so odd that DHS is closing that early!
Thanks!
Quote:
Originally Posted by dsteiny23
Go Kaeli!! Maybe there are lots more rides in your future at Disney! And I did hear that Hershey was expensive. We should be going there in the spring with the middle school music program (middle school ). That is where they usually go. And it's good to hear the allergies are handled well. And of course when you put "free" and "chocolate" in the same sentence, it doesn't get much better than that. (Unless you put "free" and "frappuccino" in the same sentence)
And that's my Bagalini!! Same color and everything! I LOVE it!! Put your photopass card right in the zipper pouch on the strap and you can take it out quickly whenever you see a photog and don't have to look for it
Okay...day 6...if that is the 6th, you'll be eating at our hotel and we'll be at CG. If day 6 is the 7th...I think we'll also be in Epcot that night for EMH. (Did we already know that?? I'm so confused )
Wait, now I'm confused Day 6 is Wednesday Even though we check in on Thursday 11/1, I didn't count that day because we arrive so late. Friday starts as day 1 Anywho, now I know why I had the EPCOT EMH circled on my calendar, because you'll be there too!
You know, when I bought the Baggalini I was leaning towards the blue one. But then, the green one caught my eye. Looking at your sig pic I thought you had a blue one, but now I realize that the blue I was looking at is Jason's sleeve It really is the perfect bag, I love it!
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.
Well, now we are getting towards the end of the trip Friday will be our last day at the parks, even though we aren't leaving until Saturday night.
In honor of our last day in the MK I thought we would try a couple of firsts for us. I'm really hoping to FINALLY get to see the opening ceremony at the train station. I've never seen it Wait, that's a lie ... I did see bits of it in 2009 when Chris forgot our park tickets back at our hotel (and didn't realize it until we had pulled into the parking lot!) the morning of our early breakfast at CRT I waited with the girls while he trekked it all the way back to our hotel to get them, but I was so worried about missing our ADR that I couldn't relax and enjoy the show. In fact, I don't even remember any of it. This year I hope to be there bright and early to get a good view!
Then, it will be off to another first, the Family Magic Tour, which I'm hoping will be a lot of fun! When the girls heard that it was sort of like a scavenger hunt they were super excited about it!
After that, there is not much else planned. We'll try to hit anything we might have missed at the MK, as well as re-ride some of our favorites. We'll play it by ear, but if the rumors I"ve heard end up being true, we'll head over to DHS later that evening to catch the opening night of the Osborne Lights, what a perfect way to say goodbye to the parks!
We have a very late flight back home on Saturday night (we don't leave until 9:50pm), so we'll spend the morning packing up and maybe hit the pool before heading to our 2 pm lunch at TRex. After lunch we'll do a little shopping and exploring around Dtd before making our way back to POR for our DME pickup
105 Days to Go! Young Charlotte: [to Tiana] Here comes my favorite part. Eudora: "And the beautiful princess was so moved by his desperate plea that she stooped down, picked up the slippery creature, leaned forward, raised him to her lips, and kissed that little frog."
Young Charlotte: Aww.
[Tiana gags] Eudora: "Then lo and behold, the frog was transformed into a handsome prince! They were married and lived happily ever after. The end."
Ok, I think I found it! If you have the Passporter 2012 edition, in the Epcot map (page 152) it shows the good viewing spots. I hope this helps.
I've watched from: Showcase Plaza, the bridge between UK & France, and between Mexico & Norway. Those 1st and last spots get full pretty quickly but they give you a great view.
Just found your PTR.
Your plans look great and not to commando style.
All your ADRs look delish. I especially like MM and CM.
Congrats on getting the free dining and saving some money, also adding the water parks and more option.
I hope you get to meet up with Dawn and her family this trip.
The girls faces say it all in y'alls trip to Hershey Park. Grins from ear to ear! Sounds like it was a nice little getaway trip.
Bummer about finding out TL was closed for its yearly refurb after deciding that's where y'all wanted to go. We've been to TL and it was pretty cool. We have never experienced BB so will be interested in what y'alls thoughts are.
YAY and congrats on the free dining!! And score on the WP and More add on. Now y'all don't have to choose between WPs and DQ.
I hope the Osborne Lights are opening on y'alls last day. That would be a very cool way to end the trip.
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). That is where they usually go. And it's good to hear the allergies are handled well. And of course when you put "free" and "chocolate" in the same sentence, it doesn't get much better than that. (Unless you put "free" and "frappuccino" in the same sentence) 
If day 6 is the 7th...I think we'll also be in Epcot that night for EMH. (Did we already know that?? I'm so confused 
)
We usually watch IllumiNations from the Canada/UK/France area! 
Day 6 is Wednesday 
Friday will be our last day at the parks, even though we aren't leaving until Saturday night. 
Wait, that's a lie ... I did see bits of it in 2009 when Chris forgot our park tickets back at our hotel (and didn't realize it until we had pulled into the parking lot!) the morning of our early breakfast at CRT 
I waited with the girls while he trekked it all the way back to our hotel to get them, but I was so worried about missing our ADR that I couldn't relax and enjoy the show. In fact, I don't even remember any of it. This year I hope to be there bright and early to get a good view!
Liz 
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