Make Mine A BLT with Some MVMCP, MK, AK & More - A Short Solo Trip - Page 6 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Love the tumble monkeys shots
I can never get those.
Also thanks for sharing the Video I needed the giggle.
Thanks. We still laugh when we watch the safari video.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeL
Your photos of the parade and fireworks from MVMCP make me wish I was there now not with 49 weeks to wait Thank you so much for posting such great pics as I showed earlier ones to my DW and she is getting excited about trip too Can't wait for her reaction to this batch over the weekend
I'm glad you enjoyed the photos. I bet you'll have a great time - it's definitely a good time of year to go.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Colexis Mom
Great pics from AK!
Thanks.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lauriep
Love the Lion King show photos, but REALLY LOVE the patio safari video. Hilarious and adorable. Natasha was born to be a star.
LOL - yes, the pup believes she is a star. She's more coordinated now, but still a big ham in front of the camera.
Quote:
Originally Posted by rlb38
More great photos. I do love the AK.
Thanks - yes, AK is definitely a favorite park.
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Originally Posted by Cam22
More great pictures!
Thank you.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ccmom
Loved Natasha's upcoming movie.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DisneyMamaSarah
AMAZING photos!!!
I absolutely CANNOT wait to see WDW in all it's Holiday Splendor next year! I already can tell I'll probably have tears in my eyes upon first seeing it that way (I almost get a little misty eyed at first seeing the castle with each trip -- but at Christmas, and Main Street all decked out like that ....)
Thanks - I'm sure you will enjoy it. I definitely hope to go back again next year.
Quote:
Originally Posted by chezp
Superb photos of both the animals and the Lion King show!
Realized I'd better get in gear and finish up this report, as we leave Tuesday for our December Trip. I left off at Animal Kingdom. After leaving there, I went back to Bay Lake Tower and relaxed for a couple of hours before walking to the Magic Kingdom. The Castle Stage show was finishing up as I arrived. I watched the Move It, Shake It Parade, and staked out a spot for the Main Street Electrical Parade. I didn't take a lot of photos, just mostly enjoyed the MSEP - it had been a long time since I'd seen this one.
After the parade, I found a spot for Wishes - ended up in the Hub Area, back from the Partner's Statue. It was not all that crowded, but I did have to watch for people tripping over the tripod. Not to mention I have some nice shots of the back of a guy who decided to move in front of me I didn't mind. This is an okay spot to see Wishes from, but because you are close to the Castle, the bursts do not appear to be as high as they do from further back. Not bad - just different.
After Wishes, it was time to say Good Night to the Magic Kingdom. Back at BLT, I relaxed and got a good night's sleep. It was time to head home the next morning, but I made one stop along the way:
Hollywood Studios! This was a good time to check off another first on my list - Toy Story Midway Mania. Arriving before opening, I joined the crowds as everyone hurried to Toy Story. Fast Passes were for 10:50am, but the Standby Line was showing 20 minutes, so I got in the Standby Line. It went quickly, and I enjoyed my first peek at the queue for what is apparently the MOST EXCITING Ride in the Whole World
It was finally my turn to ride, and I concentrated on the targets. Forgot to take a pic of my score (the camera was wrapped up somewhere in my jacket), but I scored 117k. As I left the ride, I admit to being puzzled about all the hype. I liked the ride, but it certainly isn't something I'd ever wait in a long line to do again. And, I enjoy video games, and liked how interactive the ride is. I see the attraction for families, especially when you can get some competition going. But, it's not likely to be a Must Do for me on every trip.
All that thinking made me need coffee, so I visited Starring Roles for a coffee and snack. I was taken in by The Napoleon - one of my favorite desserts. Unfortunately, a sweet dessert at 10am was more than I could handle. So only ate a few bites, but $3.99 for a food photo op wasn't all bad.
I thought this might be a chance to check off another First - The Tower of Terror. Once I got there, it was showing a 20 minute wait, so I hopped in line - then a CM came out and explained it was more like 45 minutes, but the sign wasn't updating. Oh well, this one could wait until next time.
I didn't accomplish much at DHS, but it was fun walking around and also hitting Midway Mania for the first time. I was on the road by 11am, and home to husband and dog before 2pm.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Very much enjoyed my short solo trip to the World. Highlights included the Christmas Party - the Parade and Holiday Wishes. I also enjoyed the chance to see the Fantasy Land Expansion. And, getting the opportunity to meet Laurie and have a relaxing lunch at the Animal Kingdom was especially nice. Bay Lake Tower was a real hit - we didn't consider it as a Home Resort because it looks so much like a high rise hotel. It is - but the proximity to the Magic Kingdom and the Monorail makes it a great place to stay. Will definitely be back.
I hope to do more Solo Trips, but am also looking forward to our trip this coming week. We have two nights at the Wilderness Lodge Villas, followed by two nights at the Beach Club Villas. We've got nice dinners planned for each evening, the Candlelight Processional, and I'm hoping to meet up with more PassPorters.
Thanks much for following along. I imagine I'll do a TR for the upcoming trip (although there will be more photos of food than fireworks), but we'll see how it goes.
Wow, it's almost time for you to come back again! Wonderful photos again. I love the monorail one. MSEP is my favorite parade and I love the float photo as well as the pre-parade Main St one and I love that vantage point for the fireworks photos. You're right that the bursts look tighter to the castle, but it makes for beautiful photos.
You take absolutely amazing photos! This was a great report and I'm glad you enjoyed your visit! I live in Orlando so let me know if you'd like to get together on one of your trips!
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I loved following along with this report. I know I've said it a million times, but your pictures are amazing! Can't wait to follow along on your next one.
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