A 40th celebration to end the world! THREAD 1 COMPLETED 2/16 - Page 56 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Bummer the outlets weren't cooperative this time. At least you found some jeans.
What a wonderful way to spend an afternoon at lunch!
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Tanya
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OMG!!! I just totally laughed out loud. I was reading the update about Mark taking pictures of the new GFV construction and I am picturing him running around and doing tucks and rolls and other evasive manuvers to get those pictures ....and then you post the picture of him wit hhis camera on the "stick". That was just so funny! I needed that laugh this morning!
We'd like to do some shopping while we're in the U.S., too, so I'm looking at the different options in the Orlando area. Have you been to the Florida Mall or the Orlando Premium Outlets before? If so, is there any place you prefer (either one of those two, Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores, or someplace else)?
In my next update, we actually eat at Teppan Edo for the first time, and it was by far my favorite meal of the trip. The food was sooooooo good! Sounds like you had a wonderful lunch with wonderful friends.
Great meal at Teppen Edo - This is one that I have been wanting to try FOREVER! and just never have? I love japanese food its my fav. but is this place just like all the rest that you can eat at in your home towns? Or does it have the Disney touch? Trying to get all my dining decided this weekend and this is one I would like to try, if it is different then the places you can eat at at home. Just dont want to waste a dinner if it is same ol same ol. Thanks for your thoughts on this one!
you've never eaten there? We're very different, as we don't have any Japanese restaurants where we live, so this is a real treat for us, so I'm not the best person to judge whether it's any different to standard Japanese places. Obviously you won't get them creating hidden Mickeys when they cook!
OMG!!! I just totally laughed out loud. I was reading the update about Mark taking pictures of the new GFV construction and I am picturing him running around and doing tucks and rolls and other evasive manuvers to get those pictures ....and then you post the picture of him wit hhis camera on the "stick". That was just so funny! I needed that laugh this morning!
Oh if only he did that, that would give me a good laugh! Maybe I'll suggest it to him... I'd definitely get a photo of him doing tucks or rolls!
We'd like to do some shopping while we're in the U.S., too, so I'm looking at the different options in the Orlando area. Have you been to the Florida Mall or the Orlando Premium Outlets before? If so, is there any place you prefer (either one of those two, Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores, or someplace else)?
We've been to the Florida Mall in the past, but it's quite a drive and we don't find much there. As you'll discover later on in this trip report, we went to Orlando Premium Outlets and we always go there - you get the Nike/Reebok store, the Disney outlet store and Nauticaa, all of which we love. That's one of our favourites to visit and it's quick and simple to get to from Disney.
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Great pictures! Teppan Edo has always been on our short list, but for some reason we never make it there.
Also, weird question...are you not able to get deodorant in the UK? Just wondering why, of all things, your dad would want you to pick some up.
We can get deodorant, but not the one he likes and not my one. Secret was introduced in Europe a while ago, then disappeared off the shelves a year or later and I loved that stuff. I was told by a friend that she found out it was removed because it contained something that was banned over here. It's certainly quite possible, as Sudafed is available as an over the counter drug over here, which I remember Sue and Steve being really shocked at, as I believe it's really tough to get hold of it over there.
Great photos!! Teppan Edo is so much fun. Looking forward to more!
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Disney Trips: BLT & Poly Bungalow 2016, VGF 2015, Fantasy 2015, Saratoga Springs Resort 2014, Grand Villa at VGF 2013, Fantasy 2013, BWV and Kidani Village 2011, BWV and Kidani Village 2010, BWV and Saratoga Springs Resort 2008,Beach Club Villas 2008,Villas at Wilderness Lodge 2006, BWV 2006, BCV 2005, HHI 2004,Polynesian 2003,Grand Floridian 2000/concierge, Honeymoon at Polynesian 1994,Polynesian 1980,Polynesian 1978
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Sue
Sunday 9 December – part five: “the giant robot’s coming”
We headed downstairs…
… and into Mitsukoshi for a wander around.
I watched the work being done on the pearls for a while, which I’ve never done before.
We ended up coming outside, and sitting by one of the entrances, which was in the shade, and not too busy, with the exception of the fact that it was one of the Agent P sites, so we’d have kids coming by every so often with their parents to do that. It was fun to see the kids leading them around, and with one girl, Mark repeated what it said about the “giant robot coming” and it must’ve been the way he said it, as she looked terrified.
I went to get a rainbow Kaki Gori, and enjoyed that, and we just sat there for some time, enjoying talking.
Eventually, about 4:00pm, we decided to go and see if we should get in line for the Candlelight Processional. Well, by then, it was queuing back to the Torii gate, so the answer to that question was and we got in line. I’d been amazed to see people lining up when I got my Kaki Gori abut half an hour earlier.
I went off to use the restrooms by the Katsura Grill (not the nicest I have to be honest ) and took the opportunity to get some photos of the Japan pavilion on the way there and back.
We were let in around 4:30pm, and snagged a spot in the centre, as advised by Dawn.
The first to arrive on stage was the orchestra…
… followed by the Voices of Liberty…
… then the Cast Members. Luckily, I got a couple of shots of Dawn coming on to stage before the woman in front of her arrived, as after that we could only see her eyes, which was a shame.