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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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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.
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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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I didn't have anything planned for this morning, so we just slept in. I did some laundry. Then I think I took the boys to the pool for a little. Arben and AJ stayed in the room.
After some fun and relaxing, we headed out. I'm thinking it was about 2:30ish. I had one goal in mind and it was to watch the new Festival of Fantasy parade.
When we got to the park, the skies looked menacing. We went to the balcony of the Town Square building. It would offer a great view of the parade. Well, minutes later the announcement came that "due to inclement weather, the Festival of Fantasy parade has been cancelled". Aww crap! The only day I had reserved for watching it and it was cancelled. Epic Fail!
Anyways, with nothing else to do we headed over to meet Tinkerbell. She had a very short wait and being that she's my favorite character, made it a no brainer. It was only Adriel and I, as the other 3 are too cool for this. Party poopers.
Tinkerbell was great. She was very cheerful and chatty. She started talking about favorite colors and said hers was green. She asked Adriel if his was blue and he answered no, that his favorite color was red. Then she asked why was he wearing all blue. It was a funny exchange. Here are the photos of the meet.
Here's the exchange between Tink & Adriel
After meeting this lovely fairy, we met up with the party poopers and headed towards Fantasyland. It wasn't quite time for our fastpass, we browsed some shops. Finally it was time to meet some princesses and I was very excited. I was the only one.
First up were Anna & Elsa. And this was one of the best character interactions I've ever had. Elsa stayed in character, very regal and serious. But the highlight was Anna. She was a hoot, talking a hundred words per minute. She talked about an invention, I think it was Kristoff's, which was chocolate covered pickles. I told her I loved chocolate and pickles but not together. We had a good laugh, even the boys. As we were leaving, she gave a fist bump to AJ.
The photographer managed to get these 2 photos.
They look so thrilled.
Then we were off to meet Princess Aurora. She was so sweet. She told me I had some handsome princes and that I should be honored by that. I told her it was our first time meeting princesses. When I gave her the white Mickey to sign and told her she could sign anywhere she wanted, she was flustered as it was a huge decision to make.
I need some heels, I look short.
After we left, AJ was tickled pink because Anna had given him a fist bump. This is the kid that's too-cool for everything.
We were quite hungry but we didn't feel like getting counter service. I had tried to get an adr online but to no avail. I decided to try my luck at a walk-up. We headed towards Tony's and I approached the check-in counter. Luck was on our side because they were about to open for dinner and they could seat us right away. We got to see their little opening show. They sing "That's Amore". It was cute!
Our server was great, very attentive and a sweetie. Of course I don't remember his name.
Arben and I started with the Pasta Fagioli soup.
Then our entrees came.
Arben had the Chicken Parmigiana
AJ and I had the Cannelloni
Abniel and Adriel had Cheese Pizza
The kids got sundaes with their meals and AJ got chocolate cake. I forgot to take pictures of that.
Food was good! We enjoyed it and would come back again.
Originally we had fastpasses for 7DMT, but since it wasn't a big hit the other day, I changed them. Space Mountain for AJ, Abniel & I and Buzz for Arben and Adriel.
We got to Tomorrowland in a nick of time because the skies opened up and we were faced with a monsoon.
I posted this picture on facebook so everyone could see.
We were in front of the Monster's Inc Laugh Floor entrance. My half of the gang was supposed to be headed to SM while the other 2 to Buzz. Problem was, how. Of course, we could use our ponchos. If only we had some, oh wait, we do. They're back at room. Way to go Mayra! I will put some blame on Arben because, as we were leaving Kidani, I asked him if I should take them as the skies looked threatening. He said no, he thought it wouldn't rain. Now, I hardly ever listen to Arben and go with my instincts. But this time I decided to go with his advice. Yeah, not the best time to start doing that.
Anyways... Arben and Adriel's was an easy task. Ours, not so much. The rain had subsided a bit so we just made a run for it. Well, sort of. You see, I had sandals on which, if you don't know, are very difficult to run with in the rain. My feet kept slipping and sliding, so I was practically walking. Add to that the puddles and the falling rain, it wasn't pretty. We kept dodging the rain every time we could. By the time we reached SM we were very wet. Then we went inside and we were freezing. Thankfully the line was fast flowing and soon we were at the boarding station.
This was Abniel's first ride ever and I was a little nervous for him. Ours was the last car; I sat in the front, Abniel in the middle, and AJ was in the way back.
I must say, I don't like this ride very much. It's too rough and bumpy. Throughout the ride I kept thinking about Abniel. When the ride came to an end I heard AJ calling out to him. When I turned around he had his head glued to the back of the seat and he was speechless. His face was kind of like this ---> He was ok, just a little shocked. I don't think he enjoyed it that much but he does get A for effort.
Here's Arben and Adriel's ride photo
Afterwards, we went in search of the other two. They were waiting for us in front of Tomorrowland Terrace. They had gotten a PP picture while waiting.
We then went over to Monster's Inc Laugh Floor. The wait time was kind of long, maybe 30 minutes, but since we couldn't really go anywhere (stupid rain) we hopped in line.
That darn phone.
The boys made it on the screen. They were sitting together, with Adriel in the middle. When they were on the screen, it said on the bottom "this guy is sitting between two monsters". The show was so funny because they kept focusing on this guy and he was clearly kind of annoyed. We had quite a laugh at his expense.
The rain looked like it wasn't going away. Adriel was done with the park and wanted to go back to the room. I didn't want to leave and neither did AJ and Abniel. So Arben decided to take him back and I gave him my bag and just kept my camera. I sure he looked kind of funny, carrying my bag but he's a pretty confident guy. I knew he could pull it off.
They left and we just stood there deciding what to do. We decided to go to Fantasyland and tackle some rides there. First we took some pictures.
Then I had the brilliant idea of taking a shortcut through Cosmic Ray's. We went through one set of doors and then out through another, only realizing it was the wrong doors. We were still in TL. When I went to go back in I realized the door was exit only. Being the dramatic person that I am I said "oh man, it's exit only!". We stared at each other for a couple of seconds until Abniel broke the spell and said "Mom, the entrance door is right there beside it". I think my brain was washed out by all the rain.
We went back in and this time exited through the correct doors. The rain started up again, hard. We made a run for it, sought cover at the teacups and then made a run for Winnie the Pooh ride. Of course, as luck would have it we were stuck on the outside part of the line. The line moved fairly quickly and we were soon under cover. We played while in line, yes because we're childish like that. Then we boarded our car.
After that, we headed to IASW. There was hardly a line and we were soon boarding. I have no idea why, but AJ and I were kind of silly. We were joking and laughing the whole ride. Abniel was oblivious to everything, which made us laugh even more.
We decided to go to Storybook Circus and see what we could ride there. The Barnstormer had no wait so we hopped on. Then we rode Dumbo, and by we I mean Abniel and I. AJ decided he was too cool for that kiddie ride. While we rode, guess what he did. He checked his phone.
We were kind of hungry so we decided to get some food. A couple of weeks before the trip I'd read about the Bacon Cheeseburger Mac 'n' Cheese from Friar's Nook. It sounded delish, I mean bacon, cheeseburger and mac 'n' cheese. Yum! I went there first and bought that for me. Then we headed to Pinocchio's Village Haus and got two flatbreads for the boys. We sat down to enjoy our meal and... YUCK It wasn't good. The only good part was the bacon. That says a lot. The hamburger meat was kind of sweet and the mac 'n' cheese was kind of gross. I tried to eat some of it so it wouldn't be a total waste. I didn't even eat half. On the bright side, the boys enjoyed their meal.
After my disappointing meal we went on to ride Peter Pan's Flight. Surprisingly, it had a short wait. By this time, we were done. Abniel needed a bathroom break so we went to the Tangled area bathrooms. I sent the boys in and I took some photos. I love this area, especially at night. So pretty!
We got to the hub just as Wishes was finishing up so I took a couple of pictures of the finale.
Then we headed to the bus stop. It was a while before we were on a bus, but we finally made it back to the room and hit the hay.
What a great day.............minus the rain I love that you all are go with the flow type, and have no issues with some staying in the park while others need a break! Love all the photos of each of the parents with the boys with the I love Dad and I love Mom borders!
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Sounded like a wonderful day! Love all the pics.
The ones of all of you with Anna & Elsa had me cracking up! The boys seemed so excited!!! lol! Glad they toughed it out for you though!
Too bad about the rain! Very sweet photos with Tink, but those photos of the boys "thrilled" to meet princesses are hilarious. The interaction with Ana sounds very cute. I don't like that Elsa is SO much more popular. Yes, she's beautiful, and she sings THAT SONG, and she has a sparkly blue dress, but Ana would be the one you'd want as a friend! Bravo to Abniel for making it through Space Mountain. I hate that ride!
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Sounds like a great day, well maybe except for the rain. That's awesome that you had some great character interactions. Love the photos of the boys, they do look "thrilled" to be meeting Anna and Elsa
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What a great day.............minus the rain I love that you all are go with the flow type, and have no issues with some staying in the park while others need a break! Love all the photos of each of the parents with the boys with the I love Dad and I love Mom borders!
Every time Arben even thinks about staying offsite, I remind him of this exact thing. Staying at a Disney resort gives us the opportunity to split up, go back to the resort, sleep in.
Quote:
Originally Posted by disneydreamer33
Sounded like a wonderful day! Love all the pics.
The ones of all of you with Anna & Elsa had me cracking up! The boys seemed so excited!!! lol! Glad they toughed it out for you though!
Oh, they were so excited. Too bad the photographer didn't get one of AJ's face. I would've loved to see that one.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lauriep
Too bad about the rain! Very sweet photos with Tink, but those photos of the boys "thrilled" to meet princesses are hilarious. The interaction with Ana sounds very cute. I don't like that Elsa is SO much more popular. Yes, she's beautiful, and she sings THAT SONG, and she has a sparkly blue dress, but Ana would be the one you'd want as a friend! Bravo to Abniel for making it through Space Mountain. I hate that ride!
I agree, Anna is so much more likeable and the movie is about her. I don't get the fascination for Elsa, other than her beauty and THE SONG (lol). I'd love to Anna as my bff!
Quote:
Originally Posted by KMB733
Sounds like a great day, well maybe except for the rain. That's awesome that you had some great character interactions. Love the photos of the boys, they do look "thrilled" to be meeting Anna and Elsa
Yes, and all the characters geared to me. I was clear with the boys that we'd be doing some stuff that I wanted to do. Meeting any female character was one of them.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cam22
I admire how you all still packed in lots of fun despite the torrential rain. Love all your PP photos.
Rain is fun, not without a poncho, but still... It gives you the opportunity to go on rides with short waits, the park empties out. It would've been better if I had the correct shoes and a poncho.
You certainly made the best of your time at MK despite the rain! Sorry the hamburger was a bust, and that the parade didn't run! Great pictures with the characters!
You certainly made the best of your time at MK despite the rain! Sorry the hamburger was a bust, and that the parade didn't run! Great pictures with the characters!
I'm so disappointed that I didn't schedule another day to watch the new parade. I was really looking forward to, even refusing to watch any videos of it. I didn't want to ruin it for myself. Oh well... there's always a next time.
Sorry your meal was so bad at Friar's Tuck but glad that they boys enjoyed their dinner. It certainly doesn't sound like you let the rain ruin your good time. I can't believe all the rides that you got to on!
You certainly all accomplished a lot in the MK! Too bad for the rain and having the parade cancelled! At least everyone enjoyed themselves!
I think it would be a good idea to fire Arben as your personal weather forecaster!
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October 6, 2017-Enjoying an amazing dinner at Victoria & Albert's with PP's Dot and Drew
My TR from my most recent trip is now underway. Includes: Universal Studios Florida, Disney World and Sea World Orlando Trifecta TR -Updated December 10th! TR is now COMPLETED!
You did a lot at MK. I love the fact you took the boys "Princess Meeting." The 2 photos captured by the PP photographer are priceless, and you got lots of nice family shots.
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We went to the balcony of the Town Square building. It would offer a great view of the parade. Well, minutes later the announcement came that "due to inclement weather, the Festival of Fantasy parade has been cancelled". 
Aww crap! The only day I had reserved for watching it and it was cancelled. Epic Fail! 
Party poopers. 
Way to go Mayra! I will put some blame on Arben because, as we were leaving Kidani, I asked him if I should take them as the skies looked threatening. He said no, he thought it wouldn't rain. Now, I hardly ever listen to Arben and go with my instincts. But this time I decided to go with his advice. Yeah, not the best time to start doing that. 
We kept dodging the rain every time we could. By the time we reached SM we were very wet. Then we went inside and we were freezing. Thankfully the line was fast flowing and soon we were at the boarding station. 
He was ok, just a little shocked. 
I don't think he enjoyed it that much but he does get A for effort.
The show was so funny because they kept focusing on this guy and he was clearly kind of annoyed. We had quite a laugh at his expense. 
We went through one set of doors and then out through another, only realizing it was the wrong doors. We were still in TL. When I went to go back in I realized the door was exit only. Being the dramatic person that I am I said "oh man, it's exit only!". We stared at each other for a couple of seconds until Abniel broke the spell and said "Mom, the entrance door is right there beside it". 
I think my brain was washed out by all the rain. 
for that kiddie ride. While we rode, guess what he did. He checked his phone. 
It wasn't good. The only good part was the bacon. That says a lot. The hamburger meat was kind of sweet and the mac 'n' cheese was kind of gross. I tried to eat some of it so it wouldn't be a total waste. I didn't even eat half. On the bright side, the boys enjoyed their meal. 
Liz 
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