Two Foodies, More Tables and Disney At Christmas (Yes, it's STILL about the food!)--A TR - Page 10 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!
Welcome! We're happy you've found the PassPorter Community -- the friendliest place to plan your vacation to Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland, and the world in general! You are now viewing the PassPorter Message Board Community as a guest, which gives you limited access. As our guest, feel free to browse our messages by selecting the forum you want to visit from the list below.
To post messages and ask questions, join our FREE community today and you'll get access to tools and resources not available to guests, such as our vacation countown timers, "living" avatars, private messaging system, database searches, downloads, and a special PassPorter discount code. Registration is fast, simple, and completely free. Just click the Join Our Community link.
If you think you've already joined, log in below now. If you don't remember your member name or password, please visit our Member Name and Password Recovery page. You are also welcome to contact us.
Some great eateries on the road home! Hope those spinach puddles don't attack you like The Blob!
__________________
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 should be virtually home now. Get some food and relax. DON'T OPEN THE REFRIGERATOR until tomorrow. Hopefully you can get out and shop before the snow hits. DD, in Omaha, is expecting it tomorrow, 8-12" according to the weather channel. (That's after the 9" they got on Christmas Eve.)
Arrived home a couple hours ago, uneventfully but for having almost nonstop rain from central Tennessee all the way in.
Dessert for me is a candy cane-shaped krispie treat. As totally yummy as ever!
We'll be in hiatus here until New Year's Day when Drew starts another several days off. We'll get cracking on the reviews then.
TTFN with heartiest wishes for a very Magical New Year. As we all know, given enough Disney magic, any of us will be happy beyond measure. May that be you and those you love!
__________________
“People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.” —Winnie-the-Pooh
PassPorter's Free-Book to Walt Disney World It’s hard to believe anything is free at Walt Disney World; but there are actually a number of things you can get or do for little to no cost. This e-book documents over 200 free or cheap tips to do before you go and after you arrive. You could save a considerable amount of money following these tips. Perhaps more importantly; you can discover overlooked attractions and little-known details most people whiz by on their way to spend money. Click here to see free sample pages from the e-book! Get this popular e-book free of extra charges when you join the PassPorter's Club for as little as $4.95. A club pass includes access to all our other e-books; e-worksheets; super-size photos; and more! This e-book is also available for separate purchase in the PassPorter Online Store for just $5.95.
1. your mention of the garlic at yachtsman made me smile. still keeping those vampires away, eh? i'm jealous.
2. wait--they wouldn't let people on the epcot monorail unless they were staying there? i'm confused. what if you were staying off site but using the internal transportation? i do that. so i'd be stuck?
3. you are updating from the road? that's commitment! also: you're typing all of this with your thumbs? that's impressive!
safe travels. super looking forward to food reports!!!
edit: one more thing--welcome home! (like to actual home.)
2. wait--they wouldn't let people on the epcot monorail unless they were staying there? i'm confused. what if you were staying off site but using the internal transportation? i do that. so i'd be stuck?
There is a level of closure that only allows folks staying onsite admittance to a park (level 3 I think). Epcot must have reached that level, so no reason to let offsite folks on the Epcot monorail. My guess anyway!
Glad that you & Drew have made it home safely especially with the nonstop rain. Looking forward to your TR but until then a blessed New Year to you both.
Registered Message Board Members Get Our Free Newsletter! When you register you'll have the option to sign up for our weekly PassPorter Newsletter. It's chock-full of feature articles; news; tips; contests; photos; and special offers in our online store.
1. your mention of the garlic at yachtsman made me smile. still keeping those vampires away, eh? i'm jealous.
Now you've gone and done it to ME! Paybacks are no fun.
I swear merely thinking about that lovely roasted garlic on those delectable onion rolls started me drooling despite being not the slightest bit hungry after that krispie treat. Mmmmmmmmmm
I've a secret to impart about another use of that roasted garlic once we get to the Yachtsman review. Neener-neener! Not telling till then.
Quote:
2. wait--they wouldn't let people on the epcot monorail unless they were staying there? i'm confused. what if you were staying off site but using the internal transportation? i do that. so i'd be stuck?
You'd spend a lot more time at Epcot, I'm guessing, or would hop over to DHS if so enabled, another significant justification for ParkHoppers. Dunno really. All I know is that there were a sizable number of people veeeery unhappy indeed because they weren't being allowed onto the Epcot monorail.
Trust me, you SERIOUSLY do not want to hang around in the MK later than about 9:00 a.m. on Christmas Day. Christmas Eve Day wasn't as much of a madhouse by then, but I bet it soon became one. We bailed by around 9:30 on both days.
Quote:
3. you are updating from the road? that's commitment! also: you're typing all of this with your thumbs? that's impressive!
heh heh Have trusty iPhone, will read & post. I even post sometimes when we're waiting for our food in a restaurant. Drew's too busy playing Hay Day.
I get pretty bored on the way home while Drew's driving. Thank Whatever for the PassPorter boards!!
Quote:
edit: one more thing--welcome home! (like to actual home.)
Tanx muches. We are currently blissfully lolling about in our comfy sleigh bed after having watched the Doctor Who Christmas Special which was stunning.
I did open the fridge but managed to kill via garbage disposal the several things that oozed or leapt out at me. Some of them, anyway.
I hadn't the nerve to dig further for that spinach. Bought a couple more on a quick trip to the grocery for dinner fixin's. I think they're healthy enough they can restrain the possibly puddled spinach until I get the nerve to go hunting in there.
We decided we just couldn't stand another restaurant meal and had pork cutlets with Peter Luger sauce. (500 foodie extra credit points to anyone who can tell me the only thing that sauce is served with at Peter Luger's Steakhouse in NYC. No cheating via Google now! Cheating is sooooo not-Disney, you know. :::::giggling:::: .)
Time to get the mini-Crock going with our breakfast oatmeal and then get a decent night's sleep. :::::: hugely yawning:::::
"There's no place like ," says this authentic Dorothy originally from Kansas. Nighty-night and sweet dreams of Disney, all.
__________________
“People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.” —Winnie-the-Pooh
There is a level of closure that only allows folks staying onsite admittance to a park (level 3 I think). Epcot must have reached that level, so no reason to let offsite folks on the Epcot monorail. My guess anyway!
Naw, Epcot wasn't anywhere near that crowded. It was actually quite pleasant although noticeably more crowded.
The CM's screening people for boarding the Epcot to TTC train were set up at counters at the base of the up ramp to the Epcot monorail station. The ramps and station itself were virtually deserted when we got up to the platform. The Epcot station area must've been crawling with CM's and security guards roaming to make sure people didn't sneak past the checkpoint.
I suspect the deal was that they were restricting access to the Epcot monorail to reduce the number of new arrivals at the MK gate area. Much easier to restrict access to the Epcot to TTC train than to catch people at the TTC who were trying to get onto a train going to the MK as high volume as the TTC is.
That's my "wild apple guess," anyway. As I said, I dunno exactly why. All we were told was that the MK was "at or near capacity" and that we could board the Epcot train because we'd proven we were staying at the GF.
(Yeah, I'm STILL awake. Way overtired, I suspect. I think I'll pop a "chill 'n' snooze" pill tonight.)
__________________
“People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.” —Winnie-the-Pooh
Last edited by Her Dotness; 12-27-2015 at 09:54 PM..
Our apartment's fridge is actually amazingly competent when it comes to fending off potentially scary spinach. Most of it was quite usable for the veal stew I made for lunch. And that was one savory stew!
Nicely browned veal (not floured first), lots of sliced onions and stemmed, sliced white mushrooms, plenty of dried tarragon and dillweed, chicken broth and a few good-sized glugs of a very nice Chardonnay.
Stirred in that pesky spinach just before thickening it with cornstarch slurry, S&P to taste with a wee bit of sugar to make the flavors sparkle.
Yummy-YUM!
I can fake a recipe for anyone interested, as this is pretty decent chow with a nice salad and some fresh crusty bread or rolls. We went basic with only big steaming bowls of the stew--after our appetizers had dented the edges.
Goofy's Candy Co. gummy characters were my appetizer. Drew begged for something just before the stew was done and had slices of 3-yr-aged Gruyere cheese on plain ol' Club crackers with a smear of yummy fig and quince spread made to top savory cheeses.
Purty tasty!
__________________
“People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.” —Winnie-the-Pooh
Lots to do as yet to get everything from the trip squared away so a brief preview.
We're hoping to get PhotoPass photos edited and downloaded on New Year's Day. Drew already has our food photos on his computer ready to size and plug into reviews as I post those.
In short, we're getting closer to review posts.
COMING SOON:
1--Random thoughts on various aspects to start although we're both tired enough still that it's all rather a blur.
Sunday, 12/20
2--Narcoosee's Brunch
3--Afternoon Tea, Garden View Tea Room with picture of me all dressed up which was such fun and garnered several appreciative comments
__________________
“People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.” —Winnie-the-Pooh