Home for the Holidays: A Thanksgiving and Christmas Mashup (A Cam and Luke PTR) Updated 11/4 - Page 24 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
Our Magic Bands arrived in the mail yesterday, meaning the trip is getting close. We both chose red since we’ll be getting to see some of the Christmas festivities at WDW. But we’re not sure if we’ll wear them at all. Our last trip I purchased a Tinker Bell Magic Band 2 that I plan on wearing. Back in the summer, Luke learned about a new limited-edition Magic Band 2 that has the 45th anniversary and WDW Railroad on it. He plans to wear that one. I’ll pack the red ones in case we decide we want to wear them for the party or something.
Our first set of DME tags arrived a week or so ago, and Luke then called to get additional tags. We will probably take 3 or 4 suitcases because there is no extra charge with Southwest for two bags per passenger. The additional tags arrived another week later. I’ve begun laying out these items on my scrapbooking table, ready to packet in my purse or backpack in a few weeks.
I’ve also collected an Earl of Sandwich coupon, our AP voucher e-mail, our Disney gift cards, and a power strip. We won’t begin the actual packing until a few days before we leave, but I like to have the important things ready ahead of time to prevent any panic at the last minute. My packing list is ready, except for the clothes we’ll take. I’m waiting to add those when we have a firmer idea of the weather.
Day 9 Monday, November 13
Today is the last day of the Food & Wine Festival, so we’re headed there.
FastPasses are:
Spaceship Earth 9:30 – 10:30
Living with the Land – 10:30 – 11:30
Frozen Ever After – 11:30 – 12:30
Larry Dotson will again be showing his art in Norway so if we didn’t make it there on our last Epcot day, we’ll stop there today.
At 1:30 we have a beverage seminar, Paul Hobbs Wines, in the Festival Center. Dinner tonight is at Coral Reef at 6:40. We have only eaten here once before and it was years ago. I did not enjoy my meal, though Luke loved his. After Linda and Pete talked so highly of their meal there back in May, I told Luke I was willing to give it another try. He was so excited, so I’m glad we’re going back. Maybe we’ll finish the night off with another viewing of Illuminations.
Oh my goodness, your day sounds amazing and this is another day we may just run into you guys!! Congrats on the Magic Bands as well!! We are at MK in the morning but we are headed to Epcot for the afternoon. We have the 3:30 beverage seminar scheduled and we are thinking we may also return for Illuminations after our dinner at the Flying Fish!
__________________
Last edited by Tara O'Hara; 10-13-2017 at 04:55 PM..
Oh my gosh!! We also got our Magic Bands today! As soon as I was done checking the boards when I got home, I went into my office and sure enough, our Magic Band package has also arrived!!!! We will be sporting red and green bands!
I also got a really cool D 23 postcard!! I’m pretty sure you are a member as well. It has some very cool things to look at and download!!!
Oh my goodness, your day sounds amazing and this is another day we may just run into you guys!! Congrats on the Magic Bands as well!! We are at MK in the morning but we are headed to Epcot for the afternoon. We have the 3:30 beverage seminar scheduled and we are thinking we may also return for Illuminations after our dinner at the Flying Fish!
We'll have to keep in touch via text so we can connect, especially for Illuminations if possible.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tara O'Hara
Oh my gosh!! We also got our Magic Bands today! As soon as I was done checking the boards when I got home, I went into my office and sure enough, our Magic Band package has also arrived!!!! We will be sporting red and green bands!
I also got a really cool D 23 postcard!! I’m pretty sure you are a member as well. It has some very cool things to look at and download!!!
I already have the green Magic Band and it is set out to take as well. I'm going to be looking for that D23 postcard the next few days as I didn't get one today.
You're certainly organized for your trip! My house is under construction once again and I don't quite know where everything is which should make my October and November trips interesting as far as packing goes. I ordered myself the green magicband for my November trip since it's around the Christmas holiday season! I got a notice yesterday that our magicbands have been shipped. We haven't eaten at The Flying Fish in years so I'm interested in hearing your review on it.
Almost time. Cam, you are just too organized. We tend to do everything at the last minute and always forget something. Looks like we need to follow your example. Have fun.
I'm so excited for you! We're still 45 days out but it's going by faster! Thanks for sharing the info about sunset seasons, I hadn't read about that. We're definitely going to check it out.
Plans are looking good and only a month away now! You know it's close when the MBs arrive! Glad you'll have some PP meets!
__________________
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!
WOOHOO, congrats on the Magic Bands. We will be getting ours very soon. Looks like another awesome day. I really like the way you have organized your trip.
Congratulations on your Magic Bands! Another couple days of great plans. You'll definitely want a pair of jeans and a lightweight sweater as the nights can get cool.
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.