Forums Closed
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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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!
Best wishes for a wonderful and magical new year!
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10-02-2006, 01:30 PM
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#14
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RED SOX NATION!!
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Connecticut
Concierge Level: 9
Posts: 136,854
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Re: The Grand Fiesta 10th Anniversary Trip Report - THREAD 3 Day 9 Part 1 Updated 10/1
<font color="blue"> Day 9 Part 2.....Would we ever make it to KSC [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/questionicon.gif[/img]
By this time, it was close to 1, and we certainly weren’t on plan. We ate the sandwiches in the car, ate some fruit, and Alexa ate the cake brownie (well, the frosting anyway [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img] )! I know I’m in the minority here, but we (or at least I) was not impressed with the sandwich. It just didn’t do anything for me. We pulled into the KSC lot just after 2, and headed for the ticket window. There was quite a line, and only 1 window opened. After it was finally our turn, I looked at my receipt after I left the window, and the woman had charged me for 3 kids, not 2 [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif[/img] Thankfully, they had just opened another window behind us (which no one had figured out yet) so I quick jumped over there and got my refund!
Next up was the security line, and boy, it was the tightest security I’ve ever seen (the airports paled in comparison). We had to take out the cameras, video cameras, and Matt’s camera lens, turn them all on and off, and take the covers off the lens so she could look thru it all the way. We finally made it to the bus terminal, where we encounted yet another long line waiting for a bus. I guess everyone is trying to get in at the last minute, as the busses stop running from the main center at 2:45.
Finally we were on the bus and on our way to the LC-39 Observation Gantry. We took the elevator up to the top, and snapped a bunch of pictures. The space shuttle was out on the pad, due to lift off next week (which was delayed). The bus driver told us an interesting tidbit about the water tower next to the launch pad. They start releasing water (I think he said 300 gallons – must be more than that) just before launch to help reduce the noise of the shuttle engine and boosters firing. It helps to damped the noise and prevent damage from being done.
  
After we made our way down from the tower, we stopped for some Space Dots! The next bus came, and we boarded to go to the Apollo/Saturn V Center. We had to sit thru the movie and simulator of launch control, and then we had free roam of the center.
                   
We took the bus back to the main visitor center, as it was too late to go to the International Space Station Center [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/zcry.gif[/img] The sun had come out in full force at this point, and it was quite hot. We walked around the Rocket Garden and the kids played in a little water feature they had over there.
             
Colin was warned not to get soaking wet, just cool off, and of course, he couldn’t obey those rules [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/082502no_prv.gif[/img] He wound up soaking wet. I refused to change him, as it was still plenty warm out, and he didn’t listen to me. What a meanie!
The center was getting close to closing, but I wanted to go up to the Astronaut Memorial. Colin actually came with me. Matt and Alexa were too tired (and hot).
  
Then Colin and I went to check out the Space Shuttle they had at the main center.
   
We met back up with Alexa and Matt, and then decided to call it a day. We were bushed!!
 
Back at the car, we let it air out a bit, and then drove over to Cocoa Beach. We had reservations at the Residence Inn, which I was able to get online before the hotel opened up last spring. We had no problem finding it, other than turning into the wrong driveway (we thought it connected with the Country Inn and Suites next door [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/082502no_prv.gif[/img] )!
I went inside to check in, and was greeted warmly by the staff. They couldn’t have been nicer, and we were soon given our room, which was on the second floor right next to the elevator. We parked the car, and lugged everything upstairs (well, Matt did) so we could repack for the cruise. The room was great, much bigger than I expected and everything was fresh and clean (you could still smell the fresh paint on the walls)! We unpacked a bit, and tried to organize, and then I tried to connect to the internet with the laptop. I couldn’t get past my company’s firewall (it was my work one) so I finally gave up. We gathered our stuff and headed back out to make a stop at Ron Jon.
It was just a short ride down the street, and we parked the car and walked over. This place is so huge! Amazing. Matt got a new bright orange T-shirt, I got more sunscreen, and that was it. Then we stopped at CVS so that I could get some Bonine (I couldn’t find it at home) and some other nick nacks. It was well after 8, and we were starving. We opted for Chinese takeout at Gin-Seng. Matt ordered, took us back to the hotel, and then went back for the food. Good thing we had utensils and plates in the room, because I didn’t even think about not having those! It was very good, and it was lights out not too long after that. Tomorrow was our big day, we were finally boarding the ship [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/woot.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/woot.gif[/img]
Memories of our Ninth Day
The weather today was ……..rain at WDW, but sunny and hot at KSC.
The best thing today was……..heading to the Port.
The worst thing today was ………the rain at DTD.
The funniest thing today was…..Colin getting all wet at KSC.
Today we tried……Earl of Sanwich (DTD) and Gin-Seng (Cocoa Beach)…….
And the result was……EoS was just okay, Gin-Seng was good.
The most magical moment today was………driving over the bridge into Cocoa Beach, knowing the ship would be docked tomorrow morning.
Coming Up Next…………What do you mean we’re too early?? And we’re finally on board!!
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