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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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Twenty years and Life to Go (A Trip Report) -- Updated in Post #52
Day 1 -- Departure and the Magic of Her Dotness
Up before 5 am to finish packing & loading, and get things ready for pet sitter.
Leaving too early for words
Uneventful drive to CVG (happens when you're on the road at 6:30 a.m.) and flight to Orlando.
DH & DS
DD & me
DS & DD like to "drive" the tram at the airport
Most of our clothes and "survival" items were in two checked bags. We had two carry-on bags with swimsuits, pajamas, and toiletries as well as individual "entertainment bags". Boarded DME to Grand Floridian. Since this trip was to celebrate our 20th anniversary, we thought we should return to the hotel where we had honeymooned. Had faxed a letter to the room assigner a week before, telling them we were celebrating, and arranging for Brent's anniversary gift -- a Grand Floridian robe. A couple of weeks before the trip, I had posted for clarification on the snack/meal swap, and Her Dotness suggested maybe we should stay at club level.
Went to check in, and was told to wait a minute while the Cast Member made a phone call. Looking worried, the CM hung up the phone and explained that we had been upgraded to the club concierge level. Just then another CM walked up. My current CM explained that we were checking in for club, and the second CM took us to our building (Sugar Loaf) for check-in. The room wasn't ready, so we went to Gasparilla Island Grill for lunch.
Cheese Flatbread
Sugar Cookie
8-piece Chicken Nuggets
Cuban Panini
Chocolate Twist (dessert for DS & DH)
Pepperoni & Sausage Stromboli (without mushrooms)
German Chocolate Cupcake
After lunch and a little time in the arcade for the kids,
Killing Time Old School
we decided to swim until our room was ready. Had just gotten the kids' shoes off when the text came through that our room was ready. Quickly shoved feet in shoes and went to check out our room, then Brent took the kids to the pool while I got us started settling in and tried to take a nap.. Had just dozed off when there was a knock at the door. Bell services with our checked bags from DME. It took a few minutes, but we were finally settled in. For the first time, I used 6-shelf closet organizers to hold the kids' clothes.
Our room
Towel Mickey
Hidden Mickeys
View from balcony
The rest of the group came back from the pool, and were getting ready to head out for dinner, when another knock came.
I wonder. . .
. . . what's in the box.
A welcome gift of a beautiful chocolate.
Too Pretty to Eat
After everyone oohed and ahhed over the chocolate and finished getting dressed, we walked to the bus stop to head over to Hollywood Studios for dinner at 50s Prime Time Cafe. Really like then new time notification for the buses.
My bus will be here when?
Arrived at 50s 20 minutes before ADR time only to be told that they could not check us in until 15 minutes before ADR time. Puttered around Indiana Jones shop and Echo Lake until check in time. Still had a a 30-minute wait past ADR time. Our "Cousin" (Server) was Sue.
Cousin Sue
Indo-China was not correct.
We were on Deluxe Dining plan -- appetizers, entrees, and desserts all around.
Fried Cheese (both guys ordered this)
Kids' Veggie Platter
Crab Cake
After appetizers, DS began to quietly cry. I knew what was going on, so I asked if he was worried about the veggie rule at 50s, and he nodded. I called Cousin Sue over, and explained that DS didn't like veggies. She told him not to worry, explained that with his order (pot roast), it was easy just to push the veggies to the side. A few minutes later, she showed up with a "Veggie Pass" for DS -- something she had done only one other time.
Kids' Chicken Nugets
Pot Roast (reaction is NOT to the veggies, but having to wait to eat until I've taken the picture)
Fried Chicken
Meatloaf
Everything was tasty, but my dessert was over the top. I could not even get halfway through it.
Kids' Sundae
Chocolate Milkshake
Sugar Free Cheesecake
Chocolate Peanut Butter Layers Cake (aka The Tower of Caloric Terror)
Guys stayed for Fantasmic FastPasses while DD & I went back to hotel for swim and bedtime snack from concierge. Guys back to room at 10:20. Said they had the best seats they had ever had -- fifth row but off to the left side. So ended Day One. Tomorrow -- Animal Kingdom.
__________________
Terri B.
Last edited by TerriB; 07-16-2015 at 03:33 PM..
Reason: Day 7 of report
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