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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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06-27-2018, 05:23 PM
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#1
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Community Rank: Traveler 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 442
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Disneyland Trip Report 5/9/18 to 5/18/18
Myself, my wife, and our eldest daughter (adult) our taking our first trip to Disneyland after about a dozen trips to Disney World. (Also, included are side trips to Knott’s Berry Farms and an all-day “Walt Tour” with Anaheim Tour Co.)
Day 1
The sedan from the limo company picks us up at 5:00 a.m.  on Wednesday 5/9. Traffic is light to O’Hare Airport. We arrive, zip through security, and are soon at the gate for our 7:25 flight. Boarding is on time, but lightning delays the ground crews for over an hour.  The pilot says he will step on the gas to make up for lost time. He sure does!  We arrive at LAX in Los Angeles only 10 minutes late.
Many have expressed concern about the size of LAX, but it was a short walk to baggage and then only about 50 yards to our Super Shuttle. We waited only 10 minutes for the shuttle, and we were on our way!
I was hoping for a scenic drive, but on the expressways it’s 8 to 10 lanes of concrete and the tops of buildings and trees. It’s a shared shuttle, and the first stop is actually a drop off of one person at his house in a somewhat out-of-the-way area. Fortunately, the next stop turns out to be Harbor Boulevard for one more person, and then our stop on the same street. We are staying at the Best Western Park Place Plus Inn & Suites. Sure enough, it’s right across from the entrance to Disneyland! 
We check in at about 12:15 and yes our room is ready! We walk outside, take an elevator to the second floor and room 231 is ours. The room is a suite, with 2 queenside beds and a sleeper sofa. It’s all clean and bright and reasonably decorated. Fridge is ample size and the micro-wave looks fine. TV is a good size. Bathroom and water pressure are good.  
After getting settled a bit, we take a very short walk to Panera Bread. Line is short and the sandwiches are delicious.
Next, we walk down Harbor Boulevard to Katella and cross the street to the CVS for some beverages and snacks for the 9 days. Selection and pricing are good.
We are not going to the parks today. (We have a 5-day park hopper to spread over 9 days.) At 5:00, we head to Downtown Disney. We go through the security in the Disney parking lot that services both parks and Downtown Disney. Once there, I buy 4 Disney pins and then we do some window shopping at some small stores.
Our evening meal is at the Uva Bar and Cafe outside. Weather is perfect -- sunny and in the low 70’s. I have the French Dip, which is delicious, and the Electric Lemonade, which is blue and refreshing. My wife and daughter both have the All American Burger (one with onions strings and one without), which they both enjoy. 
Afterwards, we take a stroll to the Grand California Hotel. We walk around a bit and are impressed by the size and décor. We then head to the lounge for a drink (Captain’s Mai Tai, thank you).  Nice lounge, but we picked a drafty spot, and I managed to spill my drink when reaching for my camera. Ugh!
We walk back into Downtown Disney, traverse the full length, and are soon back at the hotel. We call it an early night, as it has been a long day with the very early rise and the extra 2 hours we gained flying West. Day 1 has been a great start to our vacation!
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