Conference in the City on the Bay (San Francisco, November 2011) - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
Conference in the City on the Bay (San Francisco, November 2011)
This trip report is doubly exciting because this is a BIG FIRST for me. It’s my first multi-day conference. It’s my first trip to the west coast! And it’s my first completely solo trip. Sort of … You’ll see in a moment.
Pretext
This is not a trip for fun: I’m going to a conference! My job is footing the bill, and I’m expected to soak up a lot of knowledge during this trip. And I take that very seriously! This is my first multi-day conference, and I am looking forward to meeting others who do similar work (higher education communications).In fact, I think I am almost as excited for the conference part of the trip as I am for the fun, exploring part.
Adventurers: Me
Me, myself and I. And a few hundred other conference attendees. One of my co-workers will also be going to the conference. We’re flying out together and staying in the same hotel, but her husband is joining her, and they are flying home separate from me. I’m planning to spend the majority of my non-conference time on my own, exploring the city. And what city is that …
Destination: San Francisco
I’m thrilled!! I’ve always, always wanted to visit San Francisco, and this is such a fabulous opportunity. I’ll be staying at The Stanford Court Renaissance in the Nob Hill section of San Francisco. This is a great place to be stationed—it’s not far from the wharf and even closer to Chinatown. Plus it’s a pretty swank area all on its own. And it’s actually where the opening of Full House was filmed!
My Plans: Work Hard, Play Hard
I’ll be in the City by the Bay for 70 hours. 20 of those hours will be spent in conference events, learning awesome stuff. Assuming I need 11 hours to sleep and rejuvenate each day (33 hours), that means I have approximately 15-17 hours on my own in the city! That’s 2 lunches near the hotel, 3 dinners wherever I’d like and 1 breakfast, preferably on the way to the airport.
Whoa.
I’m torn … because I don’t want to over-schedule myself, but I also don’t want to miss this opportunity! I’ll have all day Saturday and Sunday to recuperate …
Right now, I’m in serious research mode, trying to figure out the must-dos in the area. If you’ve ever been or know someone who has, please comment here. I’ll post a first draft list of plans in the next couple of days …
Conference in the City on the Bay Trip Report (Completed 12/3/11)
and, if it makes you feel any better, i was more excited for the conference part of my last teacher conference...and it was in disney world! i really, REALLY like conferences!
We were there in 2006 and really enjoyed the night-time tour of Alcatraz, and another highlight for us was riding the cable cars - that really is a must-do out there.
Registered Message Board Members save 30% off PassPorter guidebooks! When you register you'll have access to a discount coupon good for 30% off the list price of PassPorter books in our online store.
As a dedicated Disney fan, I just have to recommend the Walt Disney Family Museum. It's in the Presidio, and well worth the trip and the time if you can squeeze it in somewhere!! The one and only downside is that they don't allow you to take pictures inside. But it's sooooo very worth it to visit!!!
__________________
Tanya
Every click helps feed .6 bowls of food to rescued animals. Give a quick click every day and help animals in shelters! www.theanimalrescuesite.com
if it makes you feel any better, i was more excited for the conference part of my last teacher conference...and it was in disney world! i really, REALLY like conferences!
I have never been to a conference. I am very, very excited for this.
Quote:
Originally Posted by chezp
:goodluck: deciding what to do with your time. We were there in 2006 and really enjoyed the night-time tour of Alcatraz, and another highlight for us was riding the cable cars - that really is a must-do out there.
Our hotel is right on California Street, so I am totally going to take the cable cars up and down the hill. Very excited about that. And I already have two companions who are planning to join me on the boat to Alcatraz.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lazanya
:goodluck: deciding what you want to do!
Thanks!! It is harder than you’d think!
Quote:
Originally Posted by disney_duke
As a dedicated Disney fan, I just have to recommend the Walt Disney Family Museum. It's in the Presidio, and well worth the trip and the time if you can squeeze it in somewhere!! The one and only downside is that they don't allow you to take pictures inside. But it's sooooo very worth it to visit!!!
Oh my gosh! I didn’t even know this was there!!!!! I am looking into going because—how perfect!! But I’m having some trouble figuring out public transportation. But I’m still working at it!
I have NEVER had this much trouble planning a trip! I’m not sure if it’s me or if it’s San Francisco, but I’m finding the maps impenetrable. There are a ton of websites, each with their own map and recommendations. And they all look like they were built by a five-year-old! I think the SF tourism folks need to get their shit together.
And, as far as transportation, I can’t make heads or tails of the cable car system. It took me about 45 minutes to even figure out where the damn thing STOPS. And the subway is … well, it’s practically not. It’s been really, really frustrating.
However, I am making some headway. So far, I think I have one day planned in full. Tell me what you think …
Friday – My Fisherman’s Wharf Day
Conference 8a.m.-noon
On My Own after noon
When the conference closes, I’ll probably head up to my room to change and maybe catch a quick nap before the big day. Then I’ll take the California Street cable car down to the water. For lunch, I’m considering Boulevard (1 Mission St) or Americano (8 Mission St.). Then I plan to walk along The Embarcadero. I’m definitely going to stop at the Cowgirl Creamery in the Ferry Building and at Pier 39 (for the shopping and the sea lions).
Then it’s off on the 5:05p.m. Alcatraz Night Tour (leaves from Pier 33)—my coworker and her husband are going to be joining me. That wraps up at around 7:30p.m. So after the boat tour, I’ll grab dinner at Wipe Out Grill (on Pier 39) or Scoma’s (on Pier 47), depending on how hungry I am. And depending on what’s going on that night (the calendar hasn’t been set), I may try to get on the guest list for The Parlor. Then, ride the Powell-Hyde Cable Car line back to California Street.
Anything that's got the Alcatraz night tour in sounds good to me!
Very excited about this! Have you done it? I’m thinking that layers will be my friend here … how cold does it get on the water? Also, was the terrain rough on the walk from the dock to the prison building?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Colexis Mom
Great plans so far!
Thanks!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dlandmom2
I haven't been to Wipe Out Grill, but I've been to Scoma's and love it!!!
Thank you so much for the review! Were there any other places in San Fran that you especially enjoyed?? I’m having so much trouble selecting restaurants.
Okay ... planning, planning ... I’ve planned my last full day in the city ... now back to the beginning ...
Wednesday – My Nob Hill Day
This first day, we arrive at noon (PST) after nine hours of traveling. And, after that very full day, I have six hours of conference ahead of me. I have a feeling that, by 6 p.m., I am going to be completely exhausted. So, for dinner, I’m going to eat in Aurea, the hotel restaurant. I’ve been dying to try gnudi, and they have it on the menu. And after I stuff myself and have a couple of drinks, I’m planning to go to bed. Boring, but necessary.
Thursday – My North Beach (or maybe Nob Hill) Day
Thursday, we’re in conference until 5:30p, but we also have a two-hour break for lunch.
Seller’s has a great online ordering system, so if I decide on that, I can pre-order my lunch online, then take the California cable car down and back with plenty of time to spare. If I decide to go to Jasper’s, I could take the Powell-Mason cable car. No pre-orders here, but they have what seems to be a quick and simple ordering system, so I can get in and get back on time.
On to the evening ...
Originally, I thought I was going to spend this evening in Chinatown ... and then I realized that I had no interest in going to Chinatown. I also looked at Japantown. But, when it comes down to it, almost all of the stores are closed by 6p, so what’s the point?
Then I discovered North Beach, San Francisco’s answer to Little Italy, which is one of my favorite parts of NYC. So, that's one plant: take the Powell-Hyde cable car line to Union Street.
After dinner, I’ll pick up some dessert and/or breakfast treats at Stella’s Bakery. Then walk along, taking photos of the cathedrals at night, ending at the City Lights Bookstore. Then I’d walk down to the cable car stop at Mason and Jackson street.
Alternatively, I read about a great little Italian restaurant in Nob Hill (Colombini Bistro), which is the neighborhood where my hotel is. This is appealing to me because it means less wandering around an unfamiliar city at night.
Another plus of this plan is that I’d get to walk the labyrinth at Grace Cathedral and check out the fountain at Huntington Park. And there’s also a great themed bar (Big Foot Lounge) nearby. (And if I can’t drag my ass to the Big Foot after a big meal, there’s always the Tonga Room right across the street from my hotel.) This plan doesn't stray more than 4 or 5 blocks from California Street, and thus the cable car that drops me off at my front door.
What do you think? Little Italy or Nob Hill?? (And if you pick Little Italy, any restaurant recommendations?)
Hmm, it's been a while since I've been in the Nob Hill area. I was going to suggest North Beach, but I can't remember any names of restaurants. I can say, though, that I haven't been in a North Beach restaurant that I didn't like!
I'm not familiar enough with the cable car lines to recommend the most convenient place to eat, but maybe someone else reading will be able to help out.
__________________
Huge Disney Fan...Always Have Been...Always Will Be!
Disneyland 60th Anniversary Celebration TR here!
2013 WDW trip here!
2011 trip to Hawaii here!
Very excited about this! Have you done it? I’m thinking that layers will be my friend here … how cold does it get on the water? Also, was the terrain rough on the walk from the dock to the prison building?
We did it in April 2006 (I think - if I'm remembering right! ). I don't remember it getting that cold on the water, but then again, we were inside for the voyage. Again, I don't recall it being particularly rough as we walked to the prison, but I wear tennis shoes pretty much all the time when we're on vacation, so I probably wouldn't have noticed that.
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.
About This Page: 
Conference in the City on the Bay (San Francisco, November 2011)
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
PassPorter Guide Author
deciding what to do with your time. 
I've never been so I have no advice for you but I'm enjoying following along!
Linear Mode
