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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!
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Waiting for you to find your laptop was well worth it. But that husband of yours!! What a horrible nasty man he is. Making you sleep in at Disney, Ensuring you are well hydrated and take breaks while out in hot sun. Making sure your blood sugar is up all while pregnant he just bewell he should just be and leave it at that. And to top it off he dragged you off to meet that Bare butted Bearbutt Duffy that Coop and Chucker B bring along with them. Please don't let Miss Briana get any ideas I am sure you'll help her become more of a Lady than that
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When you were describing how you felt at DtD, I knew the exact feeling as during my pregnancy with Lexi I had several bouts of almost fainting. Mine were caused by drops in my blood pressure. It can be a scary feeling, but I am glad you felt better after a bit of rest. David is a wonderful husband taking such good care of you.
I am glad you liked Boma, it is one of our favorites too.
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Glad you found your notebook! I can't believe you slept in that late! I would have been going crazy too...but it sounds like a nice relaxing day, besides the little spell in DTD!! So glad you were ok!
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There is no way I would have been able to sleep that late vacation or not! Sounds like a nice relaxing day (aside from almost fainting). Glad you enjoyed your dinner at Boma!
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Glad you all could have a down day on your trip! We've still not played miniature golf at WDW, but it's on the to do list. Boma for years was my favorite WDW restaurant, but in the past several years it was pushed out by Sanaa, but both are at AKL.
I am so not letting my DH read this - I don't want him getting any ideas!
We'll keep it on the down-low!
Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeL
Waiting for you to find your laptop was well worth it. But that husband of yours!! What a horrible nasty man he is. Making you sleep in at Disney, Ensuring you are well hydrated and take breaks while out in hot sun. Making sure your blood sugar is up all while pregnant he just bewell he should just be and leave it at that. And to top it off he dragged you off to meet that Bare butted Bearbutt Duffy that Coop and Chucker B bring along with them. Please don't let Miss Briana get any ideas I am sure you'll help her become more of a Lady than that
I know, he's terrible, isn't he?
Quote:
Originally Posted by lexiemom
When you were describing how you felt at DtD, I knew the exact feeling as during my pregnancy with Lexi I had several bouts of almost fainting. Mine were caused by drops in my blood pressure. It can be a scary feeling, but I am glad you felt better after a bit of rest. David is a wonderful husband taking such good care of you.
I am glad you liked Boma, it is one of our favorites too.
It definitely wasn't a good feeling, but I felt better soon enough. Boma is awesome!
Quote:
Originally Posted by MayraLR
What! You slept till 11? That's my husband's kind of vacation.
What a great day! Glad you enjoyed dinner!
Looking back at my notes, I couldn't believe it either! (David would sleep that late every day if he could.)
Quote:
Originally Posted by DMA
We like Boma as well!
It's very yummy!
Quote:
Originally Posted by disneyfreeeak
Glad you found your notebook! I can't believe you slept in that late! I would have been going crazy too...but it sounds like a nice relaxing day, besides the little spell in DTD!! So glad you were ok!
It was a fun day.
Quote:
Originally Posted by KMB733
There is no way I would have been able to sleep that late vacation or not! Sounds like a nice relaxing day (aside from almost fainting). Glad you enjoyed your dinner at Boma!
David and I usually stay up late into the night (or we did before Briana was born, anyway), so at home we generally sleep pretty late when we don't have to work. But not that late! More like...9 or so. So 11 truly was late!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cam22
Glad you all could have a down day on your trip! We've still not played miniature golf at WDW, but it's on the to do list. Boma for years was my favorite WDW restaurant, but in the past several years it was pushed out by Sanaa, but both are at AKL.
You should try to get to the mini-golf courses soon. We had fun at all of them! We'll ahve to try Sanaa soon.
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Everything looks so yummy! I can't wait until we go back to Boma on our upcoming trip. We have only been there once and there is so much to still try.
I am excited to go back now that I'm not pregnant. Toward the end of my pregnancy, everything tasted off to me, and I really didn't enjoy food all that much in general. So now I can truly enjoy everything!!
Glad everything turned out ok and you got some rest. What a great husband you have there making sure you got enough rest and everything. I could never sleep in that late. Even at home let alone on vacation!! Pictures of your food looks yummy!! Can't wait to read more!
Glad everything turned out ok and you got some rest. What a great husband you have there making sure you got enough rest and everything. I could never sleep in that late. Even at home let alone on vacation!! Pictures of your food looks yummy!! Can't wait to read more!
He really is a very good guy. I lucked out, snagging him!
Day 5 - Hollywood Studios, Epcot, and First Visit Pins
I woke up at 7 this morning...no mean husband forcing me to sleep in! I was ready by 7:30, which is when I woke David. He always takes longer than me to get ready in the morning, so he was ready by 8:15. We walked out the door at 8:26, caught a bus to DHS by 8:35, and walked through the entrance by 8:45. (Sometimes the specificity in my notes makes me giggle a little bit.)
We headed directly for TSM, where I dutifully checked for warnings against pregnant people riding and, not finding any, happily got in line (David grabbed FPs and then joined me at the end of the line). I don't remember waiting a particularly long time to ride. I wrote down that David scored the cat score and I scored the beaver score? I don't remember which one is better. If mine was better, David totally let me win.
After TSM, we walked over so that David could ride RnRC and ToT. While he rode the rides, I looked around the shops and enjoyed the air conditioning, as it was already very hot. I noticed that there is absolutely nowhere to sit down in the shop at the exit of RnRC, so I really appreciated the benches in the ToT shop.
I offered to let David ride the rides a second time, but he was hungry, and neither one of us had eaten breakfast, so we headed to Starring Rolls. We both had chocolate croissants, which were as delicious as usual. I had orange juice and David had Nestea. I was irritated by people's lack of courtesy, as we had to clear someone's trash from the table before we could sit down.
We chatted about what we should do next, as I had forgotten my OCD itinerary back in the room. We settled on The Voyage of the Little Mermaid, as there was a show starting fairly quickly. I really enjoy this show! I love the bubbles.
After the Little Mermaid, David requested Star Tours. As we started to walk over there, David realized our FP's were about to expire, and was going to suggest a detour, but I could tell he was almost painfully excited to ride Star Tours, so I told him not to worry about it. I figured that maybe they'd let us ride late, but even if they didn't, it wasn't a huge deal. I knew we'd make it again at some point later in the trip.
I was having terrible heartburn after breakfast and had forgotten my Doctor Approved heartburn meds in the room, so I was feeling a bit cranky and miserable. I waited for David on the bench at the top of the exit ramp for Star Tours, sipping water and hoping that would help.
After David came out, we were looking around the store, and I was feeling cranky and hormonal and kind of itching for a fight. I'm sure you know the feeling? Anyway, David wasn't really looking to indulge my need for a petty argument (), so I stormed off to find a restroom (and neglected to tell David where I was going ). I came back and David wasn't in the store.
I walked around the store twice to be sure, and then called him. He didn't answer his cell, so I walked outside to see if I could find him. He was standing outside looking for me, and was not happy that I had walked away without telling him where I was going, because it made him worry. So...my need for an argument got satisfied, in the end. Shame on me.
Side note: Sorry if my being honest about us arguing makes you uncomfortable. I just feel like it was a part of the vacation, and even though it's not really a happy part, it's the truth! Lol. We're all human. Anyway. Note over!
We found a bench near the Indiana Jones merchandise, and sat there until we had both calmed down. We decided we were hot and needed an air conditioned mini-break, so we headed to GMR to get hijacked by a gangster. After our tour guide rescued us, we went to see the Beauty and the Beast Stage Show so that we could keep sitting down. David said he was pretty tired.
By the time the show was over, I could tell David just wanted a real break and wasn't having fun, so I suggested we head back to the resort. On the way out of the park, I stopped at Guest Services to get a First Visit Pin. I pinned it to my pregnant belly once we were on the bus. It got a few smiles, but no comments yet. (I got plenty as the trip progressed!)
Back at the hotel, we got some Create Your Own Salads for lunch. I had an apple juice, and David had a V8, which told me he wasn't feeling well. He always drinks V8 when he starts feeling sick. By the time we got up to the room, it was about 2:00. We napped until 3:30, then freshened up a bit before heaading for Epcot at 4:15.
We rode Spaceship Earth and chose a "Healthy" lifestyle. Ended up with good pictures of both of us, for once!
We went to ride Soarin' (after the requisite check for warning signs). We sat in the second row on the right. I couldn't smell the oranges this time, but David could. We laughed, because my nose was so sensitive to bad smells during the pregnancy, it didn't seem fair that I missed out on a good one!
We rode Living with the Land, and I was telling David that it was almost going on the Behind the Seeds tour again, just so I could get my hands on some of those delicious cucumbers!
We rode Finding Nemo after that, and then I let David take a bit of time to look at all the fish. (He's been after me to get a fish tank, but I've been resistant.) I wandered over and watched the manatees for a while. They're so big and oddly graceful. David had the camera during this time, so all the pics are of fish.
I was hungry, so we bought a pretzel with cheese and split it while we sat near the Captain EO attraction. You all know those huge (really tall) planters near the entrance there? Some kid had climbed up on those and was running back and forth along the top. It was making me really nervous, and right as I was about to go tell him to get down (I was seriously afraid he was going to crack his head open), a CM spotted him and told him quite firmly that he needed to get down. We wondered where the boys parents were, but didn't stick around to find out. We had noted clouds rolling in and the wind picking up.
We had planned on seeing EO, but it was closed for the evening, so we quickly started walking to the UK pavilion. As we were getting close to the Canada pavilion, it started raining big fat wet drops, in huge sheets! David and I "ran" (I waddled quickly) to the shop in Canada to buy ponchos, because I had of course forgotten our umbrellas in the room.
Once we had our ponchos, we walked over to the Twinings Tea Shop in UK. We bought four boxes of tea because they were 4 for $20, and we love the tea there. (They've started carrying it at our local grocery store, and I am SO psyched!) We had a wonderful chat with the CM there. I missed her name, but she was from Ireland, and I was just absolutely enchanted by her beautiful accent! She was so sweet.
The rain had of course, stopped by the time we left the tea shop. (David muttered about wasting money on ponchos, but we would have been SOAKED if we hadn't bought them.)
We headed toward Mexico for our reservation at La Hacienda de San Angel, but it was still pretty early, so David suggested Maelstrom in Norway. I was unsure about riding it because of the drop...I didn't remember how steep it was or if there were warnings against us preggo people riding, but agreed to go check it out.
There ended up not being any warnings, so we went to get in the standby line, which was only listed at a ten minute wait. A CM stopped us though, and asked us to take one of the timer lanyard things, and get in the FP line. We didn't care either way, so we took the little thing and walked right on the ride!
As we were stepping into the boat, I heard the woman behind us comment on my first visit pin on my belly. I turned around and smiled at her because she had said "That's so sweet," and we chatted for a second. She had a daughter who was born on October 29th, so she loved that I was due on Halloween.
After our "scary" ride on Maelstrom, it was time for our reservation, so we headed back to Mexico.
Our server was Jesus, and I hate to say it, but he was kind of...barely there. He wasn't engaging at all, and he seemed really distracted. Maybe he was having a bad day. David ordered steak, and I ordered chicken. We both ordered sweet tea, as I hadn't had any caffeine that day and it sounded really good!
David's Steak
My Chicken
David had the chocolate mousse for dessert, and I ordered the empanada.
Our Dessert
Our Dessert
During dinner, we decided to skip Illuminations because neither one of us felt like being in the middle of the crowds waiting for the buses afterward.
On the way to the buses, I started to feel some pretty sharp pains in my abdomen. We were moving pretty quickly, so David offered to stop or slow down, but I just wanted to get on a bus and head back to the resort. I still don't know what the pains were, but I know they hurt. I probably should have rested, but oh well! A bus pulled up right as we got to the stop. Hurray!
The "Arriving at Epcot" spiel kept starting and stopping the whole way back to the resort and made me crazy! The bus driving was obviously trying to get it to stop with no luck, though, so I didn't go crazy on him or anything. I just complained to David every minute or so.
Back up in the hotel room, we watched television. I don't know what time it was when we got back, but I know I fell asleep while David was still watching something, because I woke up later and had to turn off the TV.
It was a long day, but a good one. I mentioned to David that night that my ankle was sore, but I figured once I rested it would be fine.
Coming Up Next: Feeling Sick, Arcade Fun, and Stories at Kouzzina
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That's my husband's kind of vacation.
I can't believe you slept in that late! I would have been going crazy too...but it sounds like a nice relaxing day, besides the little spell in DTD!! So glad you were ok! 
It was a fun day.
,
Deb
), so I stormed off to find a restroom (and neglected to tell David where I was going 
Shame on me.
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