An Animal Kingdom State of Being with Cam and Fam COMPLETED 9/18 - Page 114 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!
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I'm finally caught up - it's 2:16am! What fun, jam-packed days! I LOVE this report. It's educational too - learning so much about Kidani AND I finally feel comfortable about the Fantasmic Dinner Package. (I had a few questions...)
Great pictures too!
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Once again, I am all caught up. I love the pictures that Luke took of Spaceship Earth, and I had a blast looking at all the Star Wars character pics. I am definitely going to have to surprise David with a SWW sometime. He is a HUGE fan. As always, your TR is wonderful so far, and I can't wait to read the rest of it!
I'm finally caught up - it's 2:16am! What fun, jam-packed days! I LOVE this report. It's educational too - learning so much about Kidani AND I finally feel comfortable about the Fantasmic Dinner Package. (I had a few questions...)
Great pictures too!
I was snoozing at 2:16 AM, but glad you got caught up. I always seem to learn something reading other trip reports! So I'm glad to pay it forward!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jessie092408
Once again, I am all caught up. I love the pictures that Luke took of Spaceship Earth, and I had a blast looking at all the Star Wars character pics. I am definitely going to have to surprise David with a SWW sometime. He is a HUGE fan. As always, your TR is wonderful so far, and I can't wait to read the rest of it!
I think ever Star Wars fan needs to visit during SWW at least once! for reading!
Quote:
Originally Posted by MinieMe
Living vicariously thru you ! I wish we could go this year SO BAAAD .... All the pictures are GREAT !
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SWW looks to be a lot of fun. Really enjoyed your pix. This TR has given me a lot of ideas to consider for our next trip. (Not sure when we will be able to get back to the parks.)
SWW looks to be a lot of fun. Really enjoyed your pix. This TR has given me a lot of ideas to consider for our next trip. (Not sure when we will be able to get back to the parks.)
SWW does have a wide variety of events for the Star Wars fan!
I was awake by 8:15, no one else was. I checked for the Mystery Photo, sorted through my e-mail, and scanned Facebook. Then I finally finished reading Kingdom Keepers IV. it! Once the book’s final page was read, I got up, ate a Fiber One Bar ad took my meds. Then I started the load of laundry so Stefanie could have her black shorts clean.
Both of my buddies woke up around 9:00, but were snoring again soon after. An hour later I woke them back up because I was ready to do something! I don’t think Luke is doing so well. After getting ready, we were out of the room by 10:50 and off to Animal Kingdom. Fortunately, we walked to the bus stop and right on the Animal Kingdom bus. A short ride later we were passing bag check on our way to see animals and adventure.
We wandered Discovery Island for a bit where I discovered a Gibnut, a marsupial, hiding in the bushes and rolling in the dirt to stay cool.
Then we found another who was seeking shade in the bushes, too. Very cute little critters!
Our first goal was Expedition Everest for Luke. We had a bit of a hot trek through the jungles to Asia.
How have I never noticed these spider lights! Luke got tickled when I looked up and realized what they were.
Along our trek, we saw a PhotoPass photographer with Everest as the background. We waited for another family to get their pictures taken and then we took our place in front of the fence. Unfortunately, the PP photographer’s camera was not working. Fortunately, we have a good camera and just took all these with our camera.
Our goal is now in sight.
But once there, Luke got in the single rider line while Stefanie and I opened a watering hole kiosk by buying its first Coke of the day. I took some EE pictures, and then we browsed the store.
In the store, Stefanie and I both loved the new Yeti with Mickey ears t-shirt, but there were none Luke’s size. Then it was back outside for pictures of the ride with a train careening down the mountain.
Hungry rumbles began to be heard, so we stopped at Yak and Yeti counter service, but all the dishes sounded too heavy in this heat. Just outside of Asia we picked up pretzels at a kiosk. Luke chose the Jalapeno Cheese Stuffed pretzel and Stefanie and I shared a regular pretzel. After our tummies were satisfied, we stopped in Disney Outfitters to meet Judy Derensh who makes carvings from branches picked up here and elsewhere. Her art is very green and very personable. I picked out a medium sized giraffe and watched her buff its ears. Later she would sign it on the back. Luke was fascinated by a small whimsical giraffe, so I purchased it as well. She would sign this one on the bottom later. The best part was getting the AP discount on both.
Sounds like a great day! I sure hope Luke feels better.
Those giraffes are really pretty, and what a great idea for art! Do you know if she's there regularly? I'd love to get something from her on my next trip.
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Huge Disney Fan...Always Have Been...Always Will Be!
Disneyland 60th Anniversary Celebration TR here!
2013 WDW trip here!
2011 trip to Hawaii here!
Don't you just love how you keep discovering new details at AK? I'm always amazed at the things I find each trip. I've never managed to get a good photo of the gibnut. They're such shy, adorable little things! I got a Derensh tortoise on my last trip! I love both of your giraffe.
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So I'm glad to pay it forward! 
for reading!
My normal everyday computer routine!
it! Once the book’s final page was read, I got up, ate a Fiber One Bar ad took my meds. Then I started the load of laundry so Stefanie could have her black shorts clean. 
After getting ready, we were out of the room by 10:50 and off to Animal Kingdom. Fortunately, we walked to the bus stop and right on the Animal Kingdom bus. A short ride later we were passing bag check on our way to see animals and adventure. 
Luke got tickled when I looked up and realized what they were. 
Aimee
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