Finding Walt: a DL TR: Update 2/23/12 - Page 12 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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The tour sounds really amazing! Glad you had a good trip. Sorry you had to work on Christmas, but I hope it was a nice holiday nonetheless. Looking forward to your TR!!
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Ok! I promise I'll be back with my first post in just a few minutes! Thanks for everyone for being patient with me--I'm having lots of photo issues--thank you very much photobucket. I'm going to get the first installment up while I figure out what to do about my issues.
Saturday December 17th, 2011, the longest day ever . . .
I believe I left work at about 9pm on Friday, I did laundry and finished packing. (Right now I have to do laundry and finish unpacking.) Believe it or not I actually got some sleep. Unfortunately I woke up with a sore throat and a head cold, a head cold that is still with me today. I suffered through that lovely hour that is 4am and headed to the airport at about 5. I stopped at the 24 hour Walgreens to pick up supplies for being under the weather on vacation--am and pm sinus meds, aspirin, and cough drops. (I take IBprofin for head aches, naproxin for body aches, but I just think plain old aspirin works better when you are actually sick.) I was determined not to let a silly little cold ruin my week off.
I parked my car at the USParknet across from the airport because I managed to earn a free week of parking this year--perhaps a little too much travel time in 2011--no? I was quickly off to the airport via the shuttle and off through the rather long security line in the Delta terminal. No problems there, but I quickly discovered that the breakfast options are far better in the Southwest Terminal. I forked over an obscene amount of money for a breakfast sandwich and a bottle of water. Before I knew it--it was time to board my flight. I grabbed my carryons and found my way to a lovely, tiny aisle seat. I got my blanket out and closed my eyes as soon as the passengers on the inside were situated. I don't remember if I actually slept, but I kept my eyes closed right up until the end of the flight, with the exception of my "free" beverage.
I landed at LAX and had no trouble at all finding the outside location where they pick you up for parking. I was on my way to the Alamo site in just a few minutes. I filled out all the necessary paperwork an noticed a mistake on the paperwork. It said I was returning the car at 3am instead of 3pm. I was informed that it might be a price increase to fix it, and it was! Fortunately it was only 26 cents! I was directed outside and told to pick any car in the compact lane. There weren't actually any compact/economy cars in the compact lane--there were SUVs, minivans, and some "crossovers" I grabbed a Dodge Caliber, which was an amazing car to drive. It's a four door hatchback and made me feel very secure on the road.
Sorry to hear you're still not feeling well. Sounds like this cold didn't stop you during your trip though! I love when the rental car places are sold out of your booked car! I got to drive a Chevy HHR last time in Orlando and rather enjoyed it!
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Tanya
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Great start! Sorry you got sick right before your vacation and hope that you feel better soon! Glad you've made it to LA and gotten an upgraded car. Can't wait for more!
What a shame to get a cold just as you're leaving on vacation! Really not fair. You can say it's "just a cold", but, really, does anything else make you feel so all-around rotten? Glad you were able to push through and very glad you were able to sleep on the plane!
I knew you were going to love that tour, just because it's ABD - they're fantastic. I was wondering what guides you'd get. I had Michael as my guide when I did Backstage Magic! Sorry to hear you're still fighting that cold. Get better soon! And hurry back with more, please!
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Mickey's so happy to see me back, he can barely contain himself!