The Promise of Spring: F&GF 4.0 UPDATED: 5/11 - Page 15 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
Wow, it just goes to show what a difference a few weeks can make - the Star Wars fireworks were 7:45pm just a couple of weeks ago.
I was actually surprised by the time, too, because it was 7:45 last May when we saw it. I keep checking in case this is an error. But when I got to this event on the website to add it to my calendar that is the time that comes up. But the time shown elsewhere on the site is 9:00 PM. I'll definitely be checking our times guide that day.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Roxie2006
We are not big Hollywood Studio fans with the exception of Toy Story Mania and Star Tours. My grown children love Tower of Terror and RRC. You are right, for now it is a relaxed Park to do. You know my whole Disney family loves Disney Pizza. We have a Pizza Night and swim time for the kids at the Resort. I will have both my DGD and DGS this trip!!!
LIt always seems funny that my favorite park is Animal Kingdom, but two of my favorite rides are in DHS -- TSMM and ToT.
Quote:
Originally Posted by dj1028
Your day at Hollywood Studios sounds great! There's still a lot of fun stuff to do there...and more coming!
I can't wait for Toy Story Land and Star Wars Land to open up.
Plans look great and you'll be packing a lot in at Studios on this day! It will definitely require a full day once Toy Story and Star Wars lands are open plus all of this will be new to us! Not a big fan of WDW pizza as I'm quite spoiled from great pizza in NYC and in CT as well!
There's a good chance with all the new lands that Luke and I will want to make this a two day park. We are doing two days this trip, but not really sure how long we'll stay the second day.
Quote:
Originally Posted by cubfancolleen
We did like Pizza Planet!
How fun that Pam & Charlotte will be joining you!
I was sad to not be able to ride ToT at DL, as it's being changed over to the Guardians of the Galaxy ride. After Spalsh Mountain, I think ToT is my favorite ride.
When we went with Stefanie, we could not miss Pizza Planet. One trip we actually started at DHS and had dinner there. She was so excited that night. I've been wondering what the Guardians of the Galaxy is going to be like.
Quote:
Originally Posted by pamcarey
Great plans for DS! I am really looking forward to seeing Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular next month!
Your plans for DHS sound perfect as it is a park that you can take leisurely for now. It's going to be crazy once they open up the new lands for sure. Looking forward to doing TOT together there
I forgot that this day meant you'd get to meet my DSis Pam and DNiece Charlotte. Now that excited me!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Colexis Mom
Great plans! I'm glad Pam and Charlotte can join you guys!
We really struggled this time to find a day that worked as they can neither take off work this time. But Sunday works for all of us.
[QUOTE=Cam22;4603581]I forgot that this day meant you'd get to meet my DSis Pam and DNiece Charlotte. Now that excited me!
I met Pam and Charlotte last year on one of our trips when we met in the AK. I'll look forward to seeing them again and get the chance to do a couple rides together this time!!!
I forgot that this day meant you'd get to meet my DSis Pam and DNiece Charlotte. Now that excited me!
I meant Pam and Charlotte last year on one of our trips when we met in the AK. I'll look forward to seeing them again and get the chance to do a couple rides together this time!!!
Today completes our circuit of the four parks. We have always enjoyed covering each park the first four days of our trip before we start hopping amongst them. Monday will dawn bright and early with us at Animal Kingdom, my favorite of the parks. Animal Kingdom days are usually photo heavy days for me as I love the animals.
That love of animals means our first FastPass+ attraction will be Kilimanjaro Safaris (9:10 – 10:10). But more than likely we’ll stop for several Tree of Life photos first. If our safari is shorter than the predicted two weeks, we might be able to roam Gorilla Falls before our next FP+ which is for Festival of the Lion King (10:30 – 10:50) for the 11:00 show. When we finish up at the theater, we’ll have a bit of time before FP+ #3, and we hope to use that time for some lunch. Then it’s off to one of Luke’s favorite, DINOSAUR. I will probably check while there to see if there are any FP+ still available. But there are so many things to do and see in this park that do not need fastpasses. We’ll have Maharajah Jungle Trek, the apes, and birds to name a few.
Dinner is a bit early at 5:10 at Tiffins with the Rivers of Light dining package. But we didn’t want to cut it close getting to our preferred seating section for this show that we have anticipated for a long time now. Tonight’s show is at 9:15 PM.
Side note: Luke noticed on some website a few nights ago that starting the week of April 22 there would potentially be soft openings for a couple of undesignated days to Pandora. We don’t arrive until April 27 so we may be too late. But if a soft opening occurs while we’re there, we’ll change plans to have a peek.
Plans look great for the AK! Hope you get to experience the soft opening for Pandora, while you're there! Well, at least you'll finally be able to see Rivers of Light! I'm looking forward to this in October!
__________________
October 6, 2017-Enjoying an amazing dinner at Victoria & Albert's with PP's Dot and Drew
My TR from my most recent trip is now underway. Includes: Universal Studios Florida, Disney World and Sea World Orlando Trifecta TR -Updated December 10th! TR is now COMPLETED!
Wow, it does sound as if the night-time shows are a lot later when you're visiting as compared to our visit. Rivers of Light was 7:00pm a couple of weeks ago.
Very jealous if you get to do a preview of Pandora - do take lots of photos if you manage to do it!
I read that they might be having the soft openings too and was hoping for a sneak peek into Pandora when we arrive! I made our Dinosaur F/P for the same time as you so we'll get to ride that together!
Registered Message Board Members Get Our Free Newsletter! When you register you'll have the option to sign up for our weekly PassPorter Newsletter. It's chock-full of feature articles; news; tips; contests; photos; and special offers in our online store.
Plans look great for the AK! Hope you get to experience the soft opening for Pandora, while you're there! Well, at least you'll finally be able to see Rivers of Light! I'm looking forward to this in October!
Hopefully, Pandora in soft-opening will work out, but if not that will be something new for our fall trip.
Quote:
Originally Posted by pamcarey
Argh, I will be in AK on 4/18, and I would LOVE a Pandora soft opening! Sounds like I'll be too early. But I can't wait for Rivers of Light!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
Who knows? Maybe we'll both get lucky with the soft-opening.
Quote:
Originally Posted by chezp
Wow, it does sound as if the night-time shows are a lot later when you're visiting as compared to our visit. Rivers of Light was 7:00pm a couple of weeks ago.
Very jealous if you get to do a preview of Pandora - do take lots of photos if you manage to do it!
I'm sure the time differences are due to the time change and the longer daylight hours. But I do keep checking the nighttime show times, so we are not missing anything.
I plan on taking lots of Pandora photos if we get inside. I'd love to get in there during the day and at night. Lots of the plants are luminescent at night and from what I've seen it is going to be incredibly magical.
I read that they might be having the soft openings too and was hoping for a sneak peek into Pandora when we arrive! I made our Dinosaur F/P for the same time as you so we'll get to ride that together!
I can't wait to see you all again, and Dinosaur will be so fun with you. Hoping we get lucky with that soft-opening.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Colexis Mom
Great plans for AK! I hope you're able to get into Pandora!
Luke keeps checking almost daily to see if anything new is announced on Pandora.
About This Page: 
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
Not a big fan of WDW pizza as I'm quite spoiled from great pizza in NYC and in CT as well! 
Looking forward to doing TOT together there
PassPorter Guide Author
Luke keeps checking almost daily to see if anything new is announced on Pandora. 
Linear Mode
