Nineteen nights of MouseFest, Disney and Christmas - THREAD 2 - UPDATED 2/1 - Page 19 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Thursday 13 December – part one: how about an Epcot view room?
It was time to check out of the Animal Kingdom Lodge Villas today and move for our final time this vacation over to our home at the Beach Club Villas. We really had enjoyed our couple of nights here. It was over way too quickly and I have no doubt that one day we will be back here, perhaps when the new DVC building opens in 2009. Before we left, we witnessed a beautiful sunrise:
I got a few final photos on the way out, just to show exactly how much storage space there is in the kitchen:
We got to the Beach Club Villas and left the luggage with bell services and I went to check in. I had two Cast Members ignore me while I was waiting and that was noted by a manager, who promptly moved in to help me and was very apologetic. We started talking and I explained that we would be here for my birthday and that Mark would really like an Epcot view room on the fifth floor if at all possible. Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained, right? Let’s be honest, it was early in the day, so it was worth a try. She said she possibly had one and would see if she could get is in there. You can’t ask for more than that.
Then it was off to pick Adam and Angie up from Pop Century. They were joining us for the day at Universal Studios. Unfortunately, we took a wrong turn somewhere along the way and instead of taking five minutes to get there, it took more like 20 minutes. I was so happy to see Donna still there when we arrived, so at least we got a chance to say goodbye to her, before she headed out. We seemed to be doing way too many goodbyes this trip, but I guess that’s what happens when you see so many people and are staying at Disney for so long.
Finally, we were on the road to Universal and we decided that we would go for preferred parking. It only cost another $5 and at least it would be a lot less walking. Let me tell you, this is the way to go. Even though it was preferred parking, we still had quite a walk and I dread to think how much further we would’ve had to walk, had we gone for standard parking.
The walkways from the car park bring you out in CityWalk and we took a right for Universal Studios.
Adam needed to get a ticket for the day, so we got in line and we were off. I had two main priorities here – Shrek 4D and the Terminator, both of which we had missed last time and those two attractions were really why I wanted to come back here again. Well, we dealt with one of those immediately and jumped straight on Shrek. That was so much fun and the effects in it were amazing. The problem is I think that all other 3D movies will now pale into insignificance compared to that, it was just that good. I loved the way that they assaulted all your senses and my favourite part had to be the galloping along. That was just superb. If you go to Universal Studios, do not miss this.
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Great update! Sorry you're already checking out of AKLV Great good-bye pictures though And glad that you enjoyed Shrek 4D Great pictures of Universal More please
Thanks for the update. I really want to try to venture out of the Disney bubble next trip. I've been to Universal in CA but never Orlando. Quick question, do they have an ET ride?
I just caught up with your last four updates and I loved all the pictures!!! The animal view at the AKL was beautiful, the ice sculptures were incredible, your dinner at Jiko's looked delicious and US looks like it was a lot of fun! You're such a great TR writer Cheryl. I always feel as if I'm traveling with you while reading. I can't wait to see what view you were able to snatch at the Beach Club!
Cheryl, after reading about your meal at Jiko, it's moved way up on the list of places I must try.
Does June work for you, Sharon?! I'm there!!
Great update, Cheryl. So glad that Jiko redeemed itself for you and Mark. It really looked delicious! I mean, seriously delicious. As in... "must go and get lunch" delicious, and it's only 10:30AM here.
Eileen
PS - Dulocland and "The Happiest Totalitarian Dictatorship on Earth"...
Thanks for the update. I really want to try to venture out of the Disney bubble next trip. I've been to Universal in CA but never Orlando. Quick question, do they have an ET ride?
Indeed they do - and I'll be covering that shortly, as we visited that on our day in Universal.
Thanks for the updates, Cheryl! Great photos, as usual!
I have never been the AK at night. I've wanted to do that for quite awhile. Hopefully I'll be able to enjoy that experience sometime this year. I'm also looking forward to dining at Jiko thanks to your report. Sounds fabulous!
What a wonderful time you had during the AKLV portion of your trip! (Apart from the heat making you so ill, of course.) Jiko sounds amazing! I have never been, as their past menus never seemed to have enough for us demi-vegetarians. I think it is now at the top of my list for "must-try"s!
It goes without saying that your photos are fabulous (but I'm saying it anyway!) I love the FOTLK pictures, because it is one of my favorite shows. I was glad to read about how the show changes, because on my last visit, they didn't use the trapeze at all and, from your pictures, that was obviously not a permanent change! Woo-hoo!
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Great good-bye pictures though 
And glad that you enjoyed Shrek 4D 
More please 
Can't wait to hear what you think of the Terminator.
and, from your pictures, that was obviously not a permanent change! Woo-hoo!
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