On the road (3) A (hopefully) sunny September road trip to Spain COMPLETED - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!
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.
PassPorter's Free-Book to Walt Disney World It’s hard to believe anything is free at Walt Disney World; but there are actually a number of things you can get or do for little to no cost. This e-book documents over 200 free or cheap tips to do before you go and after you arrive. You could save a considerable amount of money following these tips. Perhaps more importantly; you can discover overlooked attractions and little-known details most people whiz by on their way to spend money. Click here to see free sample pages from the e-book! Get this popular e-book free of extra charges when you join the PassPorter's Club for as little as $4.95. A club pass includes access to all our other e-books; e-worksheets; super-size photos; and more! This e-book is also available for separate purchase in the PassPorter Online Store for just $5.95.
I'm finally catching up.... what can I say - beautiful photos everywhere. Love the bit about Walt and the Spanish castle! I was surprised at the landscape as well in Spain, it's quite pretty! I'm glad you guys finally arrived to Madrid to such a nice retreat at the Hilton.
I'm sorry to hear about your loss. 's for you and your family.
__________________
Tanya
Every click helps feed .6 bowls of food to rescued animals. Give a quick click every day and help animals in shelters! www.theanimalrescuesite.com
Registered Message Board Members save 30% off PassPorter guidebooks! When you register you'll have access to a discount coupon good for 30% off the list price of PassPorter books in our online store.
Oh Cheryl...I didn't even read that your grandmother passed until I noticed everyone was giving you pixies. I'm so sorry, and right now I can completely understand what you're going through. Here's hugs that today is easy for you.
Registered Message Board Members save 30% off PassPorter guidebooks! When you register you'll have access to a discount coupon good for 30% off the list price of PassPorter books in our online store.
Thanks so much everyone for the and I really appreciate them. I just didn't want you guys to worry when suddenly there were no updates over the last couple of mornings.
The funeral went really well and my dad did a lovely speech about his mother, then we all went out for a meal and dedicated dessert to my grandmother, as she was quite a chef, being French.
We're back home now, so it's on with the trip report...
Tuesday 7 September – part one: “I’ve got a headache”
Today started well enough, with a good night’s sleep for both of us. I only woke up at 7.40am, which I thought was really good. I guess it showed I needed the sleep. We got going slowly and then headed down for breakfast about an hour later.
Oh my goodness, this has to be the best breakfast spread I’ve ever seen at any hotel ever – and we’ve seen quite a few, especially at Hiltons, which are usually very good. The starring points, for me anyway, were the grilled zucchini (something I’ve never seen at a buffet before), the grilled tomatoes, which were amazing, complete with a herb topping, and the fruit smoothies, again a new introduction to me at a buffet. As well as those items, I grabbed some cheese, smoked salmon and salad and some fruit, along with scrambled eggs, mushrooms and hash browns. In the same casket as the hash browns were chicken sausages. Let’s just say that the look of those left a lot to be desired... I wasn’t surprised when Mark told me he’d decided not to bother with the sausages.
It was while there that the day started to go downhill rapidly. Mark didn’t look right and commented that he had a headache, so I suggested he take something for it and lie down, as he didn’t look in a good way. We both suspected the scrambled eggs, as they were quite milky and, with his dairy allergy, that could easily have triggered a reaction.
An hour or so later, he was feeling well enough to get going, so we set off quite gingerly. We stopped to get some bits out of the car, so I took the opportunity to get some photos. As you can see, the sky was looking pretty gloomy today.
it’s a big hotel
We headed for the nearby Metro station, following the directions I’d been given by reception the night before. The literature we’d received when we booked told me that it was a seven minute walk, but last night she’d said 10 minutes. By the time we got there, it had taken us 15 minutes. We immediately figured we’d come back to the airport and catch the free shuttle bus back to the hotel, but that’s another story for later...
We got our 10 journey tickets each (and still have some left on them, so if we ever return, perhaps we can use them again... ) and set off for our first stop, which was Retiro.
I had had the Parque del Retiro down on my list of things that I might want to see, but a friend who’d recently come back from Madrid raved about it so much, I put it straight up to the top of the list of must-do’s. He was right, as it was a stunning place. Formerly a royal garden, the aristocracy were allowed to enter in the late 18th century and then, another 100 years on, everyone else was allowed to enjoy it as well.
Next: from a walk in the park to the heart of the city
About This Page: 
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
Holly: 
Disney Magic - Oct 2015
Sorry for your loss Cheryl.
Claytrgtshooter (Minnie Lor's Hubbie)
PassPorter Guide Author
meal and dedicated dessert to my grandmother, as she was quite a chef, being French. 
I wasn’t surprised when Mark told me he’d decided not to bother with the sausages. 
it’s a big hotel 
We immediately figured we’d come back to the airport and catch the free shuttle bus back to the hotel, but that’s another story for later... 
Linear Mode
