Walking in a Disney Wonderland, December 8-15, 2009 - COMPLETE!! 5/7 - Page 2 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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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.
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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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Wow! Mike's parents have been alot!! How cool that they have the Disney passion.
Can't wait to see how your counting it down this time! Atleast I will be back before you leave so I won't ask you to send me them in advance like in June.
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Wow! Mike's parents have been alot!! How cool that they have the Disney passion.
Can't wait to see how your counting it down this time! Atleast I will be back before you leave so I won't ask you to send me them in advance like in June.
Great start!
I think Mike's parents definitely rubbed off on him and then I got sucked in too! We've been several times with them - I think all but 2 of the times Mike & I have gone together.
The countdown is like June's, BUT with new trivia!!
Actually I better change from ‘our plans’ to: “Why did I choose Airtran again?”
The main reason I chose Airtran again was that Mike & I each got $50 vouchers for a future flight (within 1 year) from delays on our return flight in June. So we decided to use those, because saving $100 was worth it at the time. I watched the site and when the price was $87 and on a non-stop flight I booked it. I also decided I’d pay the $6 fee to pick our seats, which was $18 as Dylan is over 2 now and needs a seat of his own. At that time (on 6/23/09) we were leaving STL at 10:20am and arriving at MCO at 1:40pm. Not bad.
Several months pass and I got a notice that our flight had changed, which I had seen on-line too, but didn’t get a notice until now. So on 9/15/09 our flight was changed to leaving STL at 11:47am and arriving at MCO at 3:06pm. Not as happy since it gets us into Orlando an hour and ahalf later, but I’m still ok with it.
I was thinking, it won’t change again so we’re ok – oh no, that wouldn’t last long. This week, on Tuesday (11/3) I received another schedule change e-mail. This time I was not happy. We were now on a flight leaving STL at 10:39am (good right – hold on), BUT now we had a stop in ATL and wouldn’t get to MCO until 6:12pm. Uh, NO THANK YOU! I went on Airtran’s website and saw that there were NO non-stop flights out of STL that day anymore. So I came to my trusty PP boards and did a quick search where I discovered since Airtran changed the schedule I could get a full refund. But first I needed to check Southwest to see what prices and times were for a flight leaving on 12/8. They had only leaving STL at 7:20am and arriving at MCO at 10:40am. YEAH!!! So I called Airtran and cancelled making sure I’d get my full amount back, which I did (today actually). And then booked the Southwest flight.
Now I wish I would have seen this last week as last week Southwest was having some great deals. We purchased our return flight from Orlando on Southwest and last week it was down to $75, so I got the credit ($14 for each of us) with hopes of using it next year. Well after the Airtran situation I applied the credits to our outgoing flight instead. So in the end it was a wash with the price really, since there aren’t any baggage fees with Southwest.
I also called DME and informed them of all the flight changes.
So, in conclusion: Mike, Dylan, & I will be leaving STL on Tuesday, December 8 at 7:20am and arriving at MCO at 10:40am. Terry & Vicki (Mike’s parents) will be taking that same flight the next day. We will all be returning on Southwest on Tuesday, December 15 leaving MCO at 3:10pm and arriving back home at 4:45pm.
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sometimes i wish we were flying, but then i read about all the changes and hassels and am happy we can drive. glad you got an early flight and non-stop!
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I love the title of your TR!
I hope you enjoy your time at BCV! I hope the smelly mulch has disappeared!
Sorry about the AirTran problems! So glad you were able to get a refund!
Oct '99: CSR ~ May '02: CR ~ Nov '04: SOG ~ May '06: SOG ~ Dec '07: Solo @ Pop ~ May '08: Pop w/friends ~ Oct '08: SOG ~ Dec '09: Pop w/LeAnn ~ Sept '10: Solo @ Pop ~ Spring '11: AKL ~ Jan '12: Pop for 1/2 Marathon ~ Sept '12: 1st trip for DL 1/2 Marathon? ~ Feb '13: Pop w/pals? ~ Mar '13: Tokyo Disney w/PP's?
Good thing you made the airline change. Isn;t that just the most annoying thing? The change never seems to be in your favor. I think your flight is PERFECT now! Can't wait to hear about your plans! No, we won;'t be going to any meets as we'll have 2 small kids and 3 grandparents who just seem to follow our lead. I will look for Ppers though!!
Great start! What a hassle with the plane reservations, but you got it all settled. I love arriving in time for lunch! Looking forward to the countdown.
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I can't believe how many times Airtran will change a flight. I would rather them not put as many flight to begin with instead of narrowing them all down. Glad you got a refund and a better timed flight from SWA.
Can't wait to hear your plans.
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Disney Magic - Oct 2015
for a future flight (within 1 year) from delays on our return flight in June
. So we decided to use those, because saving $100 was worth it at the time. I watched the site and when the price was $87 and on a non-stop flight I booked it. I also decided I’d pay the $6 fee to pick our seats, which was $18 as Dylan is over 2 now and needs a seat of his own. At that time (on 6/23/09) we were leaving STL at 10:20am and arriving at MCO at 1:40pm. Not bad.
We were now on a flight leaving STL at 10:39am (good right – hold on), BUT now we had a stop in ATL and wouldn’t get to MCO until 6:12pm.
But first I needed to check Southwest to see what prices and times were for a flight leaving on 12/8. They had only leaving STL at 7:20am and arriving at MCO at 10:40am. YEAH!!! 
So I called Airtran and cancelled making sure I’d get my full amount back, which I did (today actually). And then booked the Southwest flight.
Parlor Panther in 'stalking mode'
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