The Life of a VIP - Adventures By Disney Backstage Magic - Page 3 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Glad you enjoyed the helicopter ride!!! I hope the weather holds out for you and you get used to the time difference soon. Have a great time!!!!!
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Glad hou're having a great time! Our last trip out West the kids didn't adjust well either to the time change which is making me nervous for our trip this summer!! Hope it gets better!!
So glad that the weather has has been good. Can't wait to see your photos and read all about your adventures.
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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?
OK, so I fell asleep watching tv last night, so my plan to stay up late didn't work. I'll try staying up late again tonight. Anyway, here's an update with some photos.
My flight was nice and smooth. We took a route which flew us over the snow-capped Rockies. Beautiful.
Once I'd landed and checked in, I headed to Griffith Park to see the Merry Go Round. It needs some attention, but it was a special moment for me.
I then went to the Griffith Observatory to check out a bunch of cool stuff, including the Tesla Coil
Wireless electricity (which is frightening to me!)
After watching the Planetarium show, I headed back to the LSMBH. I was going to visit the Santa Monica Pier that night, but it was a little cold, so I decided to save that for another night.
The next day, I started bright and early at Universal Studios. I got to see everything on my "must do" list and more, and I also got to meet Shrek and Fiona.
The weather was iffy, so I wasn't sure I'd get my helicopter ride in, but aside from some clouds, the weather was fine and I did it. I was nervous about flying in a helicopter (especially when I saw how small it was ), but once we took off, it was fine. I had the same (cute) pilot my BFF Sam had.
I got to see practically everything in L.A. It was amazing! I told my pilot where I was staying (not because he was cute, but because we were flying right by it). He flew us right over top of it so I could get a good picture.
Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel
We also flew over a bunch of celebrity homes, including (the late) Aaron Spelling's ginormous mansion.
We flew right up to the Hollywood sign.
My pilot pointed out the Bat Cave (which was used in the 70's Batman tv show).
I know my oldest DB will geek out when he sees that picture. He wore out 6 Batman costumes as a kid.
We also flew through the downtown area, including right between a bunch of skyscrapers.
And for a Disney connection, we flew by the Walt Disney Concert Hall.
And, one of my favorite celebrity homes, Johnny Depp!
He lives in the penthouse of the green building that says Eastern
I loved, loved, loved that helicopter ride and feel like it's the only way to see L.A. Waaaaay cooler than a tour bus, and a lot more fun. Plus, I got to see the actual homes of celebrities (I also saw the homes of Bill Cosby, Tom Cruise, Madonna and the Playboy Mansion, among others - more on that in the actual TR). If I'd done a bus tour, it would've been like "Behind this huge fence is Madonna's house" or "These are the 8-foot hedges in front of the Playboy Mansion."
After that, I returned to Santa Monica and spent the rest of the evening shopping and hanging out on the Pier.
Yesterday I did the VIP tour at Warner Bros. Studios, and I can highly recommend that as well! We got to see a lot of the backlot, we got to visit a couple of sets (including Chuck, The Mentalist, and Two and a Half Men). Sometimes we were allowed to take pictures, sometimes not. Here are a few of the cool things we got to see (and photograph).
A painted backdrop (they hang these outside "windows" on sets, so it looks like they are in a particular location).
Why is this so cool? Well, I think I'll leave something for the actual TR, so I know you'll keep reading.
Shaguar!
I'm a big Austin Powers fan, so I really loved that!
Then they forced me to work in Central Perk! The nerve!
Don't let my smile fool you. It was highly traumatic.
When the tour was finished, I went to the Farmer's Market and did some shopping. I also checked out the Grove shopping mall right next door, which was really nice.
Then I returned to Santa Monica and watched a lovely sunset on the beach.
So today, I'll be checking out of the LSMBH and I'm going to Hollywood! The Adventure officially starts today!
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Mickey's so happy to see me back, he can barely contain himself!
Great update Sharon. The pictures from teh helicopter are amazing. What a great view and I agree a view that you would not get from a bus tour. Glad the weather stayed ok so you were able to take the tour. Have a great time in Hollywood....
Your helicoptor tour looks amazing! I've never been in a helicopter, but I've always wanted to take one to the Grand Canyon and in Hawaii. Guess I'll have to add LA to that list. Enjoy your ABD tour!
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Disney Magic - Oct 2015
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), but once we took off, it was fine. I had the same (cute) pilot my BFF Sam had. 
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