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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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i love your pictures and i cant wait to hear more! we really want to go to the world this christmas but need to save for 1st grandchild coming january february! yay!! so im living vicariously through you
I agree about the decorations at WL. It's the perfect backdrop for Christmas decor. One year I was there in mid November and went to sleep one night with no decorations up. When I woke up, the entire resort was in Christmas mode. Talk about magic! I don't know if they do it all in one night any more.
You've got some wonderful meals planned and the "where to stay" dilemma seems to be solved, pretty much. Aren't you glad you're retired and have time to do all this planning?
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Trip #2 sounds perfect!! I will be there for the Christmas season in 2013, so I can't wait to see the pics of all the Christmas pictures!!
Cheers!
Rachel
Thanks, I hope to get lots of pics.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bluejn
i love your pictures and i cant wait to hear more! we really want to go to the world this christmas but need to save for 1st grandchild coming january february! yay!! so im living vicariously through you
Congratulations on the upcoming arrival of your first grandchild!
Quote:
Originally Posted by lauriep
I love your memory tree. What a lovely idea.
I agree about the decorations at WL. It's the perfect backdrop for Christmas decor. One year I was there in mid November and went to sleep one night with no decorations up. When I woke up, the entire resort was in Christmas mode. Talk about magic! I don't know if they do it all in one night any more.
You've got some wonderful meals planned and the "where to stay" dilemma seems to be solved, pretty much. Aren't you glad you're retired and have time to do all this planning?
That does sound like magic. Yes, I am happy to be retired. I have great respect for the folks who plan their trips while still working and with kids at home!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Colexis Mom
Great plans for trip #2!
I hope it all works out!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cam22
Trip #2 sounds wonderful!
Thank you.
On the good news front, our DVC membership cards arrived today. It's beginning to feel official.
One of the reasons we purchased DVC was to provide a place to stay when we go to The World with the kids. They live in Southern California, and we almost always to go to Orlando when they visit us in Florida.
The "Kids"
DD1 - Lisa, married to Michael; they have two daughters, Emily (12) and Amy (9)
DD2 - Jenn, who has a long time SO - Ted
Our last visit was in March/April when we all enjoyed a Cruise on the Dream; this photo includes everyone except Ted (Jenn's SO), who had to work.
Lou and I will visit Lisa and her family in October - they have invited us to join them for a week while they are vacationing in Northern California. What a nice switch - the kids will be providing the vacation accommodations!
Fast forward to us looking at DVC - the girls were beyond excited, as they truly love Disney. I asked if they had a favorite resort, but they said, "we love them all!" I did know that Animal Kingdom was a favorite, and we had also promised Emily and Amy we would try the Wilderness Lodge on their next trip. The kids have stayed at AKV, OKW, and SSR.
Lou and I made our DVC decision based on what we liked - when I told Lisa we purchased at VWL, she said "Yay, that was secretly my favorite!" Again, funny how things work out.
After getting access to the booking site last week, I checked January availability at the Lodge for a 2-bedroom Villa. I emailed Lisa with the info that I could book a room starting on the 6th. I NEVER expected to get a quick answer - let's just say it took us forever to get them sorted on flights for the March cruise. She responded back immediately - that week worked for them. Within an hour, I had the room booked, and she was excited about a January Florida trip. This is all between just the two of us. Lou is unaware I have now committed him to 3 times to Disney within 3 months, and we will have company in January. I give him the news - he looks at me like I'm crazy since he doesn't believe plans could come together so quickly.
A few hours later, he forwards me an email - with the flight confirmations for Lisa, Michael, Emily, and Amy. I had no idea he had emailed Lisa to get the flight booking started. I knew we would cover their airfare as their Christmas gift, but he was able to book them using his Frequent Flyer Miles. Rather amazing, given it's already August. They arrive Dec 30th, and depart Jan 12th. We are booked at VWL starting Jan 6th for four nights.
Summary - within 24 hrs of getting access to DVC online booking, we have booked Trip No. 1, extended Trip No. 2, and booked Trip No. 3 including flights. Never in a million years expected this all to work out on such short notice.
Coming up Next: The Dog, Where Will We Eat, and What About Jenn?
When things work out like that it's a sign that it's meant to be! This set of photos is amazing! I especially love the two of Morocco, which is my favorite pavilion. These photos really make you look at the architecture in a new way. (No people in any of the photos!)
Yay!! Trip #3 sounds awesome too and how great to be able to share it!! Your pics are AMAZING!! Are those ones HDR too? I just love how the colors are so vibrant.
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I'm glad I found this PTR before I got too far behind! Congrats on becoming a DVC owner. I've thought about it off and on, but IF it is to happen, it will be happening much more in the future. I like the idea of it, but I don't know if it will fit our vacationing style as it stands right now. I'm glad you've found 3 ways to use DVC already!
As always, your photos are beautiful!
__________________
Huge Disney Fan...Always Have Been...Always Will Be!
Disneyland 60th Anniversary Celebration TR here!
2013 WDW trip here!
2011 trip to Hawaii here!
When things work out like that it's a sign that it's meant to be! This set of photos is amazing! I especially love the two of Morocco, which is my favorite pavilion. These photos really make you look at the architecture in a new way. (No people in any of the photos!)
Thanks, Laurie. I took these after Illuminations and the park was closing. My first try at nighttime photos at Epcot. Morocco is an under appreciated area.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Colexis Mom
Great start for #3! It was meant to be!!
Thanks - it seems to be coming together so far.
Quote:
Originally Posted by athenagwis
Yay!! Trip #3 sounds awesome too and how great to be able to share it!! Your pics are AMAZING!! Are those ones HDR too? I just love how the colors are so vibrant.
Can't wait to hear more!
Rachel
Yes - More HDR with final adjustments in Photoshop
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cam22
So nice how all this is working out! More great pictures, too!
Thank you. Let's hope the weather cooperates.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dlandmom2
I'm glad I found this PTR before I got too far behind! Congrats on becoming a DVC owner. I've thought about it off and on, but IF it is to happen, it will be happening much more in the future. I like the idea of it, but I don't know if it will fit our vacationing style as it stands right now. I'm glad you've found 3 ways to use DVC already!
As always, your photos are beautiful!
Thanks - DVC would have been difficult when we didn't have as much flexibility. And our budget was a little too tight when the kids were young.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lazanya
How neat that things work out! Beautiful pictures!
I finished up the last post with news that we had rooms and flights booked for Jan 6-10. I'll finish sharing all the plans we have to date, so I can have real time updates going forward.
What About the Dog?........
You guessed it - she's booked at Best Friends, and in her very own Vacation Villa. The good thing about boarding the dog in Orlando is, you can visit each day if you so desire. We still need to see how she adapts to the kennel on the November trip. (note - we hadn't planned this much travel when we decided to get a dog - but, wouldn't trade her for anything)
Where Will We Eat - The room and flights for this trip were booked so fast, I never gave a thought to where we would eat. OK, I'm kidding. The ADRs, or at least the first pass, were booked within minutes of booking the room. I was surprised at how much choice I had. Even had the option of a 7:30pm slot for Le Cellier (which I didn't take).
I made most of our ADRs in the Magic Kingdom and MK resorts area, including the Wilderness Lodge. The exception is Tusker House late breakfast - I know the kids want to go to Animal Kingdom, and I booked the breakfast on an EMH morning. If they are up and ready, we'll scoot over for some rides before breakfast with Donald. We've done this once before, and it is one of our favorite character meals.
SNAFU No. 1: We check into VWL on Sunday afternoon. Evening EMH hours are scheduled at MK that day, so I thought it would be great to eat in the park - then watch the fireworks and more. So, I got an early dinner reservation at Crystal Palace - this would be a first for all of us. Oops - we have Florida Resident Weekday Passes. Doesn't make much sense to pay just to eat dinner. Rookie Mistake.
My other two choices were Hoop Dee Doo Review at Ft. Wilderness. Or O'hana? I picked O'hana, since it's been so long since we have been there, can't even remember. Weather permitting, it will be fun to ride the boat to the Contemporary, and catch the Monorail to the Poly. I'll sneak out at the end of dinner,if necessary, to try for fireworks photos from the Poly Beach.
The big score was an 8:15am reservation at Cinderella's Royal Table. The park doesn't open until 9:00am. Also, we have a birthday girl in our party who just happens to love princesses. Amy turns 10 on the day we dine with Cinderella. Can you imagine if I get Be Our Guest for dinner that same day? She may never take off her glass slippers!
Here is the rest of what I've booked so far. Nothing at Epcot or Hollywood Studios, since I know most of the focus is going to be the Magic Kingdom with at least one day at Animal Kingdom. And, Grandpa would like to take the girls for a boat ride around the lake.
The Tentative, OMG-How-Many-Times-Will-She-Change-Them ADR List:
There is one conspicuous absence on the List - No Be Our Guest????
I will be one of the many holding tomorrow morning to score a dinner reservation. I much prefer online booking, but will make an exception for this one. Beauty and the Beast is my all time favorite Disney Movie. And the Grandkids like it too, although they would pick Tangled as their current favorite. I will try to scope out lunch here on our December trip.
So that's where we are as of today. I've left some flexibility for additions and changes. Please do feel free to make suggestions.
I'll close with one more photo. While we won't be eating here on this trip, the restaurant is one of the first we tried at Epcot when the kids were young. We still talk about how Dad got the best dessert ever - the Pear Napoleon, which sounded dull but was spectacular (and he only let us have a tiny taste )
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