Is It Time Already?! OKW and POR, November 2013 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Wednesday we had a hard time waking up. We finally made it out the door around 11 or so...felt like 8am to us.
By the way, this vacation so far has been filled with little mistakes. First one: We had walked maybe 100 feet from the room when I realized I left my phone in the room! Quick run back and got it.
Caught the Epcot bus from the South Point stop. Got off the bus and started walking toward the gate. Wanted to catch a pic of the kids walking to their first park of the trip...got photobombed by a CM! Hilarious! Then we continued walking and I realized I forgot to bring our ticket voucher for our park tickets!!! So much for Megan reminding me! The voucher was safely in our OKW room! Well, we headed to Guest Relations and thankfully it taken care of without having to return to our room!
Tried to get a new assistance pass for Evan but their printer wasn't cooperating. CM asked us to go inside Epcot and see the Guest Relations people there, but not before giving us two free fast passes for having to wait for their non-cooperating printer!
Went inside and rode Spaceship Earth! Love it! Then while the kids amused themselves in the fun area after the ride, I got our Photopass+ voucher activated. Then I grabbed the kids and got Evan's assistance pass done.
Crowds were low and we ended up using only 1 of the free fast passes and never used the assistance pass!
Details for rest of day will be in the TR.
Yesterday, Thursday, was snafu number two! We decided to head to Epcot again. Got off the buss at Epcot and 30 seconds later realized I left my phone on the bus because I was checking what time our fast pass+ times were! Ugh! Bus had already pulled away but some other busy rivers helped me radio in to dispatch so they could ask our bus driver to grab my phone at his next stop. Ten minutes later he confirmed he had my phone and would be back at Epcot on about 20 minutes. Phew! While we were waiting for my phone Sophia said, "So Mom, what are you going to forget tomorrow?" Smarty pants!!
Ok today, Friday, we're off to Hollywood Studios, but Sophia is having a heck of a time waking up. Evan and I have been up since just after 9, but Sophia keeps asking for just one more minute, just one more minute, just one more minute.... Poor kid! I want her to get her rest, but time's a wastin' people!!
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Huge Disney Fan...Always Have Been...Always Will Be!
Disneyland 60th Anniversary Celebration TR here!
2013 WDW trip here!
2011 trip to Hawaii here!
That's great that they were able to help you with the tickets without going back to the room.
Glad the bus driver got your phone and returned it to you safely!
Hope you have a great day today at DHS.
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Sheesh! I'm thinking the forgetfulness is because you've got so much to keep track of daily in your home life your brain feels like it's entitled to a vacation, too! I'm thrilled to hear that crowd levels are so low right now-- I guess that'll change in a few days.
No snafus yesterday other than forgetting to bring the kids' ears.
DHS was yesterday. Had a great time, and the crowds were still really light. Evan was the rebel spy on Star Tours! I didn't have my phone or camera out because I always thought it was in a different seat! Darn! I still bought him a "I Was the Rebel Spy" tee!
Did some laundry last night. Was expecting it to take all night but didn't see another soul there. Plus I forgot it was a DVC resort so I had a pocketful of quarters with me!
We've decided to take it easy for this trip. Sophia is still having a hard time with the time difference. Around midnight last night we got new neighbors in the 1 bedroom next to us. Lets just say it was very clear there are young kids staying there. And we heard them again early this morning! It was bad enough for us, but I really feel for the people staying in the room below them. BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM is probably what they'll be hearing every morning and night!
Ok we're off to AK now. Was really hoping to show the kids the vet window, but I don't think it will happen this trip. Bracing myself for the onslaught of crowds which I'm sure we will start noticing today and tomorrow!
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Huge Disney Fan...Always Have Been...Always Will Be!
Disneyland 60th Anniversary Celebration TR here!
2013 WDW trip here!
2011 trip to Hawaii here!
Catching up on this. Enjoyed the PTR and seems you have nice plans for WDW at OKW and POR!
Seems like you're having a great time in WDW! Looking forward to the TR!
Too bad with the number of missteps. Perhaps, WDW can make one absentminded?
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October 6, 2017-Enjoying an amazing dinner at Victoria & Albert's with PP's Dot and Drew
My TR from my most recent trip is now underway. Includes: Universal Studios Florida, Disney World and Sea World Orlando Trifecta TR -Updated December 10th! TR is now COMPLETED!
Sorry about the noisy neighbors. OKW is usually so peaceful and quiet. I hope they're not there for the whole time. Yay for Evan being the Rebel Spy! (I have absolutely no idea what this means as I've not done that ride and don't know the movies, so I'll take your word for it that this is a good thing! ) Poor Sophia with the time change. It's too bad it really messes with your mornings, and I'm sure getting up in the morning isn't exactly her favorite thing even in the "right" time zone.
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Perhaps, WDW can make one absentminded? 
Great that yesterday was snafu free. 
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