The "Thank Goodness for Normal" Trip PTR - Page 4 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Just caught up with your trip report. You just reminded me about all the things I need to try when visiting this upcoming December. The Dole Whip being one of them and I live in Hawaii where the Dole plantation is.
You managed to do better than I did opening MK!!!!! (Even if it didn't go as perfectly as you planned) MSB was a first for me too......isn't it heavenly????? We spent a rainy/cloudy day in AK that day-but got lots done there like you did in MK despite the weather!! We haven't tried Friar's Nook or a DOLE WHIP (it's on the to-do list again for next trip!!) Can't wait to read all about O'Hana....we are giving it a try next time!! Great pictures & update!!! Can't wait to read more!!!
Great TR! I love your writing style and am chuckling as I read! Our family has never been to MSB either! I think that goes on the list for our July trip! I too must do a park on my first day, even if I do just one ride. It's usually Epcot for us, SE and IllumiNations. Maybe your DS is right. We are usually exhausted! Keep it coming!
When we got back to the room the Garden Grocer delivery was there. Everyone had a snack and a drink and vegged. After a nap at the room (ok...I didn't nap I read while listening to three different versions of the same snore) it was time to get ready for 'Ohana. One of the things, besides the Dole Whip, that we didn't get to the last trip was the monorail. Tonight we would fix that. That's right...I'm earning Mother of the Year back
The bus to MK and hopped on the monorail. Everyone thought riding the Contemporary was cool and DH finally understood what I "meant" when I said it went right through the resort. Not sure what he thought, but I assumed it was pretty clear.
We had a 5pm ADR and got there about five minutes early. I felt bad for the people who walked up expecting to just get in. Not bad enough to give them our ADR, but bad. We only waited another five and we were shown to our table...after the walk by the dessert YUMMOOOO. We ordered drinks and DS's chicken nuggets and the waiter explained the whole family style thing. Again...DH finally "got" it. No clue what he thought I meant when I said large plates of food will be brought to our table and we'll eat family style but apparently it was something different when the waiter said it and suddenly it made sense.
We LOVED it. All of it. Nothing was bad. But SS went to town on the shrimp. 100_1749.jpg100_1750.jpg
Happy people all around. DS had fun making friends with the hostess who taught him how to limba and hula. In fact he had so much fun he gave her a Magical Moment card he had made.
Insert side note: Ok...I'm sure I'm not the only one but I'll admit it...when it comes to WDW and PP I have inner voices. One is my inner Cam22. She and I were talking one night in my craft shack and suggested I make Magical Moment cards to hand out at the park. DS made about 12 of his own and was very proud of them.
Anywho...DS gave one to the luau lady and she was so touched she started to cry. Then she said she had a very special souvenir for the boys and to stay where we were until she got back.
We were done, back on the monorail and back at the resort in no time. DS and SS hit the pool and DH and I relaxed.
Weather: beautiful but overcast
Best thing: 'Ohana (me, SS, and DH) and the pool (DS)
Worst: Bus mess up
Funniest: DS with the cupcake
We tried: dole whip
result: heaven on earth
Most magical: DS having fun at 'Ohana
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We haven't tried Ohana for dinner yet, but it sounds both funny and ! And I am so excited that the magical moments card brought some magic both ways. That picture is priceless!
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Deb
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You all really got a lot done, too!
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MSB was a first for me too......isn't it heavenly?????
We spent a rainy/cloudy day in AK that day-but got lots done there like you did in MK despite the weather!!
We haven't tried Friar's Nook or a DOLE WHIP (it's on the to-do list again for next trip!!) Can't wait to read all about O'Hana....we are giving it a try next time!! Great pictures & update!!! Can't wait to read more!!!
Susan
LAUGHED OUT LOUD at that...I think my PTR is in the same boat!
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