Checking off that Bucket List ~ Disney Style! - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Great eye Mike! I had to go back and check that out!
OMG!! You two are cracking me up!!! Now I had to go back and check that photo too!!! Gonna have to work on that!!! LOL!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by shazza
What a start! Your first night sounds perfect.
Love all your pics (as usual). I laughed at the WDW entrance photo - that's a classic case where a technically "incorrect" photo tells the story much better than a pefect one does.
The Royal Room looks nice - it doesn't look smaller in the pics, but I guess we are spoiled by DVC studios.
Great score on a 20 minute wait for Enchanted Tales - maybe next time Emily will raise here hand
Thanks!! Yes - that is why I had to keep that photo rather than delete (which is what I would normally do! - and it was with my phone!)
The room was definitely smaller - mostly in the sense of storage - but it was all good - especially for a change! I hope Em does next time! Heck, maybe I will have to!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cam22
Awesome start to your trip at MK! Great food and adventures in spite of the rain! I love all the photos in the new Fantasyland.
Thanks!!! Yep - not gonna let that rain stop us!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by num1DVCfan
Signing in!
Thanks! Welcome!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Disdadnmi
Loved the new fantasy land. We want to do the Little Mermaid ride and Enchanted tales with Belle in a few weeks when we go. Sounds like the best time to do those are during evening EMH. That's a tip we will be sure to use!
One thing though, how do you think Belle will react to my Cinderella shirt, shoes, necklace, etc. Do you think I will get picked to help with the story?
I think Belle would be very interested in how she can make it to the other leg........Just wear a yellow shirt and you will definitely make a great Beast!!
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Lisa Co-Guide to Sharing the Adventure: Disney World Trip Reports
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Wow, I can't believe how much you managed to fit into your first evening! We're normally too tired from the travelling to do anything other than collapse.
Wow, I can't believe how much you managed to fit into your first evening! We're normally too tired from the travelling to do anything other than collapse.
Love the new ears
Thanks! We are always running with adrenaline! And we usually manage to catch a nap on the plane
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Lisa Co-Guide to Sharing the Adventure: Disney World Trip Reports
We slept a bit later than we normally do on vacation (maybe 7:30ish…..of course, Scott and Em later….) but we were soon up and showered, I had purchased mini donuts with our Garden Grocer order, so we each grabbed a few of those and we were out the door by 9 a.m.! Again, minimal wait for a bus to bring us to Animal Kingdom!
The weather was still a bit sour – it was warmer, but still raining on and off – but I was wearing flip flops and didn’t care!!!
We entered the park quickly and stopped for Photopass photos along the way.
We headed straight to Kilimanjaro Safari – where we saw quite a few of the animals – but you could tell that they were not too keen with the weather either.
Usually we only see the hind end of this guy.......today he appeared to be on a mission!!
The baby mandril was out!!
baby elephant nursing from mama!
After our safari adventure, we stopped to visit my gorilla friend right when you get off the safari – and apparently – he was REALLY disappointed with the weather!! He had his lower lip out!!!
We then strolled though Pangani Forest Trail, hoping to see Lily and family – but of course – the gorilla’s just do not like the rain, so they were all in hiding.
It was nearing 11, and we were getting hungry and decided to beat the crowds to lunch and headed for Flame Tree BBQ, where we all had the BBQ pork sandwiches with beans (side note here…..they used to always serve the sandwiches with the beans, but apparently have switched it to cole slaw – which none of us eat – so we had to request the beans). Scott also had a beer with his lunch – apparently he was in the mindset of “its 12 o’clock somewhere”! We found our favorite seating area, overlooking Expedition Everest.
After filling our bellies, we headed over to Dinoland to ride Dinosaur!
When we came back through Dinoland, we noticed that Pluto and Santa Goofy were waiting for me (and a few other people!) – so we stopped for a photo op and autographs with them!
Next up was Expedition Everest!! However, we needed to stop for a nature break along the way.......and I wanted a diet coke.......apparently they knew I was coming!!!
Finally, we were at Expedition Everest!
I usually ride with Emily – as I feel sorry for the single rider that would have to sit next to me screaming the whole time!! Scott is a trooper and will usually take the single rider with him!
After our expedition, we stopped for a few more photopass photos........
Can you believe Emily was complaining that she was hungry again?? I think she was just determined to get in as many snacks as possible during this short trip – so she stopped for a Pretzel along the way as we started to head out of the park.
We continued to the exit as we were on a mission today! But of course, those darn Photopass photographers are just waiting to take your photos along the way!
At 1:10 we were on a bus heading to Epcot from Animal Kingdom!
Up Next: On a mission......
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Lisa Co-Guide to Sharing the Adventure: Disney World Trip Reports
Sorry the weather didn't cooperate for your mourning hope it improved later on Lunch looks good and give Scott a break about AB Some of us remember the 3 Lisas trip
Very Happy for you that you Birthday trip is going so well
Those wildebeests look so sad in the rain! Great safari photos, despite the rain. Love the lioness peeping over the rock, the baby mandril and the baby elephant nursing. Also some fantastic photos of all of you. My favorites-- the photopass Tink ones of you and Scott and of Emily. Also love the Everest photo of Emily with her hair blowing in the wind. Happy girl!
Lunch looked delicious. I've never eaten at FTB. I know right, SHOCKER
It was!! You really should give it a try!! It is a must for us each trip!!! The food is good and can't beat the scenery!
Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeL
Sorry the weather didn't cooperate for your mourning hope it improved later on Lunch looks good and give Scott a break about AB Some of us remember the 3 Lisas trip
Very Happy for you that you Birthday trip is going so well
Thanks Mike- yeah, it seems each time we visit lately it rains!! so we just go with it! And yeah, yeah, yeah...............at least the Lisa's waited until after 12 Disney time!
Quote:
Originally Posted by JKnott17
Great morning at AK, I'm glad the rain didn't put too much of a damper on things!
I LOVE the picture of you hugging pluto up close, what a great shot!
Thanks! We didn't let the rain bother us - it was light - but it was chilly! I love that pic too!! Had no idea it was there until I saw the Photopass photos!! That'a a great photographer!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Russi01
Great pictures!!! Sorry that weather did not hold up for you. Hopefully the sun comes out later!
Thanks! Stay tuned.......
Quote:
Originally Posted by lauriep
Those wildebeests look so sad in the rain! Great safari photos, despite the rain. Love the lioness peeping over the rock, the baby mandril and the baby elephant nursing. Also some fantastic photos of all of you. My favorites-- the photopass Tink ones of you and Scott and of Emily. Also love the Everest photo of Emily with her hair blowing in the wind. Happy girl!
I know! And the poor gorillas obviously did not like it either!! That pic of Scott and I is one of my absolute favorites!!!! Emily does LOVE her EE!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by shazza
In spite of the weather, you got lots of great safari photos. So many of the animals were awake - also love the mass of hippos.
(Don't read this Emily ) ... Is Emily really as sweet as she looks in all of these photos? She looks so happy!
Thanks! I was just bummed how "fogged" some of the pics look - but the animals were certainly awake! And hmmm............you don't see the horns coming through????
Quote:
Originally Posted by llgmommy2
Sounds like you and your family had a great morning. Cannot wait to hear all about Epcot!
We did!! AK is one of my fav parks!! Stay tuned!
Quote:
Originally Posted by dutchdisneyfamily
Love the Photopass pics! Great elephant pics too! That cute baby having lunch. Adorable! What a fantastic day at AK!
Thanks! It was!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by chezp
Wow you certainly packed a lot into your morning. I love all your safari photos.
Yes we did! Thanks!!
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Lisa Co-Guide to Sharing the Adventure: Disney World Trip Reports
Looks like AK was in full swing just for you and your Birthday!! Sorry the animals didn't seem to get the memo though Looks like you and the family were having a great time! Aiden eats like a horse too and I honestly don't know where he puts it. Now, me, if I look at food, I gain the weight lol Can't wait to read about your afternoon at EPCOT!
P.S. I'm with Scott, it's 12 o'clock somewhere, even at WDW
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Gonna have to work on that!!! LOL!!
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Thank
Pixie Dust
Previous trips: POFQ 2005 & 2007, Boardwalk 2008, BCV & AKLV 2009 (our honeymoon) & 2012, BCV & BLT 2011, BCV 2013, AKLV 2014
along the way.
and decided to beat the crowds to lunch and headed for Flame Tree BBQ, where we all had the BBQ pork sandwiches with beans (side note here…..they used to always serve the sandwiches with the beans, but apparently have switched it to cole slaw – which none of us eat – so we had to request the beans). Scott also had a beer with his lunch – apparently he was in the mindset of “its 12 o’clock somewhere”! 
We found our favorite seating area, overlooking Expedition Everest.
Scott is a trooper and will usually take the single rider with him! 
Deb
PassPorter Guide Author
I love all your safari photos. 
so we just go with it! And yeah, yeah, yeah...............at least the Lisa's waited until after 12 Disney time! 
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