WIZARDS, REAL AND AMAZING, CHRISTMAS PARTIES AND CANDLELIGHT-TR - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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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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Day 2. Part 3. Diagon Alley, The Macy's Day Parade and Mannheim Steamroller!!
After lunch, we decided to go back to the resort and go swimming. I didn't get any pictures here so you will have to believe that the pool and hot tubs were wonderful!! They were also beautiful. We used both today and it was very refreshing!!
After showering and freshening up, we went back to USF for remainder of the day. First we did the Transformers ride. It was good, but we liked Spiderman better!
This guy was pretty cool though!
Then we walked around for a bit:
We then went to Diagon Alley and decided that we liked this side even more than the side at IOA. We loved how you had to find it just like in the movies as well!! It was super crowded but we still loved it!!
I simply had to get another butterbeer while we were here as well!! I took a couple of photos inside the butterbeer shop but they didn’t come out that great. It was, of course, delicious!!
Next, we went down the dark part of the alley:
That was so cool!! There are even a few shops to browse in back there!! We came back out into daylight:
Finally, we tore ourselves away from Diagon Alley. We totally could have stayed longer.
We still had a little time before the Macy's Day parade, so we decided that since we had a big lunch, we would just get some snacks. I got a Ben and Jerry's small mint chocolate chunk cone and I sure am glad I asked for a small because I would have hated to see the large!! Muffin got a soft pretzel and a coke. When we came out of Ben and Jerry's, people were staking out spots, so we decided to find one while enjoying our snacks.
We watched the wonderful parade which brought back many warm Thanksgiving Day memories for me. I grew up in NYC and this was a tradition for me and my cousins every year. Anyway!! I took like 4 million pictures and I will share some with you guys!!
I took a few more pictures:
Muffin took this one
Then we rode the Revenge of the Mummy. Muffin says he has never ridden this attraction, but I think he has been on it. Anyway! We both enjoyed it very much as we are Mummy fans!!
By now, it was around 6 PM so we headed to the outdoor stage area to get a seat for Mannheim Steamroller. When I say seat I mean on the astro turf patches on the ground which were not super comfy to sit on for an hour and forty five minutes total. But!! I Mannheim Steamroller and after seeing this wonderful performance live, I would do it again next year!! Muffin said as much also!!
The park was officially closed when we left. We decided to walk back to Portofino Bay as it was such a nice night. When we got home, we sat outside and people watched and then got some coffee.
Muffin was asleep by 9:00 and me by 10.
Today the weather was: 59 in the morning, going up to 81
The best thing today was: Raptor interaction
The worst thing today was: Nothing. There wasn't one bad thing that happened today.
The funniest thing today was: Muffin brought the Sea World map to Universal.
Today we tried: Macy's day parade and Mannheim Steamroller concert
And the result was: phenomenal for both
The most magical moment today was: Reliving my childhood with the parade and then seeing the concert. For Muffin, Diagon Alley.
We walked: 16,261 steps today!
Next: The hottest day of vacation!!
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Last edited by Tara O'Hara; 12-21-2016 at 07:28 PM..
So glad you enjoyed Diagon Alley - it really is amazing! Glad you were able to find Knockturn Alley as well - we missed it completely the first time we visited Diagon Alley.
Revenge of the Mummy is one of my favorite rides! So awesome! Glad you had such a wonderful day in the park and enjoying the parade and concert
I love all the pictures you include!
How cool to see the Macy's parade again, and in warmer weather than in childhood, I'm sure!
Thanks, Colleen!!. It was wonderful to see the parade!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by SharonK0527
So glad you enjoyed Diagon Alley - it really is amazing! Glad you were able to find Knockturn Alley as well - we missed it completely the first time we visited Diagon Alley.
Revenge of the Mummy is one of my favorite rides! So awesome! Glad you had such a wonderful day in the park and enjoying the parade and concert
Thanks, Sharon!! . We absolutely loved the Harry Potter stuff and the Mummy ROCKS!!!
December 5th. Day 3. Part 1. The hottest day of vacation!!
Today, Muffin actually got up with me at 6:30 AM. I took my early morning walk and of course snapped a few photos:
We were dressed and ready to go for early opening at USF because we spent most of the day yesterday at IOA. We stopped at Starbucks for a Peppermint mocha and some mint medley tea and a slice of lemon loaf. Then we took the boat launch to USF. You could definitely feel that it was going to be hot today!!
We arrived at the park by 8:00 AM via boat and followed the crowd back to Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringott's. What a cool ride!!
We even purchased the photo from here. Then we strolled around Diagon Alley once again getting a few photos:
I had to get one last Butterbeer:
We made our way back into the main park:
We headed off to MIB where I totally killed Muffin and he could not understand why!!
Then we strolled some more and made our way through Springfield for a visit in Simpson world:
Then we walked around the lagoon and enjoyed the sights:
We didn't do this attraction this time, but I had to get a photo:
We'll be back!!
Then we did Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem and Shrek 4D:
Both were adorable and fun!!
We ran into Olyve Oil who asked me if I had an iPhone 7 and could she take a picture with it. Of course I handed her my phone and this is the picture she took:
Then we found the Simpson mobile!!
As we were walking down the street, a procession broke out with Sponge Bob and all his friends!! They stopped on the corner and had a dance party!! It was great fun!!
Lastly, we went on E.T., which is sadly, getting very dated and I'll bet it is the next ride to be replaced. They don’t even have ET saying the right names anymore when he says goodbye.
Next: The rest of USF , Mandara Spa and dinner at BICE
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Last edited by Tara O'Hara; 12-22-2016 at 07:51 PM..
I wouldn't be surprised if they got rid of ET either. When we were there in September, it didn't even open until 10:00am, so we missed riding it, which we were really upset about. The worst thing was there were quite a lot of people milling around, wanting to ride it.
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We loved the new ride but then, we loved the old one as well! 
Lunch was wonderful!!
Muffin got a soft pretzel and a coke. When we came out of Ben and Jerry's, people were staking out spots, so we decided to find one while enjoying our snacks.
Mannheim Steamroller and after seeing this wonderful performance live, I would do it again next year!!
PassPorter Guide Author
I remember going on Revenge of the Mummy with you many years ago and I remember how much you loved it. 
They don’t even have ET saying the right names anymore when he says goodbye. 
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