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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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 have read about the program but have no idea about how to do a grant proposal
It can be intimidating to think about, I know it was for me. To make it easier they provide a template and examples of proposals on their website, which was very helpful. They also provide their scoring rubric which is very clear. You can have your proposal reviewed for feedback about 8 weeks before the submission deadline. This was invaluable as we learned what was strongest about our proposal, what we needed to explain further or better, and what information was extraneous. There is a character limit on proposals which makes it easier to be concise. To give you an idea, our proposal was about 4 pages long, excluding the budget worksheet.
We did enjoy the Tower Bridge. There's a glass bottom that allows you to see all the way down to the Thames, and even a mirrored ceiling so you can take selfies up that give the view of you hovering over the glass floor/water. Not something I would have paid to do on its own, but figured why not since it was part of the pass.
FYI on the Globe Theater - the pass includes a tour/admission, but only if there's no show going on. We ended up buying standing area admission to get in, as there WAS a show. If you buy tickets, there are seats, and then there's a big open area for standing room, and it is not frowned upon to walk around or come & go during a show. We would've liked to have stayed for the show we peaked in on - it was by the same playwrite that did War Horse, and the 20-30 minutes we saw was EXCELLENT. But we had tickets to Buckingham Palace that couldn't be moved.
That sounds scary to walk on glass Thanks for the heads up on the Globe Theater. Sounds like you had a great time in London.
Quote:
Originally Posted by xwewhisper
I'm all about purchasing in advance! Typically you can save a few $$ but also you tend to save so much time! The lines at attractions can be so long just to buy the tickets, but when you already have them you get to skip that line!
Me too. Plus I was thinking that if the pound continues to go higher, I would save a little money by purchasing now. I am not a fan of lines which I think is due to being a rule follower and properly standing in line or being in a car in line and what aggravates me is when other people don't follow the 'rules' and try to cut in front - drives me crazy so avoiding long lines would be a plus.
Quote:
Originally Posted by chezp
I'm glad you went with Virgin Atlantic - you probably already know how much we enjoy flying with them!
I'm a great believer in buying as much as you can before a trip, as it allows you to pay for things bit by bit and, as others have pointed out, it may be cheaper in advance and it saves you standing in line.
I'm looking forward to flying with them. DD looks forward to feeling "fancy" since we are flying premium economy. I like paying smaller amounts at a time rather than all at once. I agree about lines.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SuperDave
Plans are shaping up. I'm an uber planner too so this all looks familiar and what I always do? If you need suggestions for Paris of things to do I can help as I've been there five times!
We have a few must do's in Paris. What would be your top recommendations?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Colexis Mom
Good luck figuring out your London plans!!
Thanks! Since we are spending the most time there, we have lots of choices
Quote:
Originally Posted by HollyH
I have read about the program but have no idea about how to do a grant proposal
It can be intimidating to think about, I know it was for me. To make it easier they provide a template and examples of proposals on their website, which was very helpful. They also provide their scoring rubric which is very clear. You can have your proposal reviewed for feedback about 8 weeks before the submission deadline. This was invaluable as we learned what was strongest about our proposal, what we needed to explain further or better, and what information was extraneous. There is a character limit on proposals which makes it easier to be concise. To give you an idea, our proposal was about 4 pages long, excluding the budget worksheet.
That sounds doable, especially since they give some review help.
We have a few must do's in Paris. What would be your top recommendations?
We've taken quite a few first timers to Paris and usually they all want to do the Eiffel Tower. A cruise along the River Seine is wonderful, but the dinner cruises are very expensive and, while the food was Ok, I didn't think it was worth the money.
We've never visited the Louvre in all our times in the city, but I know it's a must-do for many. We do love the building, and will often walk from there through Place de la Concorde up the Champs-Elysees and to the Arc de Triomphe.
There's a Disney Store along the Champs-Elysees you may want to check out and personally I love going up the Arc de Triomphe and watching the traffic around it - pick a car and follow it around, it's a lot of fun!
Versailles is definitely worth a visit as well, but that's probably the best part of a day trip.
Cheryl's tips are good. Lunch on the roof of La Samaratain department store is a good idea with great views of the city. It's located near Pont Neuf, an area where you can take the Seine River cruises from.
Saint Chapelle cathedral is worth a visit and doesn't have the crowds of Notre Dame. Place d' Alma has some nice restaurants along the Seine with great views. A visit to Luxembourg Gardens is worth it. The cafes and restaurants near this area in St Germain is a good choice with a couple of the most famous cafes in Paris including Cafe Flore. This is the area I stayed in back in 2013.
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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!
Cheryl's tips are good. Lunch on the roof of La Samaratain department store is a good idea with great views of the city. It's located near Pont Neuf, an area where you can take the Seine River cruises from.
Ah, now is that re-open again? La Samarataine closed a few years ago sadly and the last time I checked, admittedly a couple of years back, the store building that had the rooftop café was still unused.
Quote:
Saint Chapelle cathedral is worth a visit and doesn't have the crowds of Notre Dame.
I knew I'd forgotten something - either Saint Chapelle or the Notre Dame are worth going on the list.
We've taken quite a few first timers to Paris and usually they all want to do the Eiffel Tower. A cruise along the River Seine is wonderful, but the dinner cruises are very expensive and, while the food was Ok, I didn't think it was worth the money.
We've never visited the Louvre in all our times in the city, but I know it's a must-do for many. We do love the building, and will often walk from there through Place de la Concorde up the Champs-Elysees and to the Arc de Triomphe.
There's a Disney Store along the Champs-Elysees you may want to check out and personally I love going up the Arc de Triomphe and watching the traffic around it - pick a car and follow it around, it's a lot of fun!
Versailles is definitely worth a visit as well, but that's probably the best part of a day trip.
Does that help?
We do want to see the Effiel Tower but we are not going up in it. I'm hoping to do just a ride along the Seine but not a dinner cruise. I am not a big art person but I figure if I'm going to see art then what is the one place that has the most amazing art? the Louvre of course so we are doing that. Yes, we are walking the Champs-Elysee to the Arc de Triumph. I think it was in one of your trip reports that you went to a memorial past the Arc de Triumph which I would like to find.
Yes to Versailles.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SuperDave
Cheryl's tips are good. Lunch on the roof of La Samaratain department store is a good idea with great views of the city. It's located near Pont Neuf, an area where you can take the Seine River cruises from.
Saint Chapelle cathedral is worth a visit and doesn't have the crowds of Notre Dame. Place d' Alma has some nice restaurants along the Seine with great views. A visit to Luxembourg Gardens is worth it. The cafes and restaurants near this area in St Germain is a good choice with a couple of the most famous cafes in Paris including Cafe Flore. This is the area I stayed in back in 2013.
Lunch on a rooftop sounds lovely, however, I looked up the La Samaratain and it will not re-open until sometime in 2018 so maybe I can find another place like that. I know there are many beautiful churches throughout Europe and the U.K. but, I do not want to see so many that they all blend together into one building in my memory. We both want to see Notre Dame, (Hunchback of Notre Dame) I know it will be crowded, in fact I expect everywhere we go will be crowded but if I ever get back then I will venture farther afield than the most famous places.
Lunch on a rooftop sounds lovely, however, I looked up the La Samaratain and it will not re-open until sometime in 2018 so maybe I can find another place like that.
Oh, so it is re-opening? Yay! My goodness, it's been closed so long I never thought it would re-open. Great news!
Quote:
I know there are many beautiful churches throughout Europe and the U.K. but, I do not want to see so many that they all blend together into one building in my memory. We both want to see Notre Dame, (Hunchback of Notre Dame) I know it will be crowded, in fact I expect everywhere we go will be crowded but if I ever get back then I will venture farther afield than the most famous places.
I hear you about that. We got to the stage where we were like "it's another palace" and lost enthusiasm for all these amazing rooms we were seeing. We just felt they all melded together in our memory, which was a shame, as they were spectacular, but after a while, you can't distinguish between them.
I was going to start more specifics, however, yesterday I purchased airfare for my DMIL to come to DD's graduation in June and while I was purchasing, decided to get a few other things done for the trip. I reserved our Athens tours, one to Corinth and the other for a Sunset tour of Cape Sounion. We also decided to stay in England and see more of it rather than visit another country so I purchased a tour to Oxford (J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis worked and lived) , Stratford-Upon-Avon (Shakespeare's birthplace), a drive through the Cotswolds and a visit to Warwick Castle. This is a 10 hour day trip and I got a great price through my London Pass of 42 pounds off each ticket . I love a deal.
I had budgeted $300.00 for Broadway and another $300 for West End shows in London. You might wonder why I had set aside so much for theater or more specifically, musicals. I shall share the why. When I was 5 or 6 my grandma took me to see my very first movie. It was the first 'color'
anything I had ever seen (our TV was black and white) and the opening scene of the Austrian mountains, the music playing and Julie Andrews singing was the most amazing thing I had ever seen in my young life. This left a strong impression on me and to this day I love musicals. I passed this love onto to DD (18) and she loves them more than me!
I figure if this is our chance to see more musicals on the greatest stages in the world we are going for it.I
I had heard that London had better prices than New York City, even with the price difference and that was true! I think I mentioned earlier that I got tickets for Anastasia in NYC, per DD's request. Yesterday I spent $24 more than I budgeted, however, we get to go to three shows in London for nearly the price of one in NYC. We have had a bunch of talks about what shows to see several times over the past months and now it is done because the tickets are purchased. Since DD got first choice in NYC, I picked Wicked. When I realized that we would fit in 2 more, DD chose The Phantom of the Opera which suits me well and my last choice was 42nd Street. I am excited!
Oh wow, how great you'll be seeing so many shows during this trip!
Your tour sounds wonderful. We're going to Warwick Castle a week on Sunday. I haven't been for years - probably since I was at the University of Warwick 25+ years ago and Mark's never been. You'll love Oxford and Stratford, they're both beautiful and the Cotswolds is a gorgeous part of the country as well.
I knew La Samarataine had closed but thought I heard from someone I know who travels to Paris at least once a year that it re-opened. Glad to hear it will be re-opening as it's a great spot for lunch. It won't help with your trip but there are many good places in Paris with incredible views. Some are quite expensive such as the upscale ones offered in the Eiffel Tower.
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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!
Oh wow, how great you'll be seeing so many shows during this trip!
Your tour sounds wonderful. We're going to Warwick Castle a week on Sunday. I haven't been for years - probably since I was at the University of Warwick 25+ years ago and Mark's never been. You'll love Oxford and Stratford, they're both beautiful and the Cotswolds is a gorgeous part of the country as well.
I visited Warwick Castle about 20 years ago on my second trip to Europe. It was a day tour visiting there as well as Stratford upon Avon and Oxford University. The castle was quite a place as I loved the ramparts along the castle walls The dungeons were quite interesting to say the least with the various torture devices!
__________________
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!
PassPorter's Free-Book to Walt Disney World It’s hard to believe anything is free at Walt Disney World; but there are actually a number of things you can get or do for little to no cost. This e-book documents over 200 free or cheap tips to do before you go and after you arrive. You could save a considerable amount of money following these tips. Perhaps more importantly; you can discover overlooked attractions and little-known details most people whiz by on their way to spend money. Click here to see free sample pages from the e-book! Get this popular e-book free of extra charges when you join the PassPorter's Club for as little as $4.95. A club pass includes access to all our other e-books; e-worksheets; super-size photos; and more! This e-book is also available for separate purchase in the PassPorter Online Store for just $5.95.
I love musicals, too! I'm glad to hear you're going to so many! I saw Anastasia in its pre-Broadway run in Hartford, CT. The two leads were the same then as on Broadway, and they were both very good! I'm sure you'll enjoy it.
You've got a good list of classic musicals in London!
When we saw Alladin in the West End last summer, we were surprised to find them serving (for sale) ice cream bars inside the theater during intermission! I've never experienced that in the US, and we are season subscribers to 3 different theaters in DC, and have seen a lot of Broadway shows. I don't know if that's standard in London, or just because it was a show with so many kids, and it was unusually hot outside?
I visited Warwick Castle about 20 years ago on my second trip to Europe. It was a day tour visiting there as well as Stratford upon Avon and Oxford University. The castle was quite a place as I loved the ramparts along the castle walls The dungeons were quite interesting to say the least with the various torture devices!
Yes, I don't think I'll be visiting that part of the castle...
Quote:
Originally Posted by cubfancolleen
You've got a good list of classic musicals in London!
When we saw Alladin in the West End last summer, we were surprised to find them serving (for sale) ice cream bars inside the theater during intermission! I've never experienced that in the US, and we are season subscribers to 3 different theaters in DC, and have seen a lot of Broadway shows. I don't know if that's standard in London, or just because it was a show with so many kids, and it was unusually hot outside?
No, it's pretty much standard at any theatre show. If there weren't refreshments on sale during the intermission, I'd be surprised. Usually they're available in the foyer, and for bigger theatres, in the theatre itself.
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Thanks for the heads up on the Globe Theater. Sounds like you had a great time in London.
since we are flying premium economy. I like paying smaller amounts at a time rather than all at once.
Alaskan Mom aka Bonnie
PassPorter Guide Author
My goodness, it's been closed so long I never thought it would re-open. Great news! 
We got to the stage where we were like "it's another palace" and lost enthusiasm for all these amazing rooms we were seeing. We just felt they all melded together in our memory, which was a shame, as they were spectacular, but after a while, you can't distinguish between them. 
I passed this love onto to DD (18) and she loves them more than me!
I 
and Mark's never been. You'll love Oxford and Stratford, they're both beautiful and the Cotswolds is a gorgeous part of the country as well.
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