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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!
Welcome! We're happy you've found the PassPorter Community -- the friendliest place to plan your vacation to Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland, and the world in general! You are now viewing the PassPorter Message Board Community as a guest, which gives you limited access. As our guest, feel free to browse our messages by selecting the forum you want to visit from the list below.
To post messages and ask questions, join our FREE community today and you'll get access to tools and resources not available to guests, such as our vacation countown timers, "living" avatars, private messaging system, database searches, downloads, and a special PassPorter discount code. Registration is fast, simple, and completely free. Just click the Join Our Community link.
If you think you've already joined, log in below now. If you don't remember your member name or password, please visit our Member Name and Password Recovery page. You are also welcome to contact us.
Registered Message Board Members Get Our Free Newsletter! When you register you'll have the option to sign up for our weekly PassPorter Newsletter. It's chock-full of feature articles; news; tips; contests; photos; and special offers in our online store.
Our next destination was near the Magic Kingdom, so I tried for some shots as we approached.
Not to fabulous.
Next stop. ……. The Contemporary and Bay Lake Towers.
I hadn’t realized that the Contemporary had a convention center.
I like this shot
Off the bus and into the Contemporary.
I’m sure you are totally shocked, but as I walked in, I took a bunch of pictures.
I know this place is supposed to be modern, but something about it makes me think of the 70’s. Like what the 70’s thought the future would be. That’s the vibe I get in the lobby.
It didn’t take long for Tommy to get our key…and guess what, they had a room open over in Bay lake Towers too, so we were going to tour over there as well.
This reminds me of an airport terminal.
We headed straight over to the Wave.
This place looked really cool.
We talked about the Wave a bit and headed onward.
The healthy people took the stairs…the Majority took the escalator. LOL
Tommy grew up in Orlando. He told us how every time he comes to the Contemporary he thinks of his prom….that’s right,…. HIS prom was held here! How cool would that be?
We saw the check in desk for the California Grill
You check in here and then take the elevator up.
As Tommy talked about the resort, I did my usual….taking lots of pictures.
Registered Message Board Members save 30% off PassPorter guidebooks! When you register you'll have access to a discount coupon good for 30% off the list price of PassPorter books in our online store.
Great photos of the Contemporary! I love the Garden Wing rooms believe it or not, especially the ones that look out over the waterway to the Wilderness Lodge. You actually could sneak into my suitcase if you wanted to--but it means sleeping on the pull out couch in a studio.
Great pictures. I love the picture of you laughing at WCC. I really really want to stay at WL on day. The Contemporary, not so much. We stayed there twice when I was little (the only options were that and the POLY) and it's just too modern for my taste.
Wow, you are certainly packing in a lot during your visits.
Yes we did
Quote:
Originally Posted by Colexis Mom
Great pics!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cam22
Great pics of CM!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Big Baloo
Loved the ducks in the pool at the WL.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ilovedisney247
Great photos of the Contemporary! I love the Garden Wing rooms believe it or not, especially the ones that look out over the waterway to the Wilderness Lodge. You actually could sneak into my suitcase if you wanted to--but it means sleeping on the pull out couch in a studio.
I wouldn't mind a pull out if it meant I could come !!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by patclairesmom
Great pictures. I love the picture of you laughing at WCC. I really really want to stay at WL on day. The Contemporary, not so much. We stayed there twice when I was little (the only options were that and the POLY) and it's just too modern for my taste.
I wish I could've stayed there many years ago. It would've been neat to have that memory.
We headed out and over towards Bay lake tower. There is a bridge that connects the two places.
Here is the observation deck at the Contemporary.
For some reason, I think we had to wait a few minutes before going over. I don’t know if were waiting for the other group to get done, or if we had to wait on some of our party coming off elevators…but at that time I ask Tommy about taking a bathroom break. All that lemonade was starting to hit me. LOL! He said we would wait and take one when we arrived at the next resort…..OK, I think I can wait. LOL! But then because I knew I had to wait (and saw no bathrooms near by) I swear my eyeballs started floating.
We finally made our way over to the tower.
And a look out the window at the pool and sites.
And on to a room.
These rooms were really nice, but did already show a little wear and tear, which is a shame. Brook told me about how these rooms had to be redone because there were some problems with the original design and enough people complained about it.
And the chair opens up to a bed!
Do you hear the angels singing for this?
I’m a fan of doing laundry on vacation now. I used to think it was dumb, but now I can pack less and do a load or 2 fairly easily. If I had one in my room, it would be easier yet.
About This Page: 
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
PassPorter Guide Author
Linear Mode
