An Animal Kingdom State of Being with Cam and Fam COMPLETED 9/18 - Page 48 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Those African bunnies are rare. How lucky you are to have spotted one.
In all seriousness, though, that is truly magical to see the animals right from your balcony! We've never stayed at AKL because I've never thought I would like being that far away, but those photos sure took my breath away!
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What wonderful pictures! I the giraffe!! He is so cute!
I am so glad you were able to get some refreshments from the lounge!
I can't wait to read about your twilight adventures!
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PassPorter Guide Community Rank: Legend Extraordinaire
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Southwestern Florida, USA
Concierge Level: 7
Posts: 39,153
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Likes (Given): 39
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Thanks (Given): 18
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What wonderful pictures! I the giraffe!! He is so cute!
I am so glad you were able to get some refreshments from the lounge!
I can't wait to read about your twilight adventures!
Yikes I cannot believe how far behind I was. I'm so sorry about Luke's broken toe. I am sure he was in lots of pain .
Your pictures of the lobby are just fabulous and I just love the studio. It is really nice that it has double sinks. The next time Bob and I go I really want to stay at AKL. It may be a while but it's on my list. I just loved the pictures of the animals especially the giraffes which I know are your favorite .
I was excited about the ostriches, but when that giraffe walked up I was in awe.
Quote:
Originally Posted by goofyboysmama
Sigh... looking at your pictures of the lobby made me feel a little homesick - weird because we've only stayed at AKL once! We'll have to make do with a standard view this time, so thanks for the great pics . I love the ostriches!
I have some cool pictures from later when we are at Kidani Village, too. It reminds me of the ostriches on the SpectroMagic float.
Quote:
Originally Posted by clio
Beautiful pictures of the animals on your savannah. that was my favorite part of staying at AKL. I could have spent hours out there watching all the animals outside my door.
Liz
I'm pretty sure I did spend hours on this balcony and later on the one at Kidani Village. I'm sure our animal gazing cuts into our park time, but it's worth it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by emvenable77
All caught up Cam! Great updates so far! So sorry about Luke's toe(s)! I ended up with blisters on both of my little toes by day 3 and that was miserable. I can't imagine 2 possible broken toes!
Your view was awesome! Hopefully one day we will be able to stay at AKL. I love giraffes and probably could have stayed on that balcony all night just to watch him!
I saw in your TR that you had gotten blisters on your little toes. I checked every night for animals, but never saw any. When we stayed at Kidani Village in 2009, a few giraffes would settle down near our balcony every night.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mcc0313
I don't think I would have been able to pull myself away from the balcony...definitely worth the wait for a bit until they decided to come out, I so love the giraffees, now that to me is heaven, sitting out on the balcony with a giraffee wandering below.
I did feel like it was heaven!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Roxie2006
After all the aggravation just to check-in, it seems some pixies dust caught up to you all!!!... What a super Magical moment to open the door into a beautiful room.. All the pics you took of the room and the Savannah view with all the wonderful animals are going to make an awesome scrapbook.. Not to mention all the beautiful pics of the Lobby... Poor Luke, staying off his feet had to make his toe feel better!!!!!!!!.....
He did feel much better after resting! And we were all feeling the Magic now.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lindawdw
What a perfect afternoon break! Loved all your animal pictures
It wasn't necessarily the day we had planned, but it had it's great moments.
Your savanah photos have definitely moved AKL to the top of my list for future trips! How wonderful and relaxing to just sit on your balcony and watch the peaceful sights below
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I'm glad you got a Savannah room and saw some animals my brother and I decided to treat our Dad with a trip to Disney for his 60th birthday in 2014 and we're considering AKL with a (preferably) Savannah-view room.
Your savanah photos have definitely moved AKL to the top of my list for future trips! How wonderful and relaxing to just sit on your balcony and watch the peaceful sights below
AKL is our whole family's absolute favorite WDW resort!
Quote:
Originally Posted by cubfancolleen
I know you were thrilled to see that giraffe! We love AKL - especially with a savannah view!
The giraffe just make it perfect!
Quote:
Originally Posted by lexiemom
Yay! I am so glad the animals joined you, especially that adorable giraffe!
Love, love, LOVE the savannah view! We had one in Nov and I spent every am out on the balcony having coffee with the animals. We had some giraffes and a couple zebras along with the antelope. It was way cool! Your pics are great!
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the giraffe!! He is so cute! 
I cannot believe how far behind I was. I'm so sorry about Luke's broken toe. I am sure he was in lots of pain 
. 
What a super Magical moment to open the door into a beautiful room.. All the pics you took of the room and the Savannah view with all the wonderful animals are going to make an awesome scrapbook..
It wasn't necessarily the day we had planned, but it had it's great moments. 
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