A special birthday, a diamond anniversary and a west coast adventure UPDATED 9/7 - Page 5 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Oh, your excursions sound great. I was getting really excited about the Skagway tour, until you had to go and mess me up by saying it was only offered during August and Sept. We are sailing in June. Oh, well, I do like the sound of the photography tour in Juneau. We had an amazing whale watch on our last trip, but DH really wants to see more of Mendenhall Glacier and great photo tips would be wonderful for both the glacier and the whales. I know when we did the whale watch with Harv and Marv they said that they couldn't guarantee whales, of course, that they had never failed to see at least one. On our first tour in 2011 we saw very few whales and nothing spectacular. I'm sure we will do whales every single time we go to Alaska as they are so intriguing.
Those are some great excursions you've chosen! You'll certainly be able to see and experience a lot on them. Just hope the weather cooperates!
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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!
You have some really great excursions planned! Love the idea of dinner at Palo for Mark's Birthday. I'm sure they will make it a special evening for him.
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Oh, your excursions sound great. I was getting really excited about the Skagway tour, until you had to go and mess me up by saying it was only offered during August and Sept. We are sailing in June.
I was very pleasantly surprised to see it offered for our sailing, given we're on the last of the season and there was another tour offered in that time period, but I don't remember what it was. Equally, I do recall seeing a couple of tours offered for June, but again I can't remember the details.
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Oh, well, I do like the sound of the photography tour in Juneau. We had an amazing whale watch on our last trip, but DH really wants to see more of Mendenhall Glacier and great photo tips would be wonderful for both the glacier and the whales. I know when we did the whale watch with Harv and Marv they said that they couldn't guarantee whales, of course, that they had never failed to see at least one. On our first tour in 2011 we saw very few whales and nothing spectacular. I'm sure we will do whales every single time we go to Alaska as they are so intriguing.
Ditto, especially given how much Mark loves whales!
You have some really great excursions planned! Love the idea of dinner at Palo for Mark's Birthday. I'm sure they will make it a special evening for him.
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OMG I'm mentioned in a Chez Pre-TR!!! I am honored! Your excursions sound spectacular. I think you will have some great adventures with them. Your shore excursion in Ketchican sounds like the same place Bob and I went to see the bears feeding. We also got to see a person working on a totem pole. Will be interested to hear if it is the same place.
Now, remember, if you want to see the whales you need to keep a look out while on the ship. How many times did we see some swimming alongside while you were elsewhere and when you returned you thought we were fooling your???
I am so itching for a cruise. I am currently working on my scrapbook from the NYC/Canada trip in 2012. We will have a 50 to celebrate like Mark coming in 2017 (our son will be 50 and we will be married 50 years). Our DDinL wants us all to go on a cruise and go to WDW but unfortunately neither or my kids thinks they would enjoy the ship. We will just have to see.
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.
We did Palo brunch on our Tracy Arm day, I think at 10:30, and we saw whales from the windows. In fact, our server said this was his third season in Alsaka and the first time he'd seen one breech. Everyone at Palo was standing on one side looking out the window - including most of the servers.
OMG I'm mentioned in a Chez Pre-TR!!! I am honored!
Well of course you are - how could I write about Alaska and not mention you guys after such a wonderful cruise together in 2011? By the way, I still cannot believe it's four years ago. Where the heck does the time go?
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Your excursions sound spectacular. I think you will have some great adventures with them. Your shore excursion in Ketchican sounds like the same place Bob and I went to see the bears feeding. We also got to see a person working on a totem pole. Will be interested to hear if it is the same place.
I suspect it may be the same one or at least a variation on it.
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Now, remember, if you want to see the whales you need to keep a look out while on the ship. How many times did we see some swimming alongside while you were elsewhere and when you returned you thought we were fooling your???
Oh don't! That really was classic and I just obviously wasn't meant to see them!
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I am so itching for a cruise. I am currently working on my scrapbook from the NYC/Canada trip in 2012. We will have a 50 to celebrate like Mark coming in 2017 (our son will be 50 and we will be married 50 years). Our DDinL wants us all to go on a cruise and go to WDW but unfortunately neither or my kids thinks they would enjoy the ship. We will just have to see.
I hope it works out for you and you can do another cruise. You do know that Disney are doing some amazing itineraries on this side of the pond, right?
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Oh, well, I do like the sound of the photography tour in Juneau. We had an amazing whale watch on our last trip, but DH really wants to see more of Mendenhall Glacier and great photo tips would be wonderful for both the glacier and the whales. I know when we did the whale watch with Harv and Marv they said that they couldn't guarantee whales, of course, that they had never failed to see at least one. On our first tour in 2011 we saw very few whales and nothing spectacular. I'm sure we will do whales every single time we go to Alaska as they are so intriguing.
You'll certainly be able to see and experience a lot on them. Just hope the weather cooperates! 
PassPorter Guide Author
By the way, I still cannot believe it's four years ago. 
Where the heck does the time go? 
That really was classic and I just obviously wasn't meant to see them! 
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