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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Glad you figured out what was bothering her and were able to remedy the situation.
Oh, me too! It was so frustrating with her crying and not being able to figure out what was wrong.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SuperDave
Glad Cora was finally feeling herself again after some needed intervention!
Quote:
Originally Posted by tdhc
Great updates, but poor Cora. You all seem to be able to go with the flow and adjust very easily to accommodate that sweetie pie. I so love her character interactions. They are the absolute best.
We had said from the planning stages that this trip was going to be for Cora, so we knew we had to be flexible. Yes, she did love the characters!
Quote:
Originally Posted by patclairesmom
Glad Cora feels better!
Me too!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Colexis Mom
Glad you were able to figure out what was wrong with Cora! More great pictures!!
Thanks!
Quote:
Originally Posted by chezp
Glad you were able to remedy the situation. You really are getting the most wonderful photos of Cora this vacation.
Between the PP pics and the ones we took, I was very happy with the great collection of photos we ended up with!
We got up, showered and dressed and had breakfast in the room. Scrambled eggs, toast and leftover tater tots. Then we headed out to MK. We went to New Fantasyland via the Tomorrowland Terrace and the pathway along the railroad track. This is a great way to avoid the early morning crowds. When we got back to Fantasyland, we rode Dumbo with no wait, Under the Sea with no wait, and met Ariel with no wait!
IMG_8727 (640x427) by Donna Allan, on Flickr
It was just around 10:30 and we’d already done quite a bit. It really pays to show up early!
Our next FP was for Jungle Cruise, but we had some time to kill. We headed over to Adventureland and found a shady spot to relax and have a snack. Then we walked around Adventureland for a while until it was time for our FP. Cora enjoyed the boat ride through the jungle, especially the waterfall.
Then we headed to Main Street. Liz wanted to do a little shopping, and I had a couple things in mind as well. Jeff walked outside with Cora and they watched the Move It! Shake it! Celebrate it! parade go by. When it was time to pay, I switched places with Jeff since he had his AP on him. When Liz came out with the bag I surprised Cora with a Minnie plush which she loved!! In fact, you’ll see it in most of the remaining pictures as she didn’t put it down much.
Then we headed back to BLT. And I guess it was time for a little photo shoot with the stroller!
Then Jeff and Liz stayed in the room, while I took Cora for a walk around the Contemporary grounds so she could fall asleep. After ½ hour, she was finally asleep and I headed back into the building. I waited for the elevator, took it to the 4th floor, and when we got off I heard a sleepy little voice from under the stroller canopy say, “Let’s find our room.” Oh darn! Well, at least she had a good rest.
Then Liz and I decided to go down to the Community Hall with Cora. At one point I had exchanged our movies for two new ones and noticed that they had a nice collection of toys for little ones…Duplo, a Castle play set, and a Mickey pirate ship play set. So we decided to take Cora down there to play for a while. It was a great place to sit and relax…they had a comfy couch and a movie was playing, and no one was there except for a great CM who was extremely friendly and helpful. She offered us coloring sheets, leftover Halloween candy from the party (which Liz pocketed for later) and even came over to sit on the floor and play with Cora at one point.
Jeff came down after a rest in the room and wondered if I wanted to go for a walk. I had told him about the jogging trail around Contemporary where I had walked with Cora and he was interested in checking it out. So, this time I brought my camera and took some pictures.
You certainly accomplished a lot by getting to the MK early! Cora is certainly enjoying WDW so much and has found a new friend with Minnie!
__________________
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!
The Community Hall sounds really nice. Since we're staying at BLT in February, I'm going to make a point to check it out. We've never really ventured in the one at Boardwalk Villas. I love how thrilled Cora was with her stuffed Minnie. Is she still carrying her around?
Just catching up! Sounds like some good and not so good things, but glad that Cora got to feeling better. And really it sounds like you are getting a lot of things accomplished!!!
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Oh wow, you did pack a lot in first thing at the Magic Kingdom. You seem to be enjoying a lot of the down time as well, exploring a lot more at the resort.
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Cora sure is a cutie. Love her expressions when she met Mickey and the gang.
I know! the Photographers did an awesome job capturing her excitement!
Quote:
Originally Posted by SuperDave
You certainly accomplished a lot by getting to the MK early! Cora is certainly enjoying WDW so much and has found a new friend with Minnie!
Yes, getting there early really helps eliminate wait times!
Oh, she loves her MInnie!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Colexis Mom
What a great morning at MK and a great afternoon at the resort!!
Yes, it was a good day!
Quote:
Originally Posted by num1DVCfan
The Community Hall sounds really nice. Since we're staying at BLT in February, I'm going to make a point to check it out. We've never really ventured in the one at Boardwalk Villas. I love how thrilled Cora was with her stuffed Minnie. Is she still carrying her around?
When it was just Jeff and I, I never paid much attention to it, but the Community Hall really was a wonderful perk with a little one!
Cora didn't have Minnie when she was here last week, but Liz said she has been carrying it around at home.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nemo125
Just catching up! Sounds like some good and not so good things, but glad that Cora got to feeling better. And really it sounds like you are getting a lot of things accomplished!!!
Yes, we are getting a lot in to each day.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cam22
I'll be catching up for a while. Just read your first two updates. Congrats to Cora for doing so well on her first ever flight!
There were a few difficult moments on the flight, but for the most part it was good. The thing is, when you've got an ornery, uncooperative toddler on your hands, five minutes seems like an eternity!
Quote:
Originally Posted by chezp
Oh wow, you did pack a lot in first thing at the Magic Kingdom. You seem to be enjoying a lot of the down time as well, exploring a lot more at the resort.
It was nice walking around the Contemporary grounds. Very peaceful.
Quote:
Originally Posted by patclairesmom
Great day at MK with Cora. She seems to be getting into the swing of things. The community hall seems like a nice option for Cora!
The Community Hall was a great option! I highly recommend it for anyone with little ones.
November 1 - part 2
After some down time in the afternoon it was time to get ready for the evening. We had a 5:00 ADR at Trails End and were hoping to get a wagon ride around Fort Wilderness. We wanted to give ourselves enough time, so we headed down to the boat dock by 4:00. We did have to wait a while for a boat, but when one finally came it was headed directly to Fort Wilderness, so that was a plus.
The buffet was awesome, and Liz, Jeff and I had our fill of all the offerings. Again, they gave me a listing of all the items on the buffet, indicating which were safe for gluten free (and other allergies as well). Cora wasn’t much interested in sitting down to eat. It was about this time that I asked Liz about their dinner routine at home. It turns out they are very casual, eating in front of the TV rather than at the table. Well, no wonder Cora doesn’t like to sit at the table and eat! But I don’t say a word! : (My favorite line from The Parent Trap)
The only dessert that was GF was the soft serve ice cream, but when I went to get some, the machine was not there. I inquired and found out it was broken. A very nice CM offered to bring me a Mickey Bar, but I wasn’t sure if they were GF or not, so I declined. I guess I could have asked if they were GF, but Cora was getting squirmy, and I wanted take her out. So, while Liz and Jeff got their dessert and then took care of the bill, I took Cora outside and we walked around. There were PP photographers getting ready to take pics of the Hoop dee doo crowd and because no one was around yet, they gave us our own private photo shoot!
I inquired about the wagon rides and found out the first one left at 6:00. It was $12 per adult and you pay the driver when he pulls up. It was about 5:30 and Jeff and Liz were just coming out of Trails End. The wagon had just pulled up, so we went over, reserved our spot on the ride and paid him, then we headed over to the stable area to look at the horses.
It was just us and one other family. And it was a very relaxing ride and a lot of fun! The driver was awesome! Very knowledgeable - you could tell he just loved his job. After riding through some more secluded areas, we ended up in the campgrounds where many of the sites were decorated for Halloween.
The ride lasted 25 minutes, and we were dropped off in a different spot, closer to the stables. We spotted a few deer in the ditch just as we were getting dropped off.
It was just a short walk to Pioneer Hall where we used the rest rooms and then headed back to the boat dock. I don’t think we waited for a boat – maybe there was one just pulling up to the dock when we arrived. We stopped at Wilderness Lodge and then on to BLT. There were quite a few people in costume since this was the last night for the Halloween party at MK.
Once we got back to the resort, Liz and Cora got settled watching a movie and Jeff and I decided we’d head out to Epcot for the remainder of the night. We decided to travel light, which meant no backpack or camera. We took the monorail from The Contemporary, transferred at TTC and arrived at Epcot around 7:30 getting a PP picture straight away.
After our picture we rode Spaceship Earth, which was a walk-on. Then we headed to WS and Canada. It may seem silly but we’ve always enjoyed O Canada, and so that was one of the things we decided to do. While we were waiting for the show we had time to discuss what else we’d do. We thought about Illuminations, but didn’t want the hassle of the crowds walking back to the monorail. So we decided we’d ride Soarin’ since Jeff had ridden on our Epcot day but I did not.
O Canada was good, as usual. Martin Short always makes me laugh, I love the beautiful scenery and the song is one of my favorites in Epcot. (Second only to the music from Impressions de France.)
So, after the show let out we hustled to The Land and Soarin’. It was about 8:45 I think, and the listed wait time was 5 minutes. But we walked right into Concourse B, and then right into the pre-show. I was glad I got a chance to get to ride it this trip as I just love the new Soarin’!
When we exited, it was a little before 9:00 and as we walked toward the exit, we could hear the show starting and see some of the higher fireworks.
When we got back to the Contemporary we went to the Contempo Café and had some soft serve ice cream. I texted Liz to tell her we had stopped for ice cream and ask if she wanted anything, but she said no.
On the way back to the room we stopped at Bayview Gifts and I bought a Tinkerbell Alex and Ani bracelet with some birthday gift cards.
When we got back to the room it was dark. The credits were rolling for The Tigger Movie, Cora was asleep and Liz was on her iPad. We headed for our room and settled down as well. It had been a good day!
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