A Baltic boating adventure TRIP REPORT COMPLETED 11/19 - Page 65 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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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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Oh yes, the larger throne room is so much better. Much more space
I thought you might prefer it...
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All the gold everywhere... wow! The Pavilion room seems light and airy, and with such a great view. I'll take that room.
I totally forgot about the art museum aspect too, until you mentioned it again. I suppose they do it this way so you're not overwhelmed with both palace and art at the same time? Whatever, it's still overwhelming!!
Maybe... I wasn't interested in the art museum side, so I was pleasantly surprised about how much of the building was actually still a palace.
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 loved the Hermitage, and would love to go back as we felt we barely scratched the surface. And I much prefer that art to modern art. We spent part of the morning at the Guggenheim here in Bilbao, and some of it seems a stretch, to call it art, in my opinion.
I dread to think... that's one of the reasons that Bilbao really doesn't do much for me. I know the Guggenheim is one of the huge draws and I have no interest in going there at all.
What an amazing place all of the gold and stunning decor, which overwhelms me! I'm not much into your standard works of art either. I've visited Paris on five occasions, but have never visited Le Musee de Louvre. Not a lot of interest and as far as museums, only been to Centre Pompidou. Might do Musee d'Orsay one day!
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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!
What an amazing place all of the gold and stunning decor, which overwhelms me! I'm not much into your standard works of art either. I've visited Paris on five occasions, but have never visited Le Musee de Louvre. Not a lot of interest and as far as museums, only been to Centre Pompidou. Might do Musee d'Orsay one day!
I'm so glad I'm not the only one. I've lost count of how many times I've been to Paris (all I know is it's double figures) and I've never once visited the Louvre either...
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.
Saturday 11 June – part seven: cutting in line again
We passed through the next set of rooms at the Hermitage very quickly, so I can’t tell you a lot about them.
Everyone was lining up to see the famous paintings by Leonardo da Vinci, the Madonna Litta and the Madonna Benois, but again Elena had no plan to do that, and cut right in front of everyone. We did get reprimanded by a tour guide, but when he realised it was Elena (they were the same company), he quickly forgave us. Phew!
This was home to a temporary exhibit…
… and it gave us a better idea of why this place is known as Venice of the North…
This corridor was a replica from the Vatican. Apparently Catherine went there, loved what she saw, and ordered that it be replicated here. How wonderful it must be to be able to give such a grand order, and have it delivered for you. How the other half live!
Still the stunning rooms continued…
This painting was fascinating. It’s by Canoletto and is the Reception of the French Ambassador in Venice and it appears to move as you move from one side to the other, making it look as if it was almost painted in 3D.
There was a huge line to see some of Rembrandt’s most famous works, but as they don’t do anything for us (we are just not art lovers ), we waited outside with Phyllis. It was very hot in there with so many bodies, and we definitely did the right thing not going in.
Oh, you should go to Bilbao!! The Guggenheim itself - the architecture of it - was worth seeing. But it's the old city that would be worth a visit. It was our favorite port of the 3 in Spain.
Wasn't that corridor replicated from the Vatican just amazing?! That was one of my favorite parts.
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.
Now it's looking more like an art museum. But not like one I've ever seen. Still - wow, stunning, etc.... I can't get over those floors. Not to mention everything else. That last painting is really cool!
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), we waited outside with Phyllis. It was very hot in there with so many bodies, and we definitely did the right thing not going in. 
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