Swilley Family Finally Does Disney 'Right'!~Trip Report~**Updated 9/29** - Page 7 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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The family suites look nice and roomy.
Sorry the Power Rangers didn't make their appearance. Sounds like Mickey made up for that.
He did! I think the best thing was that it was totally unexpected!
Quote:
Originally Posted by mom to 3 princesses and 1 prince
Lots of room in that suite! We might consider it in the future if we rent an h/c van to get back and forth so we don't have to do that "we have no money and a lot of kids" walk that you and Shannon did!
Good plan.
Quote:
Originally Posted by PrincessSharon
What a wonderful first day (except for the bus situation - been there, done that ). It's so cute that your kids were so excited to see Mickey (and that it gave Shannon a good dose of Disney magic! ) Glad you enjoyed Fantasmic! That's my favorite (but still not as good as Disneyland's version). The Family Suites look really great (and your little ones jumping on the bed cracked me up). Ready for more!
Disneyland's version, huh. Do I need to plan a trip to Cali?! I'd like to say that I only let my kids jump on the bed because we were on vacation--but, they do it all the time at home too!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mares75
Just got caught up. I can't say how much I adore the picture of your kids in the airport! We stayed at ASMu last time so I can completely relate with that last bus stop thing. It just seems so darn far away after a day at the parks. And how we wished the bus waiting area at the resort had covers, we were melting in line half the time. Can't wait to see what's next!
Yes, melting is a good way to describe it! Maybe we should write a sugesstion letter!
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Read all about it in my TR, "Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot!" Jill Phil. 4: 13
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The family suites look nice and roomy.
Sorry the Power Rangers didn't make their appearance. Sounds like Mickey made up for that.
He did! I think the best thing was that it was totally unexpected!
Quote:
Originally Posted by mom to 3 princesses and 1 prince
Lots of room in that suite! We might consider it in the future if we rent an h/c van to get back and forth so we don't have to do that "we have no money and a lot of kids" walk that you and Shannon did!
Good plan.
Quote:
Originally Posted by PrincessSharon
What a wonderful first day (except for the bus situation - been there, done that ). It's so cute that your kids were so excited to see Mickey (and that it gave Shannon a good dose of Disney magic! ) Glad you enjoyed Fantasmic! That's my favorite (but still not as good as Disneyland's version). The Family Suites look really great (and your little ones jumping on the bed cracked me up). Ready for more!
Disneyland's version, huh. Do I need to plan a trip to Cali?! I'd like to say that I only let my kids jump on the bed because we were on vacation--but, they do it all the time at home too!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mares75
Just got caught up. I can't say how much I adore the picture of your kids in the airport! We stayed at ASMu last time so I can completely relate with that last bus stop thing. It just seems so darn far away after a day at the parks. And how we wished the bus waiting area at the resort had covers, we were melting in line half the time. Can't wait to see what's next!
Yes, melting is a good way to describe it! Maybe we should write a sugesstion letter!
__________________
Read all about it in my TR, "Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot!" Jill Phil. 4: 13
Just got caught up. I can't say how much I adore the picture of your kids in the airport! We stayed at ASMu last time so I can completely relate with that last bus stop thing. It just seems so darn far away after a day at the parks. And how we wished the bus waiting area at the resort had covers, we were melting in line half the time. Can't wait to see what's next!
Melting is a good way to describe it! Maybe we sould write a suggestion letter!
Quote:
Originally Posted by PrincessSharon
What a wonderful first day (except for the bus situation - been there, done that ). It's so cute that your kids were so excited to see Mickey (and that it gave Shannon a good dose of Disney magic! ) Glad you enjoyed Fantasmic! That's my favorite (but still not as good as Disneyland's version). The Family Suites look really great (and your little ones jumping on the bed cracked me up). Ready for more!
Disneyland's version, huh! So, your saying I should plan a trip to Cali?! I'd like to say that I only let my kids jump on the bed because we were on vacation; but they do it all the time here, too!
Quote:
Originally Posted by mom to 3 princesses and 1 prince
Lots of room in that suite! We might consider it in the future if we rent an h/c van to get back and forth so we don't have to do that "we have no money and a lot of kids" walk that you and Shannon did!
Good plan!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lemap760
The family suites look nice and roomy.
Sorry the Power Rangers didn't make their appearance. Sounds like Mickey made up for that.
He did! I think the best part was how totally unexpected it was!
__________________
Read all about it in my TR, "Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot!" Jill Phil. 4: 13
what a great first day
sorry about the power rangers being a no show
hope the boys get to see them later in the week
hope you were able to salvage those beautiful autograph books
suite looks great
hurry back with more please
Great updates! I love the Mickey story. We had a similar experience during our first trip, when DD (who was three at the time, and scared of all characters) saw Cinderella for the first and ran over to give her a great big hug. It was our sweetest Disney moment ever, and the kind that keeps you coming back for more. (She's 7 now and we're still enchanted by WDW!)
Glad you loved Fanstasmic... it is a truly spectacular show. And how funny, we complain about the buses too when we stay at value resorts! Those hikes are killer at the end of a long day. Your suite looks awesome, too. Can't wait to read more. Hurry back soon!
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Sounds like a great first day!! Sorry that the Power Rangers were a no show! I hope you get to see them later in the trip. And the family suite looked really nice! Looking forward to hearing about your next day!
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That suite looks very spacious and very nice! Glad it worked out for your spacing needs! Your kids are soooo cute! The photo of Leah is precious! Her expression is why you go to WDW that look of Awe they get when they realize wow they are really "real"
More please
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I am just loving your trip report....especially seeing it through your kids eyes...thats the best!!! And it is making me soooooo anxious to go with my little boy who will be 4 when we go. Only problem is we are not going until September '09, so I have a looooong way to go. But reading trip reports is helping me pass the time!!
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I'm so glad to hear that you like the ASMu Suites... I've been in agony deciding whether to squeeze us all into one moderate/deluxe room or enjoy the space at ASMu...
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I think the best thing was that it was totally unexpected!
). It's so cute that your kids were so excited to see Mickey (and that it gave Shannon a good dose of Disney magic! 
) Glad you enjoyed Fantasmic! That's my favorite (but still not as good as Disneyland's version). The Family Suites look really great (and your little ones jumping on the bed cracked me up). Ready for more!
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