“We didn’t do THAT!!” “Well, there’s a 1st time for everything!!” PTR - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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We are at 48 days and I created tip envelopes for all our TS meals and for Mousekeeping. They are so cute! I’ll try to take pictures of them later and post. Also, I have begun to create autograph books for the kids. I found a “how-to” for a design that I really liked, so I’m going to try it out. If the results are not that great, I’ll just buy each of them a book I guess!!
In other news…
My mother has wanted to do an Alaska cruise for a few years now, but has never taken the plunge. Well, when discussing next years family vacation with my husband last week (we like to plan a year out), he mentioned that he would like to go to Alaska. What?? When did that happen? I asked him if he would be ok with an Alaska cruise and he was all for it. I told him that it just so happens that Disney now has cruises to Alaska. Over the holiday, I mentioned to my mom that we were thinking about doing an Alaska cruise next summer and would they like to join us. I started telling her about Disney cruises and jumped on board! (No pun intended!!) So, we are booking the August 27th 2012 sailing for 7 nights!
Day 9: A full day at Magic Kingdom with and EMH in the morning! Breakfast is in our rooms, so we can get an early start!! Here are some of the attractions/rides on the plan for today (All the 1st are listed in green.):
Tomorrowland Speedway
Astro Orbiter
Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin
Town Square Meet & Greet
Pirates of the Caribbean
Jungle Cruise
The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
Swiss Family Treehouse
Enchanted Tiki Room
Tomorrowland Transit Authority
I have lunch planned at Pecos Bills and dinner at 6:15pm at Liberty Tree Tavern. I love the family style dining idea! And who doesn’t love a Thanksgiving-type meal in the middle of the summer?!
Great plans! with the autograph books! Can't wait to see your tip envelopes! Congrat on the Alaska cruise! Luke and I would love to do that one some day.
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Great plans for MK!!!
Can't wait to see the envelopes!! with your autograph book.
Congrats on booking an Alaskan cruise! That's going to be a trip of a lifetime!
We are at 41 days and now I’m starting to get antsy!! Have been really busy at work since the schools in our area have fiscal year ends of 6/30, school district audits have begun. Yippee! I don’t know if any of you know about government accounting, but let’s just say it’s not as fun as it sounds. (Though it probably didn’t sound fun anyway!!) Anywho…I finished putting together the autograph books in Power Point, I just have to print them and take them to get bound. I printed out a test page and it looks really good. I’m just hoping the kids will like them and get excited about getting autographs.
I haven’t seen my neighbor (the one going to Disney the same time we are) in a few weeks. I think they went away the week around the 4th and I have just been so busy that I haven’t gone over to see how her planning is going.
I have decided to spend the money and let my husband do the Richard Petty Driving Experience. Just the rookie experience, I’m not feeling that generous. I remember he mentioned last time we went that he would love to do something like that. I asked my son, “Do you want to see Dad drive a race car?” and, of course, he was all for it. I told him he had to keep it a secret though. Yeah, let’s see how that goes….
Day 10: I don’t really have a set “plan” for this day, but I do have down that we are going to DHS in the morning and having lunch at Sci-Fi Dine In. Now, I have heard that the food here is not the best, but how could I not take my car fanatic son to a place where you can actually eat in a car??
Then I have us hopping over to Magic Kingdom after a break or to which ever park we feel we need to do again.
Day 11: Last day, booooooooooo! Our flight home does not leave MCO until 3:15, so I have planned that we will spend our final morning where it all began, Magic Kingdom. We have breakfast scheduled at the Crystal Palace at 8:05. It will be a nice memory to leave with being able to be in the park with no one (except those of us dining) and have unobstructed views of the castle!! (I figured this will cancel out any fighting, yelling, arguing, etc. that takes place on this trip! Though I hope none of that happens, but let’s be realistic, it probably will! )
Well that’s all I have for now. Any new updates, you all will be the 1st to know!!
Just getting caught up! More great plans! Congrats on being PIF! How great you have a neighbor going the same time! And congrats on the Alaska cruise! We just got back from Alaska, it was amazing!
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Well, here we are at 32 days and believe me it cannot come fast enough! Here we are supposed to be in our “short hour” season at work and I’m still putting in 50 hour weeks because of driving and hour each way to clients. Ok, done with the rant!!
On to better news, GOT DISNEY MAIL THIS WEEK!! On Thursday, we got the tags for Magical Express, which we won’t be using. I forgot to cancel it when we rented the cars, oops!! Yesterday, we received our luggage tags and our booklet with vouchers. I have one question: How in the heck do the luggage tags work???? I’ve spent an hour this morning trying to get them on my son’s suitcase, but if I pull hard enough they come off!!
I still haven’t uploaded my pictures of the autograph book, but it is on my to-do list. I decided to only make one for my niece because last year I bought my son this paperback Encyclopedia of Disney’s Animated Characters and he wants to use that as his autograph book! I sent my sister pictures of the autograph book from my phone to show my niece the other day. Well, above each character I have their name and all the princess names I have written in a type of script so she asked her mom, “Is that Belle’s signature?” So, my sister had to explain to her that, “No, Aunt Shauna put that on the top of the page, Belles picture to one side, and left an open space next to Belle for her to sign her name.”
I’m so excited!! I have Steve all signed up for his Richard Petty Driving Experience on Monday August 29th!! I’m not going to tell him until the morning before we go. I can’t wait to see that big cheesy smile on his face when he’s done!! It will be soooooooo worth the money!! Austyn and I are going to watch from the spectator section. He can’t wait to see his dad drive a real race car.
As far as plans go, touringplans.com just came out with a new Magic Kingdom plan called “The Whole Family with Pre-Teens” and it’s perfect. It includes all the rides the kids want and a mid-day break that I want! I was trying to merge the 4-8 year old plan with the tween plan before and it was just not working for me, so I’m so glad they made this addition. I just wish they had similar ones for the other parks!
I feel weird to be “done” planning. I’ve been doing this for a year, I don’t know what to do with myself! However, we are doing the Alaska cruise next year, but you really can’t plan anything yet for that. We already know which shore excursions we want, just have to wait to book them. DH and I took DS for a walk (well DS rode his bike and we walked) and then for ice cream last night. We were talking while we walked and DH said that he was talking about going to Disney with some people at work. They were like, “It’s going to be so hot and busy, all you’ll do is stand in line all day!” My husband, bless his heart, said “Oh, you don’t know my wife! She’s on these sites all the time that give her these great tips, and now even I know, if the ride has a wait time of more than 30 minutes, get a FASTPASS or skip it and do it another day. Plus we are taking midday breaks.” See ladies, they can be taught!! Then he said something that really shocked me, “Plus, Disney changes so much that you could go every year and there would be something new that you didn’t do the last time. (Has he secretly been on Passporter or reading my travel guides???) So, since we are going to Alaska next year, we should probably plan on going back to Disney the year after.” (All this and we haven’t even gone this year yet!!) Needless to say, I was happy he is starting to catch my enthusiasm for this trip! (Which does not surprise me in the least because he loved it the last time we went.)
A question for anyone who has Vibram Five Fingers shoes: Have you worn them in the parks? And how did your feet feel after being in them for a few hours walking around?
I have a pair, which I love because I would rather be barefoot all year long, and I was thinking of wearing them, but wanted to know of others experiences with them first.
for Disney mail! Definitely sounds like your DH has come over to the magical side! I saw quite a few folks wearing the Vibram shoes this June, but I didn't ask how they felt after a long day.
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When did that happen? I asked him if he would be ok with an Alaska cruise and he was all for it. I told him that it just so happens that Disney now has cruises to Alaska. Over the holiday, I mentioned to my mom that we were thinking about doing an Alaska cruise next summer and would they like to join us. I started telling her about Disney cruises and jumped on board! (No pun intended!!) So, we are booking the August 27th 2012 sailing for 7 nights! 
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with the autograph books! Can't wait to see your tip envelopes! 
Congrat on the Alaska cruise! Luke and I would love to do that one some day.
I don’t know if any of you know about government accounting, but let’s just say it’s not as fun as it sounds. 
(Though it probably didn’t sound fun anyway!!) Anywho…I finished putting together the autograph books in Power Point, I just have to print them and take them to get bound. I printed out a test page and it looks really good. I’m just hoping the kids will like them and get excited about getting autographs. 
I remember he mentioned last time we went that he would love to do something like that. I asked my son, “Do you want to see Dad drive a race car?” and, of course, he was all for it. I told him he had to keep it a secret though. Yeah, let’s see how that goes…. 
Our flight home does not leave MCO until 3:15, so I have planned that we will spend our final morning where it all began, Magic Kingdom. We have breakfast scheduled at the Crystal Palace at 8:05. It will be a nice memory to leave with being able to be in the park with no one (except those of us dining) and have unobstructed views of the castle!! 
)
More great plans! 
And congrats on the Alaska cruise! We just got back from Alaska, it was amazing! 
Yesterday, we received our luggage tags and our booklet with vouchers. I have one question: How in the heck do the luggage tags work???? 
So, my sister had to explain to her that, “No, Aunt Shauna put that on the top of the page, Belles picture to one side, and left an open space next to Belle for her to sign her name.” 
I have Steve all signed up for his Richard Petty Driving Experience on Monday August 29th!! I’m not going to tell him until the morning before we go. I can’t wait to see that big cheesy smile on his face when he’s done!! 
However, we are doing the Alaska cruise next year, but you really can’t plan anything yet for that. We already know which shore excursions we want, just have to wait to book them. DH and I took DS for a walk (well DS rode his bike and we walked) and then for ice cream last night. We were talking while we walked and DH said that he was talking about going to Disney with some people at work. They were like, “It’s going to be so hot and busy, all you’ll do is stand in line all day!” My husband, bless his heart, said “Oh, you don’t know my wife! 
She’s on these sites all the time that give her these great tips, and now even I know, if the ride has a wait time of more than 30 minutes, get a FASTPASS or skip it and do it another day. Plus we are taking midday breaks.” See ladies, they can be taught!! 
Then he said something that really shocked me, “Plus, Disney changes so much that you could go every year and there would be something new that you didn’t do the last time. 
(Which does not surprise me in the least because he loved it the last time we went.)
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