Disney World to Disneyland: Our First Christmas Back--COMPLETE 1/13/09 - Page 8 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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I don't remember seeing a Christmas tree in the lobby and it wasn't all that decorated like the park was but it doesn't really need it if you have family that you love around that's Christmas to me. It be awhile before I go back at Christmas with out my little one on my lap. Yes, I'm still missing them.
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We decided to make a return trip to Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen Express, looking for a hot breakfast this morning. And we wanted to linger a bit before driving home.
When we arrived at the Jazz Kitchen, we saw that it wasn’t open yet—guess they don’t open until 8 a.m. So we continued on to La Brea Bakery, which had just opened. There was a bit of a line but it moved quickly. We got 2 coffees and 2 egg and potato scrambles with some of their yummy bread.
We found a table outside that was dry and we enjoyed the peaceful morning, yummy food, and atmosphere, watching people go through the bag check on their way into the parks for another fun day. Ah… we could sit here all day.
Eventually, we were motivated to pick ourselves up and head back to the room for a final pack, call down to the valet and bell desk to get our bags and retrieve our car. Ah… there’s a flutter of sadness in my stomach just thinking about leaving. As we headed for the freeway, I jotted down some names of new condos and apartments, fantasizing that some day we would move back to Orange County (checking prices on the internet, we realized it’s just as expensive as ever and we really can’t afford to live there. Sigh.)
Besides, as soon as we climbed over the mountains and drove out into the desert, we felt a peacefulness and spaciousness to the terrain, and we know that for us, right now, Las Vegas is more affordable and peaceful. And with only a 4-hour drive to Disneyland, we can make frequent trips - trying for quarterly.
Because it had been very windy on the west side of the mountains, we feared it would be a difficult drive home. But the wind calmed on the other side of the mountains and we made it home in just 3 and a half hours. Woo hoo! Something to be said for living on the south side of Las Vegas.
Upon arrival at home, we noticed the new pet sitter had written detailed notes about our kitties and even gave them a big, beautiful, red kitty stocking with Christmas toys! Wow! We’ve found a keeper, and knowing this will ease our mind for future trips.
The trip was everything we had hoped it to be and then some. While there were a few glitches here and there, the Disney staff delivered the great customer service that they're known for and resolved the issues. We're loving DCA more and more on every trip, and plan to stay at the Grand Californian on the next one. We'll be able to catch up on more DCA attractions that we haven't even tried yet. And we want to do PhotoPass. And hoping for return visits to Napa Rose. But what we're really looking forward to is seeing Bob & Larry there in the future!
Thanks to all who read the report and even bigger thanks to those who participated - you really added to the enjoyment of posting the report. We kinda raced through posting this report because of our upcoming schedules, but we hope you’ve managed to catch up with it all. Feel free to add additional comments or ask questions, and we’ll check back from time to time.
Or come on over to our two4disney blog. We’ve now added this report to the “Disneyland” section of the blog, and will be adding videos to the “Media” section in the near future. Don’t know if we’ll always have time to post to Passporter, so please check back now and then for new postings.
Napa Rose sounds fabulous. I am glad you were able to get away from the child playing underneath your table. I the TOT frame. That is so cute! And, how awesome to find a good kitty sitter.
Hey, great trip report! I was looking forward to this one and you did great!
Love the ToT frame. And I am always interested in hearing how the feeling of an attraction differs between two parks or between day and night. [I agree that for some reason, Haunted Mansion has just a bit more something when ridden at night.]
Needless to say, I want to figure out a time when we can meet at Napa Rose! [You know--sort of a Left Coast Bob & Larry Dining Experience--or should this be a Kathy & Rich DE? ] I am not sure if I can manage next year, what with Greece in July. And I just have a feelin' that I will be expected to attend Mousefest 2009. But we will work it out!
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Hey, great trip report! I was looking forward to this one and you did great!
Love the ToT frame. And I am always interested in hearing how the feeling of an attraction differs between two parks or between day and night. [I agree that for some reason, Haunted Mansion has just a bit more something when ridden at night.]
Needless to say, I want to figure out a time when we can meet at Napa Rose! [You know--sort of a Left Coast Bob & Larry Dining Experience--or should this be a Kathy & Rich DE? ] I am not sure if I can manage next year, what with Greece in July. And I just have a feelin' that I will be expected to attend Mousefest 2009. But we will work it out!
Thanks again for sharing your trip with us!
Or maybe it's the "Bob & Larry & Rich & Kathy Dining Experience" - can't wait for that one!
Since I haven't visited Disneyland yet it's great to read all about it and I sure enjoyed reading all about your trip. Thanks for sharing it!
Thanks, Bob! And we want to get back to WDW - just don't know when yet. Saw some video on youtube showing the WDW verison of Toy Story - got to ride that!!
I finally had a chance to catch up on TRs and this one did not disappoint. It sounds like you had a wonderful time (especially your meal at Napa Rose ). Now I'm convinced that my next DL trip will be during the Christmas season! And how do I get an invite for the Bob & Larry & Rich & Kathy Dining Experience? Thanks for sharing your trip with us!
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Mickey's so happy to see me back, he can barely contain himself!
What a wonderful trip! Your meal at Napa Rose sounds wonderful. I'm not a wine drinker whatsoever, but I sure enjoyed my flight of wine there. And the service, just fabulous! Thanks for sharing!
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But what we're really looking forward to is seeing Bob & Larry there in the future!
the TOT frame. That is so cute! And, how awesome to find a good kitty sitter. 
] I am not sure if I can manage next year, what with Greece in July. And I just have a feelin' that I will be expected to attend Mousefest 2009. 
But we will work it out!
I'm not a wine drinker whatsoever, but I sure enjoyed my flight of wine there.
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