Valentine's Day Celebrity Cruise TR - Page 9 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!
Welcome! We're happy you've found the PassPorter Community -- the friendliest place to plan your vacation to Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland, and the world in general! You are now viewing the PassPorter Message Board Community as a guest, which gives you limited access. As our guest, feel free to browse our messages by selecting the forum you want to visit from the list below.
To post messages and ask questions, join our FREE community today and you'll get access to tools and resources not available to guests, such as our vacation countown timers, "living" avatars, private messaging system, database searches, downloads, and a special PassPorter discount code. Registration is fast, simple, and completely free. Just click the Join Our Community link.
If you think you've already joined, log in below now. If you don't remember your member name or password, please visit our Member Name and Password Recovery page. You are also welcome to contact us.
So we finally found the Butterfly Conservatory, which was just a few blocks over from the Southernmost Point. I do believe this was the number 1 rated attraction on Tripadvisor when we were researching, and Cody is what we refer to as a “ratings snob” although in less nice terms so that’s how I was able to get him to agree to this one! It’s a small little place with a very crowded shopping area, but we were quickly purchasing our tickets and even got a discount from the trolley person we had asked for directions, score! Either way, well worth the price of admissions.
You first enter a little informational area before walking through the double doors into the butterfly area. Let me just tell you, if not for other people kind of starting to crowd the place, I could have stayed in here ALL DAY. I love butterflies. Like LOVE them.
Here’s me as a small child with a butterfly, yep, lifelong love
Anyway… off we went.
There were a few little exhibits with lizards and such in this first area
Then we walked into the good stuff, and WOW. No matter which way you looked there were butterflies. EVERYWHERE. Flying, sitting, eating, looking pretty, you name it, they were doing it. Apparently since it was a sunny day they were more active. I didn’t mind! I’m just going to let the pictures do the talking from here…my camera was in burst mode, so I took tons. Some are better than others but I just love them all too much to narrow it down!
Then my memory card was full… and since I lost the 16gb one I ordered from Amazon with my camera (I learned while we were packing!), that was that! We were just about at the end anyway so we headed out, checked ourselves for hitchhiking butterflies and were out! We browsed the shop a bit and I got my mom a present for her garden and we headed outside. There was a cute photo spot we missed on the way in and thankfully… cell phone to the rescue!
After that wonderfulness, we started to work our way back towards the ship, knowing there was still lots between here and there to enjoy!
Up Next: Day 4 Continued: A restaurant to ourselves
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.
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.
Your trip to Key West sounds like a great time. THANK you for showing us your butterfly pictures. Those are my favorite and have a few tattoos with them. That is one thing that I can not wait for in Epcot!! You guys also looked wonderful at dinner.
Your sea day was busy yet relaxed, I love that you fit so much in and after your not so good breakfast the rest of your meals looked great! Great pictures from Key West, it is a beautiful city! We had a stop there on a cruise a few years ago and did the trolley tour, but if I went back I'd just walk around like you did. The butterfly house looks amazing!
Key West is so pretty! I would love the butterfly conservatory most definitely!
It was absolutely wonderful
Quote:
Originally Posted by Russi01
Your trip to Key West sounds like a great time. THANK you for showing us your butterfly pictures. Those are my favorite and have a few tattoos with them. That is one thing that I can not wait for in Epcot!! You guys also looked wonderful at dinner.
You are very welcome! I'm excited for Epcot's butterfly house as well, although last year's had NOTHING on Key West's! And thank you
Quote:
Originally Posted by MayraLR
Love all the butterflies! What a cool tour!
It was great and no scheduling required! Just kinda showed up and did our own thing!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Coop
We have to visit Key West!
I wish more cruises made that stop, as I MUCH prefer it to Nassau!
Quote:
Originally Posted by BelmontBelle
Your sea day was busy yet relaxed, I love that you fit so much in and after your not so good breakfast the rest of your meals looked great! Great pictures from Key West, it is a beautiful city! We had a stop there on a cruise a few years ago and did the trolley tour, but if I went back I'd just walk around like you did. The butterfly house looks amazing!
Overall the food was so impressive, which is why that breakfast was such a let down We were very close to doing a Trolley Tour, but we figured if we got tired we could always get one back! It's a wonderfully walkable town though!
Registered Message Board Members Get Our Free Newsletter! When you register you'll have the option to sign up for our weekly PassPorter Newsletter. It's chock-full of feature articles; news; tips; contests; photos; and special offers in our online store.
About This Page: 
Isn't Key West just beautiful? We really our visit there - it's so laid back and there's so much to see.
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
so that’s how I was able to get him to agree to this one! It’s a small little place with a very crowded shopping area, but we were quickly purchasing our tickets and even got a discount from the trolley person we had asked for directions, score! Either way, well worth the price of admissions.
all the butterflies! 
PassPorter Guide Author
Deb
We were very close to doing a Trolley Tour, but we figured if we got tired we could always get one back! It's a wonderfully walkable town though!
Linear Mode
