A Most Amazingly DREAMY day at EPCOT! Now with photos in first post!! 12/3 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
A Most Amazingly DREAMY day at EPCOT! Now with photos in first post!! 12/3
Hi Everyone! We're back from our trip and I just HAVE to tell you about our most AMAZING day at EPCOT!!!
First a little background, it was four days into our trip and we'd already done one full day in each park. There was much discussion that morning about which park to visit. It would be either Studio's (my favorite park) or Epcot. After much wailing and gnashing of teeth (and that was just from me ), it would be Epcot... so off we go on the Epcot bus.... it was almost park opening time.
Upon arrival, we did the usual Security thing, then thru the turnstiles. It was still a few minutes before park opening and I knew that the rope would still be up, so we were just "mosey-ing" along the right side of Spaceship Earth- kinda just taking our time and enjoying the day. A Cast Member walks by us with a clip board in hand and DH nudges me and says "Hey, maybe thats one of those Dream Team people". I respond "No, the Dream Team members wear LIGHT Blue shirts, that guy has on a DARK blue shirt, he must just be an Epcot employee." We continuing mosey-ing along and the CM in the Dark blue shirt stops about 20 feet ahead of us... we catch up to him just as he's turning around toward us and he says "Excuse Me, can I talk to you for a minute? It's o.k.- No I am NOT doing research... Most people think I'm doing research when they see the clipboard... Have you heard about the Year of a Million Dreams promotion going on? Well, we'd like to grant you a DREAM!!! How would you like to be the EPCOT FAMILY OF THE DAY today? At this point we're all cheering and grinning like maniacs as he continues to fill us in on what that means. He's handing us buttons to wear that say "Honorary Citizen of Walt Disney World" and telling us that we're going to be the first family on Test Track as he leads us BEHIND the rope so that they can introduce us as the Family of the Day.
He also goes on to explain that we'll be given a certificate for Front of the Line Priority Access at the Epcot Character Spot, certificates for Instant Fast Pass access to Mission Space and Soaring, access to the VIP viewing area for Illuminations and of course, the standard Year of a Million Dreams Certificate indicating that we were granted the Dream of being the Epcot Family of the Day. OMG!!! We were so blown away at this point!!! We were just standing there kinda in shock trying to absorb it all while being introduced to the crowd. As we're standing there waving, the characters come out to greet everyone and open the park. After they're done greeting the crowd, they come over to us and we get a brief private audience / hugs with each character and then group pictures with Minnie, Mickey, Goofy, Pluto, Chip and Dale!!!
Now at this point, our Dream Team dream granter-guy Rick comes over and says... "Walking is for ordinary people and today you are NOT ordinary people... so you won't be walking to Test Track this morning. A vehicle will be here in a just a moment to drive you over there" We all turn and see an actual Test Track ride vehicle coming toward us. We climb in, pause a few seconds for photos and off we go in our own private car to Test Track. We get there, get out and go on the ride... Then we go again after being presented with another certificate as the First Test Track Family of the day.
We spent the rest of the day using our various certificates for rides and photos. By far, the best part of the day, in my opinion, had to be the private viewing area for Illuminations. The VIP area was just outside the Italy pavillion and was roped off and guarded by a CM. Only a select few guests were allowed in this area so we had a completely uncrowded area and unobstructed view of Illuminations. DH recorded the entire show including the special holiday ending so we can watch it over and over. I may be ruined for all other viewing locations in the future!!!
So that was our completely AMAZING day as the EPCOT family of the Day!!! I'm sure it's a day that we will remember forever!
Here's the pictures:
__________________
- June 2009 - Cruisin' on the DCL Wonder
--Mike, Mikey & Carla--
DVC Members since 2005!
-
Last edited by cjadkins; 12-03-2007 at 12:58 PM..
Reason: Adding pictures
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.
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.
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.
Congratulations!!! That is so awesome! It's so cool to have a fellow PassPorter win such an amazingly cool dream prize! That would be so special to be bumped to the front for all those great rides and to have the special IllumiNations viewing spot - WOW!
__________________
A Fairy Godmother wannabe -
Look what a little Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo can do!
Congratulations! I'm keeping my fingers crossed we'll be picked for something on our next trip in Jan. Although we weren't picked by a dream team while there in Aug, lots of pixie dust fell on us: room up-grade at CBR, an extra sea raycer to use at no charge, extra fast pass to re-ride test track, & a few of those special pins! Gotta love Disney!
Sue
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: 
), it would be Epcot... so off we go on the Epcot bus.... it was almost park opening time.
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
Aimee
Does it get any better than that?? 
Congratulations! I'm keeping my fingers crossed we'll be picked for something on our next trip in Jan. Although we weren't picked by a dream team while there in Aug, lots of pixie dust fell on us: room up-grade at CBR, an extra sea raycer to use at no charge, extra fast pass to re-ride test track, & a few of those special pins! Gotta love Disney!
PassPorter Guide Author
Linear Mode
