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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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When I was a kid we always took day trips to DL from San Clemente. We were able to do everything we wanted to but that was before they had California Adventure.
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I believe you will be able to see a lot of DL and CA in one day sense it's DL and not WDW. The first time we went to DL we were so shocked at how small it is. The park is more condensed do to the limited space. There are some attractions at DL we like a whole lot more than WDW. The Pirates of the Caribbean tells the whole story and so does Splash Mountain; DL also has the Indiana Jones Ride. CA has the Aladdin show which is a must see.
It's enough to hit the highlights, but you probably won't be able to see everything you want in one day. Try to plan for a weekday if you can, so at least the crowds will be slightly less. Also, when are you going? If it's soon and you can get there late April or early May, crowds will be smallest then compared with the summer crush which pretty much begins in mid to late May! Have a great time!
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Huge Disney Fan...Always Have Been...Always Will Be!
Disneyland 60th Anniversary Celebration TR here!
2013 WDW trip here!
2011 trip to Hawaii here!
If you are going for just a day, I would go with a plan. Also make sure you check the Disneyland calendar and go on a day when the park is open the maximum number of hours.
You can see quite a bit in one day, but if you are going to hit the rides, that will cut into your time considerably.
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Oakley PassPorter Guide to: The Porch, The Family Room, DL: Feasting & Snacking & DL: Staying in Style
Take care- Laura
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If it's Disney in a day vs. no Disneyland at all, I'd say do it. You can probably see "enough" especially if you focus on the things that aren't at WDW or are different. If your plans allow for a second day at DLR/DCA I think you'll be happier.
Also, check to see what attractions may be closed while you are there; this will aid in deciding if you want to cover both parks. We were there on Monday, and with all the refurbishment at California Adventure, we opted to skip it this go around. If you choose a weekday, (avoid holidays and school breaks if possible) you can do it, although you may not see everything.
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You can do it, but like others said, you have to decide a few things. We stayed in Newport Beach last summer and decided to hit DL for one day (I wrote a trip report called "Impromtu Visits are the Best"). We decided to only visit DL and pay for the less expensive single park ticket (only available on a 1 day ticket, all others are automatically hoppers).
If you want to hit both parks (I'd save DTD for maybe a free evening at some other point of your visit, which is what we did - of course, that's what gave us the itch to go to DLR, but still...). Anyway, if you want to hit both parks, you'll need to plan carefully what you want to see. If you're only going to hit DL (which is what I'd recommend for the best "experience"), you'll just need a gameplan or an idea of how to tour - you don't need anything strict.
Possible, yes (DL only)- try to do it a week day instead of a weekend
I would concentrate on what is different from WDW
Matterhorn
Mr Toad
Indiana Jones
Lunch at Blue Bayoo
then
Small World
Space Mountain
Splash Mountain
Pirates
as they are the same but different.
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). Anyway, if you want to hit both parks, you'll need to plan carefully what you want to see. If you're only going to hit DL (which is what I'd recommend for the best "experience"), you'll just need a gameplan or an idea of how to tour - you don't need anything strict.
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