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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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For me, the must-sees in San Francisco are the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, Fisherman's Wharf and of course a ride on a cable car - a visit to the city wouldn't be complete without that!
In San Francisco, we've done Alcatraz, walked around the Pier, drive down Lombard Street, ride in a cable car, go to Golden Gate Park, see the Golden Gate bridge (there's a place you can park on the Marin County side.
As for Napa/Sonoma, just driving thru all the wineries and visiting. We usually always stop at Mondavi. I believe Sterling has a tram that goes up to the top (it costs extra though). Can't help with hotels as we usually stay with family!
My brother goes to Napa every year for Labor Day weekend. This year, for my 40th, he's taking me with him as my gift . I have his list of wineries to see along with some other recommendations he sent to a friend below. It's very beautiful. They stayed in a hotel on the ocean last year and it looked awesome, but I don't know if it was near wine country. I'll ask him when he's back from his vaca.
1- Beringer - go to reserve tasting room
2- Larkmead- small, must call in advance
3- Chateau Montelena- Awesome wines and beautiful estate
4- Duckhorn- call in advance for private tasting
5- Rombauer- great chards and it's free
6- Raymond- great values
7- Frank Family
8- Mumm's- sparkling and awesome deck & view
9- Havens- across the street
Eylese- small wineries with great wine-may want to call in advance
10- Franciscan- good values
11- Trefethen
12- Silver Oak
13- Rudd- call for tasting/tour
14- Chimney Rock
15- Stag's Leap
16- Stags' Leap (yes these are two different wineries)
17- Shafer- call, hard to get in
18- Darloush- Beautiful winery, great wine
Tips
- Start up in Calistoga and work south down the valley- everyone starts south and goes north
- Lunch at Tayor's Refresher in St. Helena - it's a gourmet drive-in with wine list. Great food!
- If you want to drive up Spring Mountain, do Pride, Robert Keenan and Spring Mountain- call in advance for all
- Go to visitor center in town of Napa. Can get free tasting certificates
Sonoma- if you go there
Tattinger
Arrowwood
Landmark
St. Francis.
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Michele
I'm living the dream 20 minutes from Disney! Next trip...tomorrow. Follow me on instagram at ShirtsByShell
Great suggestions here, but I would add in Muir Woods. The redwood forest there is spectacular. These are the coastal redwoods, (not the redwoods that are biggest around, but the tallest redwoods.) It's my absolute favorite memory of San Francisco.
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Katydid
10/96 - All Star Sports, 11/03 - CBR
9/05 - Wonder Cruise, 7/06 - Disneyland
11/08-All Star Sports - 7/09 Ft. Wilderness
11/14- AKL Jambo House
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The Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, Baker Beach, Coit Tower, Pier 39, Fisherman's Wharf, Lombard St. Alamo Square to see the famous row of painted ladies Victorian homes, ride a cable car, oh, the Japanese Tea Garden is so pretty!! I don't know if you are close but if you head to San Simeon you can go see Hearst Castle. The Neptune pool is breathtaking!
As a Disney fan A must see for me is the Disney family museum.
As for hotels I love the sir Frances Drake A landmark
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First time for honeymoon 1978 slept on Disney property 380 nights since
My pups Walter D, Lilly Belle and Roy O and Princess Rose
My kids Patrick,Lauren,Mathew www.Dizneydoodles.com BrendaV@MEI-Travel.com
We have stayed at the Villagio Inn & Spa in Yountville and it is quite nice (just be sure to ask for a room not facing the highway -- too much traffic noise). There is a wonderful French restaurant across the street called Bistro Jeanty. The most famous French restaurant in the area is French Laundry. But it is expensive and hard to get a table. We couldn't get in there, so ate a Bistro Jeanty instead and loved, loved, loved it.
super jealous--my husband and i looked into doing this for this summer, but have not booked it yet (as i write this, i honestly don't know why...it's a great trip idea!) the one suggestion i have is this--if you do a winery tour (and clearly you should do several!) hire a driver. my mom has a friend from that area, and he claims that it is impossible to drive there yourself without being pulled over...and after a few tastings, well...why risk it? i'd rather pay for a driver than a ticket...or worse.
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. I have his list of wineries to see along with some other recommendations he sent to a friend below. It's very beautiful. They stayed in a hotel on the ocean last year and it looked awesome, but I don't know if it was near wine country. I'll ask him when he's back from his vaca. 
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