Forums Closed
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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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!
Best wishes for a wonderful and magical new year!
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07-21-2016, 08:30 PM
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#1
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PassPorter Guide
 Community Rank: Globetrotter 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 3,041
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Feature Article: Disney California Adventure Park - A New Family Favorite - A Disneyland Park Review
Disney California Adventure Park - A New Family Favorite - A Disneyland Park Review
by Amy Wear
When Disney park fans talk about the Disneyland Resort, they often focus on the history of the original Disney park and the feeling of Walt’s presence. Those with only one day to spend in Anaheim will overwhelmingly choose Disneyland park. This is quintessential “Disney”, after all.</p> So it may surprise you to learn that the fond memories we brought home from our first visit to Southern California are largely centred around Disney California Adventure. I will even admit that if a Walt Disney World regular is going to have the chance to visit Anaheim for only one day, I’m going to recommend Disney California Adventure. Why? Because so many of the attractions are unique to this park and unique to the experience of visiting California. Magic Kingdom and Disneyland park, on the other hand, have quite a bit of overlap. Sacrilege, I know! Here are just 10 things we loved about Disney California Adventure (DCA), making it a new family favourite:
10. Extra Magic Hour. Extra magic hour at DCA is only available to guests of the three Disneyland hotels. This means much lower numbers than over at Disneyland park, where anyone with a 3-day or longer ticket is entitled to one early admission.
Since the Radiator Springs Racers attraction is still so wildly popular, the Extra Magic Hour gives you the chance to ride before the queue is a 75-minute or longer wait. We followed the masses and did not pass go or collect $200 and power-walked as briskly as we could to Radiator Springs. We had less than a 5-minute wait, yet by the time we exited, the wait was already 45 minutes long.
9. Much smaller crowds. Over at DCA, “life is dee bubbles.” Single day visitors overwhelmingly choose to spend their Disney time at Walt’s park. The rule of thumb is to head to DCA whenever things get crazy at the Land.
After racing around Radiator Springs on two extra magic hour mornings, we wasted no time getting across the park to Soarin’ Over California. This was our last opportunity to experience the attraction before it changed to Soarin’ Over the World. Since the rest of the early risers were awestruck back in Cars Land, we walked in alone both mornings. 8. Paradise Pier. The masses tend not to migrate over to the Paradise Pier area until late morning. The tried and true strategy of getting to a Disney park early to enjoy several rides before there is any line ACTUALLY WORKS here, when it did not work for us at Disneyland park.
Being used to the long lines in Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom, it was shocking to us to be able to walk right on The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Undersea adventure. Equally shocking was the short line for Toy Story Midway Mania.
7. California Screamin’. The coaster lives up to its name. I wasn’t leaving California without riding this one. It seems that most people aren’t aware of the single rider line. I walked on right away, even when the standby line was 45 minutes long. I even rode it twice in a row so my peeps could take photos the second time.
6. Mickey’s Fun Wheel (Non-swinging gondolas). This Ferris wheel is a sight to behold at 150 feet high. It offers breathtaking views from the top and a great chance to snap photos. I only wish we had a chance to ride at night when it is all lit up. The key here for all ages to enjoy is to get in the non-swinging gondola line. Otherwise, you will be in a nauseating gondola that swings back and forth as you ride.
5. Grizzly River Run. The Grizzly River Run is Anaheim’s answer to Kali River Rapids at Animal Kingdom. Some say it has more thrilling drops than Kali River Rapids. We timed it perfectly, riding on a warm day, just before our planned afternoon pool break back at the Disneyland Hotel. We enjoyed getting absolutely drenched under these circumstances, but would not opt to ride on a cooler day.
4. Silly Symphony Swings. I’ve always been a big fan of swings and this attraction did not disappoint. The double swing option for children between 40 and 48 inches tall is perfect for parents and kids. Don’t miss the chance to take a ride when it’s all lit up at night.
3. Cars Land. I could give you a separate top-10 list for the marvel (or should I say Pixar?) that is Cars Land, but Cheryl Pendry has already beat me to it: http://www.passporter.com/articles/1...-cars-land.php.
There is just nothing like the backdrop of Radiator Springs Racers to enjoy while you eat at Flo’s V8 Café. No detail is spared in this 50’s style diner. We enjoyed it so much that we ate there twice.
Cars Land was the spot where we followed the PassPorter motto to “do less and enjoy more” one evening. We felt the magic when the music and lights came on at dusk, just like in the movie. Our girls wanted to know what all the fuss was about churros, so they shared one with caramel dipping sauce while we sat on a bench and soaked in the scenery.
2. Radiator Springs Racers. This attraction is undeniably the most impressive of all six North American Disney parks. Comparing it to Test track at Epcot doesn’t even begin to do it justice. Every last detail is mind-boggling and the race with another car is truly thrill ride level without being too intense for most children.
1. World of Color. As I mentioned in a previous article, this night-time spectacular was the most impressive show we’ve ever seen at a Disney park. It is absolutely worth the effort to get reserved viewing area Fastpasses and to sit on the hard pavement for an hour with sleepy kids waiting for it to begin.
Other familiar sights at Disney California Adventure include Tower of Terror, Frozen Sing-a-long, Animation Academy, Turtle Talk with Crush, It’s Tough to Be a Bug, and Disney Junior: Live on Stage. From the trolley ride on Buena Vista Street to photo-ops with the characters dressed in vintage wear, this park rivals its Orlando counterparts.
Added to PassPorter's Article Collection on 07-15-2016 11:07 AM
What do you think? Please add your own comments, experiences, or news related to this article in this thread! Reader feedback is welcomed and encouraged.
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