Help!!! -- Final Draft of Plans (I have burned myself out!!) - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
Help!!! -- Final Draft of Plans (I have burned myself out!!)
I think I could win the award for most number of revisions to Disney plans. Its our first trip (my 9th, but husband and kids 1st), and a few weeks ago we decided to stay 2 extra nights due to changes in our flights. I think WDW-Dine has had it with me (I didn't realize they could see all of my reservations and cancellations when they look me up, but they can -- how embarressing -- I've made so many, then changed my mind and cancelled). But, I think this is it - let me know what you think (any suggestions / criticism would be appreciated). Keep in mind we are traveling w/ 2 young children (1 and 4), and no other family members to help out.
Day 1 (Sunday)
Plane Lands around 6:07pm
Meet Quicksilver
Driver is making a quick stop at DTD to activate APs
Check in at Wilderness Lodge
Dinner at Whispering Canyon 8pm (Our 6th Anniversary)
Monday
Breakfast in room or at Tusker House
8-12:30pm - Animal Kingdom (hoping to do Kilimamjaro Safaris and FOLK)
1:00- 3:30 - Rest/Swim at Hotel
4:00 - Head to Magic Kingdom for the Evening (Hoping to do some of Adventureland & Frontierland, and see Wishes
at 8pm
Tuesday
Breakfast in Room or at Starring Rolls
7:15 head to MGM
8am - 11:30 / 12PM - MGM (Really just want to do Playhouse Disney, VOLM and Look for Characters)
12-4pm - Rest / Swim at Hotel
4pm - Go to Magic Kingdom
4:30 Dinner at Plaza Restaurant (maybe)
Tomorrowland
7:30 Find spot for Spectromagic
8pm - Spectromagic (probably leave just before Wishes)
Wednesday
7:50am - Chef Mickey Breakfast
9-11am - Swim and relax at Hotel
12:30 - 4pm - Magic Kingdom
4:30 -6pm - Relax at Hotel
6:30 -8:30- Epcot
Thursday
Early Breakfast in Room or get something at MK
7:15 Boat to Magic Kingdom
8am - 12pm Magic Kingdom (Tomorrowland & Fantasyland)
12:30 - 4pm Relax at Hotel
4:30-7pm - Future World
7-9pm - World Showcase / Illuminations
Friday
Maybe go to Fort Wilderness for Breakfast at Trail's End
Sleep Late or Swim Early
10am - Go to Epcot
10:30 - 1:30 - Future World
1:30 - 4:30 Relax at Hotel
5:20 - Crystal Palace for Dinner
6:30 -8 - Magic Kingdom
Saturday
7:30 Breakfast at Whispering Canyon
Swim Early or Nap (my youngest is a morning napper)
10 am - Epcot
10:30 to 2pm Future World / Epcot
2:30 - 4:30 Rest at Hotel
5:30 - Dinner at 'Ohana
7-9pm World Showcase
I realize we don't have much time at AK and MGM. DH and I are going back in January by ourselves, and hope to spend alot of time at these parks then, but they didn't seem to have as much for my kids at MGM. Is it normal to spend the bulk of time at MK, when you have young children (I think I've counted 14.5 hours earmarked for MK, as opposed to 4 at AK, 4 hours at MGM, and 10 or 11 in Epcot.
Re: Help!!! -- Final Draft of Plans (I have burned myself out!!)
Dina,
I think your plans look great! At least I hope they do, they look somewhat similar to mine!!
The only thing I might add is doing Beauty and the Beast and/or Voyage of Little Mermaid at MGM if you can. I don't remember if you mentioned if your kids are boys or girls, but these shows sound great for all kids, even those as young as yours.
Have a great trip - and please let us know how it goes! I especially am curious about Crystal Palace for dinner. After many times erasing in my Passporter I think we're going to try them for dinner on our MK day.
Stephanie
Re: Help!!! -- Final Draft of Plans (I have burned myself out!!)
Looks like a great plan Dina Just a reminder, I've traveled with little ones that age (twice now) and I think your nap/swim breaks are great! Just be prepared that some things might not go according to plan, and that you may have to go with the flow, but it looks like it is structured very openly
Re: Help!!! -- Final Draft of Plans (I have burned myself out!!)
Even with little ones like mine (12 and 7) I still like going back to the resort for rest breaks! And dont feel bad, I dont like calling down there anymore for Im sure that my screen is like 50 pages long too!
Re: Help!!! -- Final Draft of Plans (I have burned myself out!!)
I think it looks like a great plan. I'm sure you're planning on eating, but I only see primarily breakfast plans. If you want to try to fit in a little more time at MGM, maybe do a PS at 50's PTC? or the Fantasmic dinner package? MGM's parade is fun too.
And remember, don't worry if you can't get everything in that you want in one trip - gives you a reason to plan another one! You'll have an awesome time no matter what!
Re: Help!!! -- Final Draft of Plans (I have burned myself out!!)
I think your plans are wonderful. We spend the majority of our time at MK with the least time spent at MGM and Epcot. I think you have a wonderful trip planned!
Re: Help!!! -- Final Draft of Plans (I have burned myself out!!)
Thanks everyone. I finally feel pretty good about these plans. I just realized that I always wrote our breakfast plans, I didn't even realized I was doing that. If I didnt' write a restaurant, its because we're going to grab something at a counter service place (we will be eating lunch and dinner too!! - On my plans, it looks like I'm starving our kids!! lol) Thanks so much. I did edit it after I read some of your suggestions!!!
Re: Help!!! -- Final Draft of Plans (I have burned myself out!!)
I was going to comment about the limited time at Epcot and MGM, but as you're going back on your own, then it sounds like you've made a sensible decision for this trip. It all looks good to me.
About This Page: 
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
Just a reminder, I've traveled with little ones that age (twice now) and I think your nap/swim breaks are great! Just be prepared that some things might not go according to plan, and that you may have to go with the flow, but it looks like it is structured very openly 
PassPorter Guide Author
Linear Mode
