How to Meet Friends and Alienate Children - *Updated 8/10* - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
How to Meet Friends and Alienate Children - *Updated 8/10*
WARNING: This was a no-kids trip and is, therefore, a slightly more *adult* experience, resulting in a slightly more *adult* trip report. The "snark" is quite a bit stronger than in my other family-oriented trip reports -- although nothing innapropriate or too outrageous -- so be prepared. I think this might be another "put down your drink before reading" report.
Yep, I'm doing it -- I'm "crossing the streams!!"
Despite the best of intentions to first finish my LeeNee-palooza TR in the WDW forum, I have to finally cry "uncle" and get something down here for the DLR Girls Only trip -- seeing as how I leave this Saturday... (but I promise, promise, promise to finish up that report concurrently with this one once I get back.)
So, after my trip to DLR last year (DisneyWHAT - Oh, DisneyLAND!!) to join my husband on his get-an-award-for-designing-an-attraction adventure, I never really thought I'd get a chance for a return trip to the Land that Walt Built.
I should've known "the moms" would get Karen and me together again for another wizzbang trip.
When mention was made of a girls only trip to DLR, I was sitting on enough AirTran credits to not only fly to SFO, but to upgrade those tickets to First Class! <<sigh>> "Yippee" turned to "Yucky" when I discovered that AirTran only flies through Atlanta to get to CA and they only do red eyes from SFO to PHL. Not being the world's best flyer, I was breaking out in the heebeejeebees every time I thought about those flights.
In November, my husband's company did a little good/good/bad thing with me. They hired me for a contract job that would pay me a tidy sum. Then they hired me for another contract job that would pay me another tidy sum. Then, the new attraction's schedule kept slipping and it looked like some of the script writing/recording duties (from a previous contract) would conflict with the trip . So, my involvement with the DLR Girls Only Trip looked iffy...
Then, after my Grand Gathering at WDW in December finished up, I headed straight into Christmas and then head first into a very stressful time for all of my jobs -- which pushed me into an exacerbation of my Multiple Sclerosis. Zoiks! I lost my ability to speak clearly and was forced onto a course of the dreaded steriods.
Any normal person would say, "Woah, take it easy. I don't think you should be flying solo cross country at this point."
Well, I'm not normal...
If it involves Disney and Karen (and a gaggle of other terrific people whom I adore wholeheartedly!!), I'm going... and to heck with the consequences. Plus, I really think it helped me pull out of the attack and do everything in my power to retain my strength and stamina. I was diligent about going to the YMCA for water aerobics and I'm feeling pretty darned good -- I don't think I'll need a "steel fastpass" to get around!
And what should my guardian angel (my late mom) do for me, but arrange for an offer I couldn't refuse. USAirways wanted me to maintain my frequent flyer account and offered a MasterCard that would rake in the FF points. Since I needed a MasterCard anyway to use at Sams Club, it was a no brainer. Plus, my DH had points that would also expire. So, I signed up for the MasterCard and then popped on USAirway's site and, after much wrangling and frustration, I bought a R/T flight to SFO for $265 and then had hubby upgrade one leg to 1st class with his FF miles. Done and done! Then I called to upgrade the other leg with my FF miles and -- oh NO -- they had given away the only FF seat in 1st class for the flight out!! I called and called and called over the next couple of weeks with no luck. (Which started messing with sleep patterns and gave me tons of anxiety every night when I tried to fall asleep.) Finally, last week I managed to snag a seat in 1st class with my FF miles. Yipppeeee!
My gal pal JoanW has made me promise to do a little special photo moment for ya'll -- and I've already set aside all necessary props for this event. Oh, if only I had a gnome!!
Last edited by Caldercup; 10-22-2007 at 02:11 PM..
So, you might be wondering why the TR title includes "alienating children"
Well, March 1st (the midpoint of the trip) is my son's 11th birthday.
<<shocked inhalation >>
Before you yank away my Mother of the Year Award, please know that I have Calder's permission to be away on his birthday. (After all, I suffered through 52 hours of labor in 1996, so he owes me ... just a little bit!) Plus, he's counting on the fact that I'll be feeling guilty and I'll be close to a Lego store... so, it'll work out in his favor.
Okay, now for more details. (the few that I've retained)
I'm flying out on the 24th and staying with my sister and her family (that's LeeCee, Jeff, Miri and Noah -- who you can "meet" by reading my LeeNee-palooza TR) for a day and a half. I have appropriate Disney-themed gifts for my niece and nephew that have been lingering at my house, hoping for the magical day when I actually get to a post office!)
Then, on the 25th, like a dime bag in a drug deal, I'll be handed off to Karen in some seedy parking lot somewhere in the Bay Area. (I have gifts for them too -- Tastykakes for the former Pennsylvanian, Mr. Weiss, and a couple of surprises for Karen and Zack!)
On the 26th, I get to see Stanford's campus while Karen does a quick spin through work before we head down the coast towards Anaheim. After we talk ourselves hoarse on the drive, we'll stop somewhere within an hour or so of Disney or LA and find a not-too-expensive place to crash.
The morning of the 27th, we'll be picking up Dawn (DawnDenise) at the airport and shuttling our stuff to DLR. Then, Karen will be doing other heroic things in her car to help people get back and forth to the airport. The details are fuzzy for me...
Actually, details are fuzzy for me from here on out. When in the presence of the Queen of the Spreadsheets, I tend not to retain any planning information. I mean, really, what's the point?! I just have to follow in Karen's wake and try to keep up with her death marches, bottomless margaritas, magical moments, and general hilarity.
I do know that I get to spend lots o' time with my buddy, the Queen of the FastPass herself, Sharon (PrincessSharon) since we strong-armed her into being our roomie at the Grand Californian! I'm hoping for some awesome trips on the DLR TOT and for her to push me onto California Screamin' --
Of the ladies (and one gent) who are attending this large West Coast PP meet, I have been blessed to have met many of them:
Karen (obviously -- we've been on a zillion vacations in the past 20 months)
Sharon (who I met for the first time this past December)
Dawn (who I met at Mousefest 2005)
Terri (DrDolphin - who I met at Mousefest 2005 and have also had lunch with on a trip of hers to Phila)
Crystal (Crystalloubear - who I met at Terri's lunch and again a few weeks ago at the Easton PP meet. Plus I got to meet her hubby and I'm looking forward to the sight of him in a dress as he does his bagman duties for us ladies!)
Sarah & her adorable daughter (DopeyGirl - who I met at Mousefest 2005)
Robin (RobinKay6573 - who I met at Mousefest 2005 -- let's hope that B'rer Bear doesn't startle her this trip!)
All other attendees are "friends I haven't met yet"... and I'm really looking forward to it.
I know we're doing the Walk In Walt's Footsteps tour and I'm really excited for that. I did a little arts & crafts and designed a t-shirt for all of us to wear (except Karen, who's not into matchy matchy... and flat-out refuses -- j/k! But don't expect her to wear a tour shirt. We'll just point and laugh at her... point and laugh!)
and the back:
I hope our tour guide survives us all -- or can get a word in edge-wise!
I purchased my DLR tickets the other day with the "Everyone Plays for the Kids Price" offer. It's only a 5-day ticket, but I'm hoping I can add on a day, since I'd like to be in a park Tuesday through Sunday... but... perhaps my bar bill will preclude such extravagance...
Also, we are still hoping for a last minute AP room rate (Karen's an AP holder), but it's not looking good so far. If it doesn't work out, we'll try for the Disney Visa offer, which will give me back $150 that I can apply to my expenses and, hopefully, appease my pinchpenny DH.
We are set to drive back on Sunday the 4th and I have a flight out Monday at 1PM. Karen will drop me at the airport on her way to work and I'll while away the time at SFO before my lap-of-luxury return flight.
So, that's it for me for the moment, but I'm sure I'll think of other things to add over the next day or so. (My pre-Disney insomnia is due to rear its ugly head soon, so I'm sure I'll be doing a middle-of-the-night posting any day now.)
Eileen - I don't know about this. You know what happens when the "streams cross". Acutally, I'm glad that you started. I love these dueling TRs! I had so much fun reading the ones from last fall's group at WDW.
I'm so glad you're feeling better and won't need that "steel fastpass". Although I would have like to have seen Karen try to keep up with you on one. Have a wonderful trip! We'll be waiting for all of the juicy details when you get back.
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.
I'm so glad you're feeling better and won't need that "steel fastpass". Although I would have like to have seen Karen try to keep up with you on one.
I'm tempted by the same mental image!! But that girl is TALL and her stride is super duper long. I bet she could outpace a "steel fastpass" without breaking a sweat -- and, knowing her, she checked it out at DLR a couple of weekends ago and is confident that she can still stay three steps ahead of an ECV!
I'm tempted by the same mental image!! But that girl is TALL and her stride is super duper long. I bet she could outpace a "steel fastpass" without breaking a sweat -- and, knowing her, she checked it out at DLR a couple of weekends ago and is confident that she can still stay three steps ahead of an ECV!
Eileen
Have you not seen the Seinfeld slow speed chase? I could totally take that thing! I was thinking of trying to rig one (for all you Nascar fans, remove the restrictor plates) to use as a pace car / wake spreader. But, oh well! Can't wait to see you Eileen!
PS. How do you know you watch too much Sportscenter? When you've never seen a Nascar race in your life, but you still use the phrase "remove the restrictor plates" in conversation.
__________________
Karen, aka Zack's Mom - Lover of all Things Disney and the San Francisco Giants!
"Steel fastpass." That's what my brother called it when they took my sil's mother, he LOVED it.
Tastycakes must be some mid-Atlantic thing, Gnome Joan is always recommending them to me as the optimum in pregnancy nutrition, but here we're just stuck with Hostess and Ring Dings and Little Debbies. That's so nice and heroic of you and Karen to be picking everyone up and driving them all around, I'm sure people appreciate that. Your shirt images are gorgeous, and I too getting creative with credit cards and FF points for free flights and upgrades. But for the most part---make sure you take it easy, young lady! And have funnnnn!
Oh! And I missed my nephew's 11th birthday last October and you're soooooo lucky to have such an understanding son. My brother and sil made me feel thisbig (<--tiny, insignificant piece of mouse turd) for missing his birthday, it pretty much ruined my planning experience. Some people! Turns out, my nephew totally survived. Lego them up and they're always fine.
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: 
Not being the world's best flyer, I was breaking out in the heebeejeebees every time I thought about those flights.
Then they hired me for another contract job that would pay me another tidy sum. 
Then, the new attraction's schedule kept slipping and it looked like some of the script writing/recording duties (from a previous contract) would conflict with the trip 
. So, my involvement with the DLR Girls Only Trip looked iffy...
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
>>
and I'm really looking forward to it.
and flat-out refuses -- j/k! But don't expect her to wear a tour shirt. We'll just point and laugh at her... point and laugh!) 
]
Acutally, I'm glad that you started. 
you're feeling better and won't need that "steel fastpass". Although I would have like to have seen Karen try to keep up with you on one. 
Have a wonderful trip! We'll be waiting for all of the juicy details when you get back.
I can't wait to hear all about it 
I was thinking of trying to rig one (for all you Nascar fans, remove the restrictor plates) to use as a pace car / wake spreader. But, oh well! 
I so need to get started on my trip report. Bad Dawn! 
getting creative with credit cards and FF points for free flights and upgrades. But for the most part---make sure you take it easy, young lady! 
Linear Mode
