WL CONCIERGE LEVEL IS WONDERFUL - TRIP REPORT - UPDATED 9/18 - Page 3 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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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.
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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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Day 5 (8/30): On our 5th day, we decided it was time to hit AK. We really like AK, but it’s usually so HOT!! We always try to go early in the day and do our favorite things first before the heat is overwhelming. Once entering the park we went straight to Expedition Everest for a fast pass. Then we went on Primeval Whirl which always makes me laugh. It reminds me of going on the Mad Mouse at carnivals when I was a kid. We hit Dinosaur, Kali River Rapids, Kilimanjaro Safari, It’s Tough to be a Bug, and then back to Everest. By this time it was getting HOT...HOT...HOT. We were all getting a bit tired and cranky, so we decided to find something to eat. The restaurants were pretty crowed, but we found an empty table at Pizzafari (not an easy thing to do). This was my first time at Pizzafari. I liked the air conditioning and brightly colored decorations, but the food was just so so.
After AK we caught the bus to Epcot. We were tired from AK, so we only stayed at Epcot long enough to have a really good Margarita near Mexico, ride El Rio del Tiempo and Maelstrom. I think on a future visit I will plan on spending more time having Margaritas an hanging around Mexico...what a place. We then headed back to WL for a short nap and then dinner reservations at Boma. We decided to drive instead of taking Disney transportation, which worked out really nice. Boma is the best!! We all really enjoyed the atmosphere and the food. There is so much to choose from on the buffet and the desserts “WOW’ I cant say enough...the Zebra Domes are soooo good.
Day 6 (8/31): Day 6 would be our last day in the parks. We got up early and decided to get on the first bus that arrived at our resort. The first bus was going to MGM, which was fine with me. We decided to go on the Studio Backlot Tour first. I have never been on this before, but I thought I had. I think I was getting it mixed up with the one at Universal. They seemed very similar to me We went on TOT and Rock’n Roller Coaster again, but by this time the park was getting really crowded. We decided to head over to Epcot and have lunch. We ate at Tangierine Café in Morocco. I would highly recommend this restaurant if you like Middle Eastern food.
After lunch, the sky opened up again with an afternoon rain storm so we headed to The American Adventure Show. I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed the show. Even Ms. Popular and Free Spirit said they liked it. If it hadn’t been raining we would never have been able to talk them into seeing it with us. After the show it was still sprinkling a little bit so we headed back to WL . We spent some time in the WL gift shop and had drinks at the concierge snack area. Now it was time for dinner at California Grill.
We arrived at the Contemporary 15 minutes before our reservations and went to check in. Upon check in I was told that our reservations were for the night before. What?? I can’t believe this, I specifically made the reservations for our last night. She told me they were completely full, but she would check and see what she could do. She came back and said they would be able to seat us right away. I was so happy. Although, I was worried that we were charged for not showing up the night before, so I called Disney Dining to check. I received a lady who said “oh yes, you didn’t show up and you were charged $20 per person.” I explained everything to her, that the reservations were supposed to be for Friday, not Thursday. She said there was nothing she could do about it and she could only suggest that I talk to the Manager of the restaurant. At this point, I was getting a little upset. I asked to talk to the Manager. He came right over and told me I was not charged and he apologized for everything. After getting that cleared up, we had a great dinner. The food was amazing and we got to see the fireworks from our table. The fireworks were from the P & PP, which I think are so cool. After dinner we took the boat from the Contemporary back to WL .
Day 7 (9/1): This was our last day...almost time to head home. We got up around 10:00 am, showered, and had breakfast at the concierge snack area. We had packed up everything the night before, so we only had to load the car. We then headed over to the Dolphin for a day at Mandara Spa. OMG...Mandara Spa is wonderful!! Free Spirit had a man facial, which he loved. They also massaged his arms and legs. Chubby had a deep tissue massage, and Ms. Popular and I had a mother-daughter massage. We then just relaxed in the Meru Temple for awhile eating fresh fruit and drinking cleansing water. We decided this is how we are going to end all of our Disney vacations Unfortunately, it was time to go, so we headed over to the GF for High Tea at the Garden View Lounge. This was our first time at the Garden View Lounge and again AMAZING! Chubby and Free Spirit ordered Prince Edward’s Tea, while Ms. Popular and I ordered Buckingham Palace. Everything was good and the atmosphere was perfect.
WHAT A VACATION!!! All in all, we had a great time.
I WL! Although, I think we’ll try AKL next time. And we definitely have some new favorite restaurants.
Oh, it all ended much too quickly!! Too bad the heat got the best of you, but you still managed to have a great time. It sounded like a fantastic vacation, thanks for sharing!!!
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We always try to go early in the day and do our favorite things first before the heat is overwhelming. Once entering the park we went straight to Expedition Everest for a fast pass. 
Then we went on Primeval Whirl which always makes me laugh. It reminds me of going on the Mad Mouse at carnivals when I was a kid. 
We hit Dinosaur, Kali River Rapids, Kilimanjaro Safari, It’s Tough to be a Bug, and then back to Everest. By this time it was getting HOT...HOT...HOT. 
We were all getting a bit tired and cranky, so we decided to find something to eat. The restaurants were pretty crowed, but we found an empty table at Pizzafari (not an easy thing to do). This was my first time at Pizzafari. I liked the air conditioning and brightly colored decorations, but the food was just so so. 
ride El Rio del Tiempo and Maelstrom. I think on a future visit I will plan on spending more time having Margaritas an hanging around Mexico...what a 
place. We then headed back to WL for a short nap and then dinner reservations at Boma. We decided to drive instead of taking Disney transportation, which worked out really nice. Boma is the best!! 
We all really enjoyed the atmosphere and the food. There is so much to choose from on the buffet and the desserts “WOW’ I cant say enough...the Zebra Domes are soooo good. 
We got up early and decided to get on the first bus that arrived at our resort. The first bus was going to MGM, which was fine with me. We decided to go on the Studio Backlot Tour first. I have never been on this before, but I thought I had. I think I was getting it mixed up with the one at Universal. They seemed very similar to me 
We went on TOT and Rock’n Roller Coaster again, but by this time the park was getting really crowded. We decided to head over to Epcot and have lunch. We ate at Tangierine Café in Morocco. I would highly recommend this restaurant if you like Middle Eastern food. 
Even Ms. Popular and Free Spirit said they liked it. If it hadn’t been raining we would never have been able to talk them into seeing it with us. 
After the show it was still sprinkling a little bit so we headed back to WL . We spent some time in the WL gift shop and had drinks at the concierge snack area. Now it was time for dinner at California Grill. 
I can’t believe this, I specifically made the reservations for our last night. 
At this point, I was getting a little upset. I asked to talk to the Manager. He came right over and told me I was not charged and he apologized for everything. 
The fireworks were from the P & PP, which I think are so cool. After dinner we took the boat from the Contemporary back to WL . 
We got up around 10:00 am, showered, and had breakfast at the concierge snack area. We had packed up everything the night before, so we only had to load the car. We then headed over to the Dolphin for a day at Mandara Spa. 
Unfortunately, it was time to go, so we headed over to the GF for High Tea at the Garden View Lounge. This was our first time at the Garden View Lounge and again AMAZING! 
WL! Although, I think we’ll try AKL next time. And we definitely have some new favorite restaurants. 
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