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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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My first trip to WDW back in 2003, I did AK in the morning and DHS in the late afternoon/evening on the same day. I really enjoyed AK so when I brought my parents to WDW for their first time in 2005, we spent a full day at each park. There is so much to see at AK that even with a full day, I still feel that I don't see everything that I want to. I love Kilimanjaro Safari and Everest for rides, and always include Festival of the Lion King to my show itinerary. Now that I am a passholder, I still spend the full day at AK.
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It really depends on your priorities. If you want to do everything, including all the live shows, both walk-through zoo "trails," all the thrill rides, Kilimanjaro Safaris... you will need well more than one day. Other people continue to insist that it's a half-day park, because all they care about is the thrill rides.
This is true of all the parks at WDW - doing "everything" requires two days per park. Even then, "everything" isn't the same thing as 100%, when you add-in all the possible experiences and entertainment that happen out on the streets. For example, a really dedicated individual could spend an entire day on Main St. in the Magic Kingdom enjoying the live entertainers; interacting with the Mayor, town gossip, etc.; watching parades... A WDW trip is always an exercise in the "art of the possible."
Since this is your first visit, I suggest that you plan to visit each park for a full day once earlier in your trip, and leave at least one day open later in the trip so you can spend more time in the park(s) that have most struck your fancy (you could spend that open day at a single park, or split it between two if you have a park hopper ticket.
I think Dave hit it on the head. This is what we did on our first trip and it was great. That was before we knew about PP and all the neat stuff these folk here have to share so you are one up on us!! We were much better prepared for our second trip and I'm almost feeling like a pro planning our third trip (and there will be two other families traveling with us and I've been designated the Travel Agent/Tour Guide).
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Jennifer / Eeyore is my favorite!! OMG - He's sooooo grown up!!!! And an EAGLE SCOUT!! I can still remember my cute little Tiger Cub! 2016 Reading Goal - 75 books
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I think you have gotten great advice!
It is certainly a personal decision based on the things you like to do and see.
I personally love AK. I could spend days there! But I love animals and I love the
whole feel there.
I hope you have a great time, whatever you decide!
ok, made up my mind. We are doing one day at AK and one day at 2 at DHS, then our last day which is a "reserve" day, for what we liked or missed, we will go back to AK if we liked it. Hope that will work.
Sounds like a great plan. that is what I would do. I am planning on us going to AK one day, and if kids want to go back, we'll PH for part of a day. I enjoy AK, the safari, Lion King, etc. But we won't be wondering around, enjoying the park for what it offers. I'd rather be at DHS or MK. lol
We spent one full day at AK and then returned for less than a half day to repeat EE and a few others. I, personally would have liked more time to mosey around and check out everything. The kids were more into action and that was fine. I lagged behind and took pictures much to their dismay.
While we usually do it in one day, there is definitely enough to see for 2 days. What I would probably do in your case is set aside one day for AK and one for DS - then depending on what you have gotten done, or what you might want to do again set aside the extra day to just go with the flow...or use it to spend maybe another morning at DHS and then an evening at AK or reverse...
Animal Kingdom is really spread out...we like it but usually skip it in the summer time just because to try to see any chunk of it means being exposed in the heat/humidity way too much. In the cooler weather, it's nice to visit if you don't mind all the walking.
I have to confess that I've never been able to spend one whole day in AK, but rather prefer to visit in the morning when it's cooler. We go in June usually and by 11:30, I'm melting and getting grumpy. the heat really interfered with my ability to love the park. One of the best things we did was tour in December when it was nice and cool.
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the heat really interfered with my ability to love the park. One of the best things we did was tour in December when it was nice and cool.
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