Swilley Family Finally Does Disney 'Right'!~Trip Report~**Updated 9/29** - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!
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Departure day was finally here ! We were all buzzing with energy and excitement so the hardest part was waiting for 4pm to leave. Our flight was not until 7:20! This was torture! We had done most of the packing the day before; so we let the kids play and swim while I checked my extensive packing list over and over and cleaned house. We were ready by 1 so I had time to squeeze in a quick trip to the mall for a mani-pedi! (I can never have my nails done at work, so this was a really fun treat to make it feel like “I'm officially on vacation!”).
I painted Leah's toes too, so when the girls' were beautified and the car was packed, we were on the road at exactly 4:04 (which is a miracle, cause we never leave on time for anything—guess you have to have the right motivation)!
The first vacation pic! The 60 min ride to the airport was uneventful. When we arrived Shannon dropped me, kids, and luggage at the departure gate while he went to extended parking and took the shuttle back. (we had trouble with a ride since my parents, who usually take us, were already in FL- to make a long story short; they took our van home a few days later when they returned).
That transition took a little longer than expected (picture me and all that stuffwith 3 kids in 90 degree heat trying to keep anybody from getting hit and wondering what in the world happened to my husband --trying to avoid all the stares from people wondering what I must be thinking—not one of which offered to help me get it all inside—but I digress) so the trip did not start without stress. By the time we got checked in, through security, bathroom stop, and to our gate we boarded in 10 min! (So much for leaving on time).
Believe it or not; all that did not dampen our mood! We were finally on our way! We had a good flight. The flight attendants were nice and kept bringing the kids cookies! Everyone behaved well, but didn't fall asleep until 30 min. before we got there! (Which is not a good time—as the plane was landing, we looked at each other and our sleeping children like “uh-oh, now what?” This became our most common problem throughout the trip; sleeping kids, one stroller and only two adults! Thankfully Isaiah wakes up and functions easily.
Once they realized where we were; everyone was up and running! Up next Disney's Magical Express!
__________________
Read all about it in my TR, "Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot!" Jill Phil. 4: 13
Last edited by I live with a 'Stitch'!; 08-02-2008 at 04:55 PM..
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Great job Jill! My 5 year old also has a knack for falling asleep at all the wrong times!
I'm looking forward to hearing all about ME and getting your luggage as we are also taking a later flight to MCO from Illinois.
Can't wait to read more!
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I just read your PTR and now I'm all caught up on your TR...yipeee!! You are absolutely amazing! L&D nurse, 3 kids under 6 and time for crafting....HOW??? By the way, I just love everything you made for your trip....so cute!!! And such cuties you have....what a proud mommy you are!!!! I'm glad you guys arrived safe and sound...now I'm all ready to hear about your time at Disney!!!!!
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Check out my pre-trip report here: 
. Our flight was not until 7:20! This was torture! We had done most of the packing the day before; so we let the kids play and swim while I checked my extensive packing list over and over and cleaned house. We were ready by 1 so I had time to squeeze in a quick trip to the mall for a mani-pedi! (I can never have my nails done at work, so this was a really fun treat to make it feel like “I'm officially on vacation!”). 
but I digress) so the trip did not start without stress. By the time we got checked in, through security, bathroom stop, and to our gate we boarded in 10 min! (So much for leaving on time). 
! Everyone behaved well, but didn't fall asleep until 30 min. before we got there! (Which is not a good time—as the plane was landing, we looked at each other and our sleeping children like 
“uh-oh, now what?” This became our most common problem throughout the trip; sleeping kids, one stroller and only two adults! Thankfully Isaiah wakes up and functions easily. 
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
~Megan~
I'm glad you guys arrived safe and sound...now I'm all ready to hear about your time at Disney!!!!!
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