The Holi-Canoli! Whirlwind Trip That Wasn't Supposed to Be - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
The Holi-Canoli! Whirlwind Trip That Wasn't Supposed to Be
Welcome to the Holi-Canoli! Whirlwind Trip That Wasn't Supposed to Be!
Wowee! What a day!
A little background:
My DH is deployed. He comes home for R&R in October sometime. Who knows exactly when. We won't know until September 15 and then there is still a little window of uncertainty because we won't know exactly when he'll get in.
My DD and I are going to WDW in September for a mommie/daughter getaway. It's a great way to make this deployment go by quicker and has really given us something to look forward to. My sweet DH really wanted to go. He tried to get his R&R for September, but it didn't work out. Yesterday, he came up with the idea of us switching our trip to October so he could go. That would mean trying to change all of my ADRs including Le Cellier, calling my cousin and telling her not to come and join us. Oh, and what about the MNSSHP tickets I've already bought not to mention the airfare? He saw my point.
He seemed so sad, and it broke my heart. I would die for this man, and here he is risking his life in a desert with 126 degree temperatures and he's tired of being there, and by golly, HE WANTS TO GO TO WDW!
My mind worked all night. You see, we're already booked at POFQ in April for his return and to celebrate our anniversary. So, I knew I had to crunch some serious numbers to make this work. My DH is a financial guru and knows where every penny goes and will want to know if things are feasible or not. So, I had to have my ducks in a row.
We talked last night - 10:07 p.m., to be exact. We talk around that time every day because it is 5 a.m., for him and the lines aren't as busy, and we don't get cut off as much. I pitched my ideas...
Me: Hey Michael, why don't we go to WDW in October for your R&R?
DH: No, you and Victoria take your trip in September.
Me: Oh, we are. Let's go in October, too. We could stay at a resort off-site through the AFVC for $329 a WEEK for a two-bedroom suite with two-bathrooms and a full-size kitchen.
DH: That's cheap.
Me: Yep.
DH: So we won't go in April?
Me: Oh, we are going in April. This would be for your R&R.
DH: But y'all need to go in September.
Me: Honey, we are going in September AND April, and if you want to, we'll go in October, too.
Poor thing. His brain is about fried. He isn't remembering things very well. I finally got through to him. He said he'd have to think about it.
So, I finally got to talk to him today. After a long discussion, he said book it! YIPPEE!!
I am going to WDW three times within seven months! So, today has been a very hectic day of planning and trying to get things done with such short notice and knowing that free dining was going on.
I've written a lot and don't want to bore you, but I'll be back tomorrow with updates about the resort, ADRs and other fun stuff!
What an awesome way to spend DH R&R! It will be great family time We tried doing things during my DH R&R but dates kept changing so I eventually gave up last year....have a great time x3
__________________
PREVIOUS TRIPS: 1997- Off-site, 2002-Contemporary, 2009- POFQ, 2011- Beach Club, 2012- Disney Magic, 2013 Disney Fantasy
You are one lucky lady - and your DH is pretty lucky to have you, I'd say. (And of course, you're pretty lucky to have such a wonderful DH to agree with all your planning and number-crunching.)
Congrats!!!! I'm just as excited to hear about this Oct trip - so keep posting.
Registered Message Board Members save 30% off PassPorter guidebooks! When you register you'll have access to a discount coupon good for 30% off the list price of PassPorter books in our online store.
Congrats on all your upcoming trips. You all deserve some magical time at WDW! Keep us informed on all the trip(s) and details. You'll be there and back twice before my trip comes around so I can live vicariously through your trips
About This Page: 
That would mean trying to change all of my ADRs including Le Cellier, calling my cousin and telling her not to come and join us. Oh, and what about the MNSSHP tickets I've already bought not to mention the airfare? He saw my point. 
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
with ADR's
We tried doing things during my DH R&R but dates kept changing so I eventually gave up last year....have a great time x3 
Heather B
PassPorter Guide Author
Linear Mode
