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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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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.
*****PINOCCHIO'S PIZZERIA******
Decent pizza, good for a meal or a snack.
*****PLUTO'S DOG HOUSE*****
I hate to say it, but I had a burger here, and it was bad. Not the worst burger I have ever had (that was from Joe Cool Cafe at Cedar Point), but I would rate it right behind that. I was surprised, because the burgers at WDW are so good. I would have thought quality standards would be similar, but apparently not.
*****ROOM SERVICE*****
I got a BLT from room service and it pretty much tasted like one I would make at home - not bad, not great.
One small note here - Nick wanted milk at about 10:30 one night. I didn't want to order it from room service and have to tip for one milk, so I headed up to deck 9. Everything was closed, there wasn't milk at the drink station - I found someone who went into BBB for me, and looked in the cooler. He said they only had chocolate or soy milk available. So that was disappointing for us.
*****PALO*****
I went to the Palo brunch with my parents and Fred's parents. My sister was supposed to go, but she backed out. Everyone told me that it was worth every cent of the $15, and they were right. Our server was from South Africa, and I am very sorry, but I cannot remember his name. Tall, thin, with short blond/brown hair. Maybe someone knows? Anyway, I loved that they took you to the buffet and explained everything to you. For anyone who is leery about going, this makes it much easier.
I ate lots of delicious things, and won't remember them all, but a few stood out - the stollen bread with the whipped topping and the smoked salmon, to name two. YUM! I had the flatbread pizza and of course, dessert. I would love to go to the brunch every time that I cruise - it was that good!
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.
*****NASSAU*****
Was there 20 years ago, and didn't care for it. Went back, and cared for it even less. Seriously - that is about all I can say. There was a store on the corner of Woodes Rogers Walk (runs parallel with the ships) and Charlotte street that had some neat t-shirts. Can't remember the name, but they had signs up that they are "cruise ship approved". The Hard Rock was rather dumpy, and half the buildings were abandoned. We never made it to the straw market; the kids were crying and the adults just wanted back on the ship. They did have some cute handmade Christmas ornaments in the welcome center. And this (nice face, Ethan):
All in all, it was even worse than I remembered. If we go back, I will definitely stay on the ship.
*****CASTAWAY CAY*****
Castaway Cay day was HOT - no breeze, lots of sun. We got a picture taken of Ethan and Nick when we got off the ship.
The kids swam in the ocean - I was glad that I brought Nick's lifejacket; he headed right out there. My mom also bought some of the sand toys that they had for sale and the kids spent time building sandcastles. Several of us enjoyed a few Konk Coolers , and even Ethan had two non-alcoholic frozen concoctions. Lunch at Cookie's was delicious. One hint - make sure you check ALL of the lines. There are a couple to the left around the corner that people seem to miss. I was surprised by how quickly the lines moved. We also enjoyed some ice cream.
Nick and his cousins Josh and Tyler wanted to go to the kid's club, so we took them over there. There was lots for them to do, including water games with hoses. There were also coolers of cold water and disposable cups in case the kids got thirsty.
__________________
Jennifer
Last edited by jhoshowski; 12-29-2009 at 02:23 PM..
If anyone wants to know anything that I missed, please let me know. Next up I will be heading over to the Universal Orlando forum to cover that portion of the trip. Thanks for reading!
__________________
Jennifer
Last edited by jhoshowski; 12-29-2009 at 02:35 PM..
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.
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.
Great review Jennifer. Loved hearing all about the highlights of your cruise. Glad you decided to do this "not a TR" TR. The cruise sounded like everyone had a great time and what a wonderful place to enjoy spending time with all the family.
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, and even Ethan had two non-alcoholic frozen concoctions. Lunch at Cookie's was delicious. One hint - make sure you check ALL of the lines. There are a couple to the left around the corner that people seem to miss. I was surprised by how quickly the lines moved. We also enjoyed some ice cream.
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