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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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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We are headed to DL Dec 5-9. Myself, DH, DD, DSIL and my three adorable Grandbabies, 3 years ,2 years and 6 months old. I am just not as familiar with DL as WDW so any help would be appreciated.
Questions...
#1 Can you prebook dinner reservations and if so should we.
#2 Best Character meal...Prebook?
#3 My DGD would love to be dressed as a princess. I have seen the little ones all dressed up at WDW. Is this something that they do at DL also. If yes, what is it called and how do I make reservations?
These are the only questions I can think of at the moment but I know that there were more...
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At the bottom of the reservation form it lists Character Meals as an option. Can anyone tell me the difference in the Character Meal and the Premium Character meal?
By all means, wear Princess attire! Disneyland is a very sweet, old-fashioned, lovely park and I am convinced that Walt Disney himself lingers very nearby in spirit. Lots of little girls wear Princess costumes.....
If you can make dining reservations for dinner, by all means, do it! My favorite restaurant is Wine Country Trattoria - ask for a table in the vineyard.
As for character meals, yes - pre-book! The classic experience with all of the most beloved characters is Goofy's Kitchen in the Disneyland Hotel. You might also enjoy Ariel's Grotto.
Have a great day!
Julia
__________________
Julia Elzie
Family Travel Specialist
Affiliated with MEI-Travel and Mouse Fan Travel
E-mail: juliae@mei-travel..com
This is what I found out on the Character Dining vs Premiere Character Dining:
Disney Regular Character Dining:
Plaza Inn/Main Street Disneyland
PCH Grill/Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel
Storyteller's Cafe/Disney's Grand Californian Hotel for breakfast only.
Disney Premium Character Dining:
Goofy's Kitchen/Disneyland Hotel
Ariel's Grotto/Disney California Adventure Park.
__________________
Debbie
Last edited by DebiDebiDebi; 09-25-2012 at 08:45 PM..
I wouldn't recommend a Disneyland dining package, if that's the direction you're heading. The Disneyland "dining plan" is nothing like the Walt Disney version so if you're looking to find a value, it's not there. It's more of a pre-paid voucher system as opposed to a discount. They also take reservations with less advance than WDW but for character dining you should reserve as soon as you're able. Things are much more relaxed in California!
I would definitely pre-book any meals you want. You can pre-book up to 30 days in advance and you can do it via email, although the email address escapes me right now. We've had some great character meals there and will be heading back to Breakfast in the Park with Minnie and Friends in December (hopefully - if we can book it! ) at the Plaza Inn, so that's probably the one I'd recommend.
Thank you so much for your help! I am trying to get my very busy DD on the stick so that we can get all of this booked asap! My 3 year old DGD is obsessed with her princesses, in fact, if you ask her her name she says her name followed by... the beautiful pink princess! Because of that I am thinking Ariel's Grotto for a character meal. Am I correct that that is where she would get to meet ALL the princesses?? However Minnie and Mickey would be a show stopper for both of the kids for sure!
Another question I cannot seem to find. What mornings does the park open early for Grand California guests?
Again, thank you for all your help and any suggestions!!!!!!
I would definitely recommend Breakfast with Minnie at the Plaza restaurant. My girls, who were 2 and 4 on our last trip when we did the breakfast, were fresh from a good night's sleep and ready for the character interaction. Breakfast is plentiful and we found the food to be pretty good. The character interaction -- which for us meant Minnie, Chip and Dale, and Pooh and friends -- was excellent. The server had sat us right by the aisle, so the characters were able to stop by our table quite easily and they all lingered for a few minutes. Honestly, of all the meals/character experiences we had at Disneyland, this one was one of the best.
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) at the Plaza Inn, so that's probably the one I'd recommend.
Because of that I am thinking Ariel's Grotto for a character meal. Am I correct that that is where she would get to meet ALL the princesses?? However Minnie and Mickey would be a show stopper for both of the kids for sure! 
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