My Revamped, Reorganized & Rejuvenating Reunion with the Snowbirds - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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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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My Revamped, Reorganized & Rejuvenating Reunion with the Snowbirds
In late August at a family get together, my SIL mentioned that they might just head to Disney for Christmas. My first thought was it's August and you're THINKING about it ?
What I said out loud was " Let me know and we might join you" My mom says " let me know if you go, I'd like to join you." At this point my SIL & I just laugh because we figure there would be no way my parents would join in.
So now of course I have the Disney wheels in full motion in my head. I begin to look at prices and crowd levels I talk it over with my DH and he & I agree that we would rather go earlier in December with less crowds .
This decision puts an end to the family holiday fantasy because my SIL is a teacher.
So booking begins with my TA Doris. After some emails back and forth we decide on the Poly in concierge. We book MVMCP for December 11th. Then a day or so later , I'm talking to my mom on the phone and she asks if we have made any Disney plans. So I explain we won 't be going at Christmas but earlier. She says well book us in, your Dad and I want to go too.
It takes a bit to absorb this and I ask a bunch of questions and ask how long they'll be staying and my mom assures me she's not joking at they want to be there for the whole holiday. My dad has never expressed ANY interest in Disney and has often questioned me on why I would go more than once. I also tried to get my mom to join me and my DD Rachel for a girls trip and she said a week was too long.
So I get back on the computer with my poor TA and sadly cancel the Poly since I think my parents won't want to pay deluxe hotel prices and we get Caribbean Beach with free dining. I also get my parents MVMCP tickets .
So now I guess introductions are in order.
There's Me: Roberta (44)
DH Mike (49)
DD Rachel (15) !! How DID she get to be 15 so fast ???
We live in Ottawa, Canada. Whenever we travel abroad the most often asked question when we tell people where we live is.... Is it close to Toronto. So the answer (in case you are wondering) is about 270 miles east and slightly north. We boarder Quebec.
My parents live in a small town in Northern Ontario about 309 miles north of us. And since they've retired and don't like when the surroundings can look like this
They winter in Panama City Beach, Florida. So they are snowbirds leaving Canada just before the snow flies and returning (usually) when the snow has left. I am only a little jealous of this
We are excited to have my parents join us and to be seeing them near the Christmas holidays . It's been a long time since we've been together for Christmas. Last time my Dad and Rachel looked like this
Last August Dad 74 & Rachel look a little cooler
And finally my Mom 72 on the same tour of the Rideau canal
UP NEXT: more plans and many more changes to plans
Can't wait to see you at the party! Maybe one day we can meet up in Canada, as I really want to do a Toronto/Niagara/Montreal/Quebec City trip at some point in the next couple of years.
Can't wait to see you at the party! Maybe one day we can meet up in Canada, as I really want to do a Toronto/Niagara/Montreal/Quebec City trip at some point in the next couple of years.
Cheryl, I am looking forward to seeing you & Mark at the party ! I would love to see you in Canada but Ottawa ( the nation's captial & where I live ) seem to be missing from your list
Thanks to all who have replied already gives me some encouragement to continue.
HOTEL SHUFFLE
I forgot to mention that we had originally booked an All Stars hotel for the first 2 days of our vacation. We have a direct flight from Ottawa to Orlando but land around
8 pm on Sat. Room rates went down on the Monday, so we decided to save a few $$ would we do 2 days at All Stars then 6 at the Poly.
So when my parents changed our plans, I booked us at the French Quarter. Now my TA did mention ( again) that there was free dining but I didn't think I wanted to do that and took the room discount instead. After mulling over free dining and then checking the price difference between room only and free dining..... well... I changed my mind
But no free dining at French Quarter or Port Orleans so we were booked at Caribbean Beach. We stayed here for my 40th and I just found it okay. I knew my folks would love the grounds so I had my TA book it. But I just wasn't keen on it and then I decided to check our photos again.
I just find that the Nemo wallpaper boarder and bedspread is a little lacking in
Disney magic for me. But they do have the cool pool which reopened not long before we got there
And I even found a Hidden Mickey. I was supposed to get a credit from Steve Barrett but I never got a second email saying they had found it and it was authentic.
Then I found some notes I had made and I was quite unhappy with the bus service and the food court. So.... I start thinking about where else we could go. I was happy to see some very positive reviews for Coronado Springs Resort from Ashli & Princess Sharon on the boards as well as some others. And I also found that PPer Buzz2001 has a site dedicated to CSR. So another email to my poor TA Doris to see if we could switch yet again. I didn't think with free dining it would be possible but the answer was yes !!
That simple move rejuvenated my planning. I'm happy we're trying some place new and that there are queen beds Dining options also sound better. We shall see.
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.
I stayed at CSR on my first trip (2010) and it was great! Really liked the pool and the feel of the resort. There were a few bus stops but didn't share a bus with another resort. We ate at Pepper Market a couple of times and usually got coffee and a bagel or muffin at Rix before heading out to the parks. There was a convention of nursing students when we were there but it still wasn't a problem. (only once were they obnoxious on a bus coming back from DTD late at night) You will love the resort. But I don't like the sound of your teaser!
Great start! Glad you've been able to change the resorts around so that you are more pleased with your choice. CSR looks beautiful and my DBiL loved it when they stayed there.
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.
Glad you were able to get a resort that makes you happy! I stayed at CBR years ago and found it just ok-- for moderates my favorite is POFQ. Haven't tried Coronado yet, but hear very nice things about it.
Now, I'm wondering what the phone call from your parents is about...
Cheryl, I am looking forward to seeing you & Mark at the party ! I would love to see you in Canada but Ottawa ( the nation's captial & where I live ) seem to be missing from your list
Don't worry - I'm sure that will be on the list, as we try and visit a capital city every year. I nearly put Ottawa down, but last night (after a glass of wine in my defence! ) I was trying to remember if it was the capital or not - I thought so, but I wasn't 100% sure....
Don't worry - I'm sure that will be on the list, as we try and visit a capital city every year. I nearly put Ottawa down, but last night (after a glass of wine in my defence! ) I was trying to remember if it was the capital or not - I thought so, but I wasn't 100% sure....
Not to worry Cheryl, I figured it was just an oversight. If you're planning on driving you need to go by Ottawa to get to the other cities on your list. It is a lovely city.
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.
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and crowd levels 
We book MVMCP for December 11th. Then a day or so later , I'm talking to my mom on the phone and she asks if we have made any Disney plans. So I explain we won 't be going at Christmas but earlier. She says well book us in, your Dad and I want to go too.
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Maybe one day we can meet up in Canada, as I really want to do a Toronto/Niagara/Montreal/Quebec City trip at some point in the next couple of years. 
Glad you've been able to change the resorts around so that you are more pleased with your choice. CSR looks beautiful and my DBiL loved it when they stayed there. 
) I was trying to remember if it was the capital or not - I thought so, but I wasn't 100% sure....
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