Forums Closed
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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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!
Best wishes for a wonderful and magical new year!
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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.
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11-24-2003, 03:10 PM
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#1
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Community Rank: Adventurer 
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Sacramento, CA
Concierge Level: 2
Posts: 917
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4 hours...A VERY mini trip report!
I'm fortunate enough to head down south frequently enough that it is worth it for me to have an annual pass. On Thursday the 20th, I finished off my work about 3:30, so I headed straight towards the world's largest parking garage for a few hours of enjoyment at the Happiest...err..I mean MERRIEST place on earth (that's the slogan during the holidays!)
The official opening of the holiday theme would be tomorrow, so no snow on Main Street for me on this trip, but the decorations were up and looking beautiful!
I first headed towards California Adventure, since they would be closing at 6pm. The line for California Screamin' was 30 minutes long, so I passed and continued on through Paradise Pier, enjoying the golden holiday decorations everywhere. Maliboomer had a short line, so I thought I'd take a trip and enjoy the view from up top. The cast member was having lots of fun with the guests, teasing us into thinking we were about to be shot up when actually the ride was just getting set to go...then having us count down to one, but sending the ride up at two! Fun but quick!!! Next stop, the other roller coaster. This one has a single rider line, so I jumped right on and had a twisty, mad mouse ride to the bottom with a like minded 12 year old. We both laughed and screamed the whole way down.
I had to go by and see the new Spirit Cave in the Redwood Creek Trail. I was too late to see the new Brother Bear storytelling, but the spirit cave is pretty cool. I put my hand up below the bear paw, and my kindred spirit appeared...the bear! I had to try it again, just to see if the same spirit came up again...I got the eagle the second time. It's a nice new feature to this attraction, and the kids seemed to really be enjoying it.
Well, I thought about Grizzly River Rapids...but it was about 60 degrees out, and not getting warmer, so I passed on that. But Soarin' Over California was calling my name, and with the single rider line I once again hopped right on and had a great seat - front and center! Really a wonderful attraction. I wish that they would do a different movie for the one in they are doing in WDW so that I could have a different experience there.
At about 5:30 I headed across the plaza to Disneyland to beat all the people that would be doing that at 6:00 when DCA closed. Wow, the decorations looked great and I think the tree on Main Street Plaza gets taller every year! The lights and the Mickey Mouse shaped wreaths looked beautiful! And the castle all done up with holiday banners is a sight to see. And it's off to the one thing I wanted to see on this visit more than anything else...It's A Small World Holiday!
I was wondering how it would look this year, since they repainted the attraction facade all in white and gold. It looked great! Every bit of the facade is framed with lights, pinks, greens, blues, reds...really wonderful. And the smiling clock wears a giant Santa hat! The topiaries are covered in twinkling lights...and I haven't even been on the attraction yet!
Each boat has a lovely wreath on the front of it, and you are greeted with the words "Merry Christmas" in several different languages. The soundtrack is completely different, so instead of hearing the same song over and over and over and over and...you hear it intermingled with Jingle Bells, Deck The Halls, and other holiday favorites. And of course the entire attraction is redecorated for the holidays. I think I'll be able to attach a couple of pictures later, but for now...just trust me, it's really fantastic!
I just did a little shopping on my way back down Main Street, buying a couple of pins that I just couldn't resist (Stitch holding a frog and the It's A Small World attraction poster pin), and then I saw the Stitch Santa, with magnetic feet...he needed to be on my refrigerator.
A quick tour through the Disney Store in Downtown Disney, and a stop at the Brea Bakery for my FAVORITE bread...sour chocolate cherry, and it was time to head back to the parking garage.
As I stood waiting for the tram, the fireworks started. I watched them during the entire tram ride, smiling...thanking Walt for a few hours of Disney magic.
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11-25-2003, 08:52 PM
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#2
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Community Rank: Trailblazer 
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Pittsburgh, PA , USA
Posts: 5,943
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Re: 4 hours...A VERY mini trip report!
WOW, what a most EXCELLENT four hours! There is nothing like DL at holiday time - thanks so much for taking me there!  |
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11-25-2003, 11:57 PM
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#3
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Faith, Trust, Pixie Dust
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Sasquatch Territory, Pacific Northwest
Concierge Level: 8
Posts: 17,166
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Re: 4 hours...A VERY mini trip report!
Looks like you made excellent use of your time!
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01-05-2004, 10:37 AM
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#4
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Community Rank: Jetsetter 
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: St. Louis, MO
Posts: 2,873
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Re: 4 hours...A VERY mini trip report!
What a magical day you had. I would love to make it to DL some day.
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01-06-2004, 12:36 AM
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#5
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Mrs. Jack Sparrow
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Aboard the Black Pearl
Concierge Level: 7
Posts: 21,228
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Re: 4 hours...A VERY mini trip report!
<font color="blue">*Sigh* Sounds so wonderful. You had a great time  Thanks for shareing it with us.
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