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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!
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So, we are mulling a reservation at the Plaza Inn. Currently, there's one available for 8:10 PM. I know what that hub area is like before the fireworks, which are scheduled on the WDW website for 10:00 that night (Electrical Parade at 9:00).
Two questions...
1. Would we be able to have a partial view of the Electrical Parade from inside the Plaza? I've never been inside, so I have no idea of the size.
2. After 9:00, would my best bet be to head toward Tomorrowland to watch the fireworks? Last year we tried the edge of Liberty Square, and I didn't like the angle at all.
Or perhaps skip the reservation and grab a quick bite and an early spot for viewing? DS MUST see the fireworks!!!
I can't answer your questions regarding the "view" from inside the restaurant but since it's a TS with only sandwiches that are not much more expensive than the QS variety, I would just drop the ADR, get something from elsewhere and stake out your spot early. That way you know for sure you'll be able to see them
Of course too, you could always try for the "same day reservation" for the Wishes Dessert party and get to watch them from inside the previous FP area but not have to stake out spots so early.
The restaurant is offset from the parade route and a little down from street level. There are one or two tables in the windows, but you can't be guaranteed of getting them.
I don't think, even at the windows, you'd have a view of the parade except the very tops of the floats and they curve around the Hub. You might see some of the fireworks, but not much of them.
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I can't answer your questions regarding the "view" from inside the restaurant but since it's a TS with only sandwiches that are not much more expensive than the QS variety, I would just drop the ADR, get something from elsewhere and stake out your spot early. That way you know for sure you'll be able to see them
Of course too, you could always try for the "same day reservation" for the Wishes Dessert party and get to watch them from inside the previous FP area but not have to stake out spots so early.
Good luck deciding
Is this what they are doing now for the dessert party? Same day? I've missed this information.
Is this what they are doing now for the dessert party? Same day? I've missed this information.
You can still make advance reservations for it - those that do get to stay inside the Tomorrowland Terrace to view them. Those that make same day reservations have their desserts inside but then get "escorted" to th viewing area. At least that's what's online tells me
You can still make advance reservations for it - those that do get to stay inside the Tomorrowland Terrace to view them. Those that make same day reservations have their desserts inside but then get "escorted" to th viewing area. At least that's what's online tells me
This is good to know. I checked on it a bit, and it looks like we can visit the TT podium beginning at 10:30 to get same-day. Okay. We have FP+ for the mine train at 10:20, so if we decide to try for the party, I'll need to hoof it on over lickity split after the ride.
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This is good to know. I checked on it a bit, and it looks like we can visit the TT podium beginning at 10:30 to get same-day. Okay. We have FP+ for the mine train at 10:20, so if we decide to try for the party, I'll need to hoof it on over lickity split after the ride.
Your FP+ is good for an hour so you could also go to the TT podium first, get the Party reservation and then head over for your FP+. Just a thought.
Your FP+ is good for an hour so you could also go to the TT podium first, get the Party reservation and then head over for your FP+. Just a thought.
Yes, this is true. I'll probably go check out the line situation at the podium and judge what we should do from there. Hopefully, there will not be an hour-long line for the same-day reservation!