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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Recently went with no dining plan. Easy snacks for the parks... Muddy Buddies. The kids love that stuff and I am sure has no nutritional value. Apple slices with carmel. Some fresh fruit. Pretzels. Meals in room. Pizza, we either had frozen or made our own. We did mash potato one night with pork chops. Peeled the potato ahead of time, Set in water, headed to parks, then return and started to make while everyone got showers or went swimming.
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We don't own DVC but at another resort. Meals out can get very pricey so we eat breakfast and lunch plus most dinners at our resort.
This is what I do:
Simple casserole meals (for breakfast and dinner), and use the grilles provided for hamburgers, hot dogs/wurst, and steaks.
Pre cook chicken, ground beef, and sausage for casserole meals and then refreeze to bring with on the trip; this way all you're doing is throwing everything together in a pot, the only thing that needs cooking are the noodles and since you're throwing everything in the noodle pot you have only one to clean.
In individual baggies I put the list of ingredients/recipe and any spices (measured) I would not be bringing with me for that recipe. I usually have 3 casserole recipes I bring. I also cook ribs and freeze before we go (family favorite) so I just add slaw, beans and corn bread to that meal, how simple is that since the ribs just need reheating!?
I'm sure I repeated what others have said and have taken some of your ideas as well, I hope what I do has helped too.
SW+7
We always cook breakfast in the villas and I try for a few dinners on longer trips.
Two easy dinners we enjoy: Pesto Pasta with Chicken and Chicken Quesadillas.
Ingredients:
1 pre-cooked rotisserie chicken
1 container pesto sauce
1 box penne pasta
(green beans or broccoli if you want to add a veggie)
flour tortillas
shredded cheese
salsa
(add avocado if you like)
This easily makes 2 dinners - especially if you add a salad. Toss the cooked pasta with pesto sauce and shredded chicken for night 1. Make quesadilas in a frying pan the next night - shredded cheese and chicken on tortillas. Toast until cheese is melted, serve with salsa and optional avocado.
I'm not a huge fan of cooking on vacation and this next trip I will be 7 months pregnant, so we are definitely going with the Dining Plan. That being said, we are in a 1 bedroom villa and I still plan on making breakfast every day and possibly prepping lunch so we can pop in the room and eat quick to head back out. This will be our first time in a 1 bedroom so I am curious what types of pots/pans to expect in the rooms.
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PREVIOUS TRIPS: 1997- Off-site, 2002-Contemporary, 2009- POFQ, 2011- Beach Club, 2012- Disney Magic, 2013 Disney Fantasy
I see no one has posted to this in a bit, so hopefully someone still checks it!
Can anyone tell me if they have ever tried the freeze ahead method for foods and you fly to WDW instead of drive? We fly from Pittsburgh, and I am not sure what rules there are for putting food in your baggage.
I've never frozen anything, but I have packed food in a checked bag--spices for cooking, particular snacks my kid likes....booze....I guess its all okay. I'd be more worried about thawing beef stew in my luggage than about TSA.
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There is always the BBQ grills too- you can rent the tools from the front desk or community hall I think(depending on which resort). We plan on doing this on our next trip.
I know this is an old thread but I was thinking about this the other day. We have to travel for sports and we eat a lot out of the microwave in a hotel room. I like to mix things up when we are travelling for fun. One thing I have found easy is appetizer type things that can be heated up in small portions when someone is hungry. We do those turkey cocktail weenies in bbq, sweet & sour meatballs, mini quiches, or a cheese & cracker tray. My kids consider it a treat because it's party food!
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good grocery store on the way from sanford airport?
we are staying last minute at Saratoga for very first time as DVC members and
not getting park tickets- just relaxing in our villa and soaking up some sun. we fly into Sanford and have rented a car - can anyone give advice on stopping enroute for groceries?