The trip of many changes... TRIP REPORT UPDATED 2/25 - Page 36 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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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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.
Now I'm thinking we need to do the tour of Copper Creek. That bungalow is awesome! Thanks for all the photos. Your timing in missing the store was perfect, too.
I think you'd really enjoy the tour. Let's face it, it may be the only way that some of us get to stay there.
Love all the photos of Happily Ever After! I was so disappointed that we never saw this show on our November trip. Our MK nights were cut short, so we never saw it. Definitely a must do for May.
As we always say though, it's just another reason to return.
I thoroughly enjoyed all your pictures and commentary on the Wilderness Lodge Tour Cheryl! I've eaten in Artist Point a few times and never noticed the grandeur of the ceilings. It really is a peaceful room. Looking forward to reading about your cruise portion.
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I thoroughly enjoyed all your pictures and commentary on the Wilderness Lodge Tour Cheryl!
Aw, thank you!
Quote:
I've eaten in Artist Point a few times and never noticed the grandeur of the ceilings. It really is a peaceful room. Looking forward to reading about your cruise portion.
I've had a number of meals there where I've happily stared up at that ceiling. It is truly stunning.
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.
Nice tour of Cascade at the WL. Funny how that pool is always deserted and wonder why!
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Most of the side DVC pools are fairly low use from my experience. At Old Key West the main pool might be busier, but the three side pools if there are 10 people there at once it's 'crowded'.
My girls like the outlier pools because there are no guards, so they can use their mermaid tails. in bigger pools they won't be allowed to use them, even though they are complete fish in them. Its amazing; they can swim lengthways under water (the whole distance) without coming up for air.
Friday 12 January – part eight: these are amazing!
We made our way over to the Cascade Cabins and wow! These are amazing. They’re the same layout essentially as the waterfront bungalows at the Polynesian, but I think I prefer these. They felt more homely and I liked the fact that they’d enclosed the patio area. It felt a bit safer to me, if that made sense? And that fireplace – oh my goodness, wonderful.
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The entrance area
The main bedroom
The en suite bathroom
The second bedroom
The second bathroom
The living area
The kitchen area
The tub!
And yes, you can even sit outside by the tub!
The others headed back to see the other layouts, but as we were in a one bedroom villa, we said our goodbyes at that point. I am so glad Members get this opportunity and I think it works for them as one group were talking about adding on after seeing the Cabins!
We had a look in the shop, as we were there and Mark ended up getting a T-shirt. We’d only come down with literally our MagicBands and a camera and cell phone for me, so we didn’t have our DVC ID on us on get a discount, but the guy was very good and gave it to us anyway.
We headed back to the room for some downtime and while we were there, this swept in!
Ginger later told us it included sleet! Thank goodness we weren’t out in that…
We headed out just after 4:00pm to go back to the Magic Kingdom. I will admit on this stay I am coming to love the Wilderness Lodge more and more. It’s like I suddenly “get it” if that makes sense?
Next: Mark traumatises Pooh!
As a side note; the Disney channel that plays the info that is on all the TVs in the pictures is also an app you can have on your phone. Maybe everyone knows that, but I love having it to play now and then. It's called 'WDW Today'. I'm also enjoying Sorcerers Radio and DParkRadio (can play through TuneIn on both Alexa and Sonos, plus on the apps on your phone. It's all about managing my Disney withdrawals when I'm not there!!
I've also started enjoying the drive to work more because now I play WDW Radio podcasts while driving to and fro. After #510, we HAVE to eat at the Nomad place in AK.
Most of the side DVC pools are fairly low use from my experience. At Old Key West the main pool might be busier, but the three side pools if there are 10 people there at once it's 'crowded'.
My girls like the outlier pools because there are no guards, so they can use their mermaid tails. in bigger pools they won't be allowed to use them, even though they are complete fish in them. Its amazing; they can swim lengthways under water (the whole distance) without coming up for air.
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.