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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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The Disneyland Hotel is really beautiful! Love all the Disney touches!
The Disney touches were just perfect.
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Originally Posted by JKnott17
I LOVE all of the Disney touches at your hotel!! I've been wanting to go to DL for a while now, but now I really need to figure out how to make that happen
You will love DL, now that we have gotten a little taste I am trying to figure out a way to go back!
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Originally Posted by FanOfMickey
Love the hotel room
Me too!
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Originally Posted by lauriep
The hotel looks like it surpassed expectations! I love that headboard. Even without the fireworks it's beautiful. All the extra Mickey magic in the decor is great. I'm always taking pictures of the carpets at Boardwalk! I love when there is different carpeting at the elevators and hallways. Not too excited to hear about the upcoming crowd issues!
The headboard is beautiful and of course the pictures don't do it justice. I admit that I have carpet pictures of several resorts, that and light fixtures.
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Originally Posted by chezp
I love your room. We last stayed at the Disneyland Hotel in 2006 and the rooms have undergone complete renovations since then and look so much better for it.
Your next instalment doesn't sound too promising.... and having been at Christmas to Disneyland, I think I know what sort of things you might be running into....
I was very impressed with the room renovations, even though I did not see the before in person.
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Originally Posted by Russi01
Love your room! Not sure what to expect with your teaser!
Thank you! Hopefully next update will happen today.
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Originally Posted by sunshinetaradise
I love the pics of Ol' Unfaithful and Cascade Falls! I went to DL for the first time in 2011 and was there for 5 days and I somehow missed that entire area and didn't know it existed until now! I stayed in the Fantasy Tower but I did go over to the Frontier Tower and spent time in the lobby and the Adventure Tower. Who knows how I missed it!
It was kind of off to the side of the tower and had we not taken that route to Downtown Disney we would have missed it. It was a very cozy little area.
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Originally Posted by jackid2
Love all the pictures!! Can't wait to see more
More coming up today!
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Originally Posted by stardust190
I love all the pictures of the hotel. I also really like how compact everything is out there. Having just been in WDW where everything is a bus ride away DL sounds wonderful in how close together the magic is.
It was so nice to be able to walk everywhere and not worry about transportation. Honestly, I was worried about not feeling the "Disney bubble" while at DL, but that couldn't have been further from the truth!
Quote:
Originally Posted by disneydreamer33
I knew I should have read you arriving at DL at home. It made me cry. The DL hotel is just so nostalgic and brings me back to my childhood. I am glad you loved it! I loved all your pics!
I am sorry it made you cry, but I am happy my update brought back memories of your childhood!
I knew the park would be crowded with it being a holiday week, but I was not expecting what we encountered today. I believe part of the problem is that Disneyland is more compact and does not absorb the crowds well at all. The ride queues would spill out into the walkways and really stop the flow of traffic. It was very confusing at some rides to figure out where the line started as they would have ropes up but no clear sign where to enter the line. They had cast members trying to help with the flow of traffic, but most people just ignored them. It took us forever to figure out how to enter the Pirates of the Caribbean line, but I am getting ahead of myself.
Our first stop of the day was the Emporium to purchase an autograph book for Lexi as I forgot to pack one she has from WDW. That would end up a waste of money as I think she only got 4 or 5 autographs.
2014 merchandise.
A few pictures inside the Emporium.
After our purchase we headed to New Orleans Square to ride Pirates of the Caribbean.
A few pictures as we head up Main Street.
Sleeping Beauty's Castle. Not as grand as Cinderella's, but I was still excited to get a look.
We made it to Adventureland!
The walk through Adventureland to get to New Orleans Square was very frustrating, the crowds were a bit overwhelming.
I really wanted to ride the Disneyland version of Pirates as I had heard it was a bit different than WDW's version. This was one ride where the queue snaked around the walkways and really got in the way of traffic, like I mentioned a bit earlier we had a heck of a time finding the actual end of the line. The wait time was 60 minutes, and it took every bit of that to get on the ride. I busied myself taking pictures.
I am still bummed Lexi didn't get to experience one of her favorite rides (BTMRR) at DL.
I will give you a warning right now that the next story I am about to tell is a bit gross, so scroll down to the next picture if you have a weak stomach.
While waiting in line there was a family about 6 people ahead of us that was large group. There were probably 15 people in their party total. One of the dads was holding a little girl that was maybe a year old and you could tell something was not right. She kept coughing and coughing and trying to catch her breath. All of a sudden she just let loose and threw up. Not just a little, but a lot...it went everywhere. She did this about 3 or 4 more times and they just stood in line with her. Everyone else in line had a look of disbelief that they were still in line with the little kid that was obviously not well. Another thing that floored me was they made no attempt to let someone know that their kid had just made a giant mess that needed cleaning up. Justin was so grossed out that he was about to get out of line (mind you this was about halfway through the line) to find a CM. The family behind us had the same idea and they sent their teenage son to snake back through the line to let someone know the situation. I am not sure how that ended as we were soon at the part of the line where it divides and I made sure we got as far from that family as possible.
Now back to the ride! Almost there.
We loaded into our boat with Justin and I in the very front and Lexi behind us riding with Brian and Whitney. I did like the beginning of this version better than the WDW version. Justin and I got our bums a bit wet on that first drop! Brian and Whitney really liked the ride, so I was glad their first ride was a winner!
A couple pics without the flash.
When we got off the ride we tried to make a game plan and it was decided us girls would head up to the Haunted Mansion while Justin and Brian back tracked a bit and got fast passes for Indiana Jones Adventure.
A couple pictures of the Christmas decor as we headed out of New Orleans Square.
Once we got to Haunted Mansion there was a giant crowd exiting the ride. I had a feeling that the ride was down and my suspicions were confirmed when I asked a CM what was going on. He said they had no time frame on when the ride would be back up, so it would be best to come back later. We stayed in that area and waited for the boys to catch up with us and we moved on. Lexi decided she was starving, so Justin took her to a little kiosk and got her a drink and some popcorn. Then we hopped in line for the Winnie the Pooh ride.
Splash Mountain all dressed up for Christmas.
Lexi eating her popcorn as we waited in line for Pooh.
The gift shop just outside of the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.
My ride partner.
Lexi rode ahead of us with Brian and Whitney.
These little guys were on the back of our ride vehicles and I thought they were just the cutest thing ever!
After our ride on Winnie the Pooh, everyone else decided they were hungry so we stopped at the Hungry Bear Restaurant for some lunch.
It was very crowded and we waited at least 15 minutes just to order our food. Once we ordered Justin stayed at the counter to wait for our order while Lexi and I went to find a table. I found a table quickly, but it only had two chairs. The girl at the table next to us noticed I was looking for chairs and offered us her extras as there were only two of them. Thank you! Now that we had a place to sit we could relax for a bit.
I ordered a turkey and provolone sandwich, Justin had the fried green tomato sandwich and Lexi ordered the chicken nugget kid's meal. I also ordered the lemon 'bumblebee' cupcake. I am pretty sure Brian and Whitney both got burgers. The food was pretty good. The cupcake was wonderful! I love lemon flavored desserts so this was right up my alley.
Turkey and Provolone sandwich
Fried Green Tomato sandwich
Chicken Nugget kid's meal
Lemon 'Bumblebee' Cupcake
I gave Lexi the bumblebee to eat and at first she didn't believe that it was edible.
After lunch we decided to back track and see if Haunted Mansion Holiday was up and running yet. It was and I think we hit the line just in time as the wait time was at 30 minutes and soon after we joined the line we noticed it filled up quickly and the wait time was back up to 60 minutes in no time. I happily took pictures while we waited in line.
I loved the holiday overlay of the haunted mansion and I am very glad we got to experience it! One of my favorite parts were pictures that changed from a "regular" holiday picture to a "Nightmare before Christmas" picture. There were several of these and I got a good picture of one switching over.
Before:
After:
After HM, Lexi asked if we could head to Fantasyland. We decided to hop on the train at New Orleans Square and take that over to FL.
According the the lady sitting next to us no one ever gets off the train at FL and as soon as the train stopped our entire car stood up and exited. I guess she was wrong.
As soon as Lexi spotted the carousel she wanted to ride. The wait time was only 10 minutes so we got right in line.
Up Next: Do you want us to call the fire department?
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I feel like I'm reliving my trip to DL through your pictures! Well except for the one part, EW GROSS! I can't believe they didn't do anything. Being the mom of twins, I'm constantly keeping my ears open and if one is coughing to much I definately just take them out of the room just in case. I feel for the little girl.
Well I guess being compact does have it's disadvantages. Good for the closeness of the resorts, but bad for large crowds at the parks. Sounds like you were able to do a big, but those were some long lines. I can't believe the family with the child in the Pirates line. I would have left the line if that were my kid. Not only does the child need care, but it's just rude to the other people in line to not do anything.
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Ok, gross! What is with that family? Gosh, they didn't even show a bit of concern about what happened.
Anyways... glad you're not letting he crowds get in your way. At least you've ridden some of the popular rides.
I feel like I'm reliving my trip to DL through your pictures! Well except for the one part, EW GROSS! I can't believe they didn't do anything. Being the mom of twins, I'm constantly keeping my ears open and if one is coughing to much I definately just take them out of the room just in case. I feel for the little girl.
Can't wait to read more!!
I felt so bad for the little girl. You could tell she was miserable.
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Originally Posted by stardust190
Well I guess being compact does have it's disadvantages. Good for the closeness of the resorts, but bad for large crowds at the parks. Sounds like you were able to do a big, but those were some long lines. I can't believe the family with the child in the Pirates line. I would have left the line if that were my kid. Not only does the child need care, but it's just rude to the other people in line to not do anything.
You are exactly right. The closeness of the resorts was a huge plus, but during peak season the crowds were almost too much. I assume that during the regular seasons it isn't as bad.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MayraLR
Ok, gross! What is with that family? Gosh, they didn't even show a bit of concern about what happened.
Anyways... glad you're not letting he crowds get in your way. At least you've ridden some of the popular rides.
I felt like we could have gotten a lot more done, but we did get in the main rides that I wanted and anything else was a plus.
It is so cool to be reading this, given I've just been working out which photos to print from our Christmas 2012 trip, so I'm seeing a lot of similar shots to the ones I've been looking at over the past few days.
I was so not surprised by your comments about the lines - I knew that Adventureland would be a nightmare from our experiences. We just couldn't work out what line went where. You certainly lucked out with the Haunted Mansion - I don't think I ever saw such a short line as 30 minutes during our visit.
I had not thought of the downside to the compact size of DLR. It wasn't terribly crowded when I was there, so all I saw was the convenience. I think you managed very well, though, and caught some wonderful photos of the details. The HM overlay photos are great! I feel so bad for that baby being stuck with those parents for life. The photos of Lexi looking at your cupcake-topper are priceless!
Very glad you were able to ride POC and Haunted Mansion. Those were my favorite rides while there. It is very congested in that area. Sad about that little girl. No ride is worth ignoring a sick kid over. Some people baffle me.
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All caught up. What a fabulous trip you are having, except for the crowds and the gross family in line at POTC. I'm hoping to take my son out west next year so I'm loving your report.
I loved POTC in Disneyland, Definitely better then WDW. That cupcake looked yummy!! I would have a hard time eating the bee as it is just too darn cute
We went the week of 4th of July, so I was ready for the crowds too. Adventureland was crazy, you could hardly get through. POTC line was that way too. How gross with the poor kid and who wouldn't try to get someone to clean it up!
You had the same luck we did! How bizarre! We went from Pirates to HM and it was down. Glad you got to yge Christmas overlay.
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We last stayed at the Disneyland Hotel in 2006 and the rooms have undergone complete renovations since then and look so much better for it. 
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The ride queues would spill out into the walkways and really stop the flow of traffic. It was very confusing at some rides to figure out where the line started as they would have ropes up but no clear sign where to enter the line. They had cast members trying to help with the flow of traffic, but most people just ignored them. 
It took us forever to figure out how to enter the Pirates of the Caribbean line, but I am getting ahead of myself.
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You certainly lucked out with the Haunted Mansion - I don't think I ever saw such a short line as 30 minutes during our visit. 
~ Jenn 
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