Forever Young: A Disneyland Trip 50 Years in the Making COMPLETED 1/16/16 - Page 10 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Just reading this I can tell how very excited you are! I'm so glad you got to go and even though you only visited DTD you are there. Love all your purchases! Especially the Boo pants!
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.
I loved so much of the artwork in Wonder Ground Gallery! They really have some beautiful things! How exciting your first view of the entrances to the parks!
We were tired by the end, but it was a great start to the trip.
Quote:
Originally Posted by rosanna
I have the Disney World version of your cream colored sweatshirt! Twinsies! It is one of my favorites
Cool! I kept wondering as we shopped what items would be at WDW, too. I was so excited to finally have a Disneyland top.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Amy L
Great first day! Your dinner looked so good. So happy to see the pics of DL Hotel lobby. We stayed there on our last trip and I remember being so fascinated by that picture of DL in the lobby with the lights that lit. I sure hope those macaroons are still there in 3 weeks. Amazing how it's one bag check for both parks isn't it?! Great first day purchases too.
I really came to love that single bag check for both parks as it made it so easy to hope from one to another.
I'm loving all this! I so agree with you about California Adventure beating DHS hands down. Even without Carsland I think it's better.
I totally agree! The front reminding me of DHS, but when we finally walked in on Thursday, October 8, I was blown away.
Quote:
Originally Posted by chezp
Great purchases and shots from the various shops. I can just imagine how exciting it was to see the parks for the first time.
I know I was bracing myself a bit because sometimes when something happens that you've waited forever for, it can let you down or even disappoint. But DLR was everything and more than I had dreamed.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Silvercat
This is so lovely, I am just feeling your excitement by reading your report! I know EXACTLY how you felt at this point.
California Adventure is so amazing, and definitely beats DHS every time - as Laurie said, even without Carsland!
You bought the same jacket as I did! I got it in pink, and it is so warm and snuggly - I am going to wear it to travel to Florida in just 15 days! It's funny, during our trip last year I bought it in California, where I didn't wear it as the weather was too warm. Then at the end of the week we flew to Florida, it was cooler there in the evenings and on our first evening I wore it to Trail's End for dinner. A couple of CMs in the nearby Trading Post saw the jacket and thought it was fake merchandise because it said Disneyland and not Walt Disney World!
I really hope the additions and changes to DHS will finally make me love this park as much as I did DCA. I haven't gotten to wear my jacket yet, but it is supposed to turn colder here again this next week (we've had warm fall weather this week), so I'm hoping I can finally pull it out. I can't believe that they thought it was fake because it said Disneyland. I've worn my cream sweatshirt and another top I got later recently and both times people are surprised when it said Disneyland instead of Disney World, even though we told them that is where we were going.
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.
I am loving how excited you are about this trip! That's exactly how I was 3 years ago for our very first trip to WDW.
What a wonderful first day!
I'm still gushing to anyone who listen about our incredible trip to DLR. it!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Colexis Mom
Great pictures from your night! Love all the purchases!
I can't believe how many photos I squeezed out of my camera with its low battery.
Quote:
Originally Posted by stardust190
Just reading this I can tell how very excited you are! I'm so glad you got to go and even though you only visited DTD you are there. Love all your purchases! Especially the Boo pants!
Seeing the entrances had me bouncing around with joy. I've worn the Boo lounge pants every night since we got home.
I completely understand about that "Wow" moment when you were finally there, at the entrance to Disneyland Park
Those of us who admire Walt Disney can't help but get excited to actually be at HIS park.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SharonK0527
What a wonderful first day! Love the emotion you experienced.
Awesome purchases!
I was so excited that night that even though I was tired, I had to get on here to share. I still get excited as I work through this TR and editing my photos.
Cool pictures of Downtown Disney. I liked seeing the different Lego creations.
I am so impressed by the Lego creations and the patience and time it must have taken create them.
Quote:
Originally Posted by pamcarey
I loved so much of the artwork in Wonder Ground Gallery! They really have some beautiful things! How exciting your first view of the entrances to the parks!
We did, too! We could have bought so much, if we were rich. I was so happy to finally be at the original park.
I'm loving that you have gotten your first glimpse of DL and DCA. I believe it is your unbridled, childlike exuberance of being there for the first time that makes this TR so much more exciting than others I have read. Not to say that I didn't enjoy those thoroughly, but yours adds that extra little edge.
I loved that single bag check! I rarely hop at WDW but it was so easy to do at DLR!!! And I will agree with you in that DCA is far superior to DHS. I'm not a huge fan of DHS, but I loved DCA! WoC, RSR, Soarin'Over CA, Aladdin. GRR, I could go on and on.....
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Great purchases from World of Disney. I can't wait to see your reaction when you enter the parks. I will admit that I cried the first time I stepped onto Main Street!
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Love all the purchases! 
We were tired by the end, but it was a great start to the trip.
Amazing how it's one bag check for both parks isn't it?! Great first day purchases too. 
I was so happy to finally be at the original park. 
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