LIVE - From Walt Disney World and Universal!! Jan 21-26 - Page 12 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!
Welcome! We're happy you've found the PassPorter Community -- the friendliest place to plan your vacation to Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland, and the world in general! You are now viewing the PassPorter Message Board Community as a guest, which gives you limited access. As our guest, feel free to browse our messages by selecting the forum you want to visit from the list below.
To post messages and ask questions, join our FREE community today and you'll get access to tools and resources not available to guests, such as our vacation countown timers, "living" avatars, private messaging system, database searches, downloads, and a special PassPorter discount code. Registration is fast, simple, and completely free. Just click the Join Our Community link.
If you think you've already joined, log in below now. If you don't remember your member name or password, please visit our Member Name and Password Recovery page. You are also welcome to contact us.
I somehow missed that portifino bay has balconies! How awesome
Actually most rooms don't. We just got lucky!! I'll have to find a pic from outside looking up at our room. Then you can see how few there are. Ours was actually shared with the room next to us, but I don't think anyone was in that room.
__________________
Shelly
Disney Destinations Specialist
Magical Vacations Travel
I like the limo you guys ended up with. When we were younger and did family trips where we were flying somewhere like out west to Vancouver or Edmonton or down to Florida for march break we would take one to the airport from our house.
__________________
You can dream, create, design and build the most wonderful place in the world, but it takes people to make the dream a reality.
- Walt Disney
I like the limo you guys ended up with. When we were younger and did family trips where we were flying somewhere like out west to Vancouver or Edmonton or down to Florida for march break we would take one to the airport from our house.
It was definitely a neat experience for the kids!!
__________________
Shelly
Disney Destinations Specialist
Magical Vacations Travel
So, this was our first time at Universal. I was really wishing the day would have been a little nicer. It was chilly, that's for sure! But the rain had cleared up, so that was nice.
If you stay at a Universal Deluxe Resort you get the Express Pass for free. Which is basically a fast pass for all rides, with the exception of some of the Harry Potter stuff. So, it is an excellent benefit. They sure have Disney beat on that one!
Our first impression was that Universal Studios was pretty nice. I was pleasantly surprised!
It kind of reminded me of DHS, which I love.
But, as the day went on we all realized we just thought it was okay and none of us really loved it. There are so many simulator type rides, that it gets a bit old after awhile. The whole Simpsons area was a little cheesy! And the employees just don't live up to WDW CM's at all.
Example: If you are in a WDW park and you are standing there looking at a park map and looking around and look totally confused, what happens?? A CM (or two) will come up and ask if they can help. Not the case at Universal. They just ignore you!
Then there was the cleanliness of the park. It wasn't terrible, but there were definitely things we saw and even DH commented on it - you would never see this at WDW!
But, we were glad to be there and I got a super great TA rate at Portofino Bay and we were certainly glad we decided to give the whole thing a try. And it's not like we hated the place by any means!
The boat ride back to the resort was short and pleasant!
The next day will be Islands of Adventure.
__________________
Shelly
Disney Destinations Specialist
Magical Vacations Travel
Well, you know I agree with you about other theme parks. I've been to 6 other than wdw and they always fall way short. And I completely agree that the CMs at wdw are what makes the difference. They are the ones who make it magical! Going somewhere else on vacation always makes me long to be back at Disney.
I agree that US looks a lot like DHS! I know you enjoyed that part.
I totally agree with the rides being all similar. I am not a fan of simulator rides which seems to be all over US. Although we have annual passes, I would much rather be at Disney. The boys love US/ IOA. i do love the HP parts though.
We'll be there in a couple of weeks!!!
It doesn't take long to realize that US/IoA isn't Disney, but some of it is still quite fun and well done.
Exactly.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DisneyWorldNut
Well, you know I agree with you about other theme parks. I've been to 6 other than wdw and they always fall way short. And I completely agree that the CMs at wdw are what makes the difference. They are the ones who make it magical! Going somewhere else on vacation always makes me long to be back at Disney.
I agree that US looks a lot like DHS! I know you enjoyed that part.
I guess I never really expected it to live up to WDW, but I had hoped it would be close!
It really is a neat place and I'm glad we went. It has a totally different atmosphere.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lfredsbo
I have not been to US yet - but I know when we visit other theme parks, we always end up stating that "We are not in Disney anymore"
It definitely has that feeling - we are not in Disney anymore!!
__________________
Shelly
Disney Destinations Specialist
Magical Vacations Travel
Even if you try, one cannot help but compare other parks to Disney.
It does seem that you had a good time at US.
I really tried not to compare it to WDW, but it's hard not to!!
We did have a nice time.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ddluvsdisney
I totally agree with the rides being all similar. I am not a fan of simulator rides which seems to be all over US. Although we have annual passes, I would much rather be at Disney. The boys love US/ IOA. i do love the HP parts though.
We'll be there in a couple of weeks!!!
Yeah, after the second day all the simulators were starting to get to us. It messes with your equilibrium I think. Not to mention your stomach!!
Have a great trip!
__________________
Shelly
Disney Destinations Specialist
Magical Vacations Travel
It disappointed me that so many of their new additions were stimulator types and not something new and exciting. We loved the theming of diagon alley but the ride itself didn't overly impress us.
Like so many others have said Universal is huge let down After Disney. I found that Even when you go in with the idea that it will be different Culture Shock is a bit overpowering. On her fist ever trip to WDW my DW and I did a day there to see WWoHP and JP as soon as we had done them she wanted out and to go back to Disney
About This Page: 
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
Linear Mode
