Let's Start at the very beginning - PTR:August 17-31 2014 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
Sounds like some good plans for days 4 & 5! I hope that they change some FP+ options in time for your trip. We had the 3 FPs per day (we don't park hop so that had no bearings on our trip) and it really wasn't enough. And we were there in Feb so it wasn't busy at all.
Your plans sound great! The only reason I sometimes book a character breakfast is for that early entry to the parks. I love the photo ops and the feeling of peace and quiet you can't get at any other time.
I'll also be doing breakfast at H&V. Adriel just turned 9 and he's been slowly leaving Disney Jr. in the past. I asked him if he wanted me to cancel the meal but he said no. I think he's pretty excited about meeting Sofia and Doc for the first time. I know this will be the last time at this character meal, for sure.
OK it is offical - we are planning the exact same trip!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Asuka
That sounds so exciting! The Sorcerers game was so much fun. I did get a bit annoyed when I had to wait in line to use a portal and I saw spoilers from other people playing the game. But the cards are still awesome.
I hope we can time it so that doesn't happen.
Quote:
Originally Posted by xwewhisper
I think we are all hoping for some FP+ changes, but it doesn't seem like you really have anything you need them for at MK this evening, so you should be okay My favorite place is Main Street for the fireworks, and it's about the only time I don't mind the crowds. But really, you can't go wrong!
I was hoping to get FP for the parks at night too because it is just more crowded. I think at any park before about 10 or 11am you are OK it is just after that. I'm sure once we are there we will find our groove.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lfredsbo
Plans look great again!
My favorite spot to watch Wishes is from the bridge between the hub and Tomorrowland.
We tend to watch from there a lot so my niece can see Tinkerbell. I'd really like to at least one time watch from MS and get the "full effect" of the show.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Colexis Mom
Great plans!
Thanks Marnie
Quote:
Originally Posted by stardust190
Sounds like some good plans for days 4 & 5! I hope that they change some FP+ options in time for your trip. We had the 3 FPs per day (we don't park hop so that had no bearings on our trip) and it really wasn't enough. And we were there in Feb so it wasn't busy at all.
The old FP I would use them all day long when available way more than 3 a day. I hope they do make some changes too. But at least everyone is in the same boat with the number. It is only an advantage for times to the resort guests.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cam22
More great plans!
Thanks Cam
Quote:
Originally Posted by KMB733
More great plans!!
Thank you Kathy
Quote:
Originally Posted by lauriep
Your plans sound great! The only reason I sometimes book a character breakfast is for that early entry to the parks. I love the photo ops and the feeling of peace and quiet you can't get at any other time.
That feeling is what I'm hoping for too - The kids like the character meals too.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jessie092408
All caught up, from start to finish! Your plans look amazing. I'm so excited for you!
Thanks for joing in and welcome and welcome back to the boards, nice to see you again.
At this point in the trip I’m sure everyone will be getting tired so we have a scheduled sleep in morning. This is simply unheard of for us at Disney (and much to my chagrin at home too since my little man likes to be up at 6:30, even on weekends). That also means we will be skipping, or scaling down, our afternoon break.
Breakfast will again be in the room and then heading over to Epcot around 10 or 11 (along with everyone else). I’d like to get FP+ for TT so we can do that as soon as we enter. Then I’d like to do the Innoventions that is over on that side of the park. I can never remember if it is East or West until I look at a park map but it is the on the side of Test Track.
After a quick lunch (Seasons/Electric Umbrella) I would like to see the Fountain of Nations little musical show and then catch up on the World Showcase pavilions of Canada and UK, unless we were able to see these on our first night before IllumiNations.
Then I want to leave Epcot and head over to AK.
Now my original plan was to arrive in AK in time to watch the Jammin’ Jungle Parade as I have never seen this. But it appears this will be ending its run before we arrive. It is currently still listed on the Disney website but hear it is ending in late spring/early summer. So my options are if it is still showing then watching that and then head into Dinoland until park closing. Or, if the parade is indeed no longer showing than we may spend a little more time in Epcot or just tour around AK a little more. Either way I’d like to finish the day touring Dinoland.
AK is scheduled to close at 6pm so we will leave and go over to tour the AKL. I’m really excited for this. I’ve never seen the Animal Kingdom Lodge before, as in never, ever laid eyes on it, not even a drive by. I have only seen photos from everyone’s TR. On one trip, back in the early 90’s my girlfriend and I spent each afternoon touring the various hotels. It was so long ago that Port Orleans and Dixie Landing were still being built. Since that time I haven’t set aside any time to really explore the different resorts. I plan on changing that this trip with visits to 3 resorts just for touring and not necessarily for a meal. And I will get to the other two in due time.
I have also been wanting to show Evan a little more about his African heritage. Problem is I don’t know where to begin or look. I know of a few things at home but nothing major, so hopefully we can tour around, see some animals, go to the storytellers, maybe get the night vision goggles if we are there late enough and go into the store that I have heard so much about.
On a side note I had seen on the Disney Jr. channel they have a cartoon that is a storyteller about African customs and stuff. It is only about 5 minutes and is on in between shows but Evan seems to like it. He saw one the other day which tells a folk tale about why snakes have no legs.
Last trip I got a few African art pieces in AK so I’d like to add to the collection. I saw a really cute bedazzled Elephant so hope to find something similar and I think I’m going to do an African themed kitchen in the future so I’ll see if I can pick up a few more things or some kitchen items.
All of those activities will be worked around our 7pm dinner ADR at Boma. This will be new for all of us and again a way to hopefully expose all of us to some of the African customs and cuisines but being a buffet, still having plenty of “safe” choices too. Can’t wait to try a zebra dome.
This will be a pretty full day but I’m hoping with the later start and ending with a nice dinner we will be able to head back to the resort and not be totally exhausted.
Coming up next day 7
Firsts:
Evan – Sleep in, ½ of Innoventions, Fountain show, AK Parade, AKL, Boma
Me – Sleep in, AK Parade, AKL, Boma, zebra dome
Mom – Sleep in, ½ Innoventions, Fountain show, AK Parade, AKL, Boma
Eric –Sleep in, ½ Innoventions, Fountain Show, AK Parade, AKL, Boma
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.
Sounds like a great day! I'm sort of jealous that you're going to see Jambo House for the first time. That first view of the lobby is so stunning! You'll love the shopping there, too. I'm sure you'll find something for your kitchen.
Plans sound great!!! I always purchase something new for the carver at AK!!! Have made the theme in my family room safari! And you will love Boma! And the gift shop at AKL is one of my favorite resort shops!
__________________
Lisa Co-Guide to Sharing the Adventure: Disney World Trip Reports
Registered Message Board Members save 30% off PassPorter guidebooks! When you register you'll have access to a discount coupon good for 30% off the list price of PassPorter books in our online store.
About This Page: 
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
I'm so excited for you!
Holly: 
This is simply unheard of for us at Disney (and much to my chagrin at home too since my little man likes to be up at 6:30, even on weekends). That also means we will be skipping, or scaling down, our afternoon break.
and then heading over to Epcot around 10 or 11 (along with everyone else). I’d like to get FP+ for TT so we can do that as soon as we enter. 
Then I’d like to do the Innoventions that is over on that side of the park. I can never remember if it is East or West until I look at a park map but it is the on the side of Test Track.
So my options are if it is still showing then watching that and then head into Dinoland until park closing. Or, if the parade is indeed no longer showing than we may spend a little more time in Epcot or just tour around AK a little more. Either way I’d like to finish the day touring Dinoland.
Since that time I haven’t set aside any time to really explore the different resorts. I plan on changing that this trip with visits to 3 resorts just for touring and not necessarily for a meal. And I will get to the other two in due time.
This will be new for all of us and again a way to hopefully expose all of us to some of the African customs and cuisines but being a buffet, still having plenty of “safe” choices too. Can’t wait to try a zebra dome.
Linear Mode
