Don't Stop - part one of Disney trip COMPLETED - Page 14 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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How neat to actually watch Holiday Wishes from your own room! I really liked the pictures with Space Mountain in the forefront, a cool new perspective.
Oh my goodness, you'll have an absolute ball - four of you in a two bedroom, you could have a party in there... and I'm sure you will.
It could happen! [Especially since there are some people who have said they don't want us to have to figure out how to manage the Food & Wine Festival on our own. ]
Great fireworks pics! I am so hoping that we end up with the kind of views you had--we have a Lake View villa as well.
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.
All caught up Cheryl, and I'm coveting your upper class experience and your room view from Bay Lake Towers. I can't think of two people who deserve living the high life more. I'm pretty sure that Lesley was texting with you right before these fireworks while we were at California Grill. I love that your were watching the fireworks from the top of the building just next door to where we were! Can't wait for more.
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Karen, aka Zack's Mom - Lover of all Things Disney and the San Francisco Giants!
What an amazing view after such a trying experience to get there. Totally worth it! It seems to make all the stress of the last 2 hours just disappear and puts you right back into that Upper Class mode. Well, it worked for me anyway! I can't wait to see what your view looks like during the day as well. Nice photos!!!
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Tanya
Every click helps feed .6 bowls of food to rescued animals. Give a quick click every day and help animals in shelters! www.theanimalrescuesite.com
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.
Friday 11 December – part one: sunrise shows Bay Lake Tower at its best
As always with jet lag, we were awake early, about 5.00, which isn’t too bad for us. I got up and sorted out photos and then we slowly got going. What took the longest was me losing my doctor’s note about my chronic fatigue, which I wanted when I went to get my Guest Assistance Card. I knew you don’t necessarily need it, but I felt happier with it. I took it out of the envelope that it came in and then couldn’t find the letter. We searched for about 15 minutes and eventually found it. It was in one of the suitcases I had just closed. I was getting so frustrated, as I had just had it. Not the best start to the day. :
We headed downstairs, getting a few photos from the 11th floor:
Then lots by the pool at Bay Lake Tower:
What looked like an eagle swooping over Bay Lake Tower – we may have been wrong and it may be something else... The best shot I could get of the stunning sunrise
We headed into the lobby of Bay Lake Tower:
Then we took the elevator to the fifth floor and got some more from the walkway, especially of the beautiful sunrise that was now in view.
From there, it was into the Contemporary itself.
We were really lucky – a monorail was just arriving, as we walked up. Perfect timing. I did enquire as to whether there are still no people allowed in the front cab and that remains the case, which is understandable, after what happened a few months ago.
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.
Wow Cheryl. I don't blame you or Mark for being spent after watching Holiday Wishes from your balcony, especially after your travels to Orlando. The pictures of Holiday Wishes you captured really look like they came from inside the park, not from your balcony across Bay Lake. Your pictures are amazing. BLT looks so nice. The shots of the slide look so cool. The pictures inside the CR look incredible too. I'm impressed you and Mark(even with Jetlag) were up at 5:00 am. I'm still kicking myself for not seeing the post about the meet in Allentown. It would have been so lovely to have met you and Mark.
Just catching up after being off the computer over the weekend...I'm loving the pictures of BLT. I'm going to check it out when we go in a couple of days. The view was breathtaking! Keep the pictures coming
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I really liked the pictures with Space Mountain in the forefront, a cool new perspective.
]
Susan
PassPorter Guide Author
I was getting so frustrated, as I had just had it. Not the best start to the day. 
: 
I did enquire as to whether there are still no people allowed in the front cab and that remains the case, which is understandable, after what happened a few months ago. 
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