First Ever Disneyland Trip Updated 10/13 - Page 15 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Me, too. I'd just like to have that part of the planning done and closed.
The minute I typed the word tomorrow the song just started going through my head.
There is just something about that song that gets me so primed for a WDW trip! The song will do it to you every time (even when not thinking about it)!
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October 6, 2017-Enjoying an amazing dinner at Victoria & Albert's with PP's Dot and Drew
My TR from my most recent trip is now underway. Includes: Universal Studios Florida, Disney World and Sea World Orlando Trifecta TR -Updated December 10th! TR is now COMPLETED!
There is beginning to be a worrisome pattern to the beginning of my updates. I checked again morning and evening for the World of Color and Fantasmic Dining Packages. Again no dates open in October yet. In fact, park hours are not up passed September 29. I’m not sure what the hang up is but the West Coast is not the same as the East Coast.
Over the past little bit, I have discovered two new apps that should be helpful this trip. Luke discovered both of these in his Disney website reading. The first is a new Disneyland app. From what Luke has read this is potentially a precursor to Magic Bands coming to Disneyland. The app in some ways resembles the Walt Disney World My Disney Experience app. But it currently seems a little incomplete. For example, you can select areas of interest. Think Disneyland, California Adventure, Downtown Disney District, and all three resorts on property. But if you select say the Grand Californian, a message comes up, “You Filtered Out the Fun!” It does have maps of both parks with little flags that note the wait times for each attraction. Tickets can also be bought from the app and then linked to the app. Supposedly, then all we have to do is scan the digital bar code from my phone to enter the park. Park Hours are also displayed but on the app these are only showing up through Saturday, September 26.
The second app has been mentioned in a couple of threads and posts here on PassPorter, Shop Disney Parks. This app allows you to place an order for authentic Disney Parks merchandise. It’s kind of cool that this app knows I’m an annual passholder and a DVC member both of which can get me a discount. Even scarier it has my saved credit card from the Disney website. The home page has several categories for browsing, e.g. Inside Out, Frozen Summer Fun, Disney Dining, Décor, and More and Disney Days of Christmas. A swipe to the left opens a search box and other categories for searching. As of now, I’ve not found the search box especially helpful. Within each of the listed categories, there are additional options to narrow your search. Since I’ve not been in a Disney Store recently, I haven’t been able to try out one other option, scanning an item. According to Luke, I can order an item after I scan it and either have it shipped to our home or to the front of the park or our resort. This might come in very helpful if I find something that will not travel home easily by plane.
There is just something about that song that gets me so primed for a WDW trip! The song will do it to you every time (even when not thinking about it)!
I read somewhere on these boards that the Disneyland App is nearly un-usable because the connectivity in the parks is so bad. If that's still the case, then the shopping app wouldn't do much for you, either. I could have sworn this information was somewhere in the responses to this PTR, but I don't see it. Maybe it's in Cheryl's west coast TR in the Cruise Forum? Or did I dream it?
I read somewhere on these boards that the Disneyland App is nearly un-usable because the connectivity in the parks is so bad. If that's still the case, then the shopping app wouldn't do much for you, either. I could have sworn this information was somewhere in the responses to this PTR, but I don't see it. Maybe it's in Cheryl's west coast TR in the Cruise Forum? Or did I dream it?
I think it was Pam who mentioned it in her pre-trip report/trip report. I remember reading it and thinking I wouldn't be doing much in the parks on our cell phone.
Cam, you really are not having the luck with that website. I found it frustrating, but it was nowhere near as bad as the problems you're having.
I think it was Pam who mentioned it in her pre-trip report/trip report. I remember reading it and thinking I wouldn't be doing much in the parks on our cell phone.
Thanks, Cheryl! Yes, it was Pam's report! I checked there but didn't go back far enough. That's great information, Pam.
It seems strange that I have had bad luck with ARD since May when my 180 days opened and your are having problems with yours also. I did find out the reason we were unable to get ADR at H&V. For the 1st time they are beginning a new Minnie Christmas Party Package. By the time I heard anything about it and checked to make our reservations there were no Openings on our day to be there.
Thanks, Cheryl! Yes, it was Pam's report! I checked there but didn't go back far enough. That's great information, Pam.
Yes, it was me! I was so disappointed that we really couldn't use the app because of the poor connectivity. Outside the parks, and certain limited areas in the parks it would be fine, and the wait times would show. But most of the time all we got was blanks for the wait times. The best place I found to connect was in DL between Alice in Wonderland and IaSW.
I can't wait to try out the new Shop Disney Parks app during our trip in October to WDW, so far I have already seen several shirts I want and some magic band stuff I want to check out. The categories are pretty basic but the filters in each category can narrow it down greatly. So I have figured it out that I need to win the lottery now in order to get everything I want on this app. LOL
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How frustrating that DL still doesn't have anything posted for October! I love the Shop Disney Parks app. I agree that the search feature isn't very helpful. I'll be interested to see how it works inside the parks!
Sorry I'm late to the party but just found your TR and am all caught up! Looking forward to hearing all about yours & Luke's DLR trip!
I have only been to DLR once and that was 12 years ago so I know many things have changed since then. My DH grew up in Southern California so he has been to DLR many times but I have since converted him to be a WDW lover!
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The song will do it to you every time (even when not thinking about it)! 
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It does have maps of both parks with little flags that note the wait times for each attraction. Tickets can also be bought from the app and then linked to the app. Supposedly, then all we have to do is scan the digital bar code from my phone to enter the park. Park Hours are also displayed but on the app these are only showing up through Saturday, September 26. 
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