First Ever Disneyland Trip Updated 10/13 - Page 16 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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I haven't heard about the shopping app. I'll have to check that out!
There are a few WDW items that I may have to order.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lauriep
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?
It was in Pam's TR, and now makes all my excitement seem null and void.
Quote:
Originally Posted by chezp
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 just can't believe that the site says you can make ADRs, including the dinner package ones, 60 days in advance when obviously I cannot. We are now 48 days out and I still have two major ADRs to make, and two to switch from lunch time to dinner time. And not a single day's park hours are up. GRRRR!
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.
I'm really surprised at the trouble you've had with ADRs. So sorry you're choices are not available!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Colexis Mom
I hope the apps help you out! I know you'll make good use of the shopping one!
After reading Pam's TR, I'm not sure how much good either one of them is going to do me. But the shopping one will come in handy one way or the other.
Quote:
Originally Posted by pamcarey
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 was so excited when we read that the Disneyland app was available. I got on the App Store immediately and downloaded. Now it sounds like it will do us little good.
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
You and me both! It took me no time to find all kinds of items I liked.
Quote:
Originally Posted by KMB733
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!
After reading Pam's TR, I'll be interested to see how it works inside the parks, too.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SharonK0527
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!
Because of my volunteer job on Wednesday afternoons, I’ve not had as much time for anything else today. I did log in early this morning and then after dinner tonight to check for those elusive ADRs for World of Color and Fantasmic. No luck again today! I’m beginning to think now that the moment I get even one of them, some of you may wonder what that scream is you are hearing because I’m going to be one excited and relieved lady. I will admit that this situation is stealing a lot of my excitement right now about this trip. Today I got a postcard reminding me that my WDW annual pass expires in October and encouraging me to renew. Yesterday, Luke showed me something about AP holders receiving a free wine glass at the F&WF. So right now I’m really wishing I still had our usual fall WDW coming up. But once I get the rest of the plans done for this trip, I’m sure the excitement will return.
I was so excited when we read that the Disneyland app was available. I got on the App Store immediately and downloaded. Now it sounds like it will do us little good.
Fingers crossed that it will work better for you than it did for us. Maybe your cell provider has better coverage? We have Sprint.
Sorry about the frustration with ADR's! Thanks for that great information about the fireworks. They sound awesome! Can you please let me know after your trip which place was best to view them? Our trip is solely to run in the Avengers races which means 2 of our 5 days will be really early wake-ups (3:30 a.m.) so we will only be able to see the fireworks one night and WoC one night.
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Just caught up and I am surprised at the differences between WDW & DL on releasing dates. I will keep my ears open for any screams echoing up to Northern WI.
Fingers crossed that it will work better for you than it did for us. Maybe your cell provider has better coverage? We have Sprint.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2
We have AT&T, so maybe that will make a difference.
Quote:
Originally Posted by chezp
So I take it we'll hear that scream from across the pond then?
That is my hope!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Amy L
Sorry about the frustration with ADR's! Thanks for that great information about the fireworks. They sound awesome! Can you please let me know after your trip which place was best to view them? Our trip is solely to run in the Avengers races which means 2 of our 5 days will be really early wake-ups (3:30 a.m.) so we will only be able to see the fireworks one night and WoC one night.
I will definitely let you know. I'm hoping at this point that I might be able to do some brief live updates while there. If I do, I'll even include it there.
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that they open up the dinner packages soon!
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