Don't Stop - part one of Disney trip COMPLETED - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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What a great picture of the weath! It was featured on a Christmas Disney program (maybe on HGTV?) and I was so excited to see it last week when we visited MK.
I'm so glad that you can treat us to those gorgeous sunrise photos because I don't think those will be coming from me any time soon - - although Thom and Mary Devall did stay up until 4 a.m. one morning!
I pat myself on the back all day if I get up by 6:30!
What great pictures - and the whole hotel looks amazing! We might have to look into renting some points and staying at BLT (I know you don't have too - but it would be less expensive )
Just catching up Cheryl -- and can I say wow!
From the Hilton buffet...to the Upper Class pampering (very )...to BLT MK view! All of life's little interferences can be forgotten, huh?!
We had the BLT MK view for our August trip and it! We also did Wishes up at the Top of the World lounge. Heavenly!
It's fun catching up because I don't have to wait for the next post...until the end. Hurry back!
By the way - great pics as usual!
Just wondering -- what kind of camera do you use?
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.
Great pics!! What a beautiful resort! I think this is one of the resorts, that I have not seen a lot of pics posted from for some reason...... It looks wonderful!
Just catching up Cheryl -- and can I say wow!
From the Hilton buffet...to the Upper Class pampering (very )...to BLT MK view! All of life's little interferences can be forgotten, huh?!
We had the BLT MK view for our August trip and it! We also did Wishes up at the Top of the World lounge. Heavenly!
It's fun catching up because I don't have to wait for the next post...until the end. Hurry back!
By the way - great pics as usual!
Just wondering -- what kind of camera do you use?
I've got a Sony - it's a DSC-F828. We got it in 2006 and they were discontinuing it, which is such a shame, as I've not come across anything that's as good since.
Friday 11 December – part two: Mark’s hat makes a hit with the characters
When we got to the Polynesian, Mark’s first stop was to get an autograph book and pen and he would be needing it!
I saw Barb and Bob and Lesley and Tom way before he was done. He took ages, as he was having one or two issues with the American money, shall we say! Good grief, you’d think that he’d never been to America before!
We quickly found the guys and hugs were exchanged and we were introduced to Tom. Then we were called immediately to get our photo taken. Barb and Bo very kindly paid for them and gave us all copies. Thank you so much for that guys. We really appreciated that.
We were quickly called and took our seats, grabbing some pineapple bread on the way, but not nearly enough. :
That was how the meal went – we were constantly demanding more and more, more fruit, more juice, although in fairness that was me mostly, as I love that stuff. Then I realised that I hadn’t told our server that I was vegetarian, so that was something else he had to deal get for me. Poor guy. We certainly kept him busy.
The food was just as good as I remembered it being here and I think it’s fair to say that we all ate very well.
Just some of our food!
We were there for something like an hour and a half, just talking away and I think, towards the end, they were despairing that we would ever leave.
It’s fair to say that all the characters loved or certainly took great interest in Mark’s hat, as you can see from these photos:
Stitch isn’t sure about Mark’s latest hat.... ... but then he finds a use for it – nice! ... and finally puts it to a cleaner use... Does anyone think Mark’s had enough at this point? Left to right: Barb, Bob, Tom, Lesley, Mark and myself
All in all, a really fun time and great company and I loved every minute of it.
’Ohana
Food 8½ 8
Service 8 8
Atmosphere 8 8
Value for money 9½ 9
Average score: 8.38
Once we finally left, we headed on to the monorail with Barb and Bob, as they had said that they were going to the Magic Kingdom. When we got there, there was a moment of confusion, as Barb seemed to think that they were staying on. Our first stop took us to get Mark’s Annual Pass and good grief, that seemed to take forever! Part of the problem appeared to be that I had bought it and obviously that threw their system out, although I really don’t get why.
Then it just took ages, but at last it was done in the end and it worked and he was into the park, although the same couldn’t be said of Bob’s, who had to show photo ID to get in.
And finally he’s in! Now isn’t that a sight for sore eyes?
Once inside, I went to guest services to get a Guest Assistance Card for myself. The Cast Member who served me was so nice and sweet about it and I got it for six people, as you never know who you’ll be with in the parks. Mark had got in line to see Daisy and, when I came out, he was still here and Barb and Bob had headed off.
I was going to wait with him, but saw a horse drawn carriage pull up with all the decorations on it.
After getting some photos of them, I told Mark that I would get the trolley to the castle hub and then walk back and meet him. It was a really fun ride up. This is possibly one of the most under-rated attractions in the Magic Kingdom and I do love it.
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It was featured on a Christmas Disney program (maybe on HGTV?) and I was so excited to see it last week when we visited MK. 
<--- Disney Fantasy 2016!
)...to BLT MK view! All of life's little interferences can be forgotten, huh?!
it! We also did Wishes up at the Top of the World lounge. Heavenly!
Hurry back!
Katie's graduation
PassPorter Guide Author
We really appreciated that. 
: 
Part of the problem appeared to be that I had bought it and obviously that threw their system out, although I really don’t get why. 
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