A Promise Kept: A Cam and Fam PTR Updated 10/9 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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How fun for Luke that he'll have 'coaster buddies' on this trip.
I'm with you in thinking the MSEP music is annoying!
He is very excited about 'coaster buddies' this trip. And June and John are glad that for almost everything they don't want to ride I'll be with them.
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Originally Posted by B.M.
Great plans!
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Originally Posted by Tara O'Hara
What a fun couple of days you have planned!! I can't believe you don't like the Main Street Electrical Parade!! I'm so happy that you are going anyway!!
The floats are pretty, but I get bored with the music two minutes in and then it's just annoying.
I enjoy the Electrical Parade, but like you, I do find that music annoying as well!
I really do think the floats are neat, but I just can make myself like that music.
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Originally Posted by elisa1006
Great plans. Glad you are seeing the parade one final time.
Thanks!
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Originally Posted by NanaTink
your plans! I'm ehh about MSEP, I loved Spectromagic much more.
SpectroMagic was the first nighttime parade we ever saw and it will always have a special place in my heart. It just seemed more exciting and interesting to us. I know others feel the MSEP is the better, but I know it's just personal taste and memories.
10:20 – 11:20 AM Meet Disney Pals at the Epcot Character Spot
11:20 AM – 12:20 PM Disney & Pixar Short Film Festival
7:05 PM Rose & Crown Dining Room (My hope is we can extend dinner long enough to have a sweet seat for Illuminations, especially if we didn’t stay for this on Tuesday night.)
Friday, October 7 (Magic Kingdom)
9:35 – 10:35 AM Peter Pan’s Flight
10:55 – 11:55 AM Haunted Mansion
12:50 – 1:50 PM Splash Mountain
6:10 PM Liberty Tree Tavern (The original plan was to get an ADR for BOG, but that hasn’t worked out though I’ve checked over and over. Unfortunately, this is another MNSSHP night so that means there aren’t many dinner spots even open.)
We plan on exiting the Magic Kingdom slowly so that Morgan and JP can take in a bit of the Mickey’s-Not-So-Scary-Halloween Party because we have made a financial decision to not attend the party. With the huge increase in the ticket prices, plus some unexpected expenses at home (e.g. a whole new HVAC) and Luke’s medical bills, we simply cannot pay for three party tickets (for us and JP). June and John have had similar big expenses lately so they are in the same situation as we are. I really hated telling Morgan who was looking forward to it. Even with our DVC discount the tickets were nearing the $100 mark. But I immediately began thinking up some magic. Since we are DVC members, we have access to the Top of the World Lounge where we could view Hallowishes from above. So Luke and I plan now to walk the Vaughns from the Magic Kingdom to the Contemporary and then on up to the TotW lounge where the adults can in enjoy an adult beverage while waiting for the fireworks to begin.
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The plans look good with some nice ADRs and FP+! I've never attended MNSSHP and I saw those prices, when I was planning my trip, so this is not going to happen for me and I don't blame you! That's on top of the park passes already! Nice choice with HW at the TOTWL as you'll get a great view and be much more relaxing without any crowds!
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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!
That's a great alternative plan to watch Hallowishes!
I'm hoping it will still make both the adults and kids happy.
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Originally Posted by Tara O'Hara
More wonderful plans, Cam! Bummer about the Halloween Party,, but it is a ridiculous price to pay!! You have come up with a terrific plan B!!
I just felt bad because for years I've talked about them going down at this time of year specifically to take in MNSSHP. But June totally agreed that the cost was prohibitive this year.
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Originally Posted by SuperDave
The plans look good with some nice ADRs and FP+! I've never attended MNSSHP and I saw those prices, when I was planning my trip, so this is not going to happen for me and I don't blame you! That's on top of the park passes already! Nice choice with HW at the TOTWL as you'll get a great view and be much more relaxing without any crowds!
That is a good point as it can be very crowded some of the party nights for the fireworks and parade.
nice plans!!! Great idea with the MNSSHP! The prices are ridiculous.
Everyone seems to be having HVAC issues! knock wood, we've been ok...so far....
If it were just Luke and I, I might have begged for it to work out. But we just couldn't figure a way to reasonably afford it for everyone. But we'll have fun at Top of the World.
Great plans for you and the Vaughn's. I continue to have sticker shock for some of the Disney events we have loved. The dessert party prices pretty near made me fall over. Your alternative of heading to the Contemporary is a great alternative.
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Oh my goodness, I hear you about the cost of the Halloween Party tickets. Although we're going, we debated long and hard, as they are just crazy expensive.
Your plans sound great Cam! I think the ticket prices for the MNSSHP are getting to the point that a lot of families are thinking twice before purchasing them. Your plan to go to the Top of the World Lounge is a great idea! We really enjoy going up there if for nothing else but the view.
Your plans sound great so far! How fun & exciting to spend the time in the World with your family, too! I hear ya on those ticket prices. We will be down there when the Christmas Party starts and was planning on going until we saw the prices. So sad that Disney has made these events so cost-prohibitive...
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First trip DW--Nov. 1975; Senior Class Trip DW--Oct. 1979; First trip w/kids--Oct. 1995; Halloween at DW--Oct. 2002; Spring Break at DW--April 2004; Christmas/Pop Warner Nationals-POR--Dec. 2005;Cruisin'--April 2008; Mom/Son trip-POP--March 2010;Taggin' along w/DD on DH's conference-BWI--Oct. 2011; 50th birthday with the Gartner Geeks--Adults only!--BWI--Oct. 2012; The Trip That Almost Wasn't--BWI--Oct. 2013; We climbed The Summit (National Cheer Competition)--ASMovies--May 2014
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your plans! I'm ehh about MSEP, I loved Spectromagic much more.
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I'm so happy that you are going anyway!!
But I immediately began thinking up some magic. Since we are DVC members, we have access to the Top of the World Lounge where we could view Hallowishes from above. So Luke and I plan now to walk the Vaughns from the Magic Kingdom to the Contemporary and then on up to the TotW lounge where the adults can in enjoy an adult beverage while waiting for the fireworks to begin. 
You have come up with a terrific plan B!!
Nice choice with HW at the TOTWL as you'll get a great view and be much more relaxing without any crowds! 
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