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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!
Welcome! We're happy you've found the PassPorter Community -- the friendliest place to plan your vacation to Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland, and the world in general! You are now viewing the PassPorter Message Board Community as a guest, which gives you limited access. As our guest, feel free to browse our messages by selecting the forum you want to visit from the list below.
To post messages and ask questions, join our FREE community today and you'll get access to tools and resources not available to guests, such as our vacation countown timers, "living" avatars, private messaging system, database searches, downloads, and a special PassPorter discount code. Registration is fast, simple, and completely free. Just click the Join Our Community link.
If you think you've already joined, log in below now. If you don't remember your member name or password, please visit our Member Name and Password Recovery page. You are also welcome to contact us.
When you come to Memphis this fall, be sure to add in the Award Winning Memphis Zoo, since you are zoo lovers. We have pandas! But, that is only a small amount of the wonderful exhibits there. Memphis Zoo
Oh, and the newly opened Bass Pro Shop in the Pyramid down by the river. Even if you aren't into the hunting and fishing, I have heard (haven't been down yet) that it is worth the visit. http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/st...memphispyramid
I love New England and nothing compares with NE folliage. And a true advantage is the six states are in a relatively small geographic area so you can visit several states in a short time. I can be in any NE state in less than two hours. Each state has a different flavor and they all have much to do.
I also love NE in the winter. Yes, the three northern NE states have pretty much snow cover from December to April but it is beautiful when it snows. And it also is much quieter in the winter. Boston is wonderful but so is Providence on a smaller scale. Burlington Vt. is neat small city as are Portland Maine and Concord and Portsmouth NH (my small I mean under 40K.). Because there is only really one big city (Boston) nature is never far off. The Maine coast, North Shore of Mass, Cape Cod, Newport RI and the Narragansett beaches are all worth a trip. The Green MOuntains of Vermont and and White MOuntains of NH afford wonderful hiking opportunities year round (One of my kids winter hikes, the other does night hiking.)
There are so many places here I could spend a week or more-and we have some good wildlife watching-whales, hawks, and moose for a start. Boston has a wonderful aquarium and there are several zoos.
I apologize for the lack of Connecticut recommendations It's the state I am least familiar with but Mystic is lovely with a great aquarium.
Even though its on the end of your list...ALASKA...
You must walk on a glacier.
You must take a ride on a dog sled.
You must fish for a salmon (a King would be best and if you did it by combat fishing on the Russian River...even better)
You must see Denali (aka Mt McKinley).
You must go gold panning.
You must take a glacier cruise.
You must try our varied and wonderful local game...moose is AWESOME!!!!
Oh, and there is a wonderful zipline tour in Seward!
And if you can afford it, you must go on a bear viewing trip.
Most of these things can be accomplished if you do some kind of land/sea package thru the many tour companies operating up here.
GOOD LUCK!!!!!
__________________
Jennifer / Eeyore is my favorite!! OMG - He's sooooo grown up!!!! And an EAGLE SCOUT!! I can still remember my cute little Tiger Cub! 2016 Reading Goal - 75 books
I love New England and nothing compares with NE folliage. And a true advantage is the six states are in a relatively small geographic area so you can visit several states in a short time. I can be in any NE state in less than two hours. Each state has a different flavor and they all have much to do.
This is very true. When I visit my sister, (she lives an hour and 15 minutes away....oh, btw, we usually measure "distance" in hours and minutes), I travel in 3 of the 6 NE states. But even though the states are in close proximity, they each have a very different feel and identity. They are very different places at different times of the year as well. I, personally, wouldn't recommend a winter visit if you plan on moving around from state to state. In fact, I wouldn't recommend a winter visit at all unless you like to ski or have never seen snow. Fall is a great time to visit New England......and thousands do (leaf peepers we call 'em). And by "fall", I mean foliage season from mid to late October/early November. This will vary based on the weather. And be warned, the weather during that time can be just about anything, from "Indian summer" with temps in the 80s to a blizzard. It's usually pleasantly warm during the day and cool at night but you never know.
Baltimore, MD has a wonderful aquarium and science center plus going to a baseball game at Oriole Park is an experience. There is also Ft. McHenry (the Star Spangled Banner was written due to what happened there), a bunch of museums, and Harbor Place which has a Ripley's Believe it or Not and restaurants. The zoo is ok. It is about an hour from Washington DC and they have a fantastic zoo plus Nats Park for baseball and of course all of the monuments and museums. About 3 hours away from Baltimore is the beach town of Ocean City which I have not been to in years but I have co-workers who visit every year and they say it has a great boardwalk with the best fries and best caramel corn among other things. Nearby to there is Assateague and Chincoteague which has the wild ponies written about in the Misty books and other animals.
About an hour and a half from Baltimore is Hershey, PA. Hersheypark is great and you get free admission to Zoo America with your tickets. It is small but we really like it. There is also a gardens and car museum as well as other area attractions.
I think it is great what you are doing! We would like to try to get to all the states and we are especially interested in seeing as many baseball stadiums and zoos/aquariums as we can.
Thank you for all of the info! We are both very much into history/museums and zoos/aquaiums. He is the outdoorsey one, and I am the foodie/city life one - so we tend to try to get as even of a mix into these jaunts If you ever hit WI - be sure to catch a game at Miller Park
It's very user friendly and easy to navigate. As for the content, I looked at my home state (Connecticut) first and I would agree that the 10 attractions included are probably the top attractions, although I might dispute the rankings. I would probably add the Connecticut Science Center in Hartford to the list. Know that most of these are "warm weather" attractions. Many are not so fun (or even open) during the colder months. I suspect you'll find the same to be true for many of the New England states. If you come to New England, many of the things worth seeing and doing vary with the seasons.
Awesome - thank you so much - book marking that site to pour over, and add to my pinterest site I suspect most winter travel will be done in the western and southern states - as we are familiar with snow and cold Though i do love winter and snow, my boyfriend does not
Quote:
Originally Posted by chezp
D'oh! I knew I'd forgotten something from my earlier list - Yellowstone is absolutely amazing.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Her Dotness
Add Wyoming's Yellowstone National Park to your bucket list without a doubt. It is magnificent as is nearby Grand Teton National Park.
There was much concern after the horrific earthquake of 1959 if Old Faithful had been disrupted. My family vacationed there in 1960, and happily, Old Faithful wasn't affected. Supposedly, it erupts every hour, but actually can be a bit less and sometimes rather longer than an hour between eruptions. We saw one that was nearly an hour and a half after the prior one, but it turned out to be one of the most dramatic on record as well as one of the highest.
The earthquake memorial site just off the northwest corner of Yellowstone is impressive, too. The entire side of a mountain collapsed, killing several campers and threatening the dam that forms Hebgen Lake. The site is well labeled and informative about how devastating that earthquake was.
Unless you're up for camping and freezing buns off at night even in summer, I suggest finding a room in Gardiner, Montana just outside the north entrance to Yellowstone. It's vastly less expensive to stay there than in the park itself although the rustic cabins near Old Faithful Lodge are fun. They may be somewhat less primitive anymore, but when my family stayed in one, the only heat was from a woodstove, and even in August, we used that stove and heavy wool blankets at night!
The hot springs, many smaller geysers and mud springs of Yellowstone are extremely interesting, some of them smelling dreadfully of rotten eggs, too.
You'll see all sorts of wildlife from bears to elk, deer and antelope.
Yellowstone is the most thrilling national park by far of the several I've been fortunate enough to visit.
Yes - the BF added this already! I am not a camper - at all. There will be no camping whatsoever - I've agreed not to subject him to night clubs/dancing/$$$$$$ hotels, as long as we agreed on Zero camping. I know many love it, but it is just not for me - at all.
Quote:
Originally Posted by OhToodles!
Thanks for the door out Dot! And what a great link Holly!
For st Louis, anything in Forest Park is worth seeing, City Museum is very cool as well and of course there's always a brewery tour!
Thanks Kelly - I think that St. Louis is pretty full with the zoo, park - (he says there are giant turtle sculptures??) and the Blues game. He's a die hard Blues fan, and being that we only have AHL here in Milwaukee - he is dying to see an NHL game. We have Miller at home, otherwise a brewery tour would be fun
__________________
~ Jenn **Disney is REAL LIFE Magic, so much more than optical illusions **
When you come to Memphis this fall, be sure to add in the Award Winning Memphis Zoo, since you are zoo lovers. We have pandas! But, that is only a small amount of the wonderful exhibits there. Memphis Zoo
Ooo Pandas -- I love pandas - we only have a red panda at our home zoo. I might have to squeeze this one in.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Huntermom
I love New England and nothing compares with NE folliage. And a true advantage is the six states are in a relatively small geographic area so you can visit several states in a short time. I can be in any NE state in less than two hours. Each state has a different flavor and they all have much to do.
I also love NE in the winter. Yes, the three northern NE states have pretty much snow cover from December to April but it is beautiful when it snows. And it also is much quieter in the winter. Boston is wonderful but so is Providence on a smaller scale. Burlington Vt. is neat small city as are Portland Maine and Concord and Portsmouth NH (my small I mean under 40K.). Because there is only really one big city (Boston) nature is never far off. The Maine coast, North Shore of Mass, Cape Cod, Newport RI and the Narragansett beaches are all worth a trip. The Green MOuntains of Vermont and and White MOuntains of NH afford wonderful hiking opportunities year round (One of my kids winter hikes, the other does night hiking.)
There are so many places here I could spend a week or more-and we have some good wildlife watching-whales, hawks, and moose for a start. Boston has a wonderful aquarium and there are several zoos.
I apologize for the lack of Connecticut recommendations It's the state I am least familiar with but Mystic is lovely with a great aquarium.
Thank you so much for the info! Boston is out must see, not only for the city, but since my boyfriend is an advid runner (and triathlete) he has big ties to the marathon there, and wants to check out that area. Whale watching would be amazing! Also, I agree - I have a couple of friends in NH, RI, and CT respectively and their fall pictures just are beyond lovely.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jenifermg0
Even though its on the end of your list...ALASKA...
You must walk on a glacier.
You must take a ride on a dog sled.
You must fish for a salmon (a King would be best and if you did it by combat fishing on the Russian River...even better)
You must see Denali (aka Mt McKinley).
You must go gold panning.
You must take a glacier cruise.
You must try our varied and wonderful local game...moose is AWESOME!!!!
Oh, and there is a wonderful zipline tour in Seward!
And if you can afford it, you must go on a bear viewing trip.
Most of these things can be accomplished if you do some kind of land/sea package thru the many tour companies operating up here.
GOOD LUCK!!!!!
Thanks Jennifer! I mentioned a land\crusie option for Alaska! I am so excited, but know this one is years off
__________________
~ Jenn **Disney is REAL LIFE Magic, so much more than optical illusions **
The National Zoo in DC also has giant pandas. The Pittsburgh zoo which is one of the favorite zoos we have visited had an area where you could go in and interact with kangaroos. It was either the Miami Zoo or Jungle Island that had an area you could feed kangaroos. Both of those are included in my best zoos list as well. I have many zoos to see in the US so I am sure I will have more added as I have the opportunity to travel.
Thanks Kelly - I think that St. Louis is pretty full with the zoo, park - (he says there are giant turtle sculptures??) and the Blues game. He's a die hard Blues fan, and being that we only have AHL here in Milwaukee - he is dying to see an NHL game. We have Miller at home, otherwise a brewery tour would be fun
Turtle park is across the highway from the zoo - and yes, giant turtle sculptures. (I think I have pictures posted in my 'Whate We do in the Lou' thread, but if not, I will as we went last year.
The Blues game will be so much fun! All my boys went to the last day of Prospect Camp Thursday. We might head there Saturday too as they're having an open house, free to the public, of course.
FlipDaddy's French Connection Burger with a side of mac & cheese
Cincinnati-style chili if you can approach it with an open mind (it is NOT anywhere close to Texas-style chili), a cone or two of Graeter's ice cream (especially the Black Raspberry chip)
Now for WV, I suggest rafting on either the New or Gauley River. If you want to see craziness, try to be there for "Bridge Day" -- the one day of the year you're allowed to walk across the New River Gorge Bridge -- and watch the BASE and bunjee jumpers
The National Zoo in DC also has giant pandas. The Pittsburgh zoo which is one of the favorite zoos we have visited had an area where you could go in and interact with kangaroos. It was either the Miami Zoo or Jungle Island that had an area you could feed kangaroos. Both of those are included in my best zoos list as well. I have many zoos to see in the US so I am sure I will have more added as I have the opportunity to travel.
We hit a very small zoo in South Bend, IN that let people walk trhough the kangaroo exhibit, however it was closed by the time we got to it -- ended up getting to the zoo only an hour before it closed. I will definitely add the Pittsburgh one to my list for PA!
Quote:
Originally Posted by OhToodles!
Turtle park is across the highway from the zoo - and yes, giant turtle sculptures. (I think I have pictures posted in my 'Whate We do in the Lou' thread, but if not, I will as we went last year.
The Blues game will be so much fun! All my boys went to the last day of Prospect Camp Thursday. We might head there Saturday too as they're having an open house, free to the public, of course.
My BF is also obsessed with turtles lol. He is always the minority with pro hockey as we are so close to both the Blackhaws and Red Wings, and he can't stand either he is so pumped for the game -- even if it is a preseason one
Quote:
Originally Posted by TerriB
Speaking up for SW Ohio -- you must catch a Cincinnati Reds game (oldest professional baseball team),
FlipDaddy's French Connection Burger with a side of mac & cheese
Cincinnati-style chili if you can approach it with an open mind (it is NOT anywhere close to Texas-style chili), a cone or two of Graeter's ice cream (especially the Black Raspberry chip)
Now for WV, I suggest rafting on either the New or Gauley River. If you want to see craziness, try to be there for "Bridge Day" -- the one day of the year you're allowed to walk across the New River Gorge Bridge -- and watch the BASE and bunjee jumpers
Oh my! No craziness for me -- I'm not a fan of heights. We've been to OH so many times to visit my uncles, but we typically only hit Canton (where they are) and Cleveland. One day we will have to venture to Cin
__________________
~ Jenn **Disney is REAL LIFE Magic, so much more than optical illusions **
Only one slight mention of Washington DC. I KNOW it's not a state, but my of my there is so much to do and see there. Especially the zoo and historical sites.
Only one slight mention of Washington DC. I KNOW it's not a state, but my of my there is so much to do and see there. Especially the zoo and historical sites.
I was going to mention that, but I thought maybe not, as it wasn't a state, but it is definitely well worth a visit.
Not sure if anyone mentioned this before me - but you guys should buy a map and mark the places you've been. My husband and I are doing that...
That's a great idea. I saw on Pinterest that people have taken pictures taken on various trips and cut the in the shape of each state. Might be a bit hard for the upper east coast, due to size, but thought it was a cute idea.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Grammy Grumpy
Only one slight mention of Washington DC. I KNOW it's not a state, but my of my there is so much to do and see there. Especially the zoo and historical sites.
Quote:
Originally Posted by chezp
I was going to mention that, but I thought maybe not, as it wasn't a state, but it is definitely well worth a visit.
D.C. is on our list for sure - even though it isn't it's own state
__________________
~ Jenn **Disney is REAL LIFE Magic, so much more than optical illusions **
Flightseeing tour!! Dozens to pick from!!!!!!!!!!!
And I really recommend the ziplining in Seward.
__________________
Jennifer / Eeyore is my favorite!! OMG - He's sooooo grown up!!!! And an EAGLE SCOUT!! I can still remember my cute little Tiger Cub! 2016 Reading Goal - 75 books
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.
About This Page: 
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
We are both very much into history/museums and zoos/aquaiums. He is the outdoorsey one, and I am the foodie/city life one - so we tend to try to get as even of a mix into these jaunts 
I knew I'd forgotten something from my earlier list - Yellowstone is absolutely amazing. 
~ Jenn 
Disney Magic - Oct 2015
PassPorter Guide Author
Linear Mode
