Friends and Flowers April 2011 Complete Updated 5/4 - Page 2 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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 have two full time inside cats! Georj and Jezebel:
Georj followed be into the house about a month and a half ago-when it was cold out--she's still here. After about two weeks I took her to the vet for shots and we started talking about a name--Brandon was already calling it George--but we didn't know if it was a girl or boy--the vet determined that she was about 8 weeks old and a girl. I tried to name her Delilah--unfortunately Georj just stuck. Anyone watch Worst Cooks in America? That's how she got named . . .
Jezzie is 5 years old next month. She's a Katrina kitty. I adopted her when there were a ton of cats needing homes after the storm. She's a sweetheart, but still wants to kill the baby.
Penny spends part of her time inside and part of it outside--she comes in through the dryer vent (a hole in the floor in the laundry room) when she wants to eat or get some lovin. Penelope got her name because she looks like Pepe Le Pew's girlfriend--sadly she also looks like Hitler. Penny spends most of her time outside because she doesn't get along with the others at all--she growls like a dog!
Abel is my outdoor kitty--he weighs about 25 lbs and I only see him once in awhile. I would say he's the neighborhood Tom, but he's missing those parts!
I also feed the 1/2 dozen strays that show up on the porch in the late evening! (My neighbors don't love this)
So that's the rest of our family! Blake will be feeding the kids while we're gone and our good friend Crazy Judy will look in once a day to make sure he's feeding and watering properly!
Back to Disney!
On June 1 I called Member Services looking for a room for the second week in April! I initially asked them to check for a Savannah View room at Kidani Village. Then I thought for a second and just for fun asked them to check to see if there was a Concierge Studio available at Jambo House.
I figured there was no way at all that was possible. I was calling weeks after booking for that week had opened.
Guess what? People must be hoarding their points because we got a Concierge Studio for the whole 5 days!
If you haven't stayed Concierge at the AKL, I'll fill you in! First the kind people at Itinerary Planning Office will make all of your reservations for you! Then when you arrive you are whisked away to the 6th floor to check in at the Concierge desk, where you are provided with Golden Keys that unlock your room and the elevator! The lounge provides breakfast in the morning, snacks and tea in the afternoon, appetizers in the evening and dessert at night. They also provide free soft drinks, wine, beer, and cordials. Staying concierge also gives you access to the Sunrise and Sunset Safari. We've done the Sunrise and plan on doing the Sunset in October. (That's right I managed to book concierge twice in one year!)
The one thing Concierge does not do is tell you what view you have--some of the rooms are Savannah and some are pool view--there are only 5 studios total available for DVC Concierge--so I'll let you know when we get there! I'll have my netbook and internet access is included with our room!
Today's Favorites: Hotels!
My favorite value hotel is All Star Sports--I like being first off and on the bus!
Our favorite mod is Caribbean Beach, but it's also the only one I've stayed at--we live in Louisiana so the theming of PO doesn't appeal and eventually I'll get around to CSR.
My favorite Deluxe hotels are Animal Kingdom, Wilderness Lodge and the Contemporary! While I love the location of the Epcot resorts, we just didn't think they measured up in terms of service and amenities!
What a great cast of cats! We have one 25 lbs. cat named Clarence, but he lives with his aunt in the country because he came to believe the whole house was a perfect litter box. I can't wait to hear all about an AKLV club level studio as we are finally staying here in June. Take loads of pictures, please!
Joining the party Wish I could make it to the real one if you have a meet! Maybe once I retire and can take a vacation at any time of the year....think you're up for a meet in 2031??
__________________
Stacey
Why do these kids look so pathetic?
Find out in: A New Grade, A New House, and A Surprise!Final Thoughts 01/30
Yeah for getting concierge...for both trips The sunrise safari is something I am dying to do (so I am keeping my fingers crossed for a concierge room when we call for our 2012 trip).
Love the pictures of your kittys...and great list of favorites.
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Wish I could make it to the real one if you have a meet! Maybe once I retire and can take a vacation at any time of the year....think you're up for a meet in 2031?? 
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