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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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 got my receipt for my ice trays at IG gift shop with the remaining balance on my Disney Dream Rewards Card. RE: HOTEL BILL & Disney Dream Rewards Card- At the Yacht Club, I asked if they could take charges to the room off of the Disney Dream Reward Card before they took it off of the Discover we had on file there. They had done this my last trip with no problem, but, I think I remember seeing an article on here somewhere about how people were using this as a scam to rack up charges and not pay. She said what I could do is come back the night before checkout and they could take it off then because, at that time we had only charged a little over $7.00. We COULD have done this, but I was afraid we would forget, so I used the Disney Dream Rewards Card as I went along instead of charging to the room. I feel this made it more difficult so see where our spending had gone (i.e.. souvenirs vs. food) and I had a bunch of receipts running around. Each time I ‘charged‘ something, my receipt gave me the balance left. When I did eat at Beaches & Cream, I asked the waitress if she could run it like a credit card and then I could put on the tip. She said yes, since I did this before my princess breakfast, I just assumed she could do that there, but I am still unclear if Stine got her whole tip at Akershus. At first, she laid the checks on our tables, and I hadn’t even looked at mine, but apparently it had gotten mixed up with a family of four who said they would gladly pay mine instead!!!! OK Back to EPCOT Day one: Around 6:00 PM when I caught my DH at the IG gift shop, my daughter (she’s 21 yrs.) went back to the room by herself.
DH and I headed to Norway Maelstrom via England & Canada with DH hollering Disappear, Disappear the whole walk. We waited in line about 30 minutes. We like this ride, and rode it several times, so I don’t really remember which happened when, but one time there was a large white poodle who rode a few boats ahead of us. And one time there was a woman in front of us who kept asking about huge drops. The CM reassured her that they weren’t too drastic. All was well. One time when we went to go through the part where they show the film, the film was already in progress. (I don’t EVER remember this happening before.) Everyone else walked right under the screen, but I walked behind the people in the seats watching the film. I really don’t think those extra steps kept me from riding anything later in the night. Queue Questions: Norwayqueue is kind of ‘half walls’. It is inside as Passporter says. I usually bring a silk jacket to keep from being too cool inside, and I did put this on, but wasn’t too cold after that. I didn’t see any strollers. I think there was stroller parking outside to the left. The CM at the entrance will instruct you. However, while we were there the queue moved well, so it may not be too bad for strollerless children. It is pleasant enough and you can see a part of the ride, but not as entertaining as other queues.
We then went to China as DH had never explored it. The museum exhibits were quiet and not crowded. We didn’t stay as long as I had expected. I guess we went in another building that houses Reflections of China, which was pretty impressive, but we didn’t see the show.
Having spent time in Germany and Italy for work, DH was unimpressed with Disney's version. At America we looked in the food place and thought it smelled good. There were many, many tables available at that time. We walked through Japan, and I made DH come up the steps with me to look at Teppan Edo. It was very acoustically aggressive, so much so that once he walked inside, DH wanted to go back outside right away. I peeked inside and thought it looked cool.
Walking around Morocco, we were both still very impressed with the architecture and the atmosphere, especially the music, and we reminisced about having dined there before. We would like to do it again.
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Morocco shopping pics. But we must have taken these later in the week. I am wearing my shirt DH & DD got me at AK. It says, "I'm not short, I'm FUN size." More on that later. We walked around in France, and DH did not care much for the perfume, so we headed back to YC. I wanted to dine at The Crew’s Cup Lounge, next to the Yachtsman Steakhouse. We peeked in there and it was pretty empty. We went up to the room to ask DD if she wanted to join us. I was concerned that we wouldn’t be able to get a booth when we came back (it was around 8:00 now) but DH said not to worry. When we came back, however, there was hardly even a table left, which we took quickly. When the CM came to get our order we saw someone leave a booth and asked if we could move there. She said sure, and cleaned off the table for us. I ordered a special fruity drink with rum, took just a couple sips and was...um enthralled. I had barely drunk 1/16th of the glass by the time dinner was done, but boy was it yummy! I love the atmosphere here. It is dimly lit, has tvs around but they aren't too loud and great little (I think they are copper) kind of cut-out decorative silhouettes of rowers on the wall. DH had a hamburger, and I had a club sandwich. I saw a man eating alone at the bar, and there were a few small groups and other couples there. I have seen kids in there before, as this is a place to wait for the Steakhouse, but none tonight. Once when I was there as a CM, I was able to talk to a woman and her young daughters as we were all sitting around a coffee table surrounded by sofas. DH had a couple of beers. Dinner came out to $58 with tip. I was hoping eating at the lounge would save us a little money. What do you think? Not really a Queue Question-but perhaps relevant-The Crew’s Cup Lounge is up a few (maybe 3-5) steps, and the ramp, I think, takes you half way down the hall. The hall does have a few upholstered benches. I don’t know if you could bring a stroller in if you wanted to do that? But I do remember a thread here somewhere saying the whole Yacht and Beach Club in the back by the pool is kind of convoluted for wheelchair access, which I would guess would make it difficult for strollers too. Getting to the Marketplace, which was the only place to pick-up food, was a long enough walk-going in the air conditioning and out of doors. But at least it is covered on the way. Outside, inside, upside down.... no you don’t really have to go upside down.
One day, DH wanted to get a beer and watch the football game and wait for some food to take up to my DD in the room. The bar inside the Yacht Club Lobby told him to check other places. He also checked Captain’s Grille-no take out. B&C told him they couldn’t give it to him in a box, but he could take it on a tray and sit down and take a bite and come back and get a box. Hurricane Hannah’s was closed as was the pool area due to a storm. So he got a flatbread sandwich at the Marketplace. It took him about 8 minutes to get back to the room from there. As a frequent business traveler (spending less per night) he found this rigidness and inability to accommodate him quite unusual and unexpected.
Oh BUT we could see the fireworks from our balcony. Well I took their word for it. I was fast asleep by then. DH told me that they aren't finished when you think they are finished, and recommended that I stay out on the balcony if/when I watched them. Even on other nights I was either at another park or in bed during the fireworks, but DH & DD enjoyed them most evenings.
That's one reason we always stay at BC instead of YC as the food options seems to be so limited at YC and you have to walk forever!
Refillable Mugs & YC I did, after the second day, decide to buy the refillable mug. My big thing was that I wanted to be able to get iced tea instead of soda, which I could at Beaches & Cream quick serve window or at the Marketplace, but not Hurricane Hanna's. I was also able to get coffee in the -what at night time is the bar-YC Lobby. However that is a story with a happy ending. I was a little miffed when the coffee just trickled and the CM stood there watching and didn't say or do anything. I said something about it being slow. Nothing. Another CM came over who had been stationed at the front desk, and I said something again. He tipped the machine forward so my cup filled faster. I walked away and, as I tasted my coffee, I found it was cold. So I went back and told them, and the CM just walked away. So I said, “She didn’t say anything, she just walked away.” The other CM, who was dressed in a different costume, said, “She is in training. She went to get her trainer.” He, I think, was not accustomed to working with that equipment. I think he was the cashier. But he pressed buttons until it started brewing and told me it would be 2 or three minutes. When I had arrived, the TV had a weather story saying a hurricane was making its way and would be there in a week. But now there was a terrible morning news story on TV. I like the morning news that just has traffic and weather, tells jokes and talks to celebrities. But, this story was so terrible, even my husband would have changed the channel. I felt like I was trapped there. The cashier told me when the coffee was ready, and I was on my way. The CM at the front desk asked if I had been able to get coffee. I said, “yes, but I wish they had been playing this instead of that awful news story.” I pointed to the little TV in the lobby that usually plays cartoons for the kids. The TV was off, but it was only 6 in the morning. On my way back to my room, a CM at the bell station said, well we can fix that and turned on the TV. So I sat down and watched Goofy go fishing and a Sing Along. So I started my day with the tune of, “Sing along with Disney songs, with Disney’s Sing along Songs,” stuck in my head instead of that awful news story. Good team work CM’s! I do find, however, that younger people do seem to just walk off to do things and not say anything -everywhere-not just Disney-especially donut shops. DH says that has just always been my pet peeve, but I think it is a courtesy that is being lost. Here is how an 'older' -by that I mean older than I am-handles stuff. For example, I saw some water dripping and told The Captain. I thought that was so cool, they have a Captain walking around the lobby of the Yacht Club. I think he was the Bell Captain. Anyway, he said, “Oh yes, I just noticed that myself. We have to get custodial in here to take care of that ASAP....if not sooner.” I wonder how often he is there, and how long he had been there. I saw some guests chatting with him like they were old friends, they said, “We missed you the first few days of our trip this time.” He was just a great guy and it was so neat to see the Captain walking around the Lobby, looking at the big globe and greeting guests. I do love the decor at the YC! Oh Find the pic of our original Figment with his 'dog tag'. The new Figment I bought doesn't have that. The Towel Mickey was on our bed when we arrived.
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Day 2- The 3 of us went to EPCOT for EMH 8-9 AM. They didn’t open the gates early, and my daughter had some problems so DH took her back to the room. Only FW attractions are open, walking through WS, one is only allowed to go through Canada and England, the other way is roped off. I headed for Figment’s Journey Into Imagination again. This time I played in Image Works. It is fun when there are just a few people there. Queue Questions: See my pics. My husband won’t let me paint the walls purple and put down red carpet! More Queue Pics, and pics from after the ride. Follow the purple dragon footprints. I guess these words on the door are more funny if one has worked in a chemical plant.
I had my eye on a purple Figment shirt in the gift shop. I went for another tour on Spaceship Earth and added different answers to the touch screen. DD got rejuvenated and they decided to go to AK, but I guess the MK bus got there first and they headed there at 8:30 AM. They texted me and I went to meet them. Despite the fact that we had reservations at O’Hanas for 6:30 PM and MK had EMH 10PM - 1:00 AM, I still headed to MK for the rest of the morning. DH & DD were pleased and surprised to see the opening ceremony. They were saying to each other, “Do you think Mom knows about this?” They accuse me of being too much of a commando, over-scheduling, trip planner. Y’all don’t know any people like that around here do you? I just missed the opening ceremony, but I saw some great performances on Main Street as I entered. The crowd size was perfect! After leisurely walking down Main Street and enjoying the streetmosphere, I took this picture while going through Tomorrowland Terrace because I liked the color combination. One of those colors is steel gray. I don't think DH will let me use these colors in the house either.
Glad you got your coffee! I think the Captain has been at the YC for quite some time (the BC had Art the Greeter but he's since retired)! Glad you got on Figment again! Great pics!
Still AM Day 2-I headed first toward Carousel of Progress, because I have been there at times when it would close at 5 PM. After that I was thinking of going on the pathway between Tomorrowland and Fantasyland to try and get some quiet because I had to talk to the vet again. We had two dogs being boarded and the little one was having her teeth cleaned and had experienced some complications. Queue Questions COP: I have never had to wait for more than one rotation of the theater for Carousel of Progress, but I did feel like the footage showing on the TV screen outside while waiting was some I hadn’t seen before. We get to see Walt singing the song with the songwriters. This makes waiting fun, as long as you can be close enough to see and it is quiet enough to hear. To even find the queue, sometimes -especially when no one is there or waiting, it isn't very clear what is the exit and what is the entrance here. I THINK, and correct me if I am wrong, that one can enter up a ramp on either side of the COP sign that looks like part of a giant gear. You can walk right up the ramp and wait at the turnstile for the CM if there isn’t one there right away. I think the exit is around the back a little more.
BTW when I was looking around for a quiet place, I noticed that behind and to the right (w/ your back to TTA) of the restrooms in Tomorrowland is a little path to a grassy area with a gate, on which is a pic of a service dog.
After learning about The Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow at COP, I walked through that pathway to Fantasyland, but could always hear loud ‘atmosphere’ from the Speedway, no quiet area yet. So I walked past the new Twin Dumbos & Goofy’s New Coaster. The other side of Fantasyland was still walled off for the expansion. DH & DD later told me they saw the new castle underway, but I did not see it or notice it until later while riding Dumbo. It is kind of small scale to make it look like it is far away, an effect similar to the Harry Potter thing at the Other Park.
I determined that the only place quiet enough to talk to the vet would be the smoking station to the side of the Castle. There were two places smoking was allowed one across the ‘street’ from the other. I sat down on the ground in a little curved part of the pathway and started talking to the vet. Some smokers came up and were so nice to go across the ‘street’ and be kind of bunched up with some other people with whom they became fast friends while I finished my conversation. Thank you. I really feel the good nature of the CMs rubs off on the guests. I later noticed that other designated smoking spots were the only places I could find where the piped in music wasn’t there and I could talk on the phone pleasantly. DH & DD had already headed back and It’s A Small World wasn’t running at the moment, so I headed back to the room to be with my family. As I said, we had reservations at O’Hana’s at 6:30 because it was EMH at MK that night so I knew MK would still be there for me.
Glad you got your coffee! I think the Captain has been at the YC for quite some time (the BC had Art the Greeter but he's since retired)! Glad you got on Figment again! Great pics!
The Captain seemed like a great fixture feature. Since I have just been a stay-at-home mom most of my life. I want to work at Disney when I 'retire.'
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Pixie Dust
Congrats on the upgrade! 
I like your queue questions! 
no you don’t really have to go upside down.
Refillable Mugs & YC I did, after the second day, decide to buy the refillable mug. My big thing was that I wanted to be able to get iced tea instead of soda, which I could at Beaches & Cream quick serve window or at the Marketplace, but not Hurricane Hanna's. I was also able to get coffee in the -what at night time is the bar-YC Lobby. However that is a story with a happy ending. I was a little miffed when the coffee just trickled and the CM stood there watching and didn't say or do anything. I said something about it being slow. Nothing. 
Another CM came over who had been stationed at the front desk, and I said something again. He tipped the machine forward so my cup filled faster. 
I found it was cold. So I went back and told them, and the CM just walked away. 
So I said, “She didn’t say anything, she just walked away.” The other CM, who was dressed in a different costume, said, “She is in training. She went to get her trainer.” He, I think, was not accustomed to working with that equipment. I think he was the cashier. But he pressed buttons until it started brewing and told me it would be 2 or three minutes. 
When I had arrived, the TV had a weather story saying a hurricane was making its way and would be there in a week. 
But now there was a terrible morning news story on TV. I like the morning news that just has traffic and weather, tells jokes and talks to celebrities. 
But, this story was so terrible, even my husband would have changed the channel. 
I felt like I was trapped there. The cashier told me when the coffee was ready, and I was on my way. The CM at the front desk asked if I had been able to get coffee. I said, “yes, but I wish they had been playing this instead of that awful news story.” I pointed to the little TV in the lobby that usually plays cartoons for the kids. The TV was off, but it was only 6 in the morning. On my way back to my room, a CM at the bell station said, well we can fix that and turned on the TV. 
Y’all don’t know any people like that around here do you? 
I just missed the opening ceremony, but I saw some great performances on Main Street as I entered. The crowd size was perfect! 
Thank you. I really feel the good nature of the CMs rubs off on the guests. I later noticed that other designated smoking spots were the only places I could find where the piped in music wasn’t there and I could talk on the phone pleasantly. DH & DD had already headed back and It’s A Small World wasn’t running at the moment,
CoP! We may have waited for some time our first trip in 1997, but since then it's been almost a walk on. 
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