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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
Just checking in quickly. Sunday was a great day, with a few minor hiccups along the way (but keeping those for the TR).
We had an amazing morning at the zoo! I really wanted to see the pandas, including the panda cub, and I wasn't disappointed. We had some really cool animal viewing and I did get some great photos.
After a rest at our hotel, we went to Union Station for a Monuments by Moonlight tour. We knew there was a chance of rain and we kept our fingers crossed that it would hold off for us and it (mostly) did. A quick tip here......some of the tours have double decker buses where the top level is completely open. The people who chose those tour companies were not too happy by the end of the night .
Neither DH or DS are very interested in the Bureau of Engraving and Printing so that is now off the plans (especially as it would be a bit of a hassle to get tickets for it). DS really wants to visit the National Archives so we are going to head there today. Plans for today include the Natural History Museum, the National Archives and the Newseum.
We're expecting some rainy weather today but fortunately the three places we plan to visit are close together. Keep your fingers crossed for us!
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.
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.
Holly, DH and I were in DC over Memorial Day weekend and we did the nighttime memorials tour on the upper level of a double decker bus. We had great weather and the views were amazing. Would not have been happy if it rained!
Registered Message Board Members Get Our Free Newsletter! When you register you'll have the option to sign up for our weekly PassPorter Newsletter. It's chock-full of feature articles; news; tips; contests; photos; and special offers in our online store.
Well, I should be about ready to land in Hartford/Springfield except our flight was cancelled . Thunderstorms here, thunderstorms at home -not a good combination for flying. We're rebooked for tomorrow morning and we've got a room at the Holiday Inn DCA (which has a free airport shuttle). So one night in Virginia and then we're headed home. Hopefully I'll start on the full report tomorrow (provided that photobucket cooperates). Thanks for following along! It has been a really great trip.
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.
Registered Message Board Members Get Our Free Newsletter! When you register you'll have the option to sign up for our weekly PassPorter Newsletter. It's chock-full of feature articles; news; tips; contests; photos; and special offers in our online store.
The alarm went off around 4:00am and Ted and I were up and getting our first cups of coffee in no time. After taking quick showers, we woke Josh and packed the car -3 carry-on bags only. This is a first as I usually check bags. With a 6:24am flight, no checked bags, and assigned seats (a bit different for us as we usually fly Southwest), I figured we would be safe leaving the house around 4:45. Our drive to the airport was uneventful and the usual 40 minutes and we scored a good spot in the long-term garage.
The security lines were a bit longer than I was expecting and we had just enough time to grab a quick breakfast to take on the plane. They were already boarding when we got to the gate. In fact, most of the passengers had boarded already ! That’s a little closer than I like to cut it! But it turned out fine.
I had never flown Jet Blue before and I was pleasantly surprised at how much leg room there was. I learned (from their seatback info) that they provide the most leg room in coach of any airline. Good to know. As soon as I saw the screens in the seatbacks, I wished I had brought some ear buds. Josh had a set with him for his Kindle, but neither Ted nor I did. I might have considered buying some in-flight except they never came around and offered them. I could have asked, but as it was going to be a very short trip it didn’t seem worth the trouble. But note for next time: If flying Jet Blue again (or other airline that provides in flight video screens), pick up some inexpensive ear buds at Dollar Tree. In fact, I think I might pick some up this week to keep in my carry-on bag all the time.
Our flight was very short –about 50 minutes. That’s just about the time it took to drive to our airport and park the car ! We were able to spot the Pentagon and the Washington Monument as we were preparing to land. We were very excited to get this first glimpse of DC!
We were off the plane in no time at Reagan National and we headed off to find the Metro. Jet Blue landed in terminal A and we needed to take a shuttle to get to the Metro station. We found the shuttle stop outside the terminal without much trouble and made our way to the Metro. I knew that we wanted to buy SmarTrip cards and was hoping there would be a kiosk handy, and there was. The process was easy enough, even though we had to make 3 transactions to get 3 cards. Cards in hand we headed to board the Metro.
I want to stop here to add some info on the DC Metro. SmarTrip cards cost $2 but are well worth it as you save $1 on each fare you take. Our trip to/from the airport made up for the cost of the card. The initial cost is $10 per card ($2 for the card and then $8 balance for travel) and you can reload the cards via kiosks in the Metro stations. They are the same size and material as a credit card and you tap them on a circle/pad to enter and exit the Metro. A very small screen tells you the card balance each time you pass thru the turnstiles. It took me a few trips to notice it (and I only did after Josh pointed it out to me ).
Here’s another bit about the Metro. They have the most awesome website!! And I mean this sincerely. I’ll link it here: Metro - Home page
This is why it is so awesome. They have a trip planner right on the home page . You simply put in where you will start and where you want to go and it provides you options on how to get there via public transportation, giving you time in transit, fare cost, distance you will have to walk to/from the Metro station. And here is the best part, click on the “get directions” link and it will give you walking directions to your destination from the Metro !! This was an absolute life saver! No fiddling with maps, no wandering around aimlessly. I would jot down the directions on a small piece of paper (btw you can have the metro info emailed to you) and off we would go!
So at Reagan National we took the blue line toward Largo Town Center to the Farragut West stop (SmarTrip fare $2.70 aprox. transit time 15 minutes). We wanted to get to our hotel, The Quincy, at 1823 L St. NW. We knew from the Metro site that we would have a .22 mile walk and that we should exit Farragut W station using the 18th and I St. NW exit, walk 2 blocks North on 18th St NW, turn left onto L St. NW, walk a short distance west on L. St. NW. And we found our hotel with no problem whatsoever!
Up Next: The Quincy. Will our room be ready? Will we be happy with this choice?
Sounds like an easy flight and entry into DC. I love the leg-room on Jet Blue. I always carry my own when I fly, but they sell inexpensive headsets from a box at the gate-- I'm sure you wouldn't have seen it since you boarded right away. The Metro-card system sounds great. Very similar to Boston's Charlie Card. Looking forward to hearing about the hotel.
About This Page: 
.
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
PassPorter Guide Author
. Thunderstorms here, thunderstorms at home -not a good combination for flying. We're rebooked for tomorrow morning and we've got a room at the Holiday Inn DCA (which has a free airport shuttle). So one night in Virginia and then we're headed home. Hopefully I'll start on the full report tomorrow (provided that photobucket cooperates). Thanks for following along! It has been a really great trip.
in no time. After taking quick showers, we woke Josh and packed the car -3 carry-on bags only. This is a first as I usually check bags. With a 6:24am flight, no checked bags, and assigned seats (a bit different for us as we usually fly Southwest), I figured we would be safe leaving the house around 4:45. Our drive to the airport was uneventful and the usual 40 minutes and we scored a good spot in the long-term garage. 
! We were able to spot the Pentagon and the Washington Monument as we were preparing to land. We were very excited to get this first glimpse of DC!
).
. You simply put in where you will start and where you want to go and it provides you options on how to get there via public transportation, giving you time in transit, fare cost, distance you will have to walk to/from the Metro station. And here is the best part, click on the “get directions” link and it will give you walking directions to your destination from the Metro 
Linear Mode
