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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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 was very hesitant about picking a hotel. I had never been to Anaheim or California for that matter and trip advisor reviews can be all over the place. I am extremely picky about hotel rooms and even phobic about bedbugs. So hotels can make me uneasy. But the Hilton at the Convention Center exceeded my expectations. I thought the whole Convention Center complex was very nice and the whole DLR area on Harbor seemed very nice, safe and beautiful. There were palm trees everywhere, and the sidewalks were all lined with flowers in bloom. Very nice.
The Hilton was immense. The lobby was very open and modern. There were shops, a food court, a restaurant, Starbucks, seating areas, and lounges. It seemed very nice. I was extremely pleased with the rooms. They were huge. They were updated and fresh, extremely clean, and not a sign of a bedbug anywhere ( I always check, I know I'm a bit neurotic) We put our things away and chilled out for a bit since we were all beyond tired. We had tickets to the Angels game that evening and needed to rest up.
We needed to find the best way to get to the Angel's game since we didn't want to drive. They have a shuttle called the Angel's Express that is free from the convention center. Since my daughter fell asleep, my husband went ahead and took the boys early so they could check out the stadium (big baseball fans). My dad, myself and my DD would catch up with them closer to game time. My DH texted that the bus was easy, but they dropped you off at the ARTIC station which I guess was quite a hike to the stadium. So my dad , DD, and I went down to catch the shuttle. It never came. It was supposed to come every 90 and 45 min before the game. So we took a cab for 10 dollars which wasn't bad and we got dropped off right at the stadium.
The stadium is nice, but it is older so not as picturesque as the newer parks. I think we would've enjoyed it more had we not been so tired. We only made it to the 6th inning. We knew it was time to go when I looked over and my dad was sleeping in his seat. So we decided to head back and get some sleep to prepare for tomorrow's early morning to Disneyland.......
But, we soon found out the cabs only come after the game. Not a cab in sight, and we couldn't get back in to the stadium. An attendant told us we might find a cab at the ARTIC station. So we had to make the mile trek back to the station to hope for a cab. We were a little apprehensive. It was almost dark, no one was around, we were in LA and we had to make this very deserted walk to the train station. We made it over just fine, but no cabs. We were all beyond tired and just wanted to go to bed. My DD was approaching a melt down and we were stuck. All I kept thinking is "we should have just drove". Lo and behold, about 10 minutes later the Angels Express shuttle showed up out of nowhere!!!!!!!!! We were saved. We headed back to the Hilton and we all slept very soundly until morning.
Up next: Disneyland!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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We got going a little later than I wanted. My plan was to be at the parks by 7:30 for an 8:00 opening. We got up at 6:30, but by the time we all got ready and met downstairs for breakfast it was 7:20. I know we would be running late. My dad got continental breakfasts as one of the perks for being a Hilton diamond member and that worked out great. The adults had to stick to the continental buffet but the kids were welcome to the full buffet and that thrilled my kids. They were able to have their fill of eggs, pancakes and bacon every morning. The continental was more than enough for the adults. We really enjoyed this every morning.
We decided we would try the walk to the parks this morning. It wasn't bad. It took about 15 minutes and was probably about 3/4 of a mile. The sidewalks are all lined with palm trees and flowers and lots of people going to the park. It was so great to enter the park and hear the Disney music playing!!! We knew we were getting close. By the time we got to the entrance gates, it was about 8:20 and the lines were getting long. We got up there, they took all our pictures and gave us our tickets (we had e tickets on our phone). For some reason I was expecting hard plastic ticket cards like they used to give you at WDW. But we got thick paper tickets. I was afraid they wouldn't last 3 days but they did.
As we went through the tunnel under the railroad, I couldn't wait to see the park. Everything was decrated so beautifully with the diamond celebration decorations. I was prepared that the castle was small, and it was. But it was still beautiful and impressive. It was decorated in blue for the 6oth anniversary and I was really impressed with Main St. It was similar to the WDW version in so many ways, but yet somehow different. There just seemed to be a quaintness to it that is lacking in Florida. Now I will say that every time I have been to the Magic Kingdom in Florida, it has been summer. So HOT and HUMID and sometimes raining. This was so different. It was 70 degrees, crystal blue skies, gentle breeze, just perfect. This difference might have something to do with my overall impression that this park was better, I don't know.
My first stop was city hall to get a DAS for my DD. It was quick and easy and we were on our way. We got a wait time for Indiana Jones. We strolled down Main St and decided to go to Adventure Land first. It was not crowded in the park yet and getting around was easy. We did the Jungle Cruise first. It was funny and cute as always. Next was Pirates. We walked on to this as well. I have to say this ride is far better at DL than at WDW. It was longer, had more surprises and even a little bit wetter!!!! We all enjoyed it immensely. We made our way to Indian Jones. I have to say, I thought it was ok but wasn't overly impressed. It was very bumpy and jerky. I didn't dislike it, it was just ok for me. My kids loved it. Next we went to Haunted Mansion. I loved how the exterior is so different than WDW. But inside, it was the same and great as always. I loved walking around New Orleans Square. It was was very cozy and compact and very cool. The details were amazing. From there we did Winnie the Pooh in Critter Country and made our way to Big Thunder and was able to ride it twice. My kids said Big Thunder is better here at Disneyland. I didn't notice a difference but they did. We also picked up a fast pass for fantasmic and got the blue section. We got all this done and it was only 11:45 at this point. We got quite a bit done in a short amount of time. My kids were getting hungry again so we headed off for lunch.
We decided to eat at Hungry Bear. It got great reviews and it is really a nice place to eat. Plenty of shade, nice wooded area, and great food. I got a chicken salad that had watermelon in it. I thought it was very tasty. My kids all got chicken nuggets and they all reported they were the best chicken nuggets ever. They did appear to be better quality than standard chicken nuggets. My husband got the hamburger and my dad got the salad also. Everyone was happy with their meals and enjoyed the atmosphere quite a bit.
We continued on to Fantasy Land and my daughter stood in a short line to meet Rapunzel. We had a return time at that point for the Matterhorn so that was next. I have to say, I am not a fan. My kiddos liked it but DH and I both agreed that once was enough. My dad sat that one out. It was just very jerky and bumpy almost to the point of being uncomfortable. I did like the Yeti though.
After that we made our way to Space Mountain and Buzz. I have to say the Space Mountain track here is much smoother and enjoyable. I was not ever a fan of Space Mountain but was pleasantly surprised by this ride. My dad did ride this one and I think it was the first roller coaster he has been on in at least 30 years. He said he liked it, but he didn't ride any more!!!!
At this point we decided we needed a break and headed back to the hotel. We took the Toy Story bus to the Woody lot and walked a short distance across Harbor to the Hilton. We rested and got some drinks. My kids played in the pool which was very nice. They have a cool splash area for kids with a bucket that dumps water, a slide and fountains in addition to the pool. This kept them busy until it was time to head back for dinner and the evening activities.
Sounds great so far! I've been tracking the weather in Anaheim, and it's so nice to see pleasant temperatures! Fingers crossed that I get nice weather in August.
Sounds great so far! I've been tracking the weather in Anaheim, and it's so nice to see pleasant temperatures! Fingers crossed that I get nice weather in August.
The weather was just perfect. It did get up to the upper 80s when we were there. But it never reached that temperature until mid afternoon and it didn't stay that hot for more than a few hours. Even at the hottest point it never felt "disneyworld hot" because the humidity wasn't as high and there was always a pleasant breeze.
I personally prefer DL to WDW. I love the compactness of the parks. I also have never hard hot and humid weather in So California. I did go once in early May and it was relatively cold (needed to buy a sweatshirt).
I really enjoy being able to walk park to park. Thanks for the report
We headed back to the park about 4:30 or so. We walked and it was ok, even for the second time that day. We needed to head right for our ADR at Big Thunder Ranch BBQ. We took our time, enjoying the sights and checking out all the great details on Main St. We made our way over to Big Thunder Ranch and checked in. It is in a quiet out of the way corner behind Big Thunder Mountain. We had about a 15 minute wait and that was fine. There were plenty of shady benches to wait on. The hostesses were all dressed in old west style costumes and the dining area was really cute. It was nicely decorated with outdoor picnic tables covered in red and white checked table cloths. Each table was under a shade umbrella and there was a stage with live entertainment. It sort of reminded me a bit of the Hoop de Doo at WDW but it was outside.
We were seated soon and the service was quick. We ordered our drinks and within 5 minutes the food started coming. There was a bucket of meat that contained sausage, chicken and ribs. There was cornbread, coleslaw, and baked beans. It all tasted wonderful and they brought as much as you wanted. They called the kids up on stage for one of the songs and the servers were friendly and efficient. The drinks were served in mason jars and the kids liked that. We were all so thirsty from all the walking we must've drank 3 jars of water and tea. The deserts looked wonderful but everyone was so full we couldn't order it. The deserts were not included in the price. I highly recommend this restaurant. The atmosphere is great, it's shady, and a lot of fun.
After dinner the kids wanted to ride Big Thunder again since we had a return time. We did that and headed over to Fantasy Land. We didn't get to see nearly as much as I had hoped. My daughter was getting very grumpy and nearing a meltdown. Her behavior can be very unpredictable and I could tell we were headed for trouble. We chose to do the storybook boats because they were calm and low key. I loved the ride. I thought it was so cute and classic. The kids liked it too. But as soon as we got off, she melted down and we had to find a bench to take a break. This was the time I had planned to do some fantasy land rides before fantasmic. I knew it wasn't going to happen so the others went off to use a space mountain fast pass. I hoped we would have time to come back to fantasy land on Saturday. But we just relaxed on the bench with an ice cream cone and enjoyed the sights of fantasy land instead. When the others came back it was after 8:00 and time to head over to the Haunted Mansion area for our fast pass return to Fantasmic.
We thought about skipping it because my daughter was teetering on the edge of another meltdown, but she pulled it together and she really wanted to see the show. By the time we got over there we were in the back of the blue section right by the French Market restaurant. We were about as far back as you could get. I wasn't sure how the kids could see, but a kind couple let my two small ones stand infront of them by a railing. I was hoping the wait wouldn't be too much for my daughter. She did relatively ok, but then they announced there would be a delay. Luckily it was only about 7 minutes (seemed like forever though). Once the show started she was ok if not a little whiny. But everyone really enjoyed the show. I really liked the music and the characters coming by on the boat was wonderful. For being in the back, I thought we could see just fine. We debated on staying to see the fireworks but decided to head back to the hotel while we were still ahead with our daughter. We knew it would be tight trying to get through Main St. with people waiting for the fireworks, but were going to give it a try.
Right when we were exiting Adventure Land, an announcement came on that the fireworks were cancelled due to technical difficulties. I knew we were going to be caught in a mad rush to the gates We had all three kids by the hand (much to my 12 year old son's dismay). Luckily a CM came out and started directing people out the back way behind the shops on Main St. It must be a service path or something. So we made it down easily and exited by Town Hall and then just had to make it under the bridge and out. We did it fairly easily although it looked downright scary to be caught further up Main St. We quickly made it out and to the Toy Story buses. I thought we would be waiting for a LONG time based on the crowds. But there were so many buses coming that we only had to wait 5 minutes at MOST. It was much more efficient than the bus waits at WDW. We were VERY tired and our feet hurt, but it was a great day all in all. I absolutely loved Disneyland and compared to only the Magic Kingdom at WDW it turns out I like Disneyland better. Even though the park is compact, it is still A LOT of walking. My dad has a fit bit and at the end of the day we walked 10.8 miles. No wonder my feet hurt!!!!
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You covered a lot that I have planned in our upcoming trip, and I'm a DL "local" being from Oregon.
We are planning Hungry Bear, a childhood favorite that I have not been to as an adult. Glad you enjoyed it.
We are planning BTMRanch for dinner at Christmas time. I'm glad you enjoyed that one too!
We are "planning" to have a kid melt down a few times. I think ice cream and bench time is a great way to deal with it. We got our son to go from rope drop to fireworks without a break on our last trip when he was 5, and the secret was ice cream for dinner. The sugar, fat, and excitement carried him through his tough moments when he was ready to crash. Good job, mama!
I have never seen fantasmic, and I'm looking forward to it.
You covered a lot that I have planned in our upcoming trip, and I'm a DL "local" being from Oregon.
We are planning Hungry Bear, a childhood favorite that I have not been to as an adult. Glad you enjoyed it.
We are planning BTMRanch for dinner at Christmas time. I'm glad you enjoyed that one too!
We are "planning" to have a kid melt down a few times. I think ice cream and bench time is a great way to deal with it. We got our son to go from rope drop to fireworks without a break on our last trip when he was 5, and the secret was ice cream for dinner. The sugar, fat, and excitement carried him through his tough moments when he was ready to crash. Good job, mama!
I have never seen fantasmic, and I'm looking forward to it.
Ice cream works like a charm! I am impressed about rope drop to fire works with no meltdowns!! I hope to get to that point sometime!!! I think BTRanch would be wonderful at Christmas time. Hungry Bear was such a hit.
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) We put our things away and chilled out for a bit since we were all beyond tired. We had tickets to the Angels game that evening and needed to rest up. 
. So we decided to head back and get some sleep to prepare for tomorrow's early morning to Disneyland.......
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Glad you liked the hotel. 
We had all three kids by the hand (much to my 12 year old son's dismay). Luckily a CM came out and started directing people out the back way behind the shops on Main St. It must be a service path or something. So we made it down easily and exited by Town Hall and then just had to make it under the bridge and out. We did it fairly easily although it looked downright scary to be caught further up Main St. We quickly made it out and to the Toy Story buses. I thought we would be waiting for a LONG time based on the crowds. But there were so many buses coming that we only had to wait 5 minutes at MOST. It was much more efficient than the bus waits at WDW. We were VERY tired and our feet hurt, but it was a great day all in all. I absolutely loved Disneyland and compared to only the Magic Kingdom at WDW it turns out I like Disneyland better. Even though the park is compact, it is still A LOT of walking. My dad has a fit bit and at the end of the day we walked 10.8 miles. No wonder my feet hurt!!!!
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