Nineteen nights of MouseFest, Disney and Christmas - THREAD 2 - UPDATED 2/1 - Page 25 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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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.
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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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Great pictures of Universal...it must be in my near future somehow...it just looks so fun and different, I have never been there but hoping to make it soon...
Your munch at Mythos looks so yummy...your apptizer alone made my mouth water....
Thursday 13 December – part six: did we get an Epcot view and an encounter with rude guy
After a quick stop in CityWalk to visit the Endangered Species store, where Angie and Adam got a present for Jan, we were back in the car and off.
We decided that we were going to go to WalMart or Target on the way back to Disney, but TomTom, our GPS system, had other ideas. It decided to direct us back to the Beach Club instead, but we only discovered that as we got near to our final destination. The second time we made it fine.
Half an hour later, we were stocked up with deodorant for me, lots of wine, water, orange and pineapple juice, such Christmas lights and a beautiful tree skirt that was only $10. Bargain!
We finally made it back on to Disney property and dropped Adam and Angie off at Pop Century, before heading back to the Beach Club Villas.
We already had our room number, 563, and I was pretty sure that we had an Epcot view. As soon as we walked in and I looked through the window, I knew we had. We were staring right at Spaceship Earth and the Land pavilion.
Bell services delivered all our luggage shortly afterwards and we set about unpacking it all, as we wouldn’t be moving again now until we had to go home in two week’s time. That was no mean feat, with four cases to deal with.
We set out for Le Cellier and it was so good to be able to walk into Epcot from the Beach Club Villas. As we walked along, it really felt like we were finally home. That’s nothing against the Animal Kingdom Lodge Villas or the BoardWalk Villas, both of which we really enjoyed, but this place is home to us.
It was a beautiful evening and we were at Le Cellier a few minutes before our 7.50 ADR. When we got here, you could see how popular this place was from the number of people waiting to get in. It’s by far the busiest restaurant we’d seen so far this trip. We gave our details and in we went. There was nowhere to sit, which was fine, but when a family got up to be seated, I did think that we would grab some seats, as we were both exhausted. Well, I managed to sit down, but this really rude guy sat right in the middle of the bench and quite deliberately put his hand down next to him to stop anyone sitting there. We stared at him and he was just oblivious. I just couldn’t believe how rude this guy was. Eventually Mark asked if he could sit down and the guy just looked at him and said “I’m saving it for someone.” Mark asked where this someone was and he said “in the restroom”. Well, as Mark answered, they’re not here now (and they hadn’t been for the last five minutes!). I really couldn’t stand sitting next to such a horrible and arrogant guy, so I moved over to another bench when a seat became free. When his wife finally came out of the restrooms, we could hear him saying something to her about us. A quick, cutting look in his direction and he shut up. I decided to get a photo of Mark and it just so happens that the rude guy was in shot, so now you can all meet rude guy….
Fortunately, we were called to be seated before rude guy, which we did like and we had Dawn from Medicine Hat, who was so much fun. She explained all about how her home town got its name (a medicine man let his hat float down the river and where it stopped was where the Indians set up camp) and she was very attentive and knowledgeable, particularly when we asked for advice on wine choices with our meal. Oddly they were recommending red wine with the fish dishes and white wine went with the prime rib dish that Mark went for.
As for the food, I had already placed my special order for the vegetarian version of the cheddar cheese soup and, as before, when I tried it, it was divine. Now why on earth would you guys want to go and put bacon in it and spoil it? Unfortunately, the photo of it didn’t come out.
My main course wasn’t as good though. I went for the seared king salmon, served over butternut squash risotto with maple butter and pecan vinaigrette, but the dish was tainted by the maple butter that they used in it. I found it too much and couldn’t eat it all. I probably had about half in the end.
Mark went for the beef and barley soup for appetiser, followed by the herb-crusted prime rib with roasted Yukon potatoes finished with a veal demi-glaze, which he finished off completely, so I guess no complaints from him about it then.
Who thinks that Mark was keen to get started on his main course?
It was lovely to go back there, as we hadn’t been since 2004 and it’s a beautiful setting, but we are both still a bit mystified as to the success of this place. Yes, the food is very good and it’s good a lovely atmosphere and good service, but so have a lot of other places. I don’t mean to be down on this place. It’s very good, but I just don’t understand why it’s so hugely popular. I get Boma’s popularity, as it’s very unusual food you won’t find elsewhere, but I don’t get this place.
Le Cellier:
Appetiser 10 10
Main course 6 9½
Service 9 9
Atmosphere 9 9½
Value for money 8½ 9½
Sorry about rude guy ... I guess many people think they are entitled to be mean to others.
Your BCV place looks real nice!
Mark looks really hungry, you got to Le Cellier just in time!
Did the wines go well with the food? or were they mis-matched?
Thank you!
Sorry about the rude guy, glad you were seated first. I think Le Celliar is so popular because: lots of board talk (on all boards), small resturant (limited availablity) and a good menu. We like it but I too am mystified as to its popularity.
Both meals *look* delicious, sorry you didn't enjoy yours that much. I think Le Cellier has gotten even more popular since the dining plan because it really is such a good deal and of course the cheddar cheese soup and pretzel bread sticks are legendary.
Great updates! Love your view of Epcot. Sorry your GPS decided you should be heading to the BC instead of shopping. But at least you got there in the end. And rude guy. Ugh! Glad you got a photo of him, though. If I ever see him coming to sit on a bench I'm on, I'll save a seat for you and Mark.
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Mickey's so happy to see me back, he can barely contain himself!
Great view of Epcot! I would love to look out the window and see SE. That rude guy was certainly...rude! His wife looked quite irritated as well.
I love Le Cellier, but mainly because there are several dishes there that are my faves (the chicken, pretzel bread and that soup!). I agree that it's just as good as the next excellent steakhouse.
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I don't like the sounds of "rude guy" coming up...uh oh.
I decided to get a photo of Mark and it just so happens that the rude guy was in shot, so now you can all meet rude guy…. 
Sorry about the rude guy 
the walk from BCV to Epcot.
Glad you got a photo of him, though. 
If I ever see him coming to sit on a bench I'm on, I'll save a seat for you and Mark. 
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