The trip of many changes... TRIP REPORT UPDATED 2/25 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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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That was a crazy experience on HM and not a good one! People pushing in a dark and crowded room is not the place for this.
No it's not. Shame they didn't realise that....
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Nice tour of Cascade at the WL. Funny how that pool is always deserted and wonder why!
I must admit it wasn't busy when we were there, but remember this was just before the really cold front came through Florida. It started to cool down dramatically the next morning, then they got down to (I think) below freezing for that whole week while we were on the cruise?
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WDW needs to change the security by doing the screenings at the resorts. They do this at Universal before boarding the boat and the process runs very smooth.
We did find out later in this trip that the reason they don't do the security checks at the resort is (and this is classic!) that the resorts don't want them. Yes, I know, I know - crazy, but apparently that's the situation. With each of the Magic Kingdom resorts, they definitely have more than enough space to do security checks at the boat docks, so I don't get what the problem is?
The bus stop at WL is so close to the Boulder Ridge Villas and the ride to MK is much faster than the boat. And the walk back to the room after a long day in the park is so welcome. With the new bag check strategy I can see how the wait from the bus stops would be difficult because all the bus passengers converge in one spot. We will be there in 10 days for a 2 week stay. Looks like we will reconsider our mode of transportation to MK, but will continue to take the bus back to the resort. Thank you, Cheryl, for posting about this new bag check situation.
No worries - happy to share information that may help others.
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All caught up. What a great trip so far! It pays to get early to the parks, as you accomplish so much. I have to remind myself not to read your updates on an empty stomach. All those food pics make me hungry.
What a great trip so far! It pays to get early to the parks, as you accomplish so much. I have to remind myself not to read your updates on an empty stomach. All those food pics make me hungry.
Friday 12 January – part eight: these are amazing!
We made our way over to the Cascade Cabins and wow! These are amazing. They’re the same layout essentially as the waterfront bungalows at the Polynesian, but I think I prefer these. They felt more homely and I liked the fact that they’d enclosed the patio area. It felt a bit safer to me, if that made sense? And that fireplace – oh my goodness, wonderful.
[/ The entrance area The main bedroom The en suite bathroom The second bedroom The second bathroom The living area The kitchen area The tub! And yes, you can even sit outside by the tub!
The others headed back to see the other layouts, but as we were in a one bedroom villa, we said our goodbyes at that point. I am so glad Members get this opportunity and I think it works for them as one group were talking about adding on after seeing the Cabins!
We had a look in the shop, as we were there and Mark ended up getting a T-shirt. We’d only come down with literally our MagicBands and a camera and cell phone for me, so we didn’t have our DVC ID on us on get a discount, but the guy was very good and gave it to us anyway.
We headed back to the room for some downtime and while we were there, this swept in!
Ginger later told us it included sleet! Thank goodness we weren’t out in that…
We headed out just after 4:00pm to go back to the Magic Kingdom. I will admit on this stay I am coming to love the Wilderness Lodge more and more. It’s like I suddenly “get it” if that makes sense?
Those cabins look very nice. I even like the floors--especially the ones on that look like slate. Is the hot tub area enclosed with glass or screening? Great pictures of the lodge and how nice that the castmember gave you the DVC discount regardless. Makes me wonder what pops up on their computer screen once you've scanned your Magic Band.
The title of your next installment is shocking! Mark? Giving Piglet a hard time? I refuse to believe it!
I do like the look of those cabins. Although the fireplace is great, you’d really have a small window during the year where you’d want to use it, I think.
Those cabins look very nice. I even like the floors--especially the ones on that look like slate. Is the hot tub area enclosed with glass or screening?
Yes it's enclosed by glass, which I thought was a nice touch. I also preferred that to the Poly bungalows.
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Great pictures of the lodge and how nice that the castmember gave you the DVC discount regardless. Makes me wonder what pops up on their computer screen once you've scanned your Magic Band.
Apparently they don't say that you're Annual Passholders or DVC members, which is why you usually need to prove it, but surely it's about time that both were linked to your MagicBand?
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The title of your next installment is shocking! Mark? Giving Piglet a hard time? I refuse to believe it!
I do like the look of those cabins. Although the fireplace is great, you’d really have a small window during the year where you’d want to use it, I think.
I think so, but then again, it might be nice to have it going during the evenings?
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Love the decor!! Awww, Chip and Dale. So cute!! The master bath looks amazing too, wow. Didn't realize it was the same layout as the Poly ones. Interesting, because it looks so different with the decor.
Oh wow, the patio is enclosed with glass?! I just assumed a screen. Well that makes it feel even bigger than, like an extension to the room. They really did a great job with these.
So glad you guys enjoyed your time at WL! I think your room location helped a lot with that.
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Love the decor!! Awww, Chip and Dale. So cute!! The master bath looks amazing too, wow. Didn't realize it was the same layout as the Poly ones. Interesting, because it looks so different with the decor.
I know. I was blown away by how completely different it looked.
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Oh wow, the patio is enclosed with glass?! I just assumed a screen. Well that makes it feel even bigger than, like an extension to the room. They really did a great job with these.
And I think it worked so much better, as realistically, you want to be enclosed there, rather than with the Poly bungalows, where you want to feel as if you're close to the water of the Seven Seas Lagoon.
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So glad you guys enjoyed your time at WL! I think your room location helped a lot with that.
Oh gosh, completely! On previous stays, we've always been about as far from the lobby as it's possible to be and that hasn't led to a happy stay.
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People pushing in a dark and crowded room is not the place for this.
Yes, I know, I know - crazy, but apparently that's the situation. With each of the Magic Kingdom resorts, they definitely have more than enough space to do security checks at the boat docks, so I don't get what the problem is?
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Thank goodness we weren’t out in that… 
On previous stays, we've always been about as far from the lobby as it's possible to be and that hasn't led to a happy stay.
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