Making Lemonade out of Mousefest **Updated 2/18** COMPLETE - Page 27 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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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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Wow its hard to put this together two months later, but I'll do my best!
There were a lot of firsts this trip:
First Mousefest
First solo trip
First DVC stay
First time seeing Spectro and the 3pm parade
First Christmastime visit: (Osbourne Lights etc etc)
First Meals at HBD, Olivias, Turf Club, Tangerine Cafe, Columbia Harbor House, YCFS, and Sunshine Seasons
Transportation:
We all know I had an "interesting time getting to WDW this trip. I wish that it hadn't snowed in NOLA, but driving wasn't too bad. Plus I had interesting company! Southwest immediately refunded my canceled flight as a credit and allowed me to change my flight back until MAY! I will absolutely fly Southwest again (in two weeks to Vegas in fact) as the snow was not their fault!
Because I had my car I used it quite often and found that its very handy if you are going to be running from park to park! However, I much prefer Disney Transportation for "regular" trips, but I covered a lot of ground this trip, so having a car was useful! I probably won't be driving again any time soon, because its a long drive especially by yourself.
Accomadations:
This was my first DVC stay! I loved Saratoga Springs. I know that for most people the layout of the resort is a negative, but I really like the spread out feeling and I don't mind walking at all. (remember folks I walk 2 miles to work everyday and sometimes 2 miles back -- I take public tranportation if I'm not walking--parking downtown NOLA is too much of a hassel)
My room was gorgeous and had a far off view of DTD. I loved how big the studio room was and the convienience of having a microwave, toaster and mini fridge!
I like the pool and the spa option!
In fact I liked it so much I added on SSR when it became available again!
Mousefest:
This was my first Mousefest and my first time meeting a gaggle of people. I am incredibly saddened that this event will not be taking place in 2009, but excited that many of us are going to travel anyway and that we are having a Passporter only get together. I am booked at AKV!
I met so many great people who made me feel like my solo trip wasn't really solo at all! A special thank-you to Lesley, Jill, Sharon, Eileen, Bob, Larry and Deb! Some of you I will be seeing fairly soon! (yea!)
Meals!
I love to eat, I love food! I really want a hot sausage on french, but back to my Disney meals. I really tried to eat at completely new restaurants this trip and did pretty well. I loved lunch at the HBD! I will put this on a repeat frequently list, especially when by myself as they are very accomadating! I enjoyed dinner at Olivia's, but it wasn't as good as my dinner at the Turf Club, which was OUTSTANDING! This is a MUST do for every trip that I stay at SSR! I wish they were open a little later because I think I'm going to miss this one in June!
My counter service meals were okay. I'm still not impressed with most of WDW "fast food" options. I liked the Tangerine Cafe, but I've had better middle eastern food for far less money at home.
I did one character meal and that was lunch at CP. Food was okay, service was okay, and charcters were pretty good. I just realized that I made a lunch reservation here for May that I am going to change for sure. It wasn't fantastic.
I had a fantastic trip to WDW! I'm glad I could share it with so many fabulous people. I hope to see many of you in the coming months and at next year's December Passporter gathering. Those of you who are traveling in May: I will catch the tail end of DOD on Monday and Tuesday! Anyone around at that time will also get to meet Crazy Judy. Those of you traveling in June will get to meet my BFF Brandon!
Happy Mardi Gras everybody!
Up next my post Mardi Gras recovery trip to Vegas, which includes a stay at the Wynn . . . perhaps some Cirque and perhaps some Cher!
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Great finish, Heather! It was wonderful getting to spend time with you and I look forward to doing it again soon! Also, I'll be thinking of you when we eat our King Cake at work!
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Mickey's so happy to see me back, he can barely contain himself!
Great wrapup! I really loved hearing your version of mousefest and you do such a great job! I think your solo trip turned out to not be solo at all and to meet such great new friends too! I cannot wait to hear all about your upcoming trips!
Have a great time in vegas!!!
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Pixie Dust
for sharing your TR with us! I have enjoyed reading it. Looking forward to the next one
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