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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Great update! Love the Abby and piglet pictures (priceless) and love your new signature photo as well. As for the lines at CP, I find the same thing every time we eat there as well. I don't get it either, unless you want something that is right there why wait. I just go around too. I am looking forward to your next update, you have me intrigued. LOL
Just got to catch up, work has been crazy so it has been eating into my TR reading time...lol
Love the pictures from Chef Mickey's, looks like Abby was having a great time with the characters.
Sorry about the not so great time at Fantasia Gardens...I would have been in a not so good mood either, poor Abby but I am glad that you all could enjoy a little more at Epcot (even if the morning moods still were eating away a bit). Sounds like a great meal at Garden Grill, always great interaction there, glad to know the meal was good as well, it has been awhile since we have been there.
I love Soarin but the one time I was sitting all the way at the end, I did feel a bit dizzy and I think you are right that is is becuase you are getting the end of the screen in your view. When I sit in the center, I never have an issue. Glad you got to do all your favorites at Epcot - I got stopped twice at Epcot for surveys, they were both pretty quick but they do love to grab you on the way out as that is where I got stopped for one as well.
Glad that Abby was able to see both Tiana and Rapunzel, and that you were able to enjoy an unplanned but fun passporter meet. Can't believe we are at the last day of your trip already but it sounds like you are making the most of your last day at the MK.
Great update! Love the Abby and piglet pictures (priceless) and love your new signature photo as well. As for the lines at CP, I find the same thing every time we eat there as well. I don't get it either, unless you want something that is right there why wait. I just go around too. I am looking forward to your next update, you have me intrigued. LOL
Thanks Kim. I'm glad you like the TR and my new picture. I'm glad to see it's not only me that wonders about CP and goes around other people. I'll post tomorrow so you won't have to sstay intrigued for too long.
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Originally Posted by Sunshine Family
love the new sig picture!!
Thanks Tink.
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Originally Posted by mcc0313
Just got to catch up, work has been crazy so it has been eating into my TR reading time...lol
Love the pictures from Chef Mickey's, looks like Abby was having a great time with the characters.
Sorry about the not so great time at Fantasia Gardens...I would have been in a not so good mood either, poor Abby but I am glad that you all could enjoy a little more at Epcot (even if the morning moods still were eating away a bit). Sounds like a great meal at Garden Grill, always great interaction there, glad to know the meal was good as well, it has been awhile since we have been there.
I love Soarin but the one time I was sitting all the way at the end, I did feel a bit dizzy and I think you are right that is is becuase you are getting the end of the screen in your view. When I sit in the center, I never have an issue. Glad you got to do all your favorites at Epcot - I got stopped twice at Epcot for surveys, they were both pretty quick but they do love to grab you on the way out as that is where I got stopped for one as well.
Glad that Abby was able to see both Tiana and Rapunzel, and that you were able to enjoy an unplanned but fun passporter meet. Can't believe we are at the last day of your trip already but it sounds like you are making the most of your last day at the MK.
I know the feeling of things eating into precious PPer time - mine's called Abby and her summer reading . I'm glad you're enjoying my TR and thanks for all the comments. Abby did have a fun time at CM - but who couldn't? We had a good breakfast, we had fun park time and we even had time at the pool beforehand - what more could you ask for out of that day? Mini golf happened and as much as I want to forget about it, it will change what we do in the future. It even changed at least my enjoyment of that day. I did enjoy our meal at GG and I think what I like about it is while it's served family style, they actually bring out what I'll call "right sized" portions of the food. It wasn't huge bowls or anything, it was just a couple of scoops of things and a couple of pieces of meat but it was enough for a start and even though we did get a second platter, it was still just enough that we could finish it without being too full but not need another platter. Sorry to hear you had a bad experience at Soarin but I'm glad to know that it was due to the seat you had and not the ride itself - that would be such a shame as I really think it's a really enjoyable ride. Last year I got stopped at Epcot for a survey so this was my second one. Last year's ended up being perfect timing though as right after I started, it poured out - big time. We were under that roof with the computers so we stayed nice and dry but had we been out in that, Abby would not have been too happy (which is ironic because we were on our way to a water park ). We did make the most out of our last day - I was bummed it was our last day but we had nice things happen which made it nice - we saw Jody, we were able to see both Tiana and Rapunzel - and the rest you'll have to come back for
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Originally Posted by WeRDisneyFanatics
Sounds like a fun day at MK. Your new signature picture is really great!
Thanks. It was a fun day at MK and I'm glad you like our new picture.
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Originally Posted by B.M.
Glad yall got to meet up with some characters.... I hope the wet train ride went ok....
I was glad we were able to see them too. Abby's not always agreeable to get in line for them but they were manageable this year. We were first for Tiana so Abby could see her arrive and for all intents and purposes, we were first for Rapunzel too so Abby could see her and know we weren't too far from meeting her. As for the train, you'll have to come back tomorrow, I'm not giving anything away.
I got a bit behind and had some catching up to do. Dinner at GG sounds like it went very well. We always enjoy the food here, but what brings us back is the fun with Chip and Dale. Your MK down sounds like lots of fun, too! Stefanie would love getting to a McDs while at WDW, but we never have a car, so she really misses the one at DTD.
I love your new sig picture. Its a great photo of all three of you. I know what you mean about the lining up thing on the buffet. Great interaction between Abby and piglet, that it just too cute. sad that your trip is coming to an end. too soon for me
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I'm glad you had a good meal at CP--it is one of my favorite character experiences. How cool that Abby got to meet both Tiana and Rapunzel--sweet of Lenny to offer to go get in line for her!
Great last day at MK! Love the pictures! Sounds like a good meal at CP!
Thanks Marnie. It was a great day and a really goo meal at CP
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Originally Posted by Cam22
I got a bit behind and had some catching up to do. Dinner at GG sounds like it went very well. We always enjoy the food here, but what brings us back is the fun with Chip and Dale. Your MK down sounds like lots of fun, too! Stefanie would love getting to a McDs while at WDW, but we never have a car, so she really misses the one at DTD.
All the characters at GG are fun IMO and that is why we return as well. The food is good too but it does come back to the characters. MK was a lot of fun that day despite how the morning started for me. For McDonald's, there's always the one over by the AS resorts and I suppose if you feel like walking you could always take a bus to AS Sports and then walk back to it.
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Originally Posted by coffeechef
I love your new sig picture. Its a great photo of all three of you. I know what you mean about the lining up thing on the buffet. Great interaction between Abby and piglet, that it just too cute. sad that your trip is coming to an end. too soon for me
Thanks - I'm glad you like the new picture. We definitely did have the best interaction with Piglet but I kinda can't say I'm surprised. Whoever was in the costume that day had a lot of fun with it because before the meal started, he was over on our side of the building peeking out all the windows and waving - none of the other characters were doing that. Our trip came to an end much too soon for us too - and I can't believe I'm almost done already with my TR
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Originally Posted by ilovedisney247
I'm glad you had a good meal at CP--it is one of my favorite character experiences. How cool that Abby got to meet both Tiana and Rapunzel--sweet of Lenny to offer to go get in line for her!
Thanks. We enjoy everything about CP except those lines. It was sweet of Lenny and it made Abby happy so it was really worth it for him to do that.
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Originally Posted by mzozzietj
peeking in to see if there are any updates about the train in the rain! :P
Not yet. I've only been on the boards for a few minutes but I'm going to post very shortly.
When we last rode the train from Frontierland two years ago, we did everything the same way. We rode Splash Mountain, we got off, then it started to pour . We then headed up the ramp to the train station and by the time the train came around, the rain had stopped. This year it happened the same way - almost. When we got to the top of the train station ramp, it was still raining and one of the trains was just pulling in. I wasn’t overly happy as I didn’t want to ride the train in the rain but what can you do? As we waited, one of the Engineers got off when the train stopped and went and talked to one of the Conductors. As he came back, he said to me "There’s one right behind us. It’ll be here in a couple of minutes" and I said okay and wondered why he was telling me that . We then noticed nobody was being allowed on the train. For whatever reason, this train wasn’t going to be running anymore so everyone was going to have to wait for the next one. Abby understood why no one was allowed on the train that was there and was quite happy to stand out of the rain and wait for the next one . By the time that one arrived, it stopped raining . Abby and I both kept our ponchos on however because the seats were really wet. Lenny just grabbed a towel off the scooter and dried where he sat (what a nice guy, he could have dried the whole seat ).
I don’t know when the narration changed - probably back when Toontown closed - but I do know it was different than the last time we rode. The ride itself was the same - and we even stopped at Toontown for water.
Some people are totally oblivious though because a few people actually got OFF the train . The conductor must have said 4 or 5 times easily that it was not a stop and that everyone had to remain on the train. I just had to laugh to myself. Construction walls were up everywhere, there was nothing to see and there was no where to go. After we got the water, we headed to Main Street and by this time it was around 3:45ish. I know this because 1) there were 2 day parades this week - one at noon and one at 3:30 and 2) the picture I took from the train on Main Street has a time stamp on it.
A few minutes later, we were back at Frontierland where we started from. The rain we had earlier had stopped and had not started again so we put the ponchos away and headed over to BTM. Abby is funny with this ride. Sometimes she says she wants to ride it, other times she says it makes her dizzy . Today was a day she wanted to ride and Lenny even agreed to go on. His philosophy was "I might as well try it. It ain’t going to kill me. Besides, I might like it". As we waited it was so funny because he saw all the people getting off and smiling and he was convinced he’d be fine. Then he saw a little kid come off crying and he looked at me and said "everyone was smiling up until that kid. Do you think I’ll get off smiling or crying?" I couldn’t resist telling him he’d probably get off crying since he’s a big baby when it comes to things . Lenny at least laughed and he still said he’d go, especially since Abby was telling him "Don’t worry Daddy, I’ll hold your hand. You’ll be all right."
And for Lenny’s first ever ride, we were seated in the very last two rows on the train . Despite that, Lenny was even brave enough on to take some pictures with his camera. For a cheap camera, it took some pretty good pictures as we moved along.
After we got off BTM, Lenny admitted it wasn’t that bad of a ride and he was glad he tried it .
Abby was happy he tried it and liked it too. I was happy he tried it but I couldn’t resist saying "if you liked BTM, next time you have to go on EE with me. It’s not much different from this one." He’s not fully convinced because he still remembers me telling him back in 2008 that he turned green just from watching EE . We have some time before our next trip so I have some time to convince him to try it. Abby on the other hand will be harder to get back on it . It’s one she out right told me as soon as she got off it she was dizzy and she’s avoided it ever since .
From BTM, we made our way through the mass of people (I don’t think the rain scared anyone away that day) to CBJ and it was literally walk right in. There was no line, no waiting and the doors were open so we took that as an invitation to keep going. As usual with Lenny’s scooter, we sat down front and I used the opportunity to play with my camera again. I had been playing with the different settings all week to see which ones would give me the best flash-free photos. I’m pretty sure I had the camera on automatic and I was able to get some decent pictures from the attraction. And at the end where it’s okay to use the flash, I still left it off.
Some are a little fuzzy but still really decent considering I didn't use the flash
We took our time leaving the CBJ and we decided to hit the HM next. Every time we’ve gone on this, we’ve been given different directions for where to line up and today we were sent directly to the exit with Lenny’s scooter. Once there, we figured he’d have to park it and we’d go through the doorway that’s on the left to get into the stretching room but Disney changed that as well. We were led directly to the exit area of the ride which surprised me - and pleasantly. With Abby, I get nervous with the stretching room because they pack everyone in there and once out, Lenny has difficulty moving in the post-elevator crowd so going right to the exit was a change we were quite happy with . Last year when we rode this, we made the mistake of trying to all fit together. We managed but boy it was quite a tight fit for the three of us so this year we split up. Lenny rode by himself and Abby and I rode together. The ride was the same old, same old until we got to the very end with the Hitchhiking ghosts. As funny as the old version was with them just riding along, the new version was even funnier. Lenny got the ghost who swaps heads and Abby and I got the one who makes your head disappear. I knew all about the change so I expected it. Lenny knew nothing about it so he was surprised by what it did and he talked about it for the next few minutes. When we got outside and Lenny was getting back on the scooter, I took the time to snap some pictures of the names on the wall. I don’t know if I’ve ever really paid attention to them in the past but I definitely chuckled at some of them.
Abby didn’t want to do the river boat at all so can anyone guess where we headed to next? Did I hear you say Fantasyland? Why on earth would you think that? What was that? Because Abby loves Fantasyland so much? We can’t be that predictable, can we?