An Island Frame of Mind (A Cam and Luke PTR) Updated 5/22 - Page 28 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Love this update!! We're already talking about doing that Feel the Force Package, but not sure about the regular one or the deluxe. Time will tell. You're right though, DHS gives off a different feel on SWW days. The characters and music really help with that.
Luke did a great job on the paint!!
If we were to actually purchase one of the packages it would probably be the regular one as we don't need to see all the celebrities.
Quote:
Originally Posted by taylan1
Love your SWW plans. I did not know there were SW D&B bags coming out! I can't wait to see those. I do have a question. Do you have to get FPs to see Chewbacca or some of the other more popular characters? Or can you just wait in line?
I really don't know specifically which ones need the FP+ other than the website states that the FP+ is needed for celebrity appearances. A few times we've just asked the CM with the character if the line is open or requires a FP+.
Quote:
Originally Posted by pamcarey
Great painting job by Luke! He really did get the lines straight.
He did some research online and followed those instructions to get the line perfect.
Yes, I won't see any 'Cam live updates' this time, so your TR will be something to help me over the inevitable 'trauma' of being back on solid ground and nobody making my bed for me, cooking my meals and entertaining me!
Love the train room! Luke did a great job!!
I found it easy to quickly become spoiled aboard ship. I still miss our servers.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kingfamily1129
Cam, I think Luke and Aiden could get to talking about trains and not even notice other people are around The paint job looks great! We love SWW too but we might only go once, maybe twice and see things because the crowds are just a nightmare!!
I remember once several years ago that no only was it crowded, but most of the folks were testy and grumpy, both children and adults. After a couple of hours would really couldn't handle the sights or sounds anymore, and vacated the park.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Belle320
The paint job looks great. I have several rooms that could use some paint for Luke would like to start his second career as a painter.
Several of our friends have made the same suggestion.
We are not big SW fans, but I think I would make an exception for a weekend at HS during that event. It really looks like fun. That paint job looks really great, Luke did a great job.
Disney does SWW right, but it can be frightfully crowded. Luke is so patient with painting, but I'm such a mess with paint.
Quote:
Originally Posted by cubfancolleen
The room looks great!!
I'm not a huge Star Wars fan, but I'd love to see Chip & Dale as Ewoks!!!
I can't wait to see my favorite chipmunks all decked out.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mcneal
Been absent for a while because I drove my parents to Tennessee for a 64th high school reunion! I love your lists - taking time to enjoy the little things is always wonderful. Someday I hope to make it to SWW but no idea when. My folks talk about the Chatt. Choo Choo but I have never been. That should be a fun experience. Luke could always hire out to paint for others. Hope the next few weeks are not too long for yall.
You comment about a few weeks reminded me that I started a packing list, but never finished it. We've been so busy on the weekends getting Dad's house ready for this Saturday's auction that the trip has taken a back seat.
great items on the list for HS and SWW. The new job looks wonderful. I should hire Luke to come paint my house.
Luke was rather pleased with his own work.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lindawdw
Beautiful paint job by Luke
Quote:
Originally Posted by roaminggnome
Great paint job!! If Luke is bored and you want to rent him out, I have a few projects in northern WI. I promise mosquitoes and strange weather. Star Wars Weekends sound like a blast!!
We've had friends suggest that he take on painting as a part time job/hobby.
Soft opening for the refurbed Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto at the Polynesian began at the end of March. Once we knew we were staying here for the May trip, I anxiously stalked The Disney Food Blog website, waiting for their review of the bar. The official opening is expected to be sometime late April. The first day opening the wait to get into the grotto was 3 hours in line to get a pager and then 3 hours more before the pager went off for the Disney Food Bloggers. Ridiculously long! The bloggers are predicting that for a few months long lines will be the norm, not the exception. Since we will arrive on May 11, we’re not sure if we’ll even get in as we don’t intend to spend 6 hours waiting in lines.
But if we make it in, these are some things that I’ll be very interested in.
1. A souvenir mug, but the only way to get it is to our one of Sam’s No Booze Brews like Polynesian Punch or Schweitzer Falls, which I will have to do if I want it. Luke can order one of the specialty and allow me a sip or two. 2. Pan-fried Dumplings 3. Live music from an entertainer from the Big Island of Hawaii 4. The interactive setting, think the Enchanted Tiki Room 5. Theming that honors the old attraction 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, which I still miss as it was my favorite ride of my first MK visit in 1980. 6. There is even a little bit of Maelstrom hidden in the décor, another ride I miss.
Does this grotto decor look familiar?
Train Room Progress:
Luke has just today finished the shelving for the LGB track that will run around the ceiling. Initially, we looked at brackets trying to find the perfect ones. No luck! Then Luke came up with the idea of using plumbing materials/pipes to build his own brackets. We shopped Home Depot to see if his idea would work, but he felt he could get the parts cheaper online. He did, but the first shipment was handled roughly by the US Postal Service and arrived missing a large number of the parts. The company he purchased from sent replacements, but they took a while to arrive. Luke managed to put together four brackets according to his design and spray painted them bronze to match the ceiling fan. One afternoon he used his stud finder plus thumb tacks to determine where the brackets would go, and then he got 4 of them placed. Eventually, he ran into a problem over the closet and the large window. Again he creatively solved the problem, using longer pieces. Next came the boards on which the track would run, though he would have to be creative again in how the curves would be done. That was the last part of this section of the puzzle and it came together yesterday afternoon and today. Now he has ordered more track as he has never needed this much for his train.
From the beginning, we have both wanted something of Stefanie left in the room. What we have done is move a large bookcase she had to a small wall as you come into the room. The bookcase is visible from the hall as you come toward the room. The bookcase if full of items that remind of her.
I can't believe those waits for Trader Sam's!! But I also think it looks so awesome!
Nice work on the train set up, Luke! And how sweet to retain the shelf of Stefanie's stuff. Lots of happy memories on that!
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6 HOURS?!?!?!? That is pure insanity that anyone would stand in line for 3 hours and then wait just as long again to get in!! The place looks very cool, but wow!
The train room looks amazing and Stefanie's treasure shelves are beautiful and a perfect sweet reminder for you guys.
I was telling my husband about Star Wars weekends. So when you do this trip report I am going to show him the pictures. I think he would love going during this time!!
I can't believe people waited that long JUST TO GET THE PAGER! Then another 3 hours? 6 hours?
Hope it's died down a bit by the time we go in November...
The train room looks AWESOME!! Luke has done a fantastic job with that! We have a grocery store here that has two trains running along the ceiling. My grandson is mesmerized
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He did some research online and followed those instructions to get the line perfect. 
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Pixie Dust
I still miss our servers. 
Several of our friends have made the same suggestion. 
I love your lists - taking time to enjoy the little things is always wonderful. Someday I hope to make it to SWW but no idea when. My folks talk about the Chatt. Choo Choo but I have never been. That should be a fun experience. Luke could always hire out to paint for others. 
The bloggers are predicting that for a few months long lines will be the norm, not the exception. Since we will arrive on May 11, we’re not sure if we’ll even get in as we don’t intend to spend 6 hours waiting in lines. 
And it's a perfect location.
Disney Magic - Oct 2015
PassPorter Guide Author
That is pure insanity that anyone would stand in line for 3 hours and then wait just as long again to get in!! The place looks very cool, but wow!
Katie's graduation
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