An Animal Kingdom State of Being with Cam and Fam COMPLETED 9/18 - Page 29 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!
Welcome! We're happy you've found the PassPorter Community -- the friendliest place to plan your vacation to Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland, and the world in general! You are now viewing the PassPorter Message Board Community as a guest, which gives you limited access. As our guest, feel free to browse our messages by selecting the forum you want to visit from the list below.
To post messages and ask questions, join our FREE community today and you'll get access to tools and resources not available to guests, such as our vacation countown timers, "living" avatars, private messaging system, database searches, downloads, and a special PassPorter discount code. Registration is fast, simple, and completely free. Just click the Join Our Community link.
If you think you've already joined, log in below now. If you don't remember your member name or password, please visit our Member Name and Password Recovery page. You are also welcome to contact us.
I just spent the last couple of hours reading your TR and am so enjoying it!!! First off, I love your goodie bags that you give out to the flight attendants. I know that I've read about you doing this on other trips but I think I might have to copy you and do this on my upcoming trip with my daughter in August! I'm glad that the crew appreciates this little gesture so much! I've never stayed on property at US because one day is all we usually do at this park, but I do like the room and your view! My dd and I are going to Disney in August, and to IOA for a day since she is a BIG Harry Potter fan, so we're just going to take the Mears shuttle from Pop Century over to Universal. Maybe some day we might stay on property. Glad you enjoyed the Harry Potter Land so much! That's basically the reason that we're going to IOA BTW, I loved the Shrek donkey interaction. Hopefully someday we'll get back to US to experience that! Can't wait to hear about Mythos since we have a ressie for lunch there on our upcoming trip!
Registered Message Board Members Get Our Free Newsletter! When you register you'll have the option to sign up for our weekly PassPorter Newsletter. It's chock-full of feature articles; news; tips; contests; photos; and special offers in our online store.
As a Harry Potter fan too, I loved your description of the ride and seeing the pic's from inside and outside the castle! I'd love to see it all myself and maybe get a want too!
__________________
A Fairy Godmother wannabe -
Look what a little Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo can do!
PassPorter Guide Community Rank: Legend Extraordinaire
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Southwestern Florida, USA
Concierge Level: 7
Posts: 39,153
Post Thanks / Like
Likes (Given): 39
Likes (Received): 114
Thanks (Given): 18
Thanks (Received): 46
Pixie Dust (Given): 1
Pixie Dust (Received): 8
Oh gosh! The pictures are so great!!!! I am freaking out a bit about the spiders!!!
That picture of you that Luke got where you were so excited....it just made me giggle!!! Then I showed Allen all of the pictures and he thought you described yourself very well! "Muggle in Paradise"!!!
Was there anything in the greenhouse besides plants?
I can't wait to finally get to experience this myself......hopefully soon!
Great update Cam!!
PassPorter's Free-Book to Walt Disney World It’s hard to believe anything is free at Walt Disney World; but there are actually a number of things you can get or do for little to no cost. This e-book documents over 200 free or cheap tips to do before you go and after you arrive. You could save a considerable amount of money following these tips. Perhaps more importantly; you can discover overlooked attractions and little-known details most people whiz by on their way to spend money. Click here to see free sample pages from the e-book! Get this popular e-book free of extra charges when you join the PassPorter's Club for as little as $4.95. A club pass includes access to all our other e-books; e-worksheets; super-size photos; and more! This e-book is also available for separate purchase in the PassPorter Online Store for just $5.95.
OMG, I don't know a thing about Harry Potter or this Forbiden Journey, however you have me wanting to ride it.....like NOW! I love seeing the excitment on your face. So glad it was super awesome!!
PassPorter Guide Community Rank: Legend Extraordinaire
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Ballston Lake, NY
Concierge Level: 6
Posts: 46,162
Post Thanks / Like
Likes (Given): 94
Likes (Received): 241
Thanks (Given): 0
Thanks (Received): 139
Pixie Dust (Given): 3
Pixie Dust (Received): 4
BEST. UPDATE. EVER!!!! I seeing all the pictures from inside the castle. And I can just feel your excitement when you were describing Forbidden Journey.
WOW...that was one crazy line for Forbidden Journey! You looked so excited!! I'm glad you enjoyed the ride and it was worth the wait. But a big Spider spitting on you..... It must have been a fantastic ride to make that not matter so much. Can't wait to hear more.
You are seriously making me want to go ride Forbiden Journey!
It truly is a most incredible ride!
Quote:
Originally Posted by lauriep
Doesn't the on-site head-of-the-line pass apply to Forbidden Journey? Guess not! The detailing in Hogwarts (inside and out) looks amazing. I know I couldn't manage the ride, but would love to go through the queue sometime. Is there a chicken exit? So, Cam, did you like the ride? The photos Luke got of you are priceless.
Hope the AP workshop went well. I keep thinking you're going to an Annual Pass workshop!
The Express Pass for US resort guests does not apply to Forbidden Journey at IoA or Rip Ride Rockit at US. Sort of a bummer! But I really didn't mind the wait!. You can walk through the castle and take a chicken exit. The AP workshop went very well, but it does mean I've got quite a bit of planning and preparing to do before school starts. An Annual Pass workshop would be !
Quote:
Originally Posted by MosyBliss
I love the pictures! The castle looks amazing and all of the details...they really did a wonderful job!
The best ride ever?!?! Now I really want to go!
I was enthralled by all the details that gave the guests the feeling that we were in Hogsmeade and Hogswart. US!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nimros
Cam, this is cruel and inhumane punishment, you know, for those of us who are dying to go but haven't had a chance yet!!!!! I'm so glad you enjoyed your ride of the Forbidden Journey!!! And so glad that Luke loves you enough to notice your excitement and want to capture it on film - because it definitely came across.
Stefanie was a trooper to hang out with you all and let her Mom and Dad enjoy the ride.
And I'm glad to hear you didn't experience too much motion-sickness...I passed that info on to Kevin. He said then it'll probably make him really sick!
Also - I forgot to tell you how cute you look with your new pixie cut!
Can't wait for the next update!!!!
for the compliment about my pixie cut. I'm still loving it. As I was writing this morning, I thought of both you (because you want to get to WWoHP so badly) and Kevin (because of his motion sickness). You will it! And he'll probably get sick. I have more to say about it in a later update for this day.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mcneal
Oh My Gosh! You look so excited! I really love your reports and vicariously enjoying vacationing with you and your family. THanks for taking us along.
Glad you are enjoying our adventures and my over-the-top excitement about this particular part.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dlandmom2
That ride sounds amazing! And the theming in that entire section is just wonderful! I think I sometimes get spoiled by Disney's attention to detail that I just expect it everywhere else! How nice to see that the folks at Universal have created this amazingly detailed place!
I have a question about the queue and the lockers. Do you get in line first and then when you reach the lockers you get out of line to put your stuff away and then get back into the line there? I sort of assumed that we needed to put our stuff in lockers before we got into the line.
When the line has snaked around outside, it does get a little frantic at the lockers has folks must get out of line and put their stuff in the lockers and then get back in line. But the design is to start here, put your stuff up and then enter the line, which we saw later in the day.
Quote:
Originally Posted by langefamily4
While that line looks atrocious, I am pretty sure I would have been willing to wait in it all day for that ride as well!!!
We really did keep moving at a slow, but steady pace so the wait was not unbearable.
Quote:
Originally Posted by shnewell
I can practically feel your excitement coming through the computer screen! Glad you loved the ride!
While I'm not really into HP, my DH, DSes and MIL are, so I know they're going to love Forbidden Journey. I love a thrill, so I think I will like it too, I just won't have as much of an appreciation for all the details!
For those who are into HP, the details will make the ride exceptional but it's still a great ride for any one who loves the thrill sort of ride.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mousestruck
Sounds like a thrilling experience! So glad you enjoyed the ride so much.
Thrilling, indeed!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Belle0824
Thanks so much for sharing - I'm working even harder on getting DH to agree to going to Universal sometime this vacation! So proud of you for channeling your "inner-Ron" and facing those spiders!!
Hope you had a great seminar - glad you are back!!!
Seminar was great unlike the spiders, but I just kept telling myself the ride was going to move past them. And thank goodness it did.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wolfy6688
Ok, I'm all caught up!
I'm loving your Trip Report and I'm so excited I caught it near the beginning. I love the idea of the goodie bags for the airplane.
We did Universal/IOA in 2008 and I liked it. I wouldn't go down just to go there, but it was good. I also wouldn't do Disney before Universal because it would just be too much culture shock.
I haven't seen or read any of the Harry Potters (I know, I know!) but I love reading about the WWoHP. I showed my brother (who's a big fan) some pictures and he thought it was the actual castle!
I can't wait to read more
We thought the same thing -- US before Disney or we'd never be happy with US. And that plan did work for us. The castle does look very authentic.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ariel14
What a fabulous update Cam!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pixar Pixie
Great update, and awesome pictures as well; thanks!
Thanks!
Quote:
Originally Posted by WeRDisneyFanatics
Awesome pictures! love the excited look on your face!
Luke showed me the picture after he took it and asked if I'd share it with you all. I told him you all would totally get my excitement! Part of the reason I love PP!
Quote:
Originally Posted by omd
OMG your pictures are awesome!!!! I would so like to see it all in person. I am not so sure about the ride SPIDERS!!!!! I hate them even though I now they are not real I don't know if I would be able to deal with them.
The look of excitement on your face is just priceless. You look like a little kid at Christmas .
I did feel like a kid at Christmas, only one with achy joints. Stefanie's advice for me on the spiders was "Just close your eyes, Mom. They won't know you can't see them."
Quote:
Originally Posted by islandgirl
Your pictures are awesome! What a great update!!!....more please?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Grammy Grumpy
Been lurking in your TR but had to come forward and say WOW!!!! It just keeps getting better and better!! Therefore I say - on with the show!!
Stefanie's advice for me on the spiders was "Just close your eyes, Mom. They won't know you can't see them."
OMG - Stefanie's advice is just about the best I've ever heard! I will be using this in the future. I figure that should work with ghosts, monsters and any other creepy thing I can think of!!
OMG - Stefanie's advice is just about the best I've ever heard! I will be using this in the future. I figure that should work with ghosts, monsters and any other creepy thing I can think of!!
Her logic may be off, but she sure did make me smile and forget I had been scared.
Registered Message Board Members Get Our Free Newsletter! When you register you'll have the option to sign up for our weekly PassPorter Newsletter. It's chock-full of feature articles; news; tips; contests; photos; and special offers in our online store.
About This Page: 
BTW, I loved the Shrek donkey interaction. Hopefully someday we'll get back to US to experience that! Can't wait to hear about Mythos since we have a ressie for lunch there on our upcoming trip!
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
"Sparky"(My first trip.)
seeing all the pictures from inside the castle. And I can just feel your excitement when you were describing Forbidden Journey.
The photos Luke got of you are priceless. 
The AP workshop went very well, but it does mean I've got quite a bit of planning and preparing to do before school starts. An Annual Pass workshop would be 
!
US!
I'm so glad you enjoyed your ride of the Forbidden Journey!!!
And so glad that Luke loves you enough to notice your excitement and want to capture it on film - because it definitely came across. 
for the compliment about my pixie cut. I'm still loving it. 
Linear Mode
