Sailing, running... and sweltering in the heat in London! COMPLETED 8/23 - Page 3 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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.
Love these rooms with the different appointments, details, colors and theming. This place is quite something! A lot of it reminds me of Versailles from my two visits there with the murals and especially the rooms with the deep rose red wall colors!
I'm sure you'll all let us know when you begin your TR regarding your weekend stay at Kensington Palace!
__________________
October 6, 2017-Enjoying an amazing dinner at Victoria & Albert's with PP's Dot and Drew
My TR from my most recent trip is now underway. Includes: Universal Studios Florida, Disney World and Sea World Orlando Trifecta TR -Updated December 10th! TR is now COMPLETED!
Registered Message Board Members save 30% off PassPorter guidebooks! When you register you'll have access to a discount coupon good for 30% off the list price of PassPorter books in our online store.
Beautiful rooms! If you won the lottery and bought the palace, you'd have plenty of guest rooms for PassPorters to visit when they make it across the pond.
Beautiful rooms! If you won the lottery and bought the palace, you'd have plenty of guest rooms for PassPorters to visit when they make it across the pond.
Now you're talking Cam! Count me in for the PP stay! Now this will be a party!
__________________
October 6, 2017-Enjoying an amazing dinner at Victoria & Albert's with PP's Dot and Drew
My TR from my most recent trip is now underway. Includes: Universal Studios Florida, Disney World and Sea World Orlando Trifecta TR -Updated December 10th! TR is now COMPLETED!
Love these rooms with the different appointments, details, colors and theming. This place is quite something! A lot of it reminds me of Versailles from my two visits there with the murals and especially the rooms with the deep rose red wall colors!
Yes, you're right - it is similar to Versailles and I have to say that surprised me. I didn't think it would be so richly decorated.
Quote:
I'm sure you'll all let us know when you begin your TR regarding your weekend stay at Kensington Palace!
Ah well... sadly that does depend on winning the lottery. No joy so far, but then again, it doesn't help when you only discover it was something like a £50 million jackpot last night... after it closed!
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.
Beautiful rooms! If you won the lottery and bought the palace, you'd have plenty of guest rooms for PassPorters to visit when they make it across the pond.
I think I could just squeeze one or two people in there, yes!
Saturday 14 July – part five: the day Victoria become Queen…
We headed back down the King’s Staircase and I couldn’t resist getting some more shots of it – it is just so stunning.
We then headed for the Victoria revealed exhibition. This told the story of Queen Victoria, until a few years ago when Queen Elizabeth II surpassed her, our longest reigning monarch, spending over 63 years on the throne. This very much focuses on the earlier part of her life, as it was at Kensington Palace, she woke up to be told that the King had died and she was now Queen. I can’t even begin to imagine what that must have been like for her.
As you head upstairs, they do a great job of setting the scene for you, with images in shadow of some of the people who would have been around on that day:
She was obviously quite a determined young women, as that fateful day, she held her first Privy Council meeting at Kensington Palace. Just a few weeks later, she would leave the palace, bound for Buckingham Palace. Here’s a portrait of that meeting:
I didn’t photograph the room where it happened, as it had a lot of people in it, as people were gathering to hear a talk about Queen Victoria. We thought about stopping for it, but it was so hot in that room and we figured we’d keep walking. That was a huge problem here. The palace was literally cooking in the day’s heat. It was not pleasant. You just didn’t get any relief anywhere from the heat.
This was a slightly frustrating exhibition, as they didn’t have labels on the things you saw. Instead, you had to pick up a book to learn more about them, which was a lot of work and frankly I couldn’t be bothered, so you’ll see various photos with no explanation. My apologies about that.
The next room just explained about Victoria, but it was beautifully put together. Although she didn’t carry on living here, you could imagine that she might have done, as it was all decorated as if it might have been in Victoria’s era….
Mark found his standard funny photo op!
The next room we went into was the one that Queen Victoria was born in back in 1819. I must admit when I read that, I felt a little shudder down my spine.
The next room was set up as it would’ve been when Victoria first became Queen and demonstrated the work side of her life. I guess that’s changed hugely from then until now. Back then, she would have been so much more closely involved with the day to day goings on at Parliament.
I loved this image of the Great Exhibition of 1851. It sounds like it was such an amazing event. It’s a shame that it was too early for photos…
It was all I could do to keep up with your other TR while we were in Minnesota! Ok, now I can catch up on this one...
Ambitious plans indeed! I like the way you think and plan though. (obviously!)
The train trip sounds terrible. Oh boy, I hope there isn't a heatwave next summer....
Beautiful. Just beautiful! And to think it used to be in the country. That's so hard to imagine!
Too bad Mark couldn't slip his head behind that dress... might have made for a funnier photo.
__________________
Tanya
Every click helps feed .6 bowls of food to rescued animals. Give a quick click every day and help animals in shelters! www.theanimalrescuesite.com
That’s interesting language to say the King has died.
I wouldn't mind betting it hasn't changed that much since then, but of course I don't know, as the last time a King died in Great Britain was 1952. I suspect the wording will still be remarkably formal though...
Quote:
I like the items from when she was young as often you just see the older items.
Me too. I think, because photos came in later in her reign, that's what you always see. I like the TV series Victoria for that very reason - the first season was about how she dealt with taking the throne and meeting Albert and it's moved on from there, but it's so refreshing to see Victoria as a young Queen.
Registered Message Board Members save 30% off PassPorter guidebooks! When you register you'll have access to a discount coupon good for 30% off the list price of PassPorter books in our online store.
Love the rooms but as you said they could have done a better job of labeling or describing what you're seeing with some history and details. Mark being Mark as always!
__________________
October 6, 2017-Enjoying an amazing dinner at Victoria & Albert's with PP's Dot and Drew
My TR from my most recent trip is now underway. Includes: Universal Studios Florida, Disney World and Sea World Orlando Trifecta TR -Updated December 10th! TR is now COMPLETED!
It was all I could do to keep up with your other TR while we were in Minnesota! Ok, now I can catch up on this one...
Welcome back!
Quote:
Ambitious plans indeed! I like the way you think and plan though. (obviously!)
Quote:
The train trip sounds terrible. Oh boy, I hope there isn't a heatwave next summer....
Sadly there's just no way of knowing... obviously! However, the signs aren't good. I think it's something like the top 10 hottest summers in the last 100 years have been since the millennium....
Quote:
Beautiful. Just beautiful! And to think it used to be in the country. That's so hard to imagine!
I know, but I guess it's like every town or city that just grows or sprawls further and further...
Quote:
Too bad Mark couldn't slip his head behind that dress... might have made for a funnier photo.
Love the rooms but as you said they could have done a better job of labeling or describing what you're seeing with some history and details. Mark being Mark as always!
About This Page: 
PassPorter Guide Author
) that we've had a King and Queen together.
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
A lot of it reminds me of Versailles from my two visits there with the murals and especially the rooms with the deep rose red wall colors! 
Ah well... sadly that does depend on winning the lottery. No joy so far, but then again, it doesn't help when you only discover it was something like a £50 million jackpot last night... after it closed! 
Linear Mode
