My Revamped, Reorganized & Rejuvenating Reunion with the Snowbirds - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!
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It's so hard to plan for a group with such different wish lists! I hope your dad loves the atmosphere of the parks and wants to do more. Great solution with the ticket dilemma. Can you split into groups for a short time maybe so Rachel could go with her dad to go commando for a bit while you show your parents the Christmassy things?
This our MVMCP night . Which would be great enough on its own but I also have the opportunity of meeting some fellow PPer's. Cheryl, Mark, Laurie, Heather and Regina . We'll be meeting up for the 2nd parade.
Now my parents who don't own a computer might find this meeting a little strange but I don't want to pass on the opportunity to meet some of the people behind the TR's .
So the day will start off with everyone being able to sleep in. Late morning we'll head over to Grand Floridian to see the Christmas displays & also the Poly . Does the Contemporary have a display worth seeing ?? I think we'll also just do a loop on the monorail over to Epcot.
I have to say that the hardcore tour person in me wants to get up early and do a park for a bit before our other activities . But I know that slower will be better.
Meals will be a bit awkward timing wise today. I booked this holiday about 90 days ahead and getting any kind of lunch/ dinner around or in the MK was impossible. I did eventually get Liberty Tree Tavern for 2:45. I have toyed with cancelling it because it's too late for lunch and too early for supper. But I figure it will kind of be like our Christmas dinner.
I am looking forward to MVMCP. The priorites are the lights, parade and fireworks.
Since we'll be in the park earlier than the party, we'll tour Adventureland , Frontierland and Liberty Square.
UP NEXT DAY 5 : what will we get up to while the folks are at La Nouba ?
Why does a Disney week seem to go by so fast even if you're just typing out plans
So today we start off with a bit of a sleep in and then breakfast at Kouzzina for 10 am at the Boardwalk hotel. We will then check out the Christmas displays here and then head over to the Beach Club to check out the displays there as well.
Then I plan on spending some time in the World Showcase checking in on the Storytellers.
Also
Helping Agent P of course. Rachel really enjoyed this when it was Kim Possible and we're looking forward to it again in its new version.
About a month ago Rachel came home from school and her French History class was about to start on their research projects and each student was required to choose a subject from the list provided. Rachel chose........
Cirque du Soleil I'm still not quite sure how she's gone from studying Canada's military role from World War 1 to present day but Cirque it is ! I guess it's successful Canadians/businesses in history. Anyways, she's quite excited that it is a topic she's interested in and there is plenty of materials in both French and English available at the library.
But it got me thinking wouldn't the ultimate research be seeing a show ??
I remembered that there had been a post on the boards about $50 dollar tickets. So I was able to find us some tickets for the same show my folks are taking in.
I do have to echo others here and say that just being offered what Cirque considers best seating is not ideal. There is a cheaper section behind the front and center section that I think would be more ideal than what we have but I took the 3rd row seats we were offered. They are quite far downstage so I'm not sure how great they'll be but Rachel was quite keen to be so close.
When I booked my parents tickets , I tried through the WDW website to pick up the tickets at will call to save the $25 delivery fee but it would not let me check the will call box. So I phoned WDW and they weren't able to check it either nor were they able to offer up other seating options. Then there was some trouble with the system and I spent over 30 minutes booking the tickets. I was not asked to do a survey after the call
So when I booked our tickets I went through the Cirque site and was able to get tickets at will call.
So I think we will get to Downtown Disney around 5 and have counter service at Wolfgang Puck Express and head to the show.
It's a chilly 20 degrees here today with the white fluffy stuff coming down. So I'm very anxious for the next week to go by & can't wait for some Florida sunshine on my face. In the mean time.. at least the dog likes it
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You're so lucky to have your Mom's quilts. I had no idea that people pass them off to others to finish them. I just want to give your Mom a hug and tell her it's okay that her stitches aren't perfect -- they'd be perfect because she did them! We're so hard on ourselves sometimes, aren't we?
You've created really thoughtful touring plans. My stomach dropped when I read your Dad mentioned that they didn't need park passes. I imagine making Epcot your parents' first park will be the perfect way to ease them into the magic, especially since it's decorated for the holidays! Also, once he gets on Soarin', I bet he'll change his tune.
Love the photo of the dog in the snow! That is so cool to be able to do a project on Cirque du Soleil. I read their 20th anniversary book about their origins and it was absolutely fascinating, so I can see how it would be a good subject.
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balancing what everyone wants to do. I think your dad will be pleasantly surprised as well - at least I certainly hope so! 
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Pixie Dust
Dreams, Wishes, Hopes... these are the parts of childhood we should never lose.
. Which would be great enough on its own but I also have the opportunity of meeting some fellow PPer's. 
Cheryl, Mark, Laurie, Heather and Regina . We'll be meeting up for the 2nd parade.
.
But I know that slower will be better.
I'm still not quite sure how she's gone from studying Canada's military role from World War 1 to present day but Cirque it is ! I guess it's successful Canadians/businesses in history. Anyways, she's quite excited that it is a topic she's interested in and there is plenty of materials in both French and English available at the library.
wouldn't the ultimate research be seeing a show ??
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