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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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I hope in February the lines aren't that bad for WWoHP. Holy cow! I won't wait in line to get into a store, so here's hoping!! Great TR so far. Can't wait to hear what you thought of Halloween Horror Nights. I went back in 2004 and man we had a riotous time! LOL!
First, let me say, it was fantastic to sleep in that morning!!!!! And not due to a hangover either! Up until that morning, it had been a vicious cycle of getting up way too early (I am a night owl and severely dislike getting up early) and going to bed way too late. Unfortunately, having to get up before the crack of dawn and working three jobs puts a damper on my night owl gig. So, for far too long, I had been getting up, going to job #1 then immediately going to job #2 or #3 depending on my schedule. I work at two different restaurants at night and if you've ever worked in food service, you know, quitting time depends on when you get done with your tables and sidework. Of course, the night before we left, I worked and three tables walked in just prior to close and set up camp. I didn't get home until 10:30pm. Ugh! Note to self, request off day before we leave!
Anyway, on with the show! Woke up at 9:30, said goodbye to Donna & Tony and headed over to Universal Studios. What a difference a day makes. Since it was Sunday, I guess quite a few people had left for home because, there was hardly anyone there! Definite difference from the day before.
We had a quick bite to eat at the pastry / sandwich shop while checking out the park map. Crowds being low, we decided to go on every ride / attraction we came upon travelling the park in a clockwise motion. First up, Shrek 4D. Great scripting but I felt like it was a rip off of the Muppets at HS. Immediately after that, we skipped across the street to Jimmy Neutron. Cute ride, loved the Chicken Dance!!!
We walked right on the Mummy (my favorite ride at US). Kind of bummed Rip Ride Rockit was closed. Did Twister & Disaster. Disaster was great!! Christopher Walken, a kick butt narrator and hysterical volunteers made this sooo much better than I remember. We skipped MIB, already been on it way back when and wasn't crazy about it. Pressed for time since US was closing at 5pm due to HHN, we decided to hit up ET & Jaws and save Simpson's for later on. Let me send a huge shout out to the crazy bunch of kids that accompanied us on our boat during Jaws. They played up each disaster with screams, hollering and banter with our guide. I will probably never have that much fun on that ride ever again!!
Our original plans for the evening were to leave at 5pm, run back to the hotel, change into jeans and warmer shirts, grab a quick bite to eat and head back for HHN. As we were about to leave, I asked an employee if we really had to leave and come back. Besides another parking fee (reduced), fighting the crowds to get back in didn't really appeal to us. Fortunately, we didn't have to leave! We were send over to Finnegans Pub where they had a street blocked off to corral all the folks with HHN tix until the reopened. We grabbed some beers, got our HHN tickets scanned and sat down with the rest of the group.
We only waited about an hour and they announced they would open one haunted house for those of us waiting!! As the mass moved towards the queue, I remembered we had purchased Express Pass tix. Let me say, they paid for themselves on that very first line. We walked right in and on our way out, noticed the people that were in front of us before we moved to the EP line were only halfway thru the queue!! Rock On!!
Within two hours, we had strolled right into all 8 haunted houses!!! By the fourth house we entered, the regular wait time was up to 75 minutes!! Whoo Hoo!!! Now, I'm a chicken when it comes to getting scared intentionally. My trick? Earplugs! I put them in right before I enter the house and find I'm able to walk thru with my eyes open. It's amazing the effect the music and screaming has on me. Every house was great. Except one, Zombiegeddon I think, had creatures that reminded me of the I Spy charaters from Mad Magazine.
As I mentioned earlier, smoking was quite an issue at Universal. People were smoking while in line and throwing butts everywhere. Combine cigarette smoke with the smoke and fog effects generated for the event, it sometimes becomes hard to breathe. So if you or someone going with you has breathing problems, rethink going. On the other hand, don't even THINK of taking pictures while inside the houses!!! There are people stationed at various points within the houses and once someone whipped out their camera and took a pic, they stopped the line and made the offender erase the pic from their camera! So smoke 'em up Johnny, just don't take a picture! Hmmmm....
After the houses, we hit up the 6 scare zones. These are areas that have a specific theme and there are props and characters all over the place. These areas are the home to those dreaded dudes sporting chainsaws that like to sneak up behind you and rip off the saw and scare the pants off you. I have a great pic of the street instead of my intended shot thanks to one of those guys! They get me everytime!
The best scare zone was the one with all of the favorite characters of HHN past. Jack the clown, the bellhop, the caretaker, nice little ol' Granny, plus classics like Frankenstein's monster, the Wolfman, Chucky and some twisted versions of Alice in Wonderland's cast. Then there was a new character, Fear. He was slinking around on stilts with his minions following. Great makeup but I still think Darkness from Legend was scarier - he was not there.
The music, combined with the fog and ominous lighting, made walking around the park just as much fun as the houses. Sometimes, the fog was so thick, I couldn't see where I was going. Luckily, no one really minded if I bumped into them, they couldn't see either! I'm glad we chose to go on Sunday instead of Saturday night (our original plan). I couldn't imagine the crowds on a Friday or Saturday!!
We did use the Express Pass to hop on Jaws (much different at night) and the Simpson's Ride. The Simpson's took the place of Back to the Future but the jostling is still the same. I must have cracked my noggin 4 or 5 times and left with a headache.
Overall, this event was as much fun as I remembered and paired with F&WF, made for one heck of a weekend getaway. Definitely planning a trip for next October.
We left the park around 10:30pm even though it was open until 1am. We stopped in some shops at CityWalk and I almost got a tattoo at Huntington & Hart. I just felt akward asking for a Disney Tattoo at Universal!! Thanks to the Express Pass (which cost double what our HHN tix cost), we were able enjoy everything and still get back to the room and get a great night's rest.
Then it was time to sulk, for the next day we had to leave Otown!
__________________
Last edited by Colexis Mom; 10-26-2010 at 06:20 PM..
WDW - August 1997 Off Property
WDW - January 2005 AKL
WDW - May 2006 Pop Century
WDW- november-dec 2007 pop century
WDW- dec/jan 2009/2010 pop century
WDW- oct/nov 2012 art of animation
WDW- sept 2013 port Orleans riverside
WDW- july 2015 beach club
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I am fixated on all the smoking. My and DS have asthma and reactive airways. He REALLY wants to visit Harry Potter, but I think we may need to wait until US can make the air a little safer to breathe...
It also made me think of some of the things I have read about smoking at non-WDW hotels/resorts--how after WDW went smoke free , some off property sites tried to reach out to smokers. I wonder if there is a population, to whom that is an important element of a great vacation, would choose US over WDW for that reason...
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.
I am fixated on all the smoking. My and DS have asthma and reactive airways. He REALLY wants to visit Harry Potter, but I think we may need to wait until US can make the air a little safer to breathe...
It also made me think of some of the things I have read about smoking at non-WDW hotels/resorts--how after WDW went smoke free , some off property sites tried to reach out to smokers. I wonder if there is a population, to whom that is an important element of a great vacation, would choose US over WDW for that reason...
I can say that I didn't see anyone smoking at WWoHP, just everywhere else. I really was astonished at the rest of the park.
I'm not sure about the choosing US over WDW due to the smoking policy. I do have family members that smoke, well, just my mother & father are left. Most of us quit when my grandmother passed on due to complications from smoking (and she quit 20+ years before). My parents smoke when they wake, in bed, at any chance they get. My Mother has been known to have two lit at a time! However, when we went to Disney, my Mother obeyed all rules and only smoked in designated areas. My father, on the other hand, was sneaking smokes in all the wrong places and it was EMBARASSSING!!!! It became a daily (sometimes hourly) dispute with him to hold out for just a while longer and not smoke in front of the kids! He would choose a smoking hotel over a non. I thought the Poly was going to kick him out our last stay!!
I really don't want to diss US, but overall, when you compare them to Disney, there really is no comparison! While sitting in US having lunch outside, DBF & I discussed it. First we said we really shouldn't compare any park to Disney because they have it all over other theme parks, hands down, and it would be unfair. HOLD ON A MINUTE!!! All parks should be compared to Disney Parks, in every way. There is a reason WDW has the highest attendance. It's plain to see, and often, not what you see that sets it apart. Then we looked around US and noted what they needed to do to catch up.
With the opening of WWoHP, US had the best quarter EVER!! I must admit, WWoHP was so great, I thought Universal might finally give WDW a run for the money. But the rest of the park has become the neglected child. There are cleanliness issues (I dare you to find a clean tabletop at CS - we finally just asked for the sani wipes ourselves rather than waiting), upkeep issues (painting mostly), obviously smoking issues, not to mention the attitudes of employees. There are stand out people and then, there are the sullen ones that made us feel like we were interrupting their breaks.
I will definitely return to US, I'll just wait a few years before I go back. This past trip was the first in 7 years! I hope WWoHP will be less crowded in 2017!!
Please don't let me discourage your family from going, I would just suggest making it a day trip to see Harry while staying on Disney property. That's what we plan to do next time we do US.
I can say that I didn't see anyone smoking at WWoHP, just everywhere else. I really was astonished at the rest of the park.
I'm not sure about the choosing US over WDW due to the smoking policy. I do have family members that smoke, well, just my mother & father are left. Most of us quit when my grandmother passed on due to complications from smoking (and she quit 20+ years before). My parents smoke when they wake, in bed, at any chance they get. My Mother has been known to have two lit at a time! However, when we went to Disney, my Mother obeyed all rules and only smoked in designated areas. My father, on the other hand, was sneaking smokes in all the wrong places and it was EMBARASSSING!!!! It became a daily (sometimes hourly) dispute with him to hold out for just a while longer and not smoke in front of the kids! He would choose a smoking hotel over a non. I thought the Poly was going to kick him out our last stay!!
I really don't want to diss US, but overall, when you compare them to Disney, there really is no comparison! While sitting in US having lunch outside, DBF & I discussed it. First we said we really shouldn't compare any park to Disney because they have it all over other theme parks, hands down, and it would be unfair. HOLD ON A MINUTE!!! All parks should be compared to Disney Parks, in every way. There is a reason WDW has the highest attendance. It's plain to see, and often, not what you see that sets it apart. Then we looked around US and noted what they needed to do to catch up.
With the opening of WWoHP, US had the best quarter EVER!! I must admit, WWoHP was so great, I thought Universal might finally give WDW a run for the money. But the rest of the park has become the neglected child. There are cleanliness issues (I dare you to find a clean tabletop at CS - we finally just asked for the sani wipes ourselves rather than waiting), upkeep issues (painting mostly), obviously smoking issues, not to mention the attitudes of employees. There are stand out people and then, there are the sullen ones that made us feel like we were interrupting their breaks.
I will definitely return to US, I'll just wait a few years before I go back. This past trip was the first in 7 years! I hope WWoHP will be less crowded in 2017!!
Please don't let me discourage your family from going, I would just suggest making it a day trip to see Harry while staying on Disney property. That's what we plan to do next time we do US.
Thanks for the follow up. We are new WDW fanatics. Our family has a number of "quirks" that can make traveling difficult (detailed at nauseum in my TRs). Smoking alone would not make us miss an opportunity, but all of the other differences between US and WDW may make it difficult for us. Maybe when our kids are older...
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