Everything is Subject to Change Updated 7/6 - Page 38 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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7 minutes is a long time to be stuck in that simulator! Other than that, nice morning at Epcot. Lunch at Sanaa looked sooooo good! I think you should be a food writer. Your reviews always describe the food, wine and experience in such a way that I think I'd know if I'd like it whether or not you did! I really can't wait to get back to Sanaa.
That's my usual breakfast of at least a few mornings whenever vacationing at the World! We tried Sanaa for the first time last November and really enjoyed it as well. I don't think you can go wrong there! Your pics look delish!
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Your post on your lunch at Sanaa has made me even more excited about our meal there...I love all the samplers and the califlower is a definite on our list
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It was quite good as usual!
I really think they have some of the best staff at WDW!
Quote:
Originally Posted by KMB733
Ok, I have to go eat breakfast now! All that food Love the pictures from the savannah!
This is definitely an eat BEFORE reading trip report!
Quote:
Originally Posted by lfredsbo
OK - so I haven't even gotten to Sanaa yet and I believe I will be ordering the shrimp!!! YUM!!! Thanks for the pics and details!!!!
There are several shrimp options on the menu, but this is the one we always go for because it is SO good!
Quote:
Originally Posted by lauriep
7 minutes is a long time to be stuck in that simulator! Other than that, nice morning at Epcot. Lunch at Sanaa looked sooooo good! I think you should be a food writer. Your reviews always describe the food, wine and experience in such a way that I think I'd know if I'd like it whether or not you did! I really can't wait to get back to Sanaa.
Thanks! Maybe when I retire from bartending I'll think about having the time to put together a book or a column, but who knows? You might see something sooner!
Quote:
Originally Posted by disney_duke
That's my usual breakfast of at least a few mornings whenever vacationing at the World! We tried Sanaa for the first time last November and really enjoyed it as well. I don't think you can go wrong there! Your pics look delish!
As far as slightly cold by the time I ate it CS breakfast . . . it was pretty darn good. Sanaa is just awesome!
Quote:
Originally Posted by dsteiny23
The Sanaa meal looks good. I'm not a very spicy food girl though, but I wish I was.
If you really don't mind...I'll PM you my email.
I don't mind at all--and there are definitely options at Sanaa that are more mild. The scallops, the short ribs, the NY Strip, some of the veggie dishes, and the sustainable fish come to mind!
Quote:
Originally Posted by cubfancolleen
Scary to be stuck in the simulator!!
Your lunch looks so yummy!! I call tomorrow to see if I can get reservations for Sanaa for our December trip (that I hope doesn't get cancelled).
I certainly hope you don't have to cancel! As for the simulator, the CMs working the ride had no idea what was wrong and had to call engineering. My best guess? We were over the intended weight limit for the ride--we're not little kids! However we are officially getting smaller. I reached my first goal of 15lbs last week and am still doing well.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lazanya
I would of had a major panic attack being stuck on that ride simulator! 7 minutes is a long time!
Great meal at Sanaa!
is right!
Quote:
Originally Posted by mcc0313
Your post on your lunch at Sanaa has made me even more excited about our meal there...I love all the samplers and the califlower is a definite on our list
Definitely try the samplers--there is also an appetizer sampler, which we haven't tried!
We took a nap and I had a swim. I know I spent a good bit of time in the hot tub trying to relieve the sore muscles in my legs. I still don't know what I did to them at work before leaving, but boy were there huge knots in my hamstrings. I did a load of laundry while in the pool area at Congress Park. I had really only packed enough for 2/3rds of the trip. Adding on extra days meant I had to do laundry, which is fine as long as you can do it AT the pool. I have to say that I was a little surprised at the attire some people found appropriate for a family friendly venue. I know some of those little boys were getting an eyeful!
We headed out to the Magic Kingdom for dinner and fireworks. We had a little bit of time, so we rode Pirates again and I took more photos.
We rode the Haunted Mansion next!
We headed over to Liberty Tree Tavern and the place was a zoo!
We checked in and were seated almost immediately at the exact same table I had in December or was it November? Our server was from the Virgin Islands and he and Brandon bonded over that for a minute or two.
OH quick story before I forget. Brandon's Chef from the Ritz Carlton St Thomas just became the Executive Chef of the Ritz Carlton New Orleans. Today Brandon got a voice mail from Vinnie. Vinnie is from the NYC--I believe Brooklynn--so the message went something like this "Brandon its Vinnie, Vinnie Russo, call me back when you get a chance, I got sumpthin I want to ax you about." I'm certainly hoping it is to offer Brandon a Chef position--Sous Chef or whathaveyou. You know a salaried/titled position. I know he won't go over there as a line cook--they don't pay as well as we do, but he would probably take something that involved a title and a salary. Right now he is the Lead Line Cook for the PM shift, which is quite an accomplishment at 25. The other two cooks who hold that title at our property are in their 50s, but were never good enough politically or creatively to become Chefs. Brandon is good enough at both of those things, but the company has certain age ceilings for jobs and 25 is WAY below them.
Back to the trip report! I took lots of little detail photos of the restaurant, which I happen to think is a fabulous spot!
I just love, love that all the light fixtures are unique and correct to period! (Yes, I have a degree in History.)
The FOOD!
Brandon and his food
While I know the food at Liberty Tree Tavern is far from gourmet, I think it is the best comfort food on property. It was a great meal for me, as a solo traveler, knowing that I was going to be at work on Christmas and not get a Christmas dinner, when I ate there the 23rd of December--ah yes it was December!
The turkey is well cooked and I've never had a dry bit! Which is absolutely amazing considering how many turkeys they must cook a day. I wonder what their secret is. I wonder if they use a rotisserie? The ham with mustard sauce is awesome. The flank steak is the least favorite protein for me, but this bit was better than the last visit. I think I remembered it being a little tough, which for flank steak means that it was incorrectly sliced. It was, once again, well done, but not at all tough. I love the potatoes and the cornbread stuffing. Both are well seasoned and are almost as good as Dad's. (Mom is in charge of the turkey at my house and Dad is in charge of most of the side items for holidays) The only thing lacking in the stuffing is that I don't believe they add the fat from the sausage back into the stuffing like Dad does. The green beans are crisp and well seasoned as well! I still hate the Stouffer's mac and cheese. I know that LTT is sponsered by Stouffer's but I cannot abide their mac and cheese, especially when I know that there are awesome mac and cheese options at other WDW restaurants!
We picked a little at the apple cobbler. Okay, Brandon picked and I scarfed mine down. I love the warm apples and the cold ice cream combo.
Service was good, nothing spectacular, but our drinks were kept filled and when we needed more food we only had to ask. We got refills on turkey, ham, stuffing and green beans, and gravy. How can I forget the gravy? It is my favorite part of this meal and I put it on everything!
I just love Liberty Tree Tavern for dinner because it takes me straight home to Christmas Dinner at my parents house in New Jersey. A house they no longer own, seeing as they've moved to South Carolina, and a visit I so rarely get to make. I suppose my own nostalgia plays a lot into why I love this restaurant, but love it I do!
I'm going to save the evening entertainment for the next post, but first I have some news and a few questions.
News: Fantasmic will be showing EVERY night from June 6-Sept30. Sept 30 is the end of Disney's Fiscal Year and I imagine this is a test. I hope the continue the trend because we've skipped it for the last two years because the crowds are insane!
Question: How similar is Garden Grill to Liberty Tree Tavern? I have an ADR in October for GG. We are taking a Grown Up Disney Newbie with us and she is certainly used to the finer end of food. Should I keep Garden Grill or swap it out for a fine dining option? I've never been to Garden Grill and so I have no idea what to look forward to.
Thanks for reading everyone! I'll get to tonight's entertainment tomorrow.
I need to head back to the LTT, we haven't been there in quite awhile, our last meal had characters but suddenly I want turkey and all the fixings We are not fans of the mac & cheese either. I am not a cheese fan but I do like southern style baked mac and cheese and that I will eat...the Stouffer stuff is just too processed for me.
Garden Grill - style wise it is the same, we haven't been there in quite awhile either but are heading back in July, we really enjoyed the meal (and we had great chracter interaction). It is definitely not fine dining but again good comfort food. You have some pretty great places on your list so I think you could go either way...I know you were thinking of the Flying Fish which of course would be right up here with the fine dining, but if you think throwing in some fun along with some great comfort food then I think the GG will be a great meal.
Loved your Vinnie imatation... reminds me of half the people I went to school with (yes there are a few of us from Brooklyn that actually do pronounce all the required sounds in a word...lol). Hope the call turns out to be something great for Brandon!!!
Sounds yummy! LTT isn't high on my list, but that's more because it's food that I could probably get elsewhere (though your pictures and description make me think that I might not be able to get it as yummy as there!). I do want to try it someday, though!
Good luck to Brandon! I hope it's some kind of good news!
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The thing I miss most about WDW when I get home is being able to do laundry while at the pool/ hot tub! It's been about 20 years since I went to LTT, but I notice they now have a vegetarian pot pie at lunch, so I may give it another try. I do like the atmosphere, and there's really no competition at MK for a sit-down meal. I usually go to the Plaza, but am ready for a change. I hope that message turns into something great for Brandon!
Glad to see LTT is still good as we're doing that in Dec.
I prefer LTT to GG...honestly, for me, foodwise GG is a step down from LTT. Although they usually have a fried fish option. But I think the turkey and cobbler at LTT are so much better than anything at GG.
Love LTT! We've gone every trip for the past few years and are going again in August. Yes, it's food you can get elsewhere, but in a place where you are constantly moving and hurrying from attraction to attraction, it's nice to sit down and have some comfort food that tastes even better because you are on vacation. And, like you said, the feelings of nostalgia are an added bonus!
Fingers crossed for Brandon that the call was something great!!
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Scary to be stuck in the simulator!! 
but suddenly I want turkey and all the fixings 
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to Brandon with that!
LTT! We've gone every trip for the past few years and are going again in August. Yes, it's food you can get elsewhere, but in a place where you are constantly moving and hurrying from attraction to attraction, it's nice to sit down and have some comfort food that tastes even better because you are on vacation. And, like you said, the feelings of nostalgia are an added bonus!
Karen
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