National parks, natural beauty and a bit of Disney wonder! COMPLETED - Page 40 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Tuesday 6 September – part two: is the luggage all going to fit in here?
We were just about done eating when we got the call for blue Donald luggage tags to leave. This is done totally different to any other cruise we’ve been on and, from what we could gather from the disembarkation talk on the TV, this is something that’s specific to Vancouver. We headed for the restrooms, but they were out of action, so we headed to the ones by Route 66 instead and there was a small line, but nothing major.
As we came out, Sue spotted a sign about a drive-thru in Joplin, Missouri. I had tears in my eyes as I looked at it, thinking of Lorie and Glenn, but Sue told me it was a sign and that they were watching down on us and were with us.
After that poignant moment, it seemed fitting that we were leaving the ship and we headed off, getting a few final photos as we went.
When we got into the terminal, you had to pick a lane to clear immigration and it was a fairly painless process. Then it was on to pick up the luggage. We found the Donald section easily enough and I located two of our cases, but couldn’t see the third one, although Mark quickly found it. Sue and Steve followed us through a moment later and got a porter for their luggage, meaning they could give us a hand with ours.
We cleared customs and their porter told us that Avis operates a shuttle from the terminal building to downtown, which worked for us. I had no idea that they did this and the original plan had been for Sue and Mark to walk there, as Sue knew where it was, while Steve and I would wait to be picked up with the luggage. This worked a lot better...
I got some photos on the way over there:
Soon we were at the location, which turned out to be right next door to the Fairmont. I needed a restroom break (or two! as it took a while to get the car...) and headed in there and it was quite something inside....
And look what was parked outside...
Finally, Sue and Mark were seen and they got a mini SUV, which should hopefully take all the luggage. We had three suitcases, plus two carry-ons and two rucksacks, while they had two cases, along with two garment bags. It was a really tight squeeze, but we just about got it all in there, although stupidly I forgot to take a photo of it. I did get these shots though:
We set off and fortunately our GPS soon came to life to guide us out of the city. Finally, I was able to photograph some of the sights we saw on the way into the city, when we first arrived at the airport.
Seems like they had the disembarking process set up pretty well. Glad the luggage (and the four of you) fit into the rental! I like the shot of the Wonder seen through the terminal window.
I remember Sue noting about the Joplin sign and what a sad moment that had to be. But I think you're right in thinking her Disney spirit lives on.
How convenient to get the shuttle to your rental car, and I'm glad everything fit inside!!
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Tanya
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I cannot believe that the cruise is over, but what an amazing cruise it was. So glad that you were all able to enjoy Palo together on your last evening. The cruise seemed amazing, I think even better that you were able to share it with such great friends.
I have fallen behind going to go and catch up on your third portion of this TR
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I had no idea that they did this and the original plan had been for Sue and Mark to walk there, as Sue knew where it was, while Steve and I would wait to be picked up with the luggage. This worked a lot better... 
as it took a while to get the car...) and headed in there and it was quite something inside.... 
I did get these shots though: 
But I think you're right in thinking her Disney spirit lives on. 
for letting us cruise with you through your TR. Can't wait to ride with you through our national parks.
Katie's graduation
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