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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
Eileen, you are so funny!! I was thinking about you several times on our trip to WDW, bagpiper and Donald Duck. And regarding the squeek squeeking of the stroller, all I have to say is I swear wasn't me because we weren't there yet and you should try pushing said stroller squeek, squeeek, squeeek. UUGHH! Now I am picturing everyone around us doing just what you did.
__________________
Trish ,
Me and the family Magic Kingdom New Years Eve December 29, 2009-January 9th, 2010
Funny update. Love all of the stories and back stories. Fabulous Photopass pictures!
__________________
ºOº ~*~
Oct '99: CSR ~ May '02: CR ~ Nov '04: SOG ~ May '06: SOG ~ Dec '07: Solo @ Pop ~ May '08: Pop w/friends ~ Oct '08: SOG ~ Dec '09: Pop w/LeAnn ~ Sept '10: Solo @ Pop ~ Spring '11: AKL ~ Jan '12: Pop for 1/2 Marathon ~ Sept '12: 1st trip for DL 1/2 Marathon? ~ Feb '13: Pop w/pals? ~ Mar '13: Tokyo Disney w/PP's?
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.
I apologize for not commenting on this TR as much as I would have liked. I've misplaced my camera (actually I'm pretty sure that my boss' wife has it (don't ask!)) and I've been hoping to get it back so I could post some of my own pictures. Maybe I'll do that at the end? Anyway...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jillybean
Earlier in the day, we had asked Bob and Larry to join us for dinner, so they were waiting for us at the entrance to Chefs de France by the time we made it there. Karen checked us in while the rest of us stood around and chatted.
We originally had an ADR for 5, but when Shashi decided to ditch us for her new fancy D23 friends () I figured we could add both Bob and Larry and make a party of 6. My memory was that there weren't any tables for 5 explicitly, and if there were I'd just act all bossy and ugly American-like and demand to be seated as a party of 6. I hear the French LOVE that. Anyway, it was no problem adding a guest and we were soon sitting at a lovely round table designed for 5 or 6 people.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jillybean
The table then suggested that I taste the white . . . actually they said “Let Jill taste it” to which the server looked around as if to say “who is this Jill?” Maybe he wasn’t such a great server after all!
Anyhoo . . . he poured a splash of the white wine in my glass and I proceeded to swirl my wine (just like Heather ) but it ended up looking more like a drunk stumbling around with a drink. Thankfully, I didn't slosh any over the side of the glass, but it wasn’t my finest moment . . . although everyone at the table seemed to really (and I mean really ) enjoy it.
Jill- you know that when I mock you openly and without reservation it means that you've completely wormed your way into my heart right? Just ask Eileen! But, you're selling yourself short. Yes, the swirl itself wasn't, shall we say, artful. But, when we mocked you, you just went with it, miming that you were going to toss it over both shoulders for good luck like salt or splash it behind your ears like perfume. In fact, I think the dash behind the ears routine became our visual representation of that meal for the rest of the weekend. I that!
Quote:
Originally Posted by ilovedisney247
Jill gave you guys a pretty good version of the meal so I'm just going to tell you what I had--as for wine I ordered a bottle of Sancerre for white. Sancerre is a town in the Loire Valley in NW France that is known as the spiritual home of Sauvingnon Blanc. Almost all of the wine produced there is Sauvignon Blanc--although they do produce some very light Pinot Noir. Or maybe I ordered the Pinot Blanc, but thats a lesson for another time?
I ordered a bottle of red--a Bordeaux I think? The waiter tried to dissuade me--saying he wasn't a fan of that bottle, but recommended two other more expensive bottles--and brought three small glasses for Bob and I to taste. What bottle did we order? The one I had picked out originally.
One of my joys of this trip was watching you, Bob, and Larry pick out and enjoy wine. Larry had one time talked about wanting to "jump in and splash around" in one of the glasses he ordered (I think at California Grill.) Isn't that just the best visual of a truly tasty bottle of wine? And my darling Heather just knows her stuff! Her picks were perfection, and I love how you can tell how much she cares for her friends in how she ensures that we get the right product and the best service at restaurants. Permit me to get sappy for a minute: I've become like a feisty mama bear about Passporter because it has introduced me to some of the most fascinating, kindest, best people I've ever met. And Chefs de France was perfection because I was dining with 5 of them!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Caldercup
Then we moseyed out of the restaurant and, somewhere around Japan, we started hearing this squeeeeeeak..... squeeeeeeeeak.... squeeeeeeeak sound. We looked all around and eventually figured out that it was the wheels of a stroller that were badly in need of some lubrication. After a moment, I couldn't take it anymore, so I slowed my pace significantly to let the mom put some distance between us. Aahhhhh... my nerves recovered after she was a good 100 feet ahead of us and we toddled along some more.
I was waiting and waiting for this story. The slow, continuous squeak of the stroller was flippin' hilarious. I'm sure it was just a frazzled mom, who'd been out in the sun at Epcot but we had all kinds of fun imagining the back story. You have to realize that her pace was really, really slow and it actually didn't even look like there was a kid in the stroller. Plus the lighting at Epcot is so dim around Japan, it added to the creepy mood. So, we figured she was some serial killer or crazy person who didn't even have kids who came into Epcot to torment her prey with the long drawn out squeal of a squeaky stroller. We all were engaging in that nervous laughter when we managed to escape from her sights.
But then...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Caldercup
Just as we were prepping to push off from the kiosk again, what do we hear? Squeeeeeeak..... squeeeeeeeeak.... squeeeeeeeak!
Ackk... she must've stopped in at the American pavilion and now she was passing right near us. I had to turn away to mask the bark of laughter that threatened to explode right in her ear. Yipes! The gang all smothered snickers and we pulled ourselves together before heading off to the meet.
Aaaaaaaahhhhhhh! Seriously, I love you crazy, squeaky-stroller lady! I wasn't smothering snickers, I was doubled over, crossing legs and screaming with laughter.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jillybean
Heather’s margarita meet was in full swing when we got to Italy. The Tiaras (minus Louise) were already there, so I went with Joan and Tonja to buy the mandatory Italian margarita (I am a rule follower you know ). Imagine my surprise when Tonja bought my drink for me! How sweet was that?
Dang it! I think I was making sure that I didn't have any liquid evidence of the encounter with squeaky-stroller lady (TMI?) during this time and I never got an Italian margarita. And now I find out that I might have been able to score one for free?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jillybean
With drinks in hand, we returned to the group and had the best time. Before the start of Illuminations, we moved closer to the water to have a better view. Arms were linked, tears were shed, and hugs were shared . . . there is nothing better than sharing such a moment with people who get it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ilovedisney247
It was so nice to see everyone and watch Illuminations with a big group. I just love that--its like hugfest.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Caldercup
When they got to the holiday finale, I was a puddle of goo -- I almost resorted to shoving my fist in my mouth to stop the blubbing! I couldn't even properly say goodbye to Wendy and everybody who stayed for the fireworks, I just wanted to hang on Karen's shoulder and weep for a little while.
Geez! What a bunch of saps! I was totally unaffected by Illuminations and the group of people I was with. Whatevs!
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Do you believe that? Admit it, some of you do! Actually, I was crying right there with the best of them, and now I'm crying again... because of that dangling participle that I can't fix in the last paragraph without sounding totally pretentious (not that it's stopped me before.)
After Illuminations, oh after Illuminations, Eileen got her just desserts. Let me just illuminate you on her true character. It's not so easy to get in the way back of an SUV when you're pushing 40, you've been walking around a theme park all day, and you've consumed a couple of adult beverages. It's even harder to get out of said SUV gracefully. I think some people might have even made "beep, beep, beep" sounds as someone was trying to exit backwards out of said SUV. (OK. I admit it. That was me.) And, then some people might take pictures to try to capture the difficulty of getting in and out of said SUV...
So, some people might deserve to be left in the Epcot parking lot. I'm just sayin'!
I also have to admit that there may have been a small puddle in the way back of said SUV after the stunt was executed so brilliantly by Shashi. Best. Night. Ever.
__________________
Karen, aka Zack's Mom - Lover of all Things Disney and the San Francisco Giants!
Sharon--Man, that D23 Day was awesome. So worth your $195.
Poor Eileen. I'll be your new friend!
The D23 was well worth the money! And you've only heard about day 1! And I forgot to mention that in addition to the two days park tickets and Disney Quest tickets, you also got a MVMCP ticket as well!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Minnie Lor
Wonderful update as always. Sharon, I'm trying to figure out the timing of your D23 events 'cause I'm nerdy that way. The park closed at 8 pm and that's about the time LeAnn and I headed to Osborne Lights. We were there for maybe 30 minutes and then made our way to the front of the park. We hung out with a gazzilion DISers until 9:30. We were escorted back to Pixar Place at 9:30 by a group of green army men and Sarge. We had Pixar Place, TSMM, the shops, and character meet to ourselves until 12:30 am. I did get to see Carrie there along with Molly & Joey. Fun, fun evening for us all.
I'm nerdy too! I was trying to figure out how things would work myself. I think we must've gotten to TSMM at about 8:30, since there were still regular park guests in line and they were just starting to set up for the DIS event as we were leaving.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MMMD
Sharon:
Thanks for sharing the D23 event with us. Sounds like an awesome time. I'm surprised Mickey was so happy to take a picture with you since your preference for Goofy was plastered on your shirt.
Thanks for the updates everyone
Mickey didn't mind. In fact, the only one who ever complains is Donald Duck, and that's usually when I have Mickey Mouse on my shirt! Once Donald made me cover it up in the photo!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cam22
Great additions, Jill!
Sharon, the D23 event looks so incredible! I would have definitely paid $195 for all that. Glad you go to enjoy it!
Like I said before, it was worth every penny of the $195. I would highly recommend it to anyone interested (I know they're doing it again this year).
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jillybean
Anyhoo . . . he poured a splash of the white wine in my glass and I proceeded to swirl my wine (just like Heather ) but it ended up looking more like a drunk stumbling around with a drink. Thankfully, I didn't slosh any over the side of the glass, but it wasn’t my finest moment . . . although everyone at the table seemed to really (and I mean really ) enjoy it. I must say that the wine tasted superb!
Oh yes! The swirling came up while we were enjoying the wine at our villa. And we all practiced swirling (I am not good at swirling either ).
Quote:
Originally Posted by Caldercup
Then it was time for that new game show "Let's Humiliate Eileen!"
. . . . . . . .
And that's all I have to say 'bout that.
OMG!!!!! That's my favorite game show EVAH!!!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Caldercup
That happens to me so much, Kelly, that I completely forgot it. But yeah, I'd found a great spot with perfect views and then the dad picked up his screaming kid and stuck him on his shoulders! I moved a few feet to the left and another parent did that -- and there weren't even people standing in front of the kids, they could see JUST FINE!
Drove me nutso! I eventually moved off to a spot farther back and managed a half-decent view for the remainder of the show...
I was going to say I know it's happened before! Must be some conspiracy or something! Well, I have strangers squeezing in with me while I do Pooh wait, I didn't mean it like that! and you get rude people putting their kids on their shoulders and standing in front of you!
__________________
Mickey's so happy to see me back, he can barely contain himself!
I was going to say I know it's happened before! Must be some conspiracy or something! Well, I have strangers squeezing in with me while I do Pooh wait, I didn't mean it like that! and you get rude people putting their kids on their shoulders and standing in front of you!
LeeNee also always has people with big, huge heads that stand in front of her too. Which? Irony much?
__________________
Karen, aka Zack's Mom - Lover of all Things Disney and the San Francisco Giants!
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.
About This Page: 
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
I was thinking about you several times on our trip to WDW, bagpiper and Donald Duck. And regarding the squeek squeeking of the stroller, all I have to say is I swear wasn't me because we weren't there yet and 
you should try pushing said stroller squeek, squeeek, squeeek. 
UUGHH! 
Now I am picturing everyone around us doing just what you did. 
, 
ºOº ~*~ 
) I figured we could add both Bob and Larry and make a party of 6. My memory was that there weren't any tables for 5 explicitly, and if there were I'd just act all bossy and ugly American-like and demand to be seated as a party of 6. I hear the French LOVE that. 
Anyway, it was no problem adding a guest and we were soon sitting at a lovely round table designed for 5 or 6 people. 
Maybe he wasn’t such a great server after all! 
Thankfully, I didn't slosh any over the side of the glass, but it wasn’t my finest moment . . . although everyone at the table seemed to really (and I mean really 
But, you're selling yourself short. Yes, the swirl itself wasn't, shall we say, artful. But, when we mocked you, you just went with it, miming that you were going to toss it over both shoulders for good luck like salt or splash it behind your ears like perfume. In fact, I think the dash behind the ears routine became our visual representation of that meal for the rest of the weekend. I 
Her picks were perfection, and I love how you can tell how much she cares for her friends in how she ensures that we get the right product and the best service at restaurants. Permit me to get sappy for a minute: I've become like a feisty mama bear about Passporter because it has introduced me to some of the most fascinating, kindest, best people I've ever met. And Chefs de France was perfection because I was dining with 5 of them!
I'll be your new friend! 
Linear Mode
