Forever Young: A Disneyland Trip 50 Years in the Making COMPLETED 1/16/16 - Page 46 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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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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Friday, October 9 – This long day isn’t quite over yet.
This update will be light on text and heavy on photos. When Luke and I got back to the Grand California, we stopped in the lobby at the concierge desk to pay off our charges with some of our Disney gift cards. After I retrieved the gift cards from my purse, Luke stayed to complete the actual transaction while I moved around the lobby taking photos. The first photos are of items in the showcases along one wall of the lobby. Unfortunately, I’ve no idea of the background behind these items. I had hoped we’d find time for a tour of the resort, but it just never happened.
Moving on from the showcases, I began to wander the lobby, trying to capture details from different angles.
I didn’t wander far before I came to the central display for the Halloween season, the Halloween Tree-t Cake. A week or so after we got home, there was a blog about it along with photos on Disney Parks Blog. It really was very fascinating. Again Disney does such a wonderful job with all the details, big and small.
After spending what seemed like a good ten minutes looking over the tree, I found a grandfather clock and several more showcases.
At this point I checked on Luke because I wanted to be sure he saw the Halloween Tree-t Cake, too. He was nearly done, so I occupied myself with a few more photos of the concierge desk. I loved these bears.
On our way back to our room in the DVC wing, I got several photos of one of my favorite Disney details, light fixtures. And I also remembered to get a photo of our room number before we headed in for the night.
In our room, we both got ready for bed, and began the task of repacking some of our stuff that I knew we wouldn’t be using again. I also got a couple of loads of laundry done, and even posted a quick update here on the boards. Then it was time for some sleep because we were meeting friends tomorrow.
Sorry about your eye. I've actually done the same thing. It looks a lot worse than it actually is. It's just the comments from everyone else that bothered me.
I'm really enjoying seeing all the differences between DL and DW.
Liz
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Sorry about your eye. I've actually done the same thing. It looks a lot worse than it actually is. It's just the comments from everyone else that bothered me.
I'm really enjoying seeing all the differences between DL and DW.
Liz
It's easy to forget about my eye since it doesn't hurt me at all now. I thought it was so sweet that when Luke and I went to the Christmas party last night with his former co-workers, none of them mentioned it at all. It is looking some better. The spot where I actually hit it is almost white again, but where it spread is still a bright red.
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.
Love all the pictures from the lobby. We walked through there the last time we were at DL, but I don't remember much beyond how beautiful I thought it was!
Beautiful photos around the Grand Californian. I just love that resort, it's so wonderfully themed.
The theming is so much mine and Luke's style, so we felt right at home.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DMA
Great photos around the lobby! What a beautiful place!
I always take a photo of our room number as well!
I forgot the room number/door picture on our cruise last year and Luke noticed right away when he checked out the scrapbook. So he has been reminding me not to forget.
Love all the pictures from the lobby. We walked through there the last time we were at DL, but I don't remember much beyond how beautiful I thought it was!
I was afraid I'd not remember the lobby later, so I wanted my own photo copies.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SharonK0527
Nice photo tour of the lobby at GC! That Halloween Tree-t looked amazing!
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.
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I just love that resort, it's so wonderfully themed.
GC is such a beautiful resort. 
I'm getting lots of ideas for our upcoming DL trip!
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