Very Merry Christmas Trip ~ Pre-Trip Report - UPDATED 12/1 - COMPLETE!! - Page 5 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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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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Great shirt!! I hope you get your parents DME ressies all worked out!!
Thanks!!
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Originally Posted by DyanKJ130
4 weeks.....4 weeks.......4 weeks....
I love those dancers, too cute!!! And I'm dancing about something else--I just got another $30 credit from Southwest this morning I think we're up to about $300 worth of credits! Woot, woot, 2009 here we come!!!
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Just catching up on your TR. So sorry to hear about your loss. My grandmother took me on my first trip to WDW also. And I think I stayed at the Days Inn on International Drive with my mother on one trip.
Hope the DME gets straightened out and I love the Tink shirt!!
I am very sorry for the loss of your grandmother-she sounds like she was a wonderful woman......and a Disney lover nonetheless!!
Not very much time to go now......and how nice you were able to take advantage of the new "deal" Disney just announced yesterday.
Have a great time!!
Thank you I appreciate that. And yes, I'm so excited that we're going back in 2009!
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Originally Posted by DyanKJ130
Congratulations on the savings!!
More great dancers! Love those guys.
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Originally Posted by Reese
So glad you got the savings!!
Thanks!
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Originally Posted by dsteiny23
Just catching up on your TR. So sorry to hear about your loss. My grandmother took me on my first trip to WDW also. And I think I stayed at the Days Inn on International Drive with my mother on one trip.
Hope the DME gets straightened out and I love the Tink shirt!!
Thank you! And I'm glad we both got to go to WDW for the first time with our grandmothers. Those are special memories to have forever.
Not too much of an update today, but I just have to say-- TWO WEEKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It's starting to feel really REAL now! I just submitted our mail hold request online. Still searching for Disney-themed holiday attire for DH and DD to wear to MVMCP - no luck so far. I even stopped in at World of Disney in NYC this weekend but there was nothing for DD and just one pullover fleece for DH with a very subtle free form Mickey with a Santa hat (I'm actually wearing the same one right now but in grey and no santa hat--I got it in 2000) but it was kind of $$$ so I figured I try my luck at WDW.
Still searching for Disney-themed holiday attire for DH and DD to wear to MVMCP - no luck so far. I even stopped in at World of Disney in NYC this weekend but there was nothing for DD and just one pullover fleece for DH with a very subtle free form Mickey with a Santa hat (I'm actually wearing the same one right now but in grey and no santa hat--I got it in 2000) but it was kind of $$$ so I figured I try my luck at WDW.
e-Bay!!! I just got DD a wonderful, used but in excellent condition, dressy green dress with Minnie embroidered on it for under $20, including shipping. there are all sorts of Disney Christmas clothes on e-Bay, in all sizes... you may get lucky!
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Just got caught up with your PTR. I am sorry for your loss. I am sure you will think of her often on your upcoming trip. Your plans look great. Hope you have a magical trip.
Thanks for the well wishes. Wow, I can't believe we're in the final stretch!! A week from tonight we'll be staying over night at my parents' house so that we can head out bright and early for the airport!! Speaking of next Monday, if the rumor about ADRs opening up on Dec. 1st holds true that'll add an extra twist of excitement to our day before vacation preparations. I'll have one hand on the phone and one hand on the computer checking in for our flight!!
Yesterday we picked up some travel sizes at Target and while we were there I found a cute pair of Christmas-y pants for DD. Not Disney-themed but I thought they'd be cute for MVMCP. I can't find a picture online but they're black with little presents, holiday candies, etc. printed on them. DH picked up a red-fleece from LL Bean so I think we'll be all set for any and all Christmas card photo ops that come up. Speaking of which, I am breaking down and pre-ordering the PhotoPass CD. I wasn't going get it this time around in order to save some money but I changed my mind.
In other news, I'm happy to report that my parents received a new DME packet, this time with luggage tags. Phew! My mom was getting a little frustrated about that so I'm glad it's all squared away.
Over the next couple of days I'm going to put together my packing list, do any last minute shopping and put the finishing details on the vacation "dossier" for us and my parents--it has our itinerary, menus for places we haven't eaten before, the MVMCP map, etc. Then it's Turkey day then it's the final push and we're off!
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My grandmother took me on my first trip to WDW also. And I think I stayed at the Days Inn on International Drive with my mother on one trip. 
Love those guys. 
Liz 
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