A Spring Adventure: Wilderness, Flowers, and the Force (with Cam and Luke) PTR Updated 5/22 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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.
My family has stayed at Wilderness Lodge a few times, but since I live in Alaska it's to much like home! I enjoy the Beach club and AKL too. I think you will really like the Flower and Garden festival, it's one of my favorites. Don't worry there is plenty to buy-lol! It's always nice to try something new. We leave on Mother's Day so I'll miss you this trip. One of these days-you and Luke are on my bucket list :-).
Betty
Maybe some day Luke and I should visit Alaska and stay at a resort that looks like WL. But hopefully, one day we will finally meet!
Quote:
Originally Posted by bluejn
How exciting I can't wait to read about your upcoming trip and wilderness lodge!
More details tomorrow!
Quote:
Originally Posted by ariel14
Yay!!!! Another Cam and Luke PTR!!!!!!!! Love the Wilderness Lodge!
When I was looking through our past trip photos, I remember how I couldn't quit taking pictures as it was just so beautiful.
Quote:
Originally Posted by roaminggnome
Just caught up on your latest PTR. Can't wait to hear all the details. Something to look forward after this winter that won't end.
I was so excited today when our high reached the lower 60s. It felt so warm. it! Hopefully, more details tomorrow.
I enjoyed reading your DVC backstory and your "history" with the WL. One of the things I love about your PTRs and TRs is that I learn something new about you and your family with each one.
The WL was our family's first deluxe resort stay too. We upgraded from Pop one year when Disney was offering the "Pay for 4 Play for 7" promotion. We loved the WL. We bought DVC a few years later (at AKV, which we love as well).
Great start, Cam! May is one of my favorite times of the year to visit WDW. Our first stay at WL was in 2006 and both Justin and I fell in love with that resort. I am a rustic girl for sure!
Was away from the boards for a couple days and your TR is at 5 pages!!
Warms my heart that you are staying at your first DVC resort...hopefully it will bring many happy memories back to you!
Yay! A Cam PTR - and I'm only 5 pages late! I keep saying "Someday" too about getting to WL. We've never had luck with our dates. But we will get there! Yours is a great story as to buying in to the DVC - Luke is a keeper!
Your trip sounds lovely I too think the Wilderness
lodge is beautiful. I think it will be a lovely place for you both to treasure your memories of Stephanie. I'm sure that is what keeps us coming back to WDW is it ties us into our memories of really happy times when the children were small.
Susan in desperate housewives said you know you have reached middle age when your memories are more important to you than your dreams I'm certainly knocking hard on that door.
Enjoyed reading about your past trips and seeing the excitement grow for your upcoming trip. VWL will be a nice place to relax after visits to the parks.
Registered Message Board Members save 30% off PassPorter guidebooks! When you register you'll have access to a discount coupon good for 30% off the list price of PassPorter books in our online store.
I enjoyed reading your DVC backstory and your "history" with the WL. One of the things I love about your PTRs and TRs is that I learn something new about you and your family with each one.
The WL was our family's first deluxe resort stay too. We upgraded from Pop one year when Disney was offering the "Pay for 4 Play for 7" promotion. We loved the WL. We bought DVC a few years later (at AKV, which we love as well).
I sometimes feel like I've already told all our stories, so it's nice to hear that you feel you still learn something new.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lexiemom
Great start, Cam! May is one of my favorite times of the year to visit WDW. Our first stay at WL was in 2006 and both Justin and I fell in love with that resort. I am a rustic girl for sure!
I'm really getting excited about May since quite of few PPers are saying it's a favorite time of year.
Quote:
Originally Posted by cubfancolleen
What a great story of Luke surprising you with a DVC membership!
Was away from the boards for a couple days and your TR is at 5 pages!!
Warms my heart that you are staying at your first DVC resort...hopefully it will bring many happy memories back to you!
Our stay at WL is already bringing back lots of happy memories. I'm sure being there will bring back more.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Coop
Yay! A Cam PTR - and I'm only 5 pages late! I keep saying "Someday" too about getting to WL. We've never had luck with our dates. But we will get there! Yours is a great story as to buying in to the DVC - Luke is a keeper!
We had actually tried on the past two October trips to book VWL and it just didn't work without a split stay, so we were very excited when it was the best fit for the May trip.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Thomhazel
Your trip sounds lovely I too think the Wilderness
lodge is beautiful. I think it will be a lovely place for you both to treasure your memories of Stephanie. I'm sure that is what keeps us coming back to WDW is it ties us into our memories of really happy times when the children were small.
Susan in desperate housewives said you know you have reached middle age when your memories are more important to you than your dreams I'm certainly knocking hard on that door.
Hope you have a wonderful trip.
I remember that line from Desperate Housewives. I'm definitely in that phase of life where memories are most important. I've actually though about recreating some of the pictures that we took in '08 on this trip.
Enjoyed reading about your past trips and seeing the excitement grow for your upcoming trip. VWL will be a nice place to relax after visits to the parks.
I'm hoping our room is near the quiet pool and hot tub again for some end of the day relaxation.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DawnK
How wonderful you get to go for the Flower Festival AND Stars Wars Weekend!! It is my goal to stay at the Wilderness lodge someday!!
looking forward to seeing all the great pictures!!
We are very pleased that it worked out to make both events. I truly hope that you all to stay at WL one of these days.
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.
Another Cam/Luke Trip report it because it means spring might finally arrive! I hear you about the unprecedented winter. My boys haven't had a full week of school since mid-November. They've had 11 calamity days and just as many delay starts. We're taking a break from playing outside, it's finally in the 50's and sunny here!
We LOVED the WL when we ate there on our first trip, and I have one of my favorite pics - My Dad, holding Cullen (11 months) while hanging on to Patrick's shirt and they're standing with Nolan in front of that same Totem pole.
__________________
The Fun, Old-Fashioned Family Vacation, 3.0 http://www.passporterboards.com/foru...ml#post4472933
Ch-Ch-Changes July 2015
[URL="http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/sharing-adventure-disney-world-trip-reports/288847-ch-ch-changes-ptr-july-16-24-a.html"]
Another Cam/Luke Trip report it because it means spring might finally arrive! I hear you about the unprecedented winter. My boys haven't had a full week of school since mid-November. They've had 11 calamity days and just as many delay starts. We're taking a break from playing outside, it's finally in the 50's and sunny here!
We LOVED the WL when we ate there on our first trip, and I have one of my favorite pics - My Dad, holding Cullen (11 months) while hanging on to Patrick's shirt and they're standing with Nolan in front of that same Totem pole.
I have been enjoying our weather the past several days as it has been warmer, but then Luke had to break the spell by telling me that we might get snow Thursday. I actually love snow -- to a point. I passed that point sometime back. I knew there were other folks here with their kids posed in front of the totem pole.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Erin1213
I noticed your countdown in another thread and had to hurry over to start catching up on your PTR. Love it and can't wait to hear more...