Forever Young: A Disneyland Trip 50 Years in the Making COMPLETED 1/16/16 - Page 52 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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What a great night!!! Well, aside for the crowds.
Now you know why, having seen Fantasmic at DL first (including being there for the world premiere!) I was not impressed when I saw it for the first time at WDW.
Isn't the atmosphere at Blue Bayou just lovely? Your dinner sounded yummy.
I'd say you ended up with a bit more than juice & Coke.
I totally see now why you were unimpressed with WDW's Fantasmic. Disneyland's version is hands down the BEST! I loved the atmosphere at the Blue Bayou, and Luke and I agree that it will be a must do on a return trip.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Colexis Mom
What a great night! Dinner sounded great, and love your photos of Fantasmic!!
I was happy that so many of my Fantasmic photos turned out well. I was using my knees as a tripod, but I tend to be fidgety.
Quote:
Originally Posted by chezp
Oh wow, Fantasmic! does look amazing - we've still never seen it, despite all our trips to Disneyland. One thing to add to the must-do list for our next visit I think.
What a nightmare with the crowds - I cannot believe how long it took you to do the Haunted Mansion Holidays.
Oh and I got that sweatshirt too!
Now I'm shocked that you've never seen DL's Fantasmic. World of Color is my favorite, but this is only a smidge behind it.
We didn't mind the wait since we really didn't have anything else we wanted to do this evening other than Fantasmic. Thankfully, the heat of the day was also waning.
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Fantastic looked amazing. The more I see, the more I'm tempted to head tonCalifornia.
Every time I write an update, I'm ready to head to DLR all over again.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Disneybine
OMG that peanut-shaped mug is adorable!!! I would've bought that one as well, no doubt! I love the Halloween decorations - they are so detailed!
It is the cutest mug. I saw it at World of Disney on our first night, but was waiting for Luke to decide which mug he wanted. I don't drink coffee, but I've had my fair share of hot chocolate in it since we got home.
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December 2017? Just a thought... one of these days, our vacations have surely got to tie up?
We might have to consider that. Luke has said three years, but who knows.
Quote:
Originally Posted by KMB733
Looks like a great night!! Fantasmic is really awesome at DL. My DSis and I stumbled upon it while sitting outside of HM waiting for my DBiL.
That was a fortunate stumble. Once we got to our seating area with the dinner package, I didn't really look around to see where others folks were until the snow started. I was amazed at how far on each side of the crowd spanned.
That sounds like a great meal and your pictures of Fantasmic were wonderful. Sorry the crowds were so oppressive, but I guess that may be somewhat normal before the evening show.
Great update, I can't wait to eat at Blue Bayou, but I'm sad because Fantasmic won't be showing when we visit in April due to the construction, so thank you for sharing your pictures.
That sounds like a great meal and your pictures of Fantasmic were wonderful. Sorry the crowds were so oppressive, but I guess that may be somewhat normal before the evening show.
That is probably part of the problem. The show wasn't on every night especially with Mickey's Halloween parties on quite a few nights of our stay, so folks may have been squeezing it in this night. The walkways in this area are rather narrow too as they pass by HM, and that didn't help either. But once we had our seats at the show all was well.
Quote:
Originally Posted by WishIwasinDisney
Great update, I can't wait to eat at Blue Bayou, but I'm sad because Fantasmic won't be showing when we visit in April due to the construction, so thank you for sharing your pictures.
That is disappointing that Fantasmic will be down due to construction. Glad my photos could help>
Quote:
Originally Posted by wheezie
Fantasmic looks spectacular!! Sounds like another great day.
What a great night! You got some wonderful close-up shots of Fantasmic!
Quite a wait for HM! But, again, you got some nice photos of the area! But oh, the crowds! I hate wading my way through Masses of people! It can get a little scary!
What a great night! You got some wonderful close-up shots of Fantasmic!
Quite a wait for HM! But, again, you got some nice photos of the area! But oh, the crowds! I hate wading my way through Masses of people! It can get a little scary!
I did tell Luke once we made it safely out of the crowd that I can see how people get trampled as most folks are pushing and shoving without regard to others or their safety.
So glad that you enjoyed your meal at Blue Bayou and that Fantasmic exceeded your expectations. How wonderful that you got to do HM three times on this trip. I really enjoyed seeing your pictures of HM and Fantasmic!!!
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I loved the atmosphere at the Blue Bayou, and Luke and I agree that it will be a must do on a return trip. 
I was happy that so many of my Fantasmic photos turned out well. I was using my knees as a tripod, but I tend to be fidgety. 
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Pixie Dust
PassPorter Guide Author
Just a thought... one of these days, our vacations have surely got to tie up? 
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