The Surviving Deployment Trip Report, Updated 10/18 COMPLETE!! - Page 6 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!
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We got the CD last summer and it was a lot of fun fixing up the pictures once we got home. Practically all of them turned out great - the ones that didn't was just because we closed our eyes or something like that, not the photographer's fault. I have what may be a very strange guess ... are you going to take a "Flat Daddy" on your trip for the pics? (I don't know what made me think of that ... but it would be a cute idea!) Can't wait to read more.
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I have what may be a very strange guess ... are you going to take a "Flat Daddy" on your trip for the pics? (I don't know what made me think of that ... but it would be a cute idea!)
Actually, that's not a bad idea, but no, that isn't it. Victoria and I went to Houston a couple of months ago and decided to go to the Galleria. Victoria couldn't get enough of this mall. I had been years ago and didn't really remember a whole lot. I think it's the largest mall she's ever been in. Um....wait....no...Mall of America is the largest. This is next. Anyway, we came across Build-a-Bear. We had discussed making a bear that would represent daddy at Disney. What better time to do it than the present! So, we made a bear. His name is Michael (DHs name).
Isn't he cute? I love his little Army uniform. We bought the stetson (in the last two pictures) to go with the uniform because DH is in the Cavalry, and they can wear stetsons. Very . Since he is now deployed, he'll be able to wear spurs, too, but that's another story...
Michael is the driver in the family. He to drive. So, here is Michael driving us through Houston.
And, we took him to the Houston Zoo.
The meerkat liked him.
So, Michael will be going to WDW with us, and we are both really looking forward to it, but my Michael in Iraq doesn't know about Michael the bear. We want him in all of our pictures, and I'll make the PP album all about Michael being with us on our trip. I hope he likes it.
That is such a cool idea! DD and I have been to that Build A Bear store often. We stop in every time she has a Dr. Appt. in Houston. (We always do dinner at the Galleria and then window shop a bit before driving home.) A while back I made a dog in a Marine uniform for my dad. He thought it was and added it to his Marine collection in his computer room.
My son (who's deployed right now) asked me to send his new wife a Build-a-Bear outfitted in Dress Blues for their 1st year anniversary (which is tomorrow!)
Can't wait to see some of your photos at WDW with Michael II.
Wow Laura, what a great trip this is going to be for you and your DD! Love the bear idea and I'm sure he will be very happy, and surprised with the photo album you have planned! Just another way to show they are always in our hearts no matter what.
Your DD has a lot of talent too! The autograph book looks awesome so far and she should definitely continue with art. What a talent!
I am sorry to hear the real Michael isn't able to be there with you but please give him our thanks for serving and for protecting us!! Our thoughts and prayers go out to each and every one of them. My DS's dad served when this whole thing got started and they called it Desert Storm so I know how you feel.
Can't wait to read more and see how everything goes with Michael the bear!
I can't believe that I have made a couple of ADR changes, but...I have. My DH doesn't like Chinese or Japanese food. So, DD and I were talking about Teppan Edo and decided to cancel our lunch ADR at Chefs de France on the 18th and changed it to Teppan Edo. I am so excited about it. I also moved our dinner at Tutto Italia from 8:45 p.m. to 7 p.m. 8:45 was just so late plus we'd be missing the EMH that night at Epcot. This should do it as far as our ADRs are concerned. No more changes!
I am hoping to meet up with a cousin of mine who lives in FL. She'll drive to WDW for a day. She hasn't told me yet which day she'd like to spend with us. I'm looking forward to hearing back from her and seeing her again!
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This is next. Anyway, we came across Build-a-Bear. We had discussed making a bear that would represent daddy at Disney. What better time to do it than the present! So, we made a bear. His name is Michael (DHs name).
. Since he is now deployed, he'll be able to wear spurs, too, but that's another story...
to drive. So, here is Michael driving us through Houston. 
PassPorter Guide Author
Heather B
My DH doesn't like Chinese or Japanese food. So, DD and I were talking about Teppan Edo and decided to cancel our lunch ADR at Chefs de France on the 18th and changed it to Teppan Edo. 
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