Sousefest - A December to Remember (If We Can) - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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And then there’s me . . . Jill, the Margarita-lovin’ Momma.
Note that I'm multicultural - - one from Italy and one from Mexico!
I’ve been blessed to be able to travel a good bit in my 44 years, but no one place has ever pulled at my heart strings the way that walking down Main Street at MK or strolling through the World Showcase at Epcot does. And the only thing that makes Disney even better is being able to share it with someone that you love.
At first, I drug unsuspecting boyfriends there . . . only to discover that I really didn’t love them so that put a real downer on my happy place. Then I began dragging my parents there since I did love them . . . and they pretty much let me boss them around. Finally, I met a man who not only accepted my love of Disney, but also embraced it and has (almost) stopped rolling his eyes at me when I suggest yet another trip.
And then we had two little girls who showed me what magic was all about. Watching their little faces literally radiate with smiles and laughter brings me a joy that words simply cannot express.
These are some of my all time favorite pictures of them just because their faces tell the whole story.
I need to get in here fast so that I can bat clean-up. If Jill beats me to it then I'm batting fifth and who wants to bat FIFTH?
It seems like the background of the CLQ + the Lush (totally wasn't going to go there H, but I it) has been well-established, so I'll just focus on the details of our trip. I guess you can call me Karen the Planning Nazi, or the Enforcer, or the Timekeeper, or the Spreadsheet Queen.
But, sadly, the most appropriate name would probably be Karen the Klutz. You see, I had a beautiful trip planned with these ladies for Mousefest last year. But the day after Thanksgiving, I was pulling some decorations out of my garden shed, rolled my ankle on a rock, snapped a tendon, and broke the bone on the top of my foot. My orthopedist said that flying with the swelling in my leg being so bad could possibly be deadly. Let me tell you how freakin' tempted I was to risk death to see these ladies! But, better judgment prevailed and I stayed home while they all promptly went off and had a great time without me!
So, I had to plan EXTRA hard this time to make sure it was the best vacation EVER. I think there might even be t-shirts that say, "Yes, Karen this is WAY better than last year" that everyone will have to wear to reassure me. And what are these fabulous plans? You ask.
Happy to oblige... Thursday, December 10
We all arrive fairly early in the day. So we plan on checking in to Jambo House, taking care of a rental car, and heading over to Animal Kingdom as soon as we can. We're all planning on being at the Yak Attack meet, and I'm going to try to gather a group to ride Expedition Everest together at 2:15 before the meet. If you're in Animal Kingdom, come on by! The rest of the day will be fairly open with a dinner planned and maybe a stop by at the DVC Merry Member Mixer if we can fit it in.
Friday, December 11
This is IT! The day I've been working on for months. You've heard about my penchant for a challenge, and ever since I saw the Ultimate Magic Kingdom touring plan on the Unofficial Guide site I knew I'd have to try it out. Essentially, the challenge is to experience every single ride, attraction, and live show in the Magic Kingdom in as short as time as possible. Because I wanted my crew to be the greatest, bestest, fastest touring planners in history, I couldn't just do the regular old challenge and instead had to plus it with tacking on MVMCP at the end of the day. The plan now has us finishing up 51 attractions by the time the park closes at 7PM, and then tacking on 8 more MVMCP specific attractions during the party. My best guess is completing 59 attractions in just over 12 hours.
I'm a bit worried that they won't count all of the MVMCP shows as official, but 51 attractions in 10 hours would shatter the old time record as well. I've visualized this day so often and shifted and tweaked events in the spreadsheet so many times, I literally am buzzing with excitement about attempting this challenge. The only thing that has me a bit worried is that a recent podcast stated that the people who've had the most success with the UMK plan are marathon runners. Let's just say that I don't have random people coming up to me on the street and asking, "Do you run marathons? Because you look like an ATHLETE." But P-Sha assures that our superior brain power will more than make up for others athletic prowess.
Anyway, you can look for us all day in the Magic Kingdom. P-Sha and Heather will be the blurs rushing by from attraction to attraction. I'll be the blur that turns into a tumbleweed like projection somersaulting down the street that finally stops in a heap after falling off the sidewalk. And Eileen and Jill will be the ones laughing at me. (They'll pretend that they're concerned about my safety first, but don't buy it!) We'll also be at the fireworks meet at the end of the day (just don't count on us being as lucid as usual (low, low bar, I know.))
Saturday, December 12
The spreadsheet says that we'll be at DHS for morning EMH, and if the spreadsheet says it, it has to be true! We plan to only stay for a little while and then the afternoon and evening will be spent at Epcot. I'm hoping to see many of the Holiday Storytellers because I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE them. I've got it all planned to seem casual-like as we stroll around World Showcase, but just happen to be in the right place at the right time to see a bunch of them. And since some in our party are scared of the kiddie ride in Norway, that won't distract us anyway. Although due to another party member's fascination with duck anatomy south of the border (double entendre TOTALLY intended,) we'll probably be headed to the Mexico boat ride. We'll end the day with Heather's margarita / Illuminations meet.
Sunday, December 13
We're planning to follow the schedule for the park of the day and head to Animal Kingdom in the morning and DHS in the evening. The CLQ is planning an Osborne Lights meet at 8:45, meeting in front of the Writer's Stop. Again, would love to see everyone there!
Monday, December 14
The CLQ all heads out late in the afternoon / early evening. Heather's got an extra night at the World. BRAT! I think we'll head to Epcot in the morning because we have big plans to take some Photopass and Character Connection photos with the five of us.
In terms of dining, we've got California Grill, Crystal Palace, Chefs de France, and Sanaa on the agenda. I'm super excited about all of these and there's plenty that is brand new, at least for me. We'll be doing the basic dining plan and, thanks to the spreadsheet, making the most of it, darn it! I'm also hoping to get a trip in to Beaches 'n' Cream for a No Way Jose. I've already let it be known that I don't care where the delectable concoction ends up, my spoon is going in! What can I say, I'm from California!
Can't wait to see so many of you that I've met before, and finally meet the ones I've known only virtually for so long! And just to preemptively go after those who think we're over-scheduled, (We're not!) I told Eileen that there are two things I'm most looking forward to on the Big A$% spreadsheet. One is our UMK plan, but the other is all of the blank spaces on the schedule since I know those will be filled spending time with the people I enjoy most in the world. Awwww, now I'm all verklempt!
__________________
Karen, aka Zack's Mom - Lover of all Things Disney and the San Francisco Giants!
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By the way, the puppy seems fine. There's no fever so the hook didn't puncture anything, the lungs are clear so it's not pneumonia causing his cough, and his energy level is still normal. He just sounds a little hoarse, and it's taking him FOREVER to eat his food. I think I'll moisten it with broth tonight. Thanks for the pixies everyone!
__________________
Karen, aka Zack's Mom - Lover of all Things Disney and the San Francisco Giants!
And finally this one which quite simply asks "Is that an off key bag piper I hear?"
So . . . just when I thought our trips to Disney couldn’t get any better . . . a little trio better known as the CLT entered our lives. I had been a fan of their tr’s and antics for years (do yourself a favor and read their DL '06 girls trip tr if you haven’t already ). And then the day came shortly before our June ’08 trip when I received a PM from Karen with the news that our trips would overlap and asking if my little family wanted to spend time with the CLT. I honestly felt like a thirteen-year-old girl when I giddily responded “Are you kidding???” In fact, I still have that PM.
That trip was everything I thought it would be and more. I still remember the moment when I met each of them and how they each made me feel as if we had been friends for a lifetime. I adored watching my daughters, my parents and even my husband fall in love with them. We all as we said goodbye and we knew that this was the start of something really good. The first time that Eileen christened us the CLQ . . . well, let’s just say I almost got caught at work for crying.
Fast forward to December where the four of us had planned a grand reunion at Mousefest. Excitement was at an all-time high . . . until . . . someone broke their ankle. Eileen, Sharon and I still managed to have a wonderful time, but Karen’s absence was felt every minute . . . plus we were reminded constantly how off schedule we were (although the three of us thought we did just fine).
One of my favorite things about this trip was the chance to meet so many of the Passporters that I loved to follow through their trip reports and posts. The time that we spent with Bob and Larry (oh, that incredible dinner ), Lesley, Heather, Joan and her crew was filled with food, wine, laughter and incredible conversation (and we rode some rides too! )
Loved the updates from Jill and Karen (or Karen and Jill) - I am not going to say who came first
Jill - loved seeing the pictures of Mary Devall and Maddie, when you look at those pics I cannot get how much they have grown when you look at more recent pictures, especially when you see maddie front and center with the characters no longer needing daddy as a buffer
Karen - Glad the puppy is good to go, no damage done after his "holiday" eating. And I think it is a good thing that nothing is stopping you from the trip this year, I mean without you who would be there to stop them from deviating from the spreadsheet can't wait to hear how your perfectly planned ultimate challange goes
Isn't this the second picture in this tr of Sharon being two-fisted? Just sayin'.
The four of us have filled the months since last December with trips - - both Disney and non-Disney (gasp! ) - - that have kept us close and always wanting more. If I’m not mistaken, no one actually asked if we were going back to Disney this December . . . it was just assumed.
We knew that Heather (the lush) was going to be there at the same time and we us some Heather, so it was suggested that we ask her to join us. She agreed and thus began the planning for this trip where we merged DVC points and each reserved a night (oy vey! ) After 10, 792 phone calls, we were finally booked, linked and scheduled for a DME bus (we think! ). So now . . . we wait.
Once again, my daughters think I’m going to “Ms. Eileen’s.” I never actually say Ms. Eileen’s “house” so if later questioned in a court of law, I could probably get by on a technicality.
I love, love, love going to Disney with my little girls, but I also covet this grown up time that allows me to be with my favorite grown up ladies.
A late Thanksgiving entry - I'm so thankful for such entertainment!!!
I love the spreadsheet Karen! Not embarassed to say that I've been doing that for the last 2 trips myself. I don't entirely stick to it, but I'm glad you gave me the idea to put one together! And I'm glad Barnaby is doing well.
Just over 1 week away until it's all for real!!!!
__________________
Tanya
Every click helps feed .6 bowls of food to rescued animals. Give a quick click every day and help animals in shelters! www.theanimalrescuesite.com
By the way, the puppy seems fine. There's no fever so the hook didn't puncture anything, the lungs are clear so it's not pneumonia causing his cough, and his energy level is still normal. He just sounds a little hoarse, and it's taking him FOREVER to eat his food. I think I'll moisten it with broth tonight. Thanks for the pixies everyone!
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And the only thing that makes Disney even better is being able to share it with someone that you love.
Then I began dragging my parents there since I did love them . . . and they pretty much let me boss them around. 
Finally, I met a man who not only accepted my love of Disney, but also embraced it and has (almost) stopped rolling his eyes at me when I suggest yet another trip. 
And what are these fabulous plans? You ask.
I'm also hoping to get a trip in to Beaches 'n' Cream for a No Way Jose. I've already let it be known that I don't care where the delectable concoction ends up, my spoon is going in! What can I say, I'm from California!
I adored watching my daughters, my parents and even my husband fall in love with them. We all 
as we said goodbye and we knew that this was the start of something really good. The first time that Eileen christened us the CLQ . . . well, let’s just say I almost got caught at work for crying. 
Deb
Excitement was at an all-time high . . . until . . . someone broke their ankle. 
Eileen, Sharon and I still managed to have a wonderful time, but Karen’s absence was felt every minute . . . plus we were reminded constantly how off schedule we were 
), Lesley, Heather, Joan and her crew was filled with food, wine, laughter and incredible conversation (and we rode some rides too! 
) After 10, 792 phone calls, we were finally booked, linked and scheduled for a DME bus (we think! 
). So now . . . we wait. 
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