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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
PassPorter Guide Community Rank: Legend Extraordinaire
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Ballston Lake, NY
Concierge Level: 6
Posts: 46,162
Post Thanks / Like
Likes (Given): 94
Likes (Received): 241
Thanks (Given): 0
Thanks (Received): 139
Pixie Dust (Given): 3
Pixie Dust (Received): 4
Congrats Coop on conquering EE!!! It's one of my favorite rides. Sorry about the lame safari. I've found if you ride early in the morning or right before the park closes, that it when you get the best safari rides.
I love that you rode EE! It is so fun. Y&Y looked delish.
Oh, Chuck, don't get me started on the scooters. I understand some people need them, but I think they should be loaded as they come along in line, not first in front of everybody. That' s all I will say.
I loved the pics of you two at 1900 PF.
The character dining this time was fun. The food could have been a bit better but... My favorite was...(later,don't want to spoil the TR)
With the addition of DVC to the GF,it seems like they are gonna be all over the place as far as "theme". High class,little princesses running around,weddings,hard core vacationers (DVC) bet the points to stay there will be sky high.
__________________
"Life can be as easy as a fall,it's all so easy once you just let go."
Sounds like you had a great day, despite the lame safari. I don't like the strawberry soup either, but then again I am not a strawberry fan really, and it was too sweet for my liking. I thought I was the only one!Yay for hot tub time, and wine! You deserve it after your EE ride! WHOO HOO!
The only reason we went to 1900 PF was because I wanted to try the Strawberry Soup. It was good but just ok. I felt like I did after crossing the bridges on WAT after I rode EE! On top of the world!
Quote:
Originally Posted by disneymom57
Congratulations on conquering Everest! and a Yak Attack is the perfect reward. Smart idea to just relax--it's vacation.
Thanks! Definite perfect reward!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cam22
for riding EE! I don't do it anymore as it just makes me dizzy and sick. I like your going with the flow day!
Thanks! I didn't get dizzy but I don't see how people can do it over and over and over again.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lauriep
Interesting about the safari. I guess there'll be a breaking-in period where the drivers get used to different pacing and not having the story line. You got some nice photos, though. Congrats for riding EE. I've not tried it yet.
That's kind of what I thought about the safari. It's still in transition.
Quote:
Originally Posted by goofyboysmama
Hooray for wine and Everest! Good times since I last checked in... Except for the bus mess. Here's my 2 cents: would it be ignorant to want a big long double bus just for scooters? Then other folks could be loading up already onto another bus? Or vice versa? No one is ever going to be completely happy with all the brainiacs working for Disney, you'd think this could be solved. Come on, let's see some REAL imagineering!
I thought they were testing "double length" buses. But we didn't see any. They could put some brains together and figure something out. Our only real problems seemed to be with transportation.
Quote:
Originally Posted by chezp
Sorry about the lame safari - we've had a couple like that and it's always a disappointment when that happens.
I still love it and love AK. But I just know, it could have been better.
Quote:
Originally Posted by dutchdisneyfamily
We had a lame safari when we went too. It stinks! Your meal at Y&Y looked great! The rest of the day looks like so much fun!
It was great! (except for the safari that was slow)
Quote:
Originally Posted by ChukkerB
EE was too cool! I don't like to go on rides solo,feels kind of empty knowing Coop is missing out on some exciting rides. Yak,and Yeti is a great place to eat. Out waiter was a little too over zealous for me,but sometimes that happens when your the first guests of the day.
( Who's that fat guy with all those pretty princesses???)
Sorry, sweetie. There's just some that get me wonky. I'm trying. He was a bit enthusiastic, wasn't he? BTW - that guy with the princesses is MY prince!
Quote:
Originally Posted by lfredsbo
Sounds like a great day!!! on EE!!!
I am going to have to find that wine and give it a try!
Lisa, you DEFINITELY have to try Conundrum! (If you like Moscato then you would like it)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Colexis Mom
Great pictures from AK! And some great eats today as well! Sorry the safari was lacking!
Thanks.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lindawdw
Just caught up with your TR I haven't stayed at OKW since 1996 but I remember how we loved being able to pull our car right up to our front door. It was so nice not having to walk a mile down some long hallways in a resort to get outside! Would you stay there again? Love your first day routine of going to MK and viewing Main Street from the Train Station. I must try those zebra domes next time we're at AKL! Sorry about your bus problems. My DH and I decided about three years ago that we'd had it with the buses and we rent a car now so we don't deal with all the situations that you mentioned. We actually walk to our cars in the parking lots so we don't have to wait for the trams because that can also be a long wait. You just have to remember to write down your parking lot number or you could find yourselves walking around all night looking for your car!!! LOL. Looking forward to hearing more about your trip!
Every time we have driven, we have just parked the car and never used it! Last year, when we were thinking of staying at OKW, we thought it would be great because you park right in front. But this time we flew and didn't rent a car - LOL! Still, we would stay at OKW again and again and again. We loved it! And yes, you need to try zebra domes. Be careful though, they are addictive.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lfredsbo
Tracy -
you will have to check out my PTR to see Duffy all set with his suitcase and sleeping bag ready to go!!! I thought of you when Em got him ready!!!
I signed in! Love Duffy with his suitcase and sleeping bag!
Quote:
Originally Posted by jackid2
Sounds great so far. Well except for the bus ride, we had that happen last time. (twice) not fun at all. Can't wait to read more
Thanks.
Quote:
Originally Posted by KMB733
Congrats Coop on conquering EE!!! It's one of my favorite rides. Sorry about the lame safari. I've found if you ride early in the morning or right before the park closes, that it when you get the best safari rides.
We usually try to go first thing but this time, we went after lunch. I think the combo of the ride being in "transition" (it's story line/theme) and the heat of the day made it less than what we have come to know and love.
Quote:
Originally Posted by disneydreamer33
I love that you rode EE! It is so fun. Y&Y looked delish.
Oh, Chuck, don't get me started on the scooters. I understand some people need them, but I think they should be loaded as they come along in line, not first in front of everybody. That' s all I will say.
I loved the pics of you two at 1900 PF.
Thanks! We don't even mind that scooters have to be loaded before everyone. It's just that people were coming up last minute and getting on the bus after the scooters but before the people who had been waiting there for a while (ie - us).
Quote:
Originally Posted by ChukkerB
The character dining this time was fun. The food could have been a bit better but... My favorite was...(later,don't want to spoil the TR)
With the addition of DVC to the GF,it seems like they are gonna be all over the place as far as "theme". High class,little princesses running around,weddings,hard core vacationers (DVC) bet the points to stay there will be sky high.
And your favorite was? You haven't even told me!
Quote:
Originally Posted by mom to 3 princesses and 1 prince
I think the one stepsister would have been better off as Cinderella! She was so pretty!
She was cute. And really nice! She was trying to play the part but you could tell, she was just too nice.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Principessa_di_Fata
Congrats on conquering Everest!!! Sounds like a nice relaxing day!
Today was a fun day! Best day yet! We got up, coffee/tea, showered, ready and out before 10. We caught a bus to DHS.
We immediately went back to TSMM, thinking of getting a FP for later. They still had FP and the return time was for 1:15-2:15 which would be right after our lunch! Bingo! Grabbed those then checked out the stand by which was only about 20 mins! We hopped in line and soon were spinning in our milk crate! Chuck won - but he cheats. Just sayin'
After our ride, we went over to Star Tours for Chuck to ride. I shopped in Tatooine Traders and found some things for Michael (our son). Got a mug and key chain for him of Duck Maul and had them sent back to the resort. After that, we went over to squeeze in Indiana Jones show before our lunch. After Indy, we trucked on over to Mama Melrose and checked in for lunch. It started raining a bit, but we hoped it would be done after lunch.
WARNING - FOOD PORN!!!!
We shared the antipasto appetizer and Chuck had the wood grilled tuna over vegetable risotto
and I had the strip steak with the mac and cheese.
For dessert Chuck had tiramisu and I had the chocolate amarettini cheesecake.
It was all delish! After lunch , it had stopped raining! We were off to use our FP at TSMM - Chuck won again. I told ya - he cheats. But this guy stopped for a pic -
Then we were going to go to Lights, Motors, Action but we just missed the 1:30 show and the next show wasn’t until 4:30. We walked around the Streets of America for a bit. It was really empty.
Then we went to Animation Academy and got to draw Jack Skellington. I can’t draw anything and I could do this!
Chuck's is on the top and mine is on the bottom.
It was so cool! After this, we went to the GMR - gansters again. I have never had the other one.
When that was over, we walked out and the Pixar Parade was starting. We have never seen this parade so we hung around for it!
It was really neat to see. We have never experienced some of these characters. Sully, Mr. Frederickson, Remy, etc. But our "seats" weren't the best. We were smack dab behind a BTG! So most of my pics are in between arms and heads.
We went over to ToT for Chuck
and then shopped the stores on our way out of the park. I had been ogling a D&B purse for the past 3 years and Chuck MADE me get it. That’s my story - and I’m sticking to it! I don't have a pic of it but I will take one and upload it. I love it. And you all know how I'm a "bag lady"
We made our way back to the resort and had our afternoon swim/hot tub.
Today was our Mousekeeping day - and we got a Mickey head
And they even made Duffy comfortable!
After a bit, we got dressed for dinner and headed to Epcot. We didn’t have time for much before dinner and had to walk straight over to Japan for Teppen Edo. We checked in but had a bit of a wait (about 20 mins). They finally called us and we were with another family of 4 and another couple of 2. We were the last ones in the group. They led us into the room and everyone started filing in single file around the table - except for the couple immediately in front of us. They stopped and took the end seats causing me to 1st - run right into them and 2nd - have to climb around them to get to a seat. Chuck and I looked at each other like “Huh?” Anyhow, we had a great meal (sorry, I didn’t get any pictures here). Chuck had scallops and I had filet. It was very good and a good performance by the chef as well. Afterward, we walked the WS and stopped in Germany and got some caramel corn and salted chocolate covered caramels for later.
We watched Illuminations from Norway and then I had a margarita in Mexico. We checked out the Duffy store and MouseGears. We got some more gifts for friends back home, an iPad cover for me and headphones for Chuck. We made our way back to OKW and had our treats before bed. It was a full day and it was to be an early morning.
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.
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.
About This Page: 
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
Liz 
Dreams, Wishes, Hopes... these are the parts of childhood we should never lose.
Sounds like a nice relaxing day!
and a Yak Attack is the perfect reward. Smart idea to just relax--it's vacation.
with all the brainiacs working for Disney, you'd think this could be solved. Come on, let's see some REAL imagineering!
on EE!!! 
And some great eats today as well! 
Sorry the safari was lacking! 
LOL. Looking forward to hearing more about your trip!
. Great pictures!!
PassPorter Guide Author
Linear Mode
