"WOO HOO! WE MADE IT" - Our Live TR 2/4-2/12 - Page 7 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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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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So I'm skimming for updates since we have arrived as well and I just have a short nap time to catch up. I'm so excited you guys got upgraded to savannah view, Meri must love it! There was nothing more magical than the first night we stayed in AKL and I got up for the bathroom at 3am and decided to peak out on the balcony and there was a giraffe staring me in the face off the balcony. I just stayed out there hanging out with him for like an hour... so amazing!
I love love love all the pictures of Meri with the characters. She is sooo photogenic! I'm going to have to watch the castle this week to see if they put her in the show since she's so darned cute!
Sadly Mary is not up to photos as she's been screaming at the top of her lungs with the characters so far. How long does this phase last? She loved them all when she was only 9 months old. I guess I'm going to stick with the characters that look more human like princesses and pixies.
Meri really loves the savannah. She's out there whenever we're in the room, and we have to leave the door open because she's in and out so much. Any time there's an animal in there, she hauls in screaming "MOMMY MOMMY! THERE ARE FOUR GIRAFFES OUT THERE NOW! FOUR!!!" and we get updates any time an animal joins or departs from view. Or if an animal shakes his/her head. Or runs. Or eats. Or breathes.
Good luck with the screaming phase! Meri loved the characters at every age. I was actually surprised. I expected a screaming phase. But hang in there, it really does pass.
Quote:
Originally Posted by llgmommy
Wow love your TR, you and your daughter remind me of myself and my DD. Except she will be 13 this year. Yeah enjoy the washclothes while you can buy them...LOL. It all changes. We do the Charm braclets...for my Dd and she loves them. Your trip seems to be perfect, enjoy and have fun.
So far it really feels perfect. I just needed something good after my January. And this has exceeded my expectations, and I'm only on the fourth day!
So, here I am mid trip and still tweaking my reservations, lol!
We've canceled Liberty Tree for tomorrow, and Ohana breakfast for our final day (our ADR was for 1030am and we decided we really wanted to get on the road by 10am - sigh). Then we canceled 1900 Park Fair and replaced it with Cape May Cafe.
The photos are almost done btw... 5 more to go. By the time I finish typing, I'll be ready to post em!!
So while the photos uploaded today, I sat and watched animals on the savannah (coolest thing ever) and then we decided to eat at Boma. We checked online and it said the earliest ADR was 720pm. Since it was 445pm I said, "Pssssssssht, let's walk down and see." We were seated immediately. The food, as always, was amazing. I had this lamb stew that was to DIE for, and some sliced tenderloin. Basmati rice and mealy bread, and some pita with sundried tomato hummus. For dessert they brought Meri a cupcake and some ice cream, which she took as her due. Then I tried a zebra dome, apricot gelato thingy, and a coffee mousse tart. Frankly they were all gross. I know, I know. EVERYONE loves zebra domes. Everyone but me, apparently. *sigh* Sorry!
But the ice cream and cupcake were great. Meri shared with me.
Then after dinner, mom took Meri back to the room while I grabbed a few little things for Meri's birthday tmw. Now mom is in the shop while I distract Meri.
We're all going to bed early tonight because tomorrow is breakfast at the castle, and then a long day at MK (I plan on doing "open to close" tomorrow, which usually isn't our thing, except on her birthday).
After Meri is tucked in, I'm going to soak in the tub, and then it's bed for me, too.
Ok, photos are uploaded... brb with LOTS of photo updates.
Sadly Mary is not up to photos as she's been screaming at the top of her lungs with the characters so far. How long does this phase last? She loved them all when she was only 9 months old. I guess I'm going to stick with the characters that look more human like princesses and pixies.
When Mo was 19 months old the only fur character she wanted anything to do with was Mickey (or Mousey as she called him then). She was great with the Princesses but would get panicky and cry with anyone big and furry. At 5 she was an autograph hunting machine, and at 3/4 she would meet them and pose if I was with her.
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I got a little behind, but I'm all caught up now. Awesome Super Bowl Sunday and even more awesome day at Universal!
I love that you're taking it a little slow and relaxing. I hope I can be inspired by that.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Principessa_di_Fata
Then I tried a zebra dome, apricot gelato thingy, and a coffee mousse tart. Frankly they were all gross. I know, I know. EVERYONE loves zebra domes. Everyone but me, apparently. *sigh* Sorry!
I am with you. I loved Boma--the food and atmosphere are great! But I wasn't into the Zebra Domes, either.
Hope Meri's birthday is all she hoped for! Wish her a happy birthday from us!
Great meal at Kona! Had me hungry as I read! all the pictures at WWoHP! for taking so many with such detail! I can't wait to get there, but I'm hoping for no more snow days so we can leave a day or two earlier in June.
Loved your pictures of Harry Potter's World! Thanks for the great descriptions and the tips to arrive early! Have fun tomorrow at MK! and Happy Birthday to Meri!
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A Fairy Godmother wannabe -
Look what a little Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo can do!
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She loved them all when she was only 9 months old. I guess I'm going to stick with the characters that look more human like princesses and pixies.
Melanie
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Pixie Dust
Can't wait for the pics! 
your TR!!!!
for taking so many with such detail! I can't wait to get there, but I'm hoping for no more snow days so we can leave a day or two earlier in June.
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