From no trip to celebrating 20 years together… planning it all in less than 100 days! UPDATED 6/30 - Page 80 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!
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.
What a bummer abou dinner!!. I think I may look at my ADR there again. Those combos don't appeal to me either. : That was indeed magical to have your own private fireworks viewing!! Cool!!
Well that's a bummer about dinner. How odd that those are the two popular dishes, yet the flavors were so off for you guys. I guess in five years, you'll have to try something different on the menu.
Very cool treat with the Wishes viewing from the boat though! And right next to the poor folks who paid for the view! hahaha....
__________________
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
Sorry that dinner didn't live up to your expectations. I like the atmosphere at Artist Point but we've never been thrilled with the meal there. How great that you were able to view Wishes from the water!!!
Too bad your dinners were both such a disappointment. But what a nice treat to get your own fireworks cruise! Lucky you went ahead and got on the boat!
What a bummer abou dinner!!. I think I may look at my ADR there again. Those combos don't appeal to me either. :
I did feel they were trying to be a bit experimental maybe with their food and, for us, it didn't work, but having said that, I know others who've dined there recently and have had good meals.
Quote:
That was indeed magical to have your own private fireworks viewing!! Cool!!
Well that's a bummer about dinner. How odd that those are the two popular dishes, yet the flavors were so off for you guys. I guess in five years, you'll have to try something different on the menu.
You know what, it probably will be at least five years before we return, after the meal we had. You're not far off there...
Quote:
Very cool treat with the Wishes viewing from the boat though! And right next to the poor folks who paid for the view! hahaha....
I know, although I did feel a bit sorry for them....
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.
Too bad your dinner was a bit disappointing! I've had enjoyed both of those entrees before, but the combinations on your plates don't seem to work! The chefs need to get to work on this! How cool to enjoy your own private fireworks cruise! I guess timing is everything!
__________________
October 6, 2017-Enjoying an amazing dinner at Victoria & Albert's with PP's Dot and Drew
My TR from my most recent trip is now underway. Includes: Universal Studios Florida, Disney World and Sea World Orlando Trifecta TR -Updated December 10th! TR is now COMPLETED!
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
Finally finished catching up! Looks like a great time at MK. Your villa is gorgeous. Sorry your meal at Artist Pointe wasn't the greatest. The fireworks is a great way to end the day!
Too bad your dinner was a bit disappointing! I've had enjoyed both of those entrees before, but the combinations on your plates don't seem to work! The chefs need to get to work on this!
They do, and maybe they already have. As I say, I know friends who've eaten there since and I don't think they had any complaints.
Quote:
How cool to enjoy your own private fireworks cruise! I guess timing is everything!
Oh gosh yes, a couple of minutes later and we wouldn't have been on that boat...
Friday 3 March – part thirteen: what a mess to get in!
We then docked, and made our way off the boat. At first there was a guy telling us where to go for the DVC event, but then it stopped. Another guy was just telling people where to go for buses and the ferryboat. A group of us yelled “DVC event?” at him, but we got nothing in return. Great, that helps… not!
Worse was to come. We eventually fathomed out where we had to go, and it was right across the never ending tidal wave of people coming out of the park. Are you kidding me? Mark had joked earlier that it would be like salmon swimming upstream, but my goodness, this was 10 times worse! We just about managed to get across, and cut under a rope to get out of the way. We then got yelled at by security, who pointed at a massive line of people. Apparently that was the line to get into the park. We couldn’t see in the darkness where it ended, as it was almost shoulder to shoulder with people trying to get out.
I was about to walk that way, but I guess Mark spoke to a security guard, and that was the line for people with bags. Neither of us had bags, so we were able to go straight in – good call! I honestly dread to think how long those people waited to get in, as I only saw about two security guards checking bags. I can understand it, as they want to get people out of the park, but it was a complete mess. I heard other people using much more choice language than that, and I will confess we did too. I knew that it had been a joke at last Friday’s event, but I was hoping they’d learnt from that one. Apparently not.
We had our wristbands checked and headed into the park. At least here they were segregating people, with one massive line of people coming out, and the group of us coming in in another line. The further we walked, the less busy our line became. We were taken down the route behind Main Street USA, which we’ve used a couple of times before at busy times of the year. I guess by the landscaping they’ve done here that they expect to use it on a regular basis, because once upon a time, they had shrubs in containers you can move around. Now all of that looks a lot more permanent.
We made it up to Tomorrowland, and headed down that way…
This was where they were holding the meet the DVC execs event, and we had a few choice words about the entrance into the park that we wanted to pass along to them, because heck, they need to know. We got there literally about 9:29pm, and it started at 9:30pm. We ended up talking to the Director of the east coast, who was very nice, then we settled down with Amanda to fill in a survey about our experiences, so that those could be passed on to Disney.
We talked to her about the event, and apparently the DVC were basically given the option of “you have 10:00pm until 1:00am at the Magic Kingdom or nothing”, so they took it. It does amaze me to learn that, when you think of how many DVC properties have been built over the last 10 years (trust me, it’s a heck of a lot), and the only non-DVC property in that time has been Art of Animation. Considering we know DVC is obviously a success and bringing the money in, you’d think they’d hold more sway. It was also fascinating to learn that the problems at the entrance were partially because so many different teams were involved – i.e. transportation, security etc. You always think of them as being part of one team, but apparently not.
We did think about riding Buzz Lightyear, but the wait time was all over the place, varying from 30 to 50 to 15 while we sat there, so eventually we figured we’d go and find Genie and Abu in Adventureland. This was the real attraction of this event, putting out rare characters for people to have their photos taken with.
As we crossed the hub, we heard the voice of the DVC President booming out from speakers, telling us the park was now open only to us, and an enormous cheer went up from all the DVC members nearby. We strolled into Adventureland, showing our special wristbands, as most of the rest of the people in the park headed out.
As we walked along, Timon and Terk appeared, and I was quick enough to get Timon…
We took quite a while to find Genie and Abu, and by the time we do, they had a lengthy line. I wandered round and took some photos. It was a bit surreal, to say the least, to see shops all closed up for the night.
It took about 20 minutes to get to see them, but in the meantime, we were kept thoroughly entertained by Abu’s antics. He was just hilarious with everyone. Of course, what happened just before we got to them? They swapped out, and Abu wasn’t quite so good, which was a real shame.
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: 
. I think I may look at my ADR there again. Those combos don't appeal to me either. 
: That was indeed magical to have your own private fireworks viewing!!
Cool!!
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
PassPorter Guide Author
I guess timing is everything! 
Another guy was just telling people where to go for buses and the ferryboat. A group of us yelled “DVC event?” at him, but we got nothing in return. Great, that helps… not! 
Mark had joked earlier that it would be like salmon swimming upstream, but my goodness, this was 10 times worse! We just about managed to get across, and cut under a rope to get out of the way. We then got yelled at by security, who pointed at a massive line of people. Apparently that was the line to get into the park. 
Linear Mode
