Saving the Magic (with Cam and Luke plus Morgan) COMPLETED - Page 87 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Darn....just checked into the WAT on the Disney website. Apparently it only goes thru the end of September.....
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Jennifer / Eeyore is my favorite!! OMG - He's sooooo grown up!!!! And an EAGLE SCOUT!! I can still remember my cute little Tiger Cub! 2016 Reading Goal - 75 books
Great pics so far! Morgan is such a cutie all geared up.
She did look very safari ready in her gear!
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Originally Posted by mdobereiner
Aw, I'm SO excited to see the trek!!! I want to do it so badly!! Hope photobucket behaves for another update tomorrow!
Mel
I forgot about a family wedding yesterday and didn't have time to get on, but I've got an update ready to post.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Coop
LOVE the WAT!!!! We didn't take a taxi (and should have). We were the last ones to show up and just made it by taking the bus. Chuck was worried about the weigh in. Although they must have just started the name tag thing. We didn't get name tags. Only the water bottles. Too cool!
That is exactly what I was afraid would happen if we relied on the bus to get us there. We loved it, too!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cheyenne
You guys kept busy! I always enjoy reading your TR! Thanks for sharing
We do tend to go, go, go.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lauriep
Good idea taking the cab for the WAT! You all look great geared up. On the accessible tour we didn't get to wear the cool vests!
Photobucket seems to be having even more glitches than usual lately!
I really felt safari ready all garbed up. Today was better with Photobucket so there will be lots more pictures coming up.
Quote:
Originally Posted by pamcarey
Great pictures so far! Looks like you get some yummy juice while waiting for the tour to start!
I love that juice!
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Originally Posted by buzzspal2
I'm looking forward to more.
I'm adding an update at the end of all the replies.
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Originally Posted by bsblady01
more please
Coming up!
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Originally Posted by mcc0313
Looks like a great start...can't wait to hear more.
The trek started very well!
Quote:
Originally Posted by chezp
I can't wait to read more about the trek!
Updating today!
Quote:
Originally Posted by mfirst
great start so far! Morgan looks really excited. I think Luke should help my husband get over his fear of technology (i.e. the camera) then maybe I'd finally get in some pictures with my boys
getting your DH to take your photo with the boys!
Quote:
Originally Posted by honeybee723
So far so good...can't wait to read the rest of it.
Hmmm, no more wall space and too many for scrapbooks, eh?
I'm reminded of a project Jen from EPBOT.com did where they covered a desk in pennies and coated it with resin. While it would probably mean snipping the backs off the pins, you could do something similar with the pin collection for an end table (or two), a desk, or a coffee table. That way the pins would be visible without taking up needed space and they'd be on permanent display!
My other thought was a more traditional mosaic, sealed of course, to make stepping stones for the backyard?
Interesting idea!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Peanut_mommy
My daughter actually asked today if hers could be hung from the ceiling, above her bed where she could see it at night. I didn't even think of that! We simply screwed the c-hooks into the ceiling instead of the wall and she loves it.
I'm afraid that would drive me crazy, but Stefanie would have loved it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tabitha34
Can't wait to hear more about the trek!
Quote:
Originally Posted by lazanya
I can't wait to hear more about WAT!!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Colexis Mom
Great start to your WAT!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by KMB733
Great Start, can't wait for more WAT!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by DawnK
Looking forward to seeing your WAT tour photos. We got ours today!!
Another update is on the way!
Quote:
Originally Posted by goofyboysmama
Looks like fun already and you're only just gearing up!
The whole experience was so exciting!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Irenaroo
Wow...you get so much done, even on the rainy days! Can't wait to hear more about the Wild Africa Trek! Cool pictures so far! I love the vests!
The vests were cool, but very hot in the June heat and humidity.
Quote:
Originally Posted by NanaTink
So anxious to hear about this...want to surprise DH with this next May!!
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Loved the WAT when we did it last year (Lucille not so much the bridges were a bit too much for her) Loved see opposite shore from bridge pics The day we did it was vet day for crocs but I spotted Al E Gator out for a midday swim i that area so it kind of made up for it. Name tags are new so maybe I can get her to do it again.
I won't get to the bridges in today's update, but they will be next.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Roxie2006
I really like the true Safari look. All the pics are great. Will be waiting for your next update!!!!
I love how Disney immerses the guests in every experience. I could forget I was in Florida, except for the humidity.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jenifermg0
Darn....just checked into the WAT on the Disney website. Apparently it only goes thru the end of September.....
Before our adventure began, the guides had our group pose for some group shots.
Morgan’s sound system went out three times before we got past Tusker House, but the crew is equipped with both extra batteries and extra sound systems. The trek begins by walking through Africa to the Pangani Forest trail.
Two pictures of the Sausage Tree in Africa
Our first animal sighting was the Colobus monkey. They were very busy eating their breakfast. My pictures are first.
Guide’s photos
We walked past the birds, and then beyond the gross stuff (think reptiles and bugs), and through a special entrance to the WAT trail. The trek had begun.
All the bird photographs were taken by our guide Jason as I listening very closely to the directions for entering the backstage area. By the way, I could take my DSLR camera along because I had the strap around my neck.
Back stage our first journey was to visit the hippos. The two we observed were a father and son. The father remained at a distance and seemed rather aloof to these strangers in his domain. The son, a teenager, was ready to come close as long as there was snack food provided. I think, the guide told us their names were Harry and Henry (father –son order).
To reach the overlook for the hippos, we had to do a wee bit of walking and climbing.
As we moved up to the overlook, we sighted this hippo in the observation pool doing his morning laps.
This next photo will give you a concept of what the backstage trails looked like. This one came right after the observation pool.
We stopped briefly for Jason to fill us in on the hippos and to introduce us to other guide who would be answering our questions while we observed the hippos. He also reminded us how to use our carabiner as we had practiced earlier.
Then we headed out onto the overlook to watching the hippos.
This is the dad and this is where he stayed the entire time. The son is below eagerly coming up to get some snacks.
Our hippo guide who is the only guide whose name I forgot to write down. Oops!
The next photographs were all taken by our guide Jason.
I think it looks like the young hippo is smiling.
As you can tell by the number of pictures our visit with the hippos was not rushed.
The Group looks very professional...
We really love Animal Kingdom. The natural habitat is so awesome. All the animals pictures are great. Especially the hippo. He looks like a very happy feller!!!
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In this picture it actually looks like the hippo is laughing!
I LOVE all of your hippo pictures. Hippos have been my favorite animal ever since a wonderful Girl Scout trip to the zoo in Denver a few years ago. The hippos were acting like big puppy dogs and I just loved them. Just today my DH called me on Facetime from Africa and showed me some of the wooden hand-carved Hippos he picked up for me.
Your pictures just made me so happy. We already have too many things to do on our next trip, but I am going to have to add the WAT to my bucketlist of things to do.
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Great start to the WAT. I am looking forward to being there in about three weeks. None of my family would agree to go with me on the TREK. The pix are really good.
I have an idea for the pins.....(I am not a crafty person so not sure exactly how to do it!). How about pillows? You know how you can buy the totes that have a pocket on the outside to slide photos? Somehow put the pins on a pillow with a removable cover then sew a clear plastic cover over the pins. Don't know if it would work but it is an idea!!!! You wouldn't want to lay or sit on the pillows but lots of decorative pillows are that way.
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We do tend to go, go, go. 
getting your DH to take your photo with the boys! 
The son is below eagerly coming up to get some snacks.
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"Sparky"(My first trip.)
Mary - not enough trips!
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