Checking off that Bucket List ~ Disney Style! - Page 9 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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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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Talk about a perfect Birthday Celebration! You sure got some good shots of the animals at AK - at Tusker House, on the Safari, and at the Meet & Greet. I hope you had as much fun writing this latest update as we did reading it.
You snuck in here!! Thanks!! I did have a blast!!! and reliving it has brought many smiles back!!
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Lisa Co-Guide to Sharing the Adventure: Disney World Trip Reports
Has the snow stopped yet??? I'm so glad you didn't lose power, I'll keep my fingers crossed that it stays that way for you! Make sure Scott takes care of himself this weekend with all of the plowing! My Dad used to run a plowing business, I remember after the big storms not seeing him for days.
Anyway, back to your TR
What a great start to your birthday!! I'm glad you were able to get your favorite server at TH, everything looked so good. How late did you make your ADR for? I'm curious, because I'd like to make as late of a reservation as I can there for August while still having breakfast on the buffet not lunch.
You sure met a lot of characters today, I love all of the pictures!!!
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What an awesome start to your birthday!!! Glad you got to meet all those characters and you were right about all the animals on the safari! I love when the safari stops because an animal is crossing, especially if you are in a good spot. Can't wait to read about more birthday fun at MK!
All caught up! I love that the shortest time listed so far is a bus from AK to Epcot - that is amazing in itself!
Loved the Osborne photos - all of them!
What a great start to your birthday! Glad you got to see so many characters.
Has the snow stopped yet??? I'm so glad you didn't lose power, I'll keep my fingers crossed that it stays that way for you! Make sure Scott takes care of himself this weekend with all of the plowing! My Dad used to run a plowing business, I remember after the big storms not seeing him for days.
Anyway, back to your TR
What a great start to your birthday!! I'm glad you were able to get your favorite server at TH, everything looked so good. How late did you make your ADR for? I'm curious, because I'd like to make as late of a reservation as I can there for August while still having breakfast on the buffet not lunch.
You sure met a lot of characters today, I love all of the pictures!!!
Thanks - we are surviving - it finally stopped snowing around noonish maybe? But the wind continued on and off throughout the day. Scott was out basically for 30+ hours - finally came home last night to sleep for a long period of time - his power steering went in the plow truck so we are waiting for the parts store to open to get that fixed - still have to dig out our cars - as I have to work tomorrow!
Our ADR was for 10:15 I believe, we were there for quite awhile (we always spend alot of time talking with Neil) so we found out that they start bringing the lunch items out around 10:50 or so - we actually booked a 10:45 for next time so that we can sample breakfast and lunch - the lunch items looked really good!!!
More characters to come!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by KMB733
What an awesome start to your birthday!!! Glad you got to meet all those characters and you were right about all the animals on the safari! I love when the safari stops because an animal is crossing, especially if you are in a good spot. Can't wait to read about more birthday fun at MK!
Thanks!!! More coming soon!
Quote:
Originally Posted by OhToodles!
All caught up! I love that the shortest time listed so far is a bus from AK to Epcot - that is amazing in itself!
Loved the Osborne photos - all of them!
What a great start to your birthday! Glad you got to see so many characters.
Hope you're surviving the snow!
Thanks! I am glad that I kept track of the times - we are seriously considering using the buses and not renting a car when we go in July - we felt that for it being the busiest week of the year, we certainly moved around quite quickly.
Uuuugghhh.............the snow.............so done with it!!!
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Lisa Co-Guide to Sharing the Adventure: Disney World Trip Reports
Just went out for 2 hours to dig out my car - help Scott get his truck out - it was stuck in the next door neighbors driveway (see what happens when you try to do something good!). It's been insane with all the snow - we got about 3 feet and it's heavy!!! My body is NOT happy right now, neither on my lungs! But at least I can get out now if needed.
Scott has headed back out - hoping to get his truck fixed - the power steering went on it - so makes it a bit difficult plowing - but at least he got some good sleep - of course, his customers are not happy because you know they all believe they are his only customer!!! And they don't care that the truck is broke right now. It's so frustrating having a business sometimes - but hey - it allows us to go on vacations - and this storm will pretty much pay for the July trip - even with losing some $$$ with the truck being out of commission for a part of it, so that's the upside of it.
so I plan to spend the better part of today scrapbooking with Emily - I am sad to say that I am still scrapping our 2007 trip! But I am cranking on it - and have decided that simple is best till I get caught up again!!
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Lisa Co-Guide to Sharing the Adventure: Disney World Trip Reports
Hope they can get the truck running again fast, but glad the break-down allowed Scott to get some rest. I'm afraid I'd probably be one of the customers complaining about my snowed-in driveway.... Hope you're not sore tomorrow from digging out the car! Happy scrapping.
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You guys have lots of snow too! Love all the character pictures. I would say NO to posting too many pictures. I have to live through your guys trip reports. I do know what to expect when we get there as you all have been so helpful! Can't wait read more!
Speaking of photos ... how about braving the cold for us and getting some snow shots outside (I have lots of good ideas, huh). I'm sure you are recording this record snowfall, so please do share.
Hope the truck gets fixed, I know people get impatient - but can they really get anywhere even if their driveways are clear?
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Lisa happy to hear that the worst of snow is over and Scott got home at least for a while and some real sleep. I can sympathize over being a small bus. owner no matter what customer never thinks we did it right and cost too much. My thinking is that $800 I spent on snow blower some of the best money I ever spent The heart attack I prevent and back I save might be my own
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Disney Magic - Oct 2015
so we are waiting for the parts store to open to get that fixed - still have to dig out our cars - as I have to work tomorrow! 
PassPorter Guide Author
Hope you're not sore tomorrow from digging out the car! Happy scrapping.
Deb
She's just keeping you honest, Lisa!
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