A Promise Kept: A Cam and Fam PTR Updated 10/9 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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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We also own at SSR, our first contract, and the proximity to Disney Springs is a definite perk!
That was our first contract, too. We later added more points here after we bought at AKL and then added on there. We wanted both resorts to have equal points for banking points each year.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SuperDave
I think you made a great choice with SSR as with the complete re-imagination of Disney Springs this is a great place to stay so you can spend a lot of time there experiencing all the changes there! A good reason, why I considered this area for my upcoming trip!
If I'm correct, the Paddock bus depot is closest to DS as that may be important to me on my trip
Thanks for those comprehensive videos of the two resorts from AEN. I especially love the one of SSR and the contrast of the greens and whites in the room, which blend so well together! I also like that there were a few views of the LBV Golf course which I have played probably a dozen times!
I'm a decent golfer and never hit any of the resort buildings but did hit a ball across the road one time at Palm probably near the TTC. That was scary as so much traffic, but no damage!
We figured with a couple of days prior to the arrival of family, we might want to explore DS a couple of nights.
Quote:
Originally Posted by chezp
We own a number of contracts at Saratoga Springs, but rarely stay there, as our hearts are at the Beach Club Villas and Animal Kingdom Lodge Villas, but the proximity to Disney Springs is a definite bonus!
We haven't stayed at SSR as often as AKL, but then SSR doesn't have the animals.
SSR is our home resort and we love it! Most people complain it's too big, but it's really like a spoke , you are never too far from the Carriage House! Our favorite area is Grandstand...very quiet, bus is first on-first off! And if you JUST MISS the bus you wanted. You have time to walk to The Springs, which is the last bus stop!!
We've stayed at Grandstand before and I loved that location. I mentioned it for this trip, but Luke said it would be neat this time to be nearer Disney Springs. So I gave in.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lindawdw
I think you'll enjoy your stay at SSR because it's going to be so easy to get to Disney Springs without having to deal with the bus or the parking lot if you drove! One of our contracts is at OKW so I'm looking forward to hearing about your stay there!
This will be our third stay at OKW, but our first time in something other than a studio. I can't wait to see the layout of the two-bedroom for myself.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pris
This will be a wonderful kick off to your vacation.
We thought it would give us some time to explore DS before the Vaughns arrive and the parks get first priority.
PassPorter's Free-Book to Walt Disney World It’s hard to believe anything is free at Walt Disney World; but there are actually a number of things you can get or do for little to no cost. This e-book documents over 200 free or cheap tips to do before you go and after you arrive. You could save a considerable amount of money following these tips. Perhaps more importantly; you can discover overlooked attractions and little-known details most people whiz by on their way to spend money. Click here to see free sample pages from the e-book! Get this popular e-book free of extra charges when you join the PassPorter's Club for as little as $4.95. A club pass includes access to all our other e-books; e-worksheets; super-size photos; and more! This e-book is also available for separate purchase in the PassPorter Online Store for just $5.95.
Our wait list came through so we won't be "seeing you around the resort" as we will be at OKW. I agree though, at SS it seems to be easier to get a room.
Our wait list came through so we won't be "seeing you around the resort" as we will be at OKW. I agree though, at SS it seems to be easier to get a room.
We'll just have to figure out a time when we can meet then!
PassPorter's Free-Book to Walt Disney World It’s hard to believe anything is free at Walt Disney World; but there are actually a number of things you can get or do for little to no cost. This e-book documents over 200 free or cheap tips to do before you go and after you arrive. You could save a considerable amount of money following these tips. Perhaps more importantly; you can discover overlooked attractions and little-known details most people whiz by on their way to spend money. Click here to see free sample pages from the e-book! Get this popular e-book free of extra charges when you join the PassPorter's Club for as little as $4.95. A club pass includes access to all our other e-books; e-worksheets; super-size photos; and more! This e-book is also available for separate purchase in the PassPorter Online Store for just $5.95.
We get a few days prior to the Vaughns to explore the parks. We quickly decided that rather than making ourselves frantic on day one that we would plan to stay near the resort. Since the resort is Saratoga Springs that will include Disney Springs. Our online room requests were near the Disney Springs walkway and a Disney Springs View.
We chose this time when we did online check-in. Our flight arrives at Sanford around 2:30, and we figure by the time we our luggage and the rental car, and then travel from there to SSR, it will be nearly 4:00 PM. Hopefully, we’ll have received a text about where our room will be by that time, too. The plan is to take in what we will need for the two nights here, and then move on to the fun.
· 5:00 PM Welcome Center to purchase Tables in Wonderland
Our first major task is to renew our Tables in Wonderland, so we can immediately begin using the 20% savings on our dining. I’m excited that we’ll actually get to use the brand new Welcome Center that we only walked through this past May. This usually doesn’t take too long, and I hope it doesn’t take more than hour.
· 6:00 PM Frontera Cocina for dinner
We had hoped Rick Bayless’ restaurant would be opened in May, but that didn’t work out. After we go home, I kept checking the Disney website so I’d be on top of things when reservations opened up. One evening, even before any announcement was made, I was able to snag us dinner on our arrival day. I let out a whoop that made Luke wonder what had just happened. He was quite pleased that I had gotten the ADR.
· Remainder of evening exploring Disney Springs
Magic Kingdom close this evening at 7:00 for MNSSHP, both DHS and AK close at 7:30, and Epcot is open until 9:00. We don’t want to feel rushed so we’ve decide against any park time this evening. But since were at Disney Springs in May even more new places have opened up, including the Coca-Cola Store and QUNILO (selling color, high-quality basics for men, women and children at reasonable prices). When our explorations tire us out, we’ll return to get some sleep for a very early day tomorrow.
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I also like that there were a few views of the LBV Golf course which I have played probably a dozen times! 
Hopefully, we won't wear ourselves out trying to cram too much in. 
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