Living the dream and remembering the Bagman UPDATED 3/21 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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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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Glad you enjoyed the new Soarin! I skipped the spoiler part because I want to experience first hand next June. I've avoided all videos and descriptions of it.
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Thanks for the spoiler alert! I didn't want to read about the new Soarin'. I can't wait to see it myself in April. My daughter watched a video of it on YouTube, and I listened but didn't watch. I was very happy that the music was similar as I absolutely love that music!
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I had heard new Soarin used CGI. But even going in with that knowledge, I still loved it! I'm curious - do you remember where you sat? Left, middle, or right side? We ended up in the middle both times, but I've heard that if you're on the left or right side, the Eiffel tower looks curvy!
We were on the right side and now you say that, I do remember thinking it didn't look quite straight, so I think there's something in that.
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Ugh, more extra walking for you in the hallways of AKL. I bet you were looking forward to laying down for a bit!
Looks like you had an enjoyable afternoon at Epcot. I actually missed the old Soarin after seeing the new film in DL/CA this past September. I wish they had done a film of various places in the US with more of the smells like they did in the old CA film. Oh well, it's still a great attraction.
I'd like to see them do a film with some more of the USA as well and especially with some more smells - that was the only thing I felt was missing from the new version.
I didn't read your Soarin' info as we'll experience it a month from now at DL. Can't wait. But I know I'll miss the smell of the orange groves from the original!
Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
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Sounds like the person checking you in was map-challenged!
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Not just the Eiffel Tower but all the tall items, Taj Mahal, etc. look curvy from the sides. We rode for the first time on the far right and it was quite annoying. The second time we rode, we asked for and waited to get the middle section. It was much better.
I didn't notice anything amiss with the Taj Mahal, so maybe we weren't that far off the middle when we rode?
Glad you enjoyed the new Soarin! I skipped the spoiler part because I want to experience first hand next June. I've avoided all videos and descriptions of it.
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Glad you enjoyed the new version of Soarin! How annoying that the CM at the front desk directed you the wrong way to your room. At least in the end you finally got there!
I'd forgotten that they'd redone the movie part of that attraction--I've put it on the list of fast passes I hope to get. 60 days out is quickly approaching !
Glad you enjoyed Soarin' so much and I will give you my take on it as it will be in my next TR post! I can't believe that CM gave you the wrong directions for your room as that is one of the basic things they should know about the resort they are working at!
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October 6, 2017-Enjoying an amazing dinner at Victoria & Albert's with PP's Dot and Drew
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When we arrived at Epcot, we had to show our MagicBands, as Animal Kingdom Lodge is taking part in a testing system where you show that instead of having the paper on your dashboard. I get where Disney is going with this, but you know what? It’s actually a real pain at the moment, especially when your resort appears to be the only one on such a test. I suspect one day they’ll have a system a bit like the toll roads, where you’ll maybe have something in your own MagicBand, or maybe there’ll be one for the car, and sensors will let you through automatically at the parks or at your resort, but I’m guessing that’s a while off yet…
This isn't new. Back in March of 2014 we did get the paper but they told us by showing the bands (back then ONLY resort guest could have bands) we would get in to park. Not too long after that they started scanning bands and from what I have been told it's been at least 2 years now that they don't give the paper usually unless you ask for it.
Love the description of Soarin'. We are hoping to go at the end of may or early June this year and experience the parks like we haven't in several years. Claire is aching for just some Disney time with nothing else attached. LOL.
We loved the new Soarin'. Glad you all did, too. Though as I was reading your description, I realized how much I have already forgotten about it since we only got to ride it once on our past trip. Now I'm ready to ride it a number of times on our spring trip.
Yay! Y'all made it to Disney. You covered a fair amount at Epcot, despite the heat. Sorry about the room charging not working. Good idea on the gift card.
I'd forgotten that they'd redone the movie part of that attraction--I've put it on the list of fast passes I hope to get. 60 days out is quickly approaching !
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I wish we had gotten to ride it again!!
I can't believe that CM gave you the wrong directions for your room as that is one of the basic things they should know about the resort they are working at! 
Though as I was reading your description, I realized how much I have already forgotten about it since we only got to ride it once on our past trip. Now I'm ready to ride it a number of times on our spring trip. 
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