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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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!
Best wishes for a wonderful and magical new year!
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09-26-2013, 09:00 PM
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#1
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PassPorter Guide
 Community Rank: Globetrotter 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 3,041
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Feature Article: Trader Sam's at the Disneyland Hotel - Disneyland Dining Review
Trader Sam's at the Disneyland Hotel - Disneyland Dining Review
by Jennifer Lambert
Are you a fan of Adventureland? The Jungle Cruise? Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room? Walt Disney World's Polynesian Resort? Pirates of the Caribbean? The Adventurer's Club?
If you answered "yes" to any of those, then you need to visit Trader Sam's at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim where mystery, romance and adventure await you! Trader Sam's is located on the grounds of the Disneyland Hotel, between the Adventure Tower and the Frontier Tower, adjacent to the Monorail Pool and is a land of enchantment all its own. Opened as part of a major refurbishment to the Disneyland Hotel in 2011, Trader Sam's is a wonderful lounge and bar with truly detailed theming; you don't know where to look first. Your adventure begins upon walking up to Trader Sam's. You are welcomed by a sign made from what looks like a rum barrel that was once lost at sea. You have your choice of sitting outside on cushy couches and chairs in an area by lit tiki torches when the sun sets, or to come inside. While sitting alfresco is normally my location of choice, you must go inside to experience why Trader Sam's is called an "enchanted" tiki bar. Once you step inside, your eyes work hard to adjust to the soft red lighting. There is seating both at the bar and surrounding tables. You will likely be warmly greeted by the ‘adventurous’ bar staff when you enter (who may also ask you to "shut the door"). The décor is the main event here. There are relics from all over the globe, many from Trader Sam himself. Who is Trader Sam? The story is that Trader Sam, the "head salesman" of the Jungle Cruise has decided to collect all of the artifacts that he has collected through his 55 years of world traveling, put them in one place, and invite all of his friends in for a snack and a drink. Trader Sam is the bar’s proprietor. The walls are covered in photographs and souvenirs, both collected by and sent to Sam by his many globe-trotting friends. One could spend hours here looking at all of the details; there is so much to see. On a recent trip, we even spotted a familiar glass jar with the label "Paradise Falls" on it. Seems 'Up's' Carl and Ellie Fredrickson are also friends of Sam.</p>
While the atmosphere is the star attraction, the food and especially the drinks are also draws themselves. Trader Sam’s offers a full bar including soft drinks and Sam’s No-Booze Brews, but the real fun comes from their specialty drinks (known as ‘boat drinks’ to you Parrotheads). Be sure to read the drink descriptions on the menus, as they sound like the Jungle Cruise skippers have authored them, with their witty sense of humor. These specialty beverages include (with thanks to the menus at www.allears.net):
"Uh Oa! - Whoever is brave enough to conjure up this concoction cursed by Uh Oa, the tiki goddess of disaster, must be forewarned: When you mess with Polynesia, the tiki gods will squeeze ya (often with a lime)! -- Light and Dark Rums, Orange, Passion Fruit, Guava, and Grapefruit Juices, Falernum, Cinnamon, and Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice. Recommended for Two or more Guests."
"Krakatoa Punch - There's no escaping falling in lava with this exotic eruption of flavor! -- Reserve and Spiced Rums, Tropical Juices, Orgeat (Almond) Syrup, Sam's Gorilla Grog, and Hibiscus Grenadine. Served in a souvenir Tiki Glass."
"HippopotoMai-Tai - Dare to enter this hippo pool with...Bang! Bang! Two shots of Rum! Don't worry this drink is only dangerous when you start to wiggle your ears! -- Light and Dark Rums, Orange Curacao, Orgeat (Almond) Syrup, Organic Agave Nectar, and Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice. Served in a souvenir Tiki Glass."
"Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Rum - Welcome to our tropical hideaway, you lucky people you! If you have one of these starting right away you may be ordering two! -- Reserve Rum, Cream of Coconut, and Pineapple and Orange Juices dusted with Cinnamon and Nutmeg."
"Shipwreck on the Rocks - Have too many of these and you'll be setting a course for Davy Jones' Locker! -- Bourbon with Freshly Muddled Lemon and Mint with Organic Agave Nectar." Many drinks come with a souvenir Tiki glass, which is reason alone to visit the bar. Some drinks also come with a "show." For example, I ordered the Krakatoa Punch and not only did it come in a souvenir glass, but the whole place started to get darker, bells rang, and a volcano erupted as my drink was served; quite an experience! The bartenders are also jokers in their own right; be careful which bar stool you sit on as you many find yourself pulling up to the bar a little closer than you had expected! In addition to drinks, Trader Sam’s does have a good menu with offering including an Angus cheeseburger, chicken-lettuce wraps, cheese flatbread and a pu pu platter. During the day there are always patrons; but the real fun happens at night when visitors return from the parks and want to end the night right. Children and families are most welcome (and would likely enjoy the selection of no-booze brews), but a 21-and-over policy takes effect after eight in the evenings and the lounge becomes quite crowded, with standing room-only availability.
Adjacent to Trader Sam's is Tangaroa Terrace, a counter service dining location that shares a porch with Trader Sam’s, and offers similar dining options including family-friendly choices for breakfast, lunch and dinner. For those who want a drink while lounging poolside at the Disneyland hotel, drinks come right from Trader Sam's to your deck chair, but it's just as fun to put on your cover-up and head over for some fun inside. Trader Sam's is a wonderful vacation in itself with a great atmosphere for anyone who is a fan of adventure, pranks, and the tiki way of life. My fingers are crossed that Trader Sam's comes to Orlando's Disney Springs (as Downtown Disney will be known)! Kungaloosh!
Added to PassPorter's Article Collection on 09-24-2013 12:09 PM
What do you think? Please add your own comments, experiences, or news related to this article in this thread! Reader feedback is welcomed and encouraged.
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11-17-2013, 01:32 PM
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#2
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Community Rank: Visitor
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 6
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We went to Trader Sam's in October. It was midday and we were able to take the kids with us to have lunch. Both my husband and I tried a different cocktail, me the HippopotoMai-Tai which I loved (I'm a Mai Tai connoisseur!) and the hubby had the Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Rum (which I think I loved even MORE than the Mai Tai!). Each of the kids had one of the No Booze Brews which they didn't love, but I tried all of them and really liked them. We also ate the PuPu Platter and loved everything on it, the ahi poke which was delicious and the Hawaiian cheeseburger. So so good. We're getting in one more Disneyland trip before moving from CA next year, and even though we have reservations at Napa Rose, Storyteller's Cafe and Carthay Circle, I'm hoping we can sneak over to Trader Sam's for a cocktail one night!
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