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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!
Welcome! We're happy you've found the PassPorter Community -- the friendliest place to plan your vacation to Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland, and the world in general! You are now viewing the PassPorter Message Board Community as a guest, which gives you limited access. As our guest, feel free to browse our messages by selecting the forum you want to visit from the list below.
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It's safe to say there are many wonders of the world. Some, like bustling cities around the world, have been created by mankind over many years, but there are others that owe their origin to nature and have changed very little in centuries. Yosemite National Park in California is one of those wonders that falls into the second category.
Covering almost 1,200 square miles in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, Yosemite is a four- to five-hour drive from San Francisco, making it a popular day trip for visitors staying in the Bay Area for a few days, and that's exactly how we explored Yosemite.
There are many companies offering day-long tours and most will have one thing in common - a very early start and a very late finish to your visit. We were picked up before 6:30 a.m. and didn't get back to our hotel until after 7:30 pm. But in that time, we were treated to some of the most famous sights in the park.
It's believed that Yosemite has been home to Native Americans for something like 8,000 years, but the discovery of gold in the Sierra Nevada foothills in 1849 brought thousands of miners to the area to seek their fortune. Once they discovered the area's wonders, Yosemite's fame quickly spread. Known as the "Incomparable Valley," before long, hotels were being built and livestock brought in to graze in the meadows. Fortunately, before too much damage could be done, President Abraham Lincoln signed a bill protecting Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias. Now, around four million people enjoy the beauty of Yosemite every year.
One part of the park that nearly all those four million visitors head for is Yosemite Valley, and it's no small wonder. Not only can you reach it all year round by car, it's also the best place to see beautiful meadows and get some superb views of the park's most famous rock formations and waterfalls.
Forget the waterfalls you've seen anywhere else, as they pale into insignificance compared to what Yosemite has to offer. The tallest is Yosemite Falls, more than 2,400 feet high. It's made up of three separate falls and even if you don't want to be active on your visit, it's easy to walk to Lower Yosemite Fall. You'll certainly feel the force of the water as you near it, particularly if the wind is blowing in your direction. Even on a dry day, an umbrella or coat is a good idea, as getting close to any of the falls is like stepping out in a rainstorm!
Another fall well worth seeing is Bridal Veil. Although it's a lot smaller than Yosemite Falls, at just 620 feet, if you see this first, as we did on our tour, it'll help prepare you for the breathtaking views you'll get of Yosemite Falls.
It's not just waterfalls that provide a stunning view in Yosemite. All around the valley are rock formations, with Half Dome up there with Yosemite Falls as one of the park's most recognizable icons. Looming almost 5,000 feet above the floor of the valley, it's something you can't fail to see as you travel around. Opposite Bridal Veil Falls is El Capitan, which at nearly 3,000 feet high, is the largest monolith of granite in the world.
While in the valley, it's worth heading for the Yosemite Valley Visitor Center complex, where you can find out more about the history of the area and the Indians who live here. The nearby Ansel Adams Gallery is also well worth a visit, as it displays some beautiful work from a range of photographers and artists.
Although you can see a lot from the floor of Yosemite Valley, even if you're short of time, you should head for some of the Giant Sequoia groves above the valley. Mariposa Grove is the most famous of these and, to give you an idea of the scale of the park, it's located 36 miles south of Yosemite Valley. Even when we visited in late April, there was still a lot of snow around and the trek down there was pretty treacherous, so if you plan on visiting Yosemite during the colder months, you're likely to find the road there closed.
Yosemite is also home to a number of hotels, with the Ahwahnee, a National Historic Landmark, perhaps the most beautiful of the choices for overnight stays there. Completed in 1927, if you like Disney's Wilderness Lodge, you'll love the design of this place. Even if you don't stay there, you may want to visit this beautiful resort.
It's the same story with the Wawona Hotel, which dates from the 19th century. Although not as stunning as the other two resorts, you can't beat the location of Yosemite Lodge at the Falls. As the name suggests, it's just a few minutes walk from Yosemite Falls and very centrally located.
Yosemite is technically open all year round, but parts of the park can be inaccessible by car due to snow between November and May. On a visit with my parents many years ago, we were the last car to be let through the park, as the snow was coming in. That was quite an experience and when they close the roads due to snow, they do so for a reason!
For that reason, most people visit in the summer months, although that's not the best time to see the waterfalls. Because most of the water in Yosemite comes from snow melting on the high ground, the waterfalls are at their best in April and May, which was certainly our experience during our visit. Despite that, if you choose to visit in the spring, bear in mind that you may still see an occasional winter storm.
Whatever time of the year you choose to visit Yosemite, you'll find a beautiful, unspoiled park waiting for you that's truly one of the natural wonders of the world.
Great write up opn Yosemite! The HalfDome hike is a great adventure. I've done it 20 times - 156 miles, 12 hours, a mile vertical gain, and of course the last 400 feet are via a cable banister at 45 degrees! But the views and sense of accomplishment are worth it. Folks need to prepare though...it's not a walk-in-the-park. Water, boots, hiking poles and gloves for the cables - and be in top shape! I'd love to help others do this hike - safely! Have Fun!
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.
Even in a good snowpack year, most of the Falls at Yosemite peter out by August. True, this year mid-June resembled late August! All the falls are fed by snow melt. Bridal Veil Falls is one of the longest running since the snow feeding it has a north face and melts later. My suggestion - visit in May or June if possible. All 13 of the falls in the Valley are cooking and the days are much longer then. By the way, at 2425 feet, Yosemite Falls is the tallest in North America! Sentinal Falls at 2,000 is the 2nd!! They are #5 and #8 tallest in the world! Right here in California!
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