Feature Article: The Port of Stockholm, Sweden - A Disney Cruise Line Port Review - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!
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.
To post messages and ask questions, join our FREE community today and you'll get access to tools and resources not available to guests, such as our vacation countown timers, "living" avatars, private messaging system, database searches, downloads, and a special PassPorter discount code. Registration is fast, simple, and completely free. Just click the Join Our Community link.
If you think you've already joined, log in below now. If you don't remember your member name or password, please visit our Member Name and Password Recovery page. You are also welcome to contact us.
Feature Article: The Port of Stockholm, Sweden - A Disney Cruise Line Port Review
The Port of Stockholm, Sweden - A Disney Cruise Line Port Review by Cheryl Pendry
Next summer, the Disney Magic heads back to Europe, but with a wider variety of ports of call than ever before, adding in the stunning Norwegian fjords into its itinerary.
Along with that, a number of the old favourites return to the Disney itinerary line-up, including Baltic routes. That's on my bucket list to do one day, although ironically we've already visited a number of the destinations that the Disney Magic will take in. One of those ports is Stockholm, the beautiful capital of Sweden, which we were fortunate enough to spend a couple of days in, as part of a trip to Scandinavia. The first thing you immediately notice about Stockholm, appropriately enough for a cruise port of call, is that it’s very much a city on the water. In fact, i's been built on a series of islands, so the chances are you’ll find yourself taking to a boat to get around to see the major sights.
The main attraction for many visitors to Stockholm, and I count myself in that, is the Gamla Stan or old town. It’s packed with vibrantly coloured buildings, many dating back to the 18th century, and it’s a real pleasure to just wander around this part of the city. At the heart of it is the Royal Palace, which is well worth seeing. As you’d expect from any palace, it’s an impressive building, and we spent a very happy morning exploring it. This is a huge visitor draw, and just like any major Disney attraction, we were there at opening, as we visited in the height of the summer, exactly the time the Magic will be visiting Stockholm. We found this approach worked well, and crowds were low, although were certainly building by the time we left.
Other buildings in the Gamla Stan well worth seeing include the Storkyrkan or cathedral, the Stortorget, the square at the heart of the old town, and the Parliament building, which is made up of older and newer buildings in a fascinating mixture of architecture. The main museums are outside of the charming Gamla Stan, and if you want to visit them, that’s where you’ll likely need to take a boat trip out to the island of Djurgarden, which was once a Royal hunting ground. The chances are most people will probably take a Disney shore excursion, as I have no doubt they’ll be offering options that include visits here, and as you will need to negotiate boat rides, that’s what I’d pick as well, as you don’t want to get stuck getting back to the Magic.
So what’s out at Djurgarden that’s worth visiting? For me, the top attraction is the Vasa Museum, which is home to the Royal warship the Vasa. It dates from the 17th century, and is really something to see, as it’s been beautifully conserved, and of course being Royal, is covered in beautiful decorations, giving you a good idea of how much work went into creating it. Sadly, the Vasa has what can only be described as a chequered history. It capsized in Stockholm harbour in 1628 with the loss of around 50 people. As it was supposed to be the pride of the country’s navy, it didn’t look good, and that’s probably why it was left lying on the bottom of the harbour until it was discovered in 1956. It took many years before it could go on display to the public though, with the museum only opening in 1990.
Disney may add in some excursions that include Skansen, which was the world’s first open air museum when it opened in 1891, as it’s a huge draw for families. It shows how people once lived in Sweden, with homes, farms and even animals. A firm favourite for many visitors are the bears and I have to say we spent some serious time admiring these beautiful animals.
Since our visit to Djurgarden, a new attraction has opened its doors, and it’s one I’d certainly love to see one day. It’s ABBA The Museum, celebrating the lives and music of the famous foursome, and is just a 10 minute walk from the Vasa Museum.
One thing that Disney are likely to offer are trips out on the water, as that is a beautiful way to see Stockholm. A boat trip may just be a way of getting in between the various different attractions, but there are also sightseeing options, and they’re well worth taking too, unless you really want to get your feet on dry land for a while that is!
Another way to get a wonderful view of Stockholm that will be a lot more energetic and will require more planning is to visit the tower of Stockholm City Hall. It’s 106 metres high, and it is quite the hike to get up it, but the view when you get there is worth it. If this is something that interests you, you’re best off heading there as early as you can, as only limited numbers of people are allowed up it from opening time at 9:15am each morning, and tickets can only be bought on the day. The city hall itself is also well worth seeing, although the only way to get inside is by taking a guided tour. It’s home to some amazing rooms, and every year plays host to the annual Nobel Prize festivities in December.
There are so many choices for what will be a busy day in Stockholm. We spent a couple of nights in the city on our visit, and there are still things we didn’t get round to visiting, like the royal palace of Drottningholm, located six miles west of Stockholm, and the national museum. I think a return trip, perhaps on a future Disney Magic visit, is in order for us to take in some of those sights!
The Disney Magic stops at Stockholm four times in summer 2015. The first two are during the seven-night Northern European itineraries from Copenhagen, Denmark, departing on May, 30 and June, 13. It also features on the 12-night Northern European cruises from Dover, England, which head out on July, 10 and 22.
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.
Just want to add how much we LOVED Skansen! We described it (for those familiar with the references) like a combination of Williamsburg, and a fantastic zoo. It even offered my DH a chance to see a mama and two baby moose. Well worth the time, and admission. We did it on our own, after doing a self tour walking the Gamla Stan area, we then did a ferry to Skansen, and then a taxi back to the Magic.
Just want to add how much we LOVED Skansen! We described it (for those familiar with the references) like a combination of Williamsburg, and a fantastic zoo. It even offered my DH a chance to see a mama and two baby moose. Well worth the time, and admission. We did it on our own, after doing a self tour walking the Gamla Stan area, we then did a ferry to Skansen, and then a taxi back to the Magic.
Oh wow, that sounds like a wonderful way to spend your day there!
About This Page: 
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
PassPorter Guide Author
Linear Mode
