Just back 10/15...thoughts about our experiences - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
DH and I just returned late last night from a 3 night anniversary trip. This was our first time away without our 6 year old. There was a tiny bit of guilt for not bringing him but really we did some commando touring that he wouldn't have been able to handle. This trip was planned within 3 weeks of travel.
RESORT: I went back and forth about where to stay. I orignally booked POFQ because we like POR but I was hoping the bus situation was better at the smaller POFQ. A few days after booking I was second guessing myself. I REALLY wanted to rent DVC points for an EPCOT resort or Baylake. Every studio was filled up on property! I crunched some numbers and comapred options. Wilderness Lodge was reasonable so we decided to splurge and go for it. We have never stayed deluxe before so this was exciting. I loved the ideo of the boat to MK.
I really liked this resort. The lobby is just gorgeous. When we arrived Friday night around 8pm The check in girl told us we had been upgraded from a standard view to a woods view!! I love surprises. We were on the 4th floor in the lobby section (so I call it). Because of the layout of the building this was really only one level up from lobby. I forget our room number but if you stepped out or room door there was a jet-out with rocking chairs overlooking lobby. We were directly above whispering canyon. The room iteself was just average...nothing special about it. Our view wasn't great either...you could still see some service area below. We later realized that we probably could have seen the MK fireworks from our balcony but we were never there at that time. It probably is a coveted room location and we didn't even know it! Although the place is large, it never felt busy. It was always calm and peaceful. Roaring Forks is small but again, never crowded. I like the food options at POR better. The pool area is pretty because of the lodge and watefall area. I don't think the pool has any wow factor though. I think my 6 year old would prefer the pool at POR . The walk to the boat was nice, and I LOVED having the option to avoid the bus. The but stops were also convenient. We never waited more that 5 minutes for a bus from the lodge. It was nice that it wasn't crowded like POR usuallyis. Overall we really enjoyed our stay here and would definately like to stay again.
MORE TO COME....
__________________
Oct. 31-Nov. 5, 2014 BWV with DH and DS, Nov.9-17, 2013 BCV with DH, DS (7), my parents and sister, October 2013 WL with just DH
Dec. 10-15, 2010 POR with DH, DS (4) Ddad(60)
DS on his first trip! January 2008 Windsor Hills
TR http://www.passporterboards.com/foru...irst-trip.html
Registered Message Board Members Get Our Free Newsletter! When you register you'll have the option to sign up for our weekly PassPorter Newsletter. It's chock-full of feature articles; news; tips; contests; photos; and special offers in our online store.
MNSSHP: I have wanted to see the parade and fireworks at the party for a few years now. I was excited that we would finally get the opportunity. I bought the tickets for the Sunday night show 3 weeks in advance and prayed for no rain. We had great weather! We spent the morning at MK, then went back to the lodge after lunch for a few hours of pool and rest. At 3:00 we got to the dock and were back at MK by 3:10. We had just missed the afternoon parade (which I planned to skip anyways). The park was still pretty busy. We rode a few rides before our 4:15 ADR at Liberty Tree Tavern (food reviews later). By the time we finished up dinner the park was starting to feel less busy. We were fortunate enough to be able to see the new fantasy land dress reheasal opening. We waited in a 20 minute line for the new under the sea ride. This is super cute BTW! The new restaurant is just gorgeous and the entire land is breathtaking. I love it!! I do not care for the story book circus area. It just doesn't do it for me. It reminds me of the dinoland in AK which I also don't care for...but anyways...by this time the party was starting. The trick or treat trails were fast moving and we did get a lot of candy without really doing much trick or treating. The CM's were very efficient in keeping it organized. Most rides were very short waits. Space MTN 10 minutes, Thunder MTN 15 min, pirates walk on. The first parade was definately busier. We used that time to do rides. We found a spot in the hub for fireworks. I had hoped to go further down mainstreet but my feet hurt so we sat on the curb closer to where we planned to go later. The fireworks were great! Overall I found people very respectful. We sat on the deck in frontier land for the parade. Excellent spot at the rope. The parade was great also. I usually hate parades because people are rude and climb all over you but that wasn't the case here. We didn't visit any characters or go to any dance parties but the fireworks and parade still made for a fun night. Now that I have seen this once I probably wouldn't go back. Im glad we did it but once was enough given the cost.
TO BE CONTINUED....
__________________
Oct. 31-Nov. 5, 2014 BWV with DH and DS, Nov.9-17, 2013 BCV with DH, DS (7), my parents and sister, October 2013 WL with just DH
Dec. 10-15, 2010 POR with DH, DS (4) Ddad(60)
DS on his first trip! January 2008 Windsor Hills
TR http://www.passporterboards.com/foru...irst-trip.html
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.
Sounds like you had a great time. Couples time is great in DW. My DH and I honeymooned there. Could you hear the noise from Whispering Canyon in your room?
We didn't hear a sound from Whispering Canyon or the lobby. I heard the baby crying in the room next door a few times but other than that very quiet.
__________________
Oct. 31-Nov. 5, 2014 BWV with DH and DS, Nov.9-17, 2013 BCV with DH, DS (7), my parents and sister, October 2013 WL with just DH
Dec. 10-15, 2010 POR with DH, DS (4) Ddad(60)
DS on his first trip! January 2008 Windsor Hills
TR http://www.passporterboards.com/foru...irst-trip.html
Food and Wine: We didn't do it. We had plans to do it on our last day but just didn't get to it. We did future world Saturday morning. Around noon we headed over to World Showcase knowing it would be mobbed. It was. We went on the rides at Mexico and Norway. Then we walked back to Canada for a 1:30 ADR at Le Cellier. In the short amount of time we were in the WS I was annoyed. There were tons of drunk obnoxious groups of people. A lot of groups were people in their twenties with matching shirts that said things like "Team drunk" It was so early and I can't imagine what the night would be like. I guess Im just too old for that stuff now. Most food lines were about 30 people deep. im not sure how quickly they moved. As soon as we finished lunch we got out of there. I wish we had gone back Monday but my feet were killing me from our commando touring lol. Im sure Monday would have been much tamer.
__________________
Oct. 31-Nov. 5, 2014 BWV with DH and DS, Nov.9-17, 2013 BCV with DH, DS (7), my parents and sister, October 2013 WL with just DH
Dec. 10-15, 2010 POR with DH, DS (4) Ddad(60)
DS on his first trip! January 2008 Windsor Hills
TR http://www.passporterboards.com/foru...irst-trip.html
Restaurants:
Ohana-We had a 9:15pm on Friday night. DME dropped us off at WL at 7:40. We had time to go unload our carryons in our room before heading out to dinner. We went to the boat dock and got in line for contemporary. I had researched here the best way to get to the poly and most people suggested boat to CR then monorail to poly. The CR boat arrived and the skipper (hehehe) announced that anyone going to poly should be in the MK boat line. okaaay. So we get out of line, join the now long MK line. The boat takes us to MK and we get on the monorail...which goes to CR before Poly. I guess really it was the same difference. We arrive with 5 minutes to spare before our ADR time. They were running about 15 minutes behind which was much better than our last experience there. Once sat our waiters were efficient and kept the food coming at a leisurely pace. The food was OK. This is my 3rd time eating here and the first time I LOVED it, second time I thought it was good, this time just OK. I think we'll skip this one next trip. The "entertainment" lady was annoying. She was like a bad kids' show host. The dessert is the best part. We didn't have a bad time or anything, just not awesome. I would still recommend it to people who have never been.
Le Cellier-I was able to grab a last minute lunch ADR for Saturday at 1:15 (or 1:30? i forget). We arrived and i asked if they were on time. The girls said they were a little bit behind. Well, it was 40 minutes past our ADR time before we were sat. Most of that time was spent standing outside in the hot sun. The few benches inside were full and the one bench outside was full. When we did get sat we were told the AC was broken. Our waitress was very good. She allowed DH to sub mac n cheese for rissotto with his fillet. I ate every morsel of my filet meal. The food here is just awesome! Now, that being said I don't want to waste my vacation time standing outside of a joint waiting to be sat. I made an ADR for a reason. I made the decision that we will not do the dining plan next trip. Its just too time consuming to eat at table services.
Liberty Tree Tavern: This was a first for us. I giot a 4:15 dinner ADR for Sunday before the MNSSHP. I like the atmosphere here...very casual. I had read some complaints that its too squooshy. We were sat in the back right corner and it wasn't squooshy up there at all. It was actually very calm and relaxing compaired to most places. The food was a lot...and decent. It wasn't anything special but we left full. I really liked the mashed potatoes. The dessert was not good. I love all sweets but i didn't even eat that cake. I would never eat here and pay out of pocket. For 2 of us with 20% tip was $81!!! It was no way near worth that!
COUNTER SERVICES
Roaring Forks: We tried the pulled pork sandwich, roast beef and blue cheese sandwich, and the turkey dill havarti sandwhich and all were above average. I was pleasantly surprised. The cucumber salad or the ships were also good. I also really liked the egg, cheese, bacon croisant sandwich but the potatoes that came with it was gross. This food court was small with few choices. I wish it had more options but what we did try was good.
Cosmic Rays: We both had bacon cheeseburgers. Because of the extensive toppings bar this was a good choice. It was decent, nothing special. I would eat here again but not put it on my must do list.
Aloha Isle: dole whip. I think I ordered the wrong thing because it wasn't nearly as good as I remembered. I got orange whip in a pineapple float. Should I have gotten pineapple whip??
__________________
Oct. 31-Nov. 5, 2014 BWV with DH and DS, Nov.9-17, 2013 BCV with DH, DS (7), my parents and sister, October 2013 WL with just DH
Dec. 10-15, 2010 POR with DH, DS (4) Ddad(60)
DS on his first trip! January 2008 Windsor Hills
TR http://www.passporterboards.com/foru...irst-trip.html
WDW - August 1997 Off Property
WDW - January 2005 AKL
WDW - May 2006 Pop Century
WDW- november-dec 2007 pop century
WDW- dec/jan 2009/2010 pop century
WDW- oct/nov 2012 art of animation
WDW- sept 2013 port Orleans riverside
WDW- july 2015 beach club
TRANSPORTATION: we had good luck. Since we stayed at WL we used the boat to get the MK. We waited about 10 minutes for a boat at the most. The ride from dock to dock was 7 minutes. I love how the boat docks right in front of the netrance. If you take the busses you have to walk fromt he bus stops so the boat is an advantage. The monorail was easy...we waited about 2 minutes and it was empty at 9pm on Friday night. I do dislike going from resort to resort. We took a boat from WL to MK, then the monorail to Poly. It took close to an hour. We decided since were were exhausted after a day of travelingwe would take a cab back. With tip it was $7. so worth it! The busses from WL to the parks were quick and not busy at all. It was such a nice change from oour last trip at POR where the busses took forever and arrived already full.
We utilized the international gateway for the first time when we took the boat from Epcot to DHS. This short trip made me realize how convenient the boardwalk/beach club resorts are. Next trip I want to rent points for a studio at Boardwalk. I love that we can walk or boat to 2 parks.
__________________
Oct. 31-Nov. 5, 2014 BWV with DH and DS, Nov.9-17, 2013 BCV with DH, DS (7), my parents and sister, October 2013 WL with just DH
Dec. 10-15, 2010 POR with DH, DS (4) Ddad(60)
DS on his first trip! January 2008 Windsor Hills
TR http://www.passporterboards.com/foru...irst-trip.html
About This Page: 
Although the place is large, it never felt busy. It was always calm and peaceful. Roaring Forks is small but again, never crowded. I like the food options at POR better. The pool area is pretty because of the lodge and watefall area. I don't think the pool has any wow factor though. I think my 6 year old would prefer the pool at POR . The walk to the boat was nice, and I LOVED having the option to avoid the bus. The but stops were also convenient. We never waited more that 5 minutes for a bus from the lodge. It was nice that it wasn't crowded like POR usuallyis. Overall we really enjoyed our stay here and would definately like to stay again.
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
PassPorter Guide Author
We had plans to do it on our last day but just didn't get to it. We did future world Saturday morning. Around noon we headed over to World Showcase knowing it would be mobbed. It was. We went on the rides at Mexico and Norway. Then we walked back to Canada for a 1:30 ADR at Le Cellier. In the short amount of time we were in the WS I was annoyed. There were tons of drunk obnoxious groups of people. A lot of groups were people in their twenties with matching shirts that said things like "Team drunk"
It was so early and I can't imagine what the night would be like. I guess Im just too old for that stuff now. 
Linear Mode
