Feature Article: My Quest for the West - An Adventures by Disney Report - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!
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Feature Article: My Quest for the West - An Adventures by Disney Report
My Quest for the West - An Adventures by Disney Report by Mary Jane Crawford
Do you yearn to visit Wyoming, see Yellowstone, Jackson Hole, the Teton Mountains, but not sure where to start, what to see and do, where to stay? It is such a vast region to cover – especially if you are unfamiliar with the area. This past summer, I went on my first Adventures by Disney vacation, Quest for the West, which included all of the above and more. I must say it was one of my favorite vacations. Disney took care of all the planning (which was a break for me since I am always planning vacations). We had an opportunity to see and do quite a few things, and at the same time we never felt over-scheduled or rushed, and even had some free time to explore on our own.
Our Adventures by Disney guide and a cowboy enthusiastically greeted us at the airport. Our luggage was whisked away as we were escorted to the Wort Hotel in the center of Jackson Hole. We felt as if we were stepping into the Old West as we entered this town. A real stage coach waited to give us a ride through the town. The shops appeared old-western on the outside – but a peek inside and we found extraordinarily nice and unusual items. Even men will enjoy shopping here – they can purchase a stuffed polar bear for a little over $34,000. But, don't worry! Not everything is that expensive, and they offer a lot more than t-shirts and the usual souvenirs!
We met the rest of our group that night at the Welcome Dinner. Our group of 31 people included all ages of families, couples, and singles. We enjoyed our upcoming days hiking the Teton Mountains and seeing the waterfalls and gorgeous views like the breathtaking Artist Point; Yellowstone's "Grand Canyon." A favorite of all ages was the white water rafting trip on the Snake River. As we went through the rapids, not one of our rafts tipped over. I am still not sure if it was because of Disney "magic" or because Disney reserved the best guides available. There was plenty of seating in the comfortable bus that took us to Yellowstone. Shortly after settling in my room in the Old Faithful Snow Lodge, I glanced out the window to see two mama bison walking up the resort road with their calves. Disney magic was at it again!
A Yellowstone Park Guide gave us a guided tour beginning with a front row seat to view that most famous of geysers, Old Faithful. Throughout the next couple days our eyes captured the beauty of many hot springs, geysers, and mud pots. My favorite was the Grand Prismatic Spring – a beautiful turquoise blue (far prettier than the Caribbean) – it was breathtaking! We also witnessed a couple geysers, also seen for the first time by our Adventures by Disney guides. But then of course, we had Disney magic with us.
After a delicious lunch at the Yellowstone Inn, we came out to find a bison grazing on the lawn. Another bison was across the street by the river, and soon moseyed over to join his friend. I am still not sure how Disney arranged that one!
Our last few days were spent relaxing at the picturesque Brooks Lake Lodge and Spa with plenty of activities available like horseback riding, fishing, canoing, and massages. Parents relaxed and enjoyed their meals, while our guides dined with the children and entertained them with after-dinner activities.
Our two Adventures by Disney guides were incredible in every way. No matter what we needed they were always prepared, with items like bug spray, suntan lotion, first-aid, rain ponchos, water, and snacks. And do you believe that, during the 6-day adventure, never once did I hear a child utter, "I'm bored!" Now that is Disney magic at its best!
So leave the planning to Adventures by Disney – sit back and enjoy a relaxing vacation! I would recommend any of the Adventures by Disney vacations to all my friends and clients. No matter where you choose to go, it is sure to be an unforgettable experience!
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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