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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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I'm not planning to rent a car this trip around (a first for me) so I plan to take the Disneyland Express Bus from the Airport to the DL. However, one day I'd like to take my 6-year old to the Beach (nearest one - Huntington, I believe). It's about a 20 minute drive by car, I know.
Has anyone ever done this and what is the best way/most cost efficient way to do this? ART, Taxi, something else? I want to make sure once we get there we can get back!
Also - I might run to the grocery store to grab a couple of groceries - what's the best way to do that with no car?
Orange County Transit has a website that allows you to use Google to find a route.
(ART is only between hotels and DL)
I typed in Disneyland as one end and Huntington Beach at the other. Approximately 1/2 hour (+ waiting for buses) and one bus change. Starts at Katella and Harbor Blvd (about 10 minute walk from DL hotel (and a lot closer to the non DL hotels) and ends up a '3' minute walk from the bus. ( Times would depend on the day of the week, etc.
Taxi will cost more. If you want to add a grocery stop the taxi would work.
An additional option would to be to rent a Car for one day. That way you control the cost and timing, as well as stops. They are available at the DL hotel and fairly close by.
(The previously mentioned Orange County Transit Strike has settled with the union and ART was not affected.)
I have to correct myself. Alamo has an office in Downtown Disney not the hotel.
All the biggies have offices there and I suspect would deliver the car to the hotel or pick you up.
Have you already taken your trip? and if not what day were you planning on going to the beach?
A car would be your best bet, we don't have the best public transporation. Once you get your car here is a decent intenerary for you. Also the weekends have less traffic than the weekdays where you have to deal with rush hour coming and going. On the weekend it's better to take the 5 south, to the 55 south all the way to Pacific Coast Highway. Turn right and downtown Huntington Beach is about 10 min away. Plus it's a nice drive up the coast. On the weekdays you can try the freeway or take Euclid (which is Disney Way around Disneyland) down to Yorktown and then go right to Main Street in Huntington and then go left to the Beach.
In the morning head to Huntington Beach and on Main street just a couple blocks from the pier is a popular breakfast cafe called the Sugar Shack. There are a lot of old time pictures beach atmosphere. The inside seats are first come, first served and the outside seating front and back has a waiting list.
After breakfast you can take a walk in the shops, walk on the pier and then spend time in the sand and sea. There are plenty of places nearby for lunch that you will pass on Main street or you cand splurge at Dukes. The best view for the price though is at Fred's Mexican restaurant upstairs on the corner of Main and Pacific Coast Highway above Huntington Surf and Sport.
About mid afternoon it starts to get windy and it is a good time to head back down Pacific Coast Highway to the Balboa Pennisula. Turn right off Pacific Coast Highway onto West Balboa Blvd. At about 1st street is the fun zone which is just perfect for a 6 year old. It has a ferris wheel and other amusement park rides as well as a ferry to the island and Balboa Bars for dessert. For dinner you can take in the Spaghetti Factory which is housed in an old warehouse with lots of antiques opposite the pier. The food is good and the price is very reasonable. The Crap Cooker is also next door and across the street is perry's pizza which is another local favorite. There is also a number of steak and seafood restaurants with a view of the bay on Pacific Coast Highway. After dinner you can stroll along the beach or take the ferry and walk around the island before heading back.
Hope you enjoy your stay, if you need any other info don't hesitate to ask.
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Wow, Thanks so much! This is a wonderful itinerary. I never thought about Balboa - that does sound like fun for a 6 year old. Will definitely look into these for our "Beach Day".
Oh, we haven't gone yet - we leave September 9th - staying until the 13th.
You are quite welcome. September should be good. Kids will be back in school and the crowds will be manageble, plus the weather is still warm. Both area's have that beachy charm. Hope you have a great time.
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