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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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We are staying at Candy Cane Inn which offers free breakfast so I am trying to figure which would be better, lunch or supper in the park? I had planned on taking a break in the middle of the day back in the room to eat one of our meals but I'm thinking that lunch may be too soon to be taking a break? Traveling with my 3 kids 15 y/o son and 12 y/o daughter and 9 y/o neice. Any suggestions as to which meal and what are the meals I should not miss in the park.
Thanks,
Mary Ann
I would do dinner in the park. Do you want Table service or Counter Service? Blue Bayou is a special place for table service and for Counter service Rancho del Zocalo is my favorite.
I'm not sure yet? I would like at least one NICE sitdown meal we will be there for 3 full days and 1 evening. I am on a budget so I am printing out menus to look at prices. I guess we should experence 1 character meal.
Thanks,
Mary Ann
I think the characters vary at all of the character breakfasts, so our experience might be different than others.
Goofy's Kitchen has a variety of characters. We have seen Goofy (of course), Pluto, Mary Poppins, Alice and the Mad Hatter. It is a big buffet and is located in the Disneyland Hotel. Once we saw one a Prince (he was sooo offended that we didn't know who he was and that he was Prince Aurora's husband, hehehehe). We had the greatest interaction with him. He spent a bunch of time with my boys (they were kinda past the characters at the time). He spent the whole time trying to convince them how cool it was to be a prince, how he has an action scene in the movie and that they just HAVE to see the movie cuz he is the star in it. That was summer 2008.
Storytellers Cafe is in the Grand Cali Hotel and has Chip, Dale, Pluto, the gorilla (sorry, I don't remember his name), and a few others. My family seems to prefer this character meal, but I think it is because my kids are older now. They love the omletes. We usually order off the menu and do not do the buffet. Last time we went was January 2009.
My favorite one is the Plaza Inn Breakfast because I love eating in the park. But, my experience was that the food was not the best. It has been a while since we ate there. The characters are more like Tigger and Pooh, Minnie Mouse, Cpt. Hook (I think), and the fairy Godmother. I love the atmosphere. I think we went there in December 2007.
There is another character meal at Paradise Pier Hotel. I can't remember that one very well. I think we saw Stitch. It has hawaiian offerings like rice along with regular breakfast stuff. They also had a bunch of vegetarian options too.
We went to Ariel's Grotto a long time ago (2006 or 2007). I just remember tons of princesses. I don't really even remember the food.
I hope that helps. Others can probably add more details.
the Blue Bayou, the atmosphere in there is great
Ariel's Grotto - dining with the princesses was wonderful
Yamabuki - amazing Japanese food
Goofy's Kitchen - good food and fun character interaction
Storytellers Cafe breakfast - again, good food and characters
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Storyteller's for a late breakfast would be a lot of fun. It could serve as an early lunch for you.
Blue Bayou is really great, but it is definitely one of the pricier meals.
Rancho del Zocalo is my pick for the best value. I really like their food, and the portions are a pretty good size. Also, I had the pleasure of speaking with the head chef there twice (I don't know if it's the same guy still there), and he really prided himself on bringing real authentic Mexican food to the eatery.
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Last edited by Dlandmom2; 03-12-2009 at 03:40 AM..
Reason: I spotted a typo, and it was really bothering me! ;)
I must totally agree with dlandmom. Do a late buffet breakfast, say around 9 and eat hardy and that could serve as an early lunch as well. I would then think about eating about 4 or 5 and again the BB would be a great choice. If in between time you suffer a little hunger pain, you can always get an apple, orange or banana to snack on to tide you over so you wouldn't spoil your dinner.
In my opinoin there is only two great places to have a character brackfast. The first is located in the DLR hotel and that would be Goofy's Kitchen. The second place is located in the GCR hotel and that would be Story Tellers. We love both of these places and the food selection is great and the 'floor show" that the character put on with the kids is heart warming.
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I would alternate. For example, do Blue Bayou for lunch - make a PS right at opening time and you should get a table by the water. Do Rancho del Zocalo for dinner so you can enjoy alfresco dining in the evening listening to everybody having a great time at Big Thunder Mountain - wonderful atmosphere!
Don't know if your kids (and Husband) eat like mine...if you driving in or can get to a store. PB&J, granola bars, dried fruit, fruit cups, poptarts, PB & graham crackers and drinks are all a must for my 3 big eaters. Then you can focus on adding in a character meal and a nice sit down too. DTD has the Rain Forest Cafe, Tortilla Jo's & my 2 teen sons fav The EPSN Zone. I add all our character meals in the package so they are paid for before you go. A lot of meals in the park and DTD are large so I sometime split a meal with our youngest son or our teen daughter. Check out the current menu with prices on all ears dot net. Blue Bayou is really nice, but check out the sticker price first...it could help blow your budget but good...
The best for dining is Blue Bayou and Rancho del Zocalo, especially at dinner. If you prefer having lunch, you should try Plaza Inn or Carnation Cafe. They're the best!
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