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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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A Disney Sammich Disney’s Boardwalk Inn, March 19-21, 2010
So you probably don’t know this, but I went to WDW a few weeks ago. It was a very quick trip, but I managed to squeeze out lots of magic. I actually went to Florida for Spring Training, and since I had tickets for a game on Friday and a game on Sunday, I had to find something to do to fill the time in between. Hmmm… if only there was something within reasonable driving distance of Tampa. I considered Busch Gardens for half a second before giving in and deciding to go to Disney! So this would be a Tampa trip with Disney in the middle, or a Disney sammich! And can I say, that is my favorite kind of sammich!
Since the trip is already over with, I won’t waste any time with the preliminaries and just get right to the good stuff. I had an early morning flight (6:30), so I had to leave for home around 5. With such a quick trip, I didn’t even need to check a bag. I’d purchased the Early Bird Check-in and ended up with A20 both ways. The funny thing about flying from my home airport to Tampa in March is that there are always tons of people on the plane also going for Spring Training. I saw a bunch of the same people on my flight home!
After finding a seat, we were a little delayed while they de-iced the wings. It wasn’t really all that cold, and most people on the flight expressed surprise that it was necessary, but when I looked out the window, I could see frost like what’s on your car windows in cooler weather.
That was something I’ve never witnessed before, believe it or not. It took longer than necessary since the first truck they brought out had no pressure and they had to get another truck. Once that was finally done, we took off, about 15 minutes late. After a somewhat bumpy flight, we landed in Tampa right on time.
I’d rented a car from Dollar, because they were the cheapest of the onsite companies. I had about a 20 minute wait before getting to the counter. My rental only took about 5 minutes, so I think it was more an issue of having slow people ahead of me. Anyway, after completing the paperwork, I headed out to the garage. Before getting my keys, I had a look at the car and discovered it was stinky (like an old ash tray ). Knowing I’d have an hour drive to Orlando and back, I decided to ask for a different vehicle.
The man at the rental kiosk was very friendly and after I explained why I wanted a different car, he offered to look for another one for me. He explained that if a different car wasn’t available, they had some deodorizer spray that they could use. I wasn’t sure how effective that was going to be, but I figured I could live with it if I needed to. Fortunately, he found another Sebring. He offered to let me go do a smell check before changing my paperwork. It was fine, so he switched out the paperwork for me and I was on my way. The inside of the vehicle was a little banged up, but otherwise it was good.
I hooked up my nüvi and hit the road. It was early for the game (1:00 start), so I had time to find a Sonic. I couldn’t really eat a lot, since I must eat certain things at the game (tradition, not superstition ). I decided to get tots. And by the way, am I the only one who always thinks of Napoleon Dynamite when I say tots? I am? Well, then nevermind!
I got tots with cheese. I figured since that was the only thing I was getting, I’d get a large. Mistake!! Large should really be called ginormous!
They were tasty, as was the cherry limeade I got to wash them down with. I forget what size drink I got, but I know it wasn’t the ridiculous bucket sized drink. Even though I was tempted, since I adore the ice so much. To me, that’s the best thing about Sonic!
So after my snack, I went to the field, parked, and did a little shopping. The World Series trophy was on display and I was sure I got a picture, but it must've been Sunday. I got my hotdog (tradition!! ) and found my seat. My DB was supposed to go to the games with me, but because his DW and DD were in a car accident (they both suffered awful broken bones, but are otherwise OK), I was alone. I had a great view, out in the sun (because it can get a little chilly in the shade).
It was a glorious day for baseball. The temps were in the high 70s and it was sunny with big, puffy clouds in the sky! The pregame entertainment consisted of a local marching band.
It was a fun game and I got some good pics of a few of my favorite players that I’ll share for any fellow Yankees fans out there!
I left before the game ended because I wanted to avoid rush hour traffic (and I also had an ADR to get to). That turned out to be a good decision, since there were kids (and their parents) outside the stadium selling Girl Scout cookies. I bought a box of Samoas.
The drive was fine and I only encountered traffic right around the stadium. It took about an hour and 15 minutes to make it to the Boardwalk. I checked in and found my room. It was room 5292, and I mention that because I would consider that the best room at the Boardwalk Inn! It was fantastic! First of all, it was on the fifth floor, only two doors down from the elevator. It was an accessible room, so it was very spacious.
Because it was handicapped accessible, it had low beds and a high potty. And the bathroom was nice and big (my biggest complaint about Disney resort guest rooms is the teeny tiny bathrooms, though there are a few exceptions).
Because I was only planning to spend a minimal amount of time in the room, I’d booked a standard view. But the view was the best part of the room!
I knew I’d have a fantastic view of Illuminations from there! So remember, room 5292 at the Boardwalk is awesome! After settling in a bit…
You like my new princess pillowcases? They’re all personalized and junk! A gift from my BFF Jill ( again, Jilly). I took a pic of the pillowcases and texted it to her. I also sent Eileen a text with a picture of my view, to which she replied “Be there by 8:55” I’d actually planned to watch Illuminations from inside the park, but that was now subject to change.
I decided to walk (the weather was just as glorious as it had been in Tampa), but a boat was just arriving as I got outside, so I figured I’d catch it. I needed to take care of some business before anything, so I stopped at Guest Services to turn in my AP renewal voucher. I was all excited about it because I got 3 extra months and now my AP won’t expire until May 24, 2011!
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I was mildly disappointed to discover that Epcot was fairly busy. I had an ADR at the Rose & Crown, so I checked in for that.
I got my pager and wandered around a bit snapping photos.
After about 5 minutes, a CM approached me and asked my name. They’d forgotten to write down my pager number, but my table was ready. I was seated inside for the first time.
I would certainly have enjoyed an outside table, but I was fine sitting inside. My server was very friendly, but a little slow with the service. I decided to get the bangers & mash (actually, I’d decided I was getting the bangers and mash when I made the ADR).
Bangers and Mash – Traditional English Sausages with Braised Cabbage and Bacon served with Mashed Potatoes and Shallot Gravy
It was good, but the sausages were a tad salty. I remember liking it better the last time I got it. For dessert, you can’t beat chocolate cake.
Chocolate Scotch Cake with Chocolate Filling and Scotch Ganache served with Creme Anglaise
No complaints here! And the Mickey sprinkles were totes cute!
After dinner, I exited to find that the park was getting more crowded by the minute. Don’t all these people know I have a limited amount of time and don’t want to wait in line? I honestly wasn’t too disturbed, as the only thing that was a must see for me was the F&GF stuff, and there weren’t lines for that. I had fun strolling around taking pics.
There were lots of wonderful topiaries this year (most of them reused, but in different scenes, which I thought was effective).
There were Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty topiaries on the bridge to France.
I always enjoy the sniffer boxes or whatever they’re called. Actually, I don’t know the proper name for them, but I’m pretty sure it isn’t “sniffer boxes.”
While in France, I happened to notice the insanely long queue for the Boulangerie Patisserie.
The woman behind the blonde in the sunglasses is the last person in the queue
Good thing I wasn’t hungry! In fact, I had been considering skipping dessert at R&C and getting something there for dessert. I’m glad I didn’t. I loved the Beauty & the Beast topiaries near the lagoon.
And I found Aladdin in Morocco (sort of), but somehow did not take a picture.
Mo’Rockin’ had just started their set, so I stopped to watch for a bit. I really like Mo’Rockin’, but it looks like they’re starting to replace a few of the band members. I know I haven’t seen the lead guy (I think he plays the violin) in the last three trips. I’ve never seen this belly dancer before, either.
I got some pictures in Japan.
I loved the Fab 5 topiaries in the U.S.
David Cassidy was performing in the America Gardens Theater. From what I got to hear, it sounded like a good show. He was really into it and pretty funny.
Next was Italy.
There were walls up to cover the construction of the new pizzeria. While I’m happy that Italy is getting another restaurant (which they sorely need), WDW historically FAILS at pizza. Perhaps since it’s an outside entity in charge, it’ll be good. We’ll see…
I wanted to get my favorite FAB, the Italian margarita. Because of the crowds, there was a long queue. Boo!
I still waited. It was worth the wait! It was a little sweeter than I am used to, but you’ll never hear me complain about that. I am my mother’s daughter, after all. I watched the trains in Germany for a little while.
I stopped attempting to get pictures then because it was dark, but also because I was growing sick of the crowds. When I made it to Mexico, it was even worse because of the construction walls. At least the pyramid was unaffected.
By this time, I was ready to cry uncle and decided to watch Illuminations from the comfort of my balcony at the Boardwalk. I walked back at a leisurely pace and arrived in my room right about 8:45. I got comfy on the balcony waiting for the show to begin.
My room overlooked the cottages
When it started, I could even hear the music. I took a bunch of pictures.
I didn’t feel like fighting the EMH crowds at Epcot, so I decided to hang out on the Boardwalk for a bit.
There was a juggler performing, and he was very funny.
I scoped out the goodies at Seashore Sweets (alas, maple walnut fudge does not seem to be available anywhere on property any more ). Once I started to get tired, I headed up to my room, because I was planning a full day starting with early EMH the next morning.
Up Next: A PassPorter Meet!
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Mickey's so happy to see me back, he can barely contain himself!
And I thought this was about a sandwich to eat and someone was looking for a recipe or something!!!! My DH will love your Yankee pictures when I show him tonight. Your TRs are soooo much fun to read.
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Glad to see the start of this TR...wasn't sure if you were going to get a chance to start it before you set off on your next adventure. Love the pictures of Spring Training...great pictures of your "favorites"
Epcot sure looked crowded, I can definitely understand why you headed back before Illuminations. Beautiful pictures of the F&GF...love seeing all the topiaries. Dinner and your after dinner FAB looked delish...
What a great view of Illuminations from your balcony, you definitely make a wise decision about where to view the show that evening. Enjoying the Boardwalk sounds like a perfect way to cap off a busy but great day.
I did know you went to Disney. maybe Eileen mentioned it in a post? Anyhow, love your room and view. So glad you started your report! Can't wait for more.
About This Page: 
Hmmm… if only there was something within reasonable driving distance of Tampa. 
I considered Busch Gardens for half a second before giving in and deciding to go to Disney! So this would be a Tampa trip with Disney in the middle, or a Disney sammich! 
And can I say, that is my favorite kind of sammich! 
). Knowing I’d have an hour drive to Orlando and back, I decided to ask for a different vehicle.
I couldn’t really eat a lot, since I must eat certain things at the game (tradition, not superstition 
I am? Well, then nevermind!
again, Jilly). I took a pic of the pillowcases and texted it to her. 
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
Don’t all these people know I have a limited amount of time and don’t want to wait in line? 
It was worth the wait! 
It was a little sweeter than I am used to, but you’ll never hear me complain about that. I am my mother’s daughter, after all. 
At least the pyramid was unaffected.
I walked back at a leisurely pace and arrived in my room right about 8:45. I got comfy on the balcony waiting for the show to begin.
). Once I started to get tired, I headed up to my room, because I was planning a full day starting with early EMH the next morning.
Dana
And I'm sure he'll love to see that trophy when we get a glimpse of it.
Disney Magic - Oct 2015
all the topiaries!
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