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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
Hey everyone!
I'm a long time reader on the PP boards, but a first time poster! I am going to WDW with my family in July and I am very curious about the rope drop ceremonies at the different parks . My daughter and I would love to be able to get to see the MK rope drop during our trip! Could any of you PPers give us any advice or tips on the festivities? Thanks!
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.
Each park does something a little different. For MK, Mickey and friends arrive on the railroad and there is a welcoming celebration. Guests are walked down Main Street with CMs holding a rope so the crowd does not run. Most guests head to Tomorrow Land and they are led there at a fast walk. The rope then drops once in Tomorrow Land and everyone runs to Space Mtn. to either ride or get a FP. It is fun and easy to get toward the front just briskly walking and not cutting anyone off.
As others said; at MK they put on a show on top of the railroad station that is easy to see. At the Studios they put on a skit type thing. At AK they have a opening with Mickey also. I have not seen them do anything at Epcot other than let you in to wait for the rope to literally drop. You should plan to arrive about 30 minutes before park opening, more if you want a front spot......
At DHS, they let you in a few minutes early and everyone heads down to the area at the end of the the street before the Hat. They do a little Hollywood skit there and then you are led towards TSMM or down Sunset Blvd. Character Greeting areas are availbale then. At Epcot , they again have a rope line set up . The characters come out in a dble decker bus or just show up to the rope line and when they drop the rope so to speak , you can go to the characters or the CM lead you in an orderly fashion to Soarin or to Test Track in the other direction. AK has an opening ceremony where Miniie, Goofy and Donald & Pluto ( i think) greet you in a Safari truck and tell you about the Safari adventure you are about to take, Mickey is Scouting from the Tree of Life. then they lead you to Africa or Asia
__________________
Aug,1978- LBV;Apr,1987-Disneyland;March,1993-offsite;Jan,1997-offsite;Aug,1999- CBR;Sept,2000- ASMo;Aug,2001- ASSP;Aug,2002- ASMU/AKL;Jan & July 2003-POR;June,December 2004- PC;January 2005- ASMU; Aug 2005-PC;Dec 2005-AKL;Jan 2006-CBR ; July/Aug-Saratoga springs; Dec. PC;April 2007- Disneyland;Aug 2007-Disneyland & So Cal;Dec 2007-POFQ; Aug2008-POFQ & Nov 2008 PC,Y&B May 2009 ASmu, June 2009 PC ; Nov 2009 WL & POFQ;Jan 2010 BW & WL; June 2010 POFQ ; Aug 2010 Poly ;Oct 2010 WL; Jan 2011 PC
We managed to do rope drop at the Magic Kingdom, Studios and Hollywood Studios in May of last year. All the shows are a bit different. Really, the key thing is planning on being at the park before it opens, so you get a chance to see each show.
Thank you everyone so much! This info will has been great! We will plan to get to the parks at least a half an hour before it opens for sure . Feel free to post anymore tips or advice if you have any.. It is greatly appreciated!
I think at Epcot they have a bunch of characters out and about...I know ive seen someone get picked to ride in a test track car to the attraction to be the first to ride...as well as "open the park"...it has been awhile since ive been to a RD at Epcot though....
We really enjoyed the RD at MK, it was a cute little show they put on with the characters. We also made it to RD at Epcot (not on purpose ) and they did have some characters out leading the way....so it was pretty cute.
We saw the opening for the first time 2 years ago. It was by accident that we made it to the park in time to see it.
I have to say for me and my family it was better than the fireworks at night. I felt like we were seeing the MK open for the first time back in '71. I would suggest getting there early so you can get up front, in the center facing the train station landscaping.
The Epcot is as described a few posts back. Now it makes sense why we were first in line for Test Track and a famly was escorted through the FP line and sat in the front of our car. I figured they had been picked somehow and now I know.
At AK, Mickey and at least Mnnie come out in a safari vehicle to welcome everyone. We made it to 7 out of 7 rope drops because we did not do
early EMHs. It is fun!!
About This Page: 
. My daughter and I would love to be able to get to see the MK rope drop during our trip! Could any of you PPers give us any advice or tips on the festivities? Thanks!
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
Dana
PassPorter Guide Author
) and they did have some characters out leading the way....so it was pretty cute.
Linear Mode
