Friends and Flowers April 2011 Complete Updated 5/4 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Friends and Flowers April 2011 Complete Updated 5/4
Hi Everyone!
It feels like its been a really long time since I started a thread on this board. 2010 was the Year of Disney for me! We spent my 30th birthday in July, went to the Food and Wine Festival in October and then I managed solo trips in both November and December. Its been 3 months since my last trip to The World and I've never needed a vacation more than I need one right now! Work has been frustrating and tiring.
The backstory for this trip is kind of interesting--especially when you consider where this story is being told. I joined Passporter in 2007, after being incredibly naive when posting on another board. Silly me to think that my humor would be understood and that my opinion was valid! Since then I've met a ton of wonderful people and made some truly wonderful friends thanks to the Passporter boards! Hello out there friends! Some great folks are going to make appearances in this report!
It seems like many months ago when I started getting texts and messages about a trip in April! I decided that we could swing April--even if it means missing a traditionally busy weekend at work. Other people request off for the holidays--I volunteer to work every single one of them--so that my vacation time is never called into question.
As soon as I had the dates straight, I called member services, but I'll get to where we are staying in a later post! It was quite a coup! We also nailed down meals using the handy Private Message system on the boards! More on that soon too!
First and perhaps most important: my strange little family
Hi! I'm Heather and I'm a Disney Addict. I'm 30 years old and a bartender in New Orleans. It's only an hour and 40 minute flight to Orlando!
This picture was taken during my solo morning at Animal Kingdom during the Passporter Decade of Dreams trip in May 2009. I won a pair of Dream Ears exiting Expedition Everest!
I think I've lost track of the number of trips to WDW . . . 3 as a child and I think this makes trip number 14 as an adult with Peter Panitis.
This is the first of three WDW trips this year and my first trip to DL in December! I love my Annual Pass and my DVC membership!
Stitch is my favorite character, but I have a love for all of the Disney Villains as well!
EE and Soarin are my favorite rides. I love the Magic Kingdom, but I think Animal Kingdom holds the top spot for me!
I cry during Illuminations . . . and sing and conduct!
This is Brandon:
He's 25 and the lead line cook at our hotel.
This is Brandon's 7th trip to WDW. I converted him--and we actually own the DVC membership together. Quite a big jump to take on your second trip to The World.
Brandon loves the Food and Wine Festival and anything with a short line. His favorite rides are Rockin Rollercoaster and the Tower of Terror, but his favorite park is Animal Kingdom!
Blake, Brandon's younger brother who is my other roommate--will not be going to WDW with us . . . the 18yr old needs to learn about basic responsibilities before he gets to go on more vacations.
Shane, Blake's friend and current couch surfer, also does not get to go to WDW. WHY is there always someone asleep on my couch . . . oh yes . . . because one of my roommates is 18. In all fairness, I told this one he could stay until he gets his life together. Now if I could just get someone (anyone!) to do the dishes.
For the next three weeks I'll fill you in on our park touring schedule, our favorite rides, favorite places to eat, favorite adult beverages and our wonderful travel buddies! Hopefully I'll be able to get through the next 25 days without killing anyone.
I'll try to update frequently!
Today's Favorites:
My favorite Disney Villain is Maleficent and my favorite Disney movies are Sleeping Beauty, Alice in Wonderland (I love both the animated and the live action), and Pirates of the Caribbean. I also love the films done by Disney Nature. I was super impressed with Oceans and am looking forward to African Cats. I have to see if I can find the flamingo movie tomorrow.
Brandon loves all three pirate movies--I believe Jack Sparrow is his idol--kitchens are just like pirate ships after all!
Did you know that Disney is thinking about adapting the live action Alice for Broadway. I'll be making a trip to NYC if they do!
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Registered Message Board Members save 30% off PassPorter guidebooks! When you register you'll have access to a discount coupon good for 30% off the list price of PassPorter books in our online store.
Registered Message Board Members save 30% off PassPorter guidebooks! When you register you'll have access to a discount coupon good for 30% off the list price of PassPorter books in our online store.
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Great story to start! AK grows on me more and more with every trip, I can see why it's your favorites!
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