Forums Closed
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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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!
Best wishes for a wonderful and magical new year!
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03-03-2016, 10:00 PM
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#1
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PassPorter Guide
 Community Rank: Globetrotter 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 3,041
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Feature Article: The 'Welcome to Disneyland' Tour - A Disneyland VIP Tour Review
The 'Welcome to Disneyland' Tour - A Disneyland VIP Tour Review
by Suzanne Lyle
My group of five adult women consider ourselves "Disney World People.”
Therefore, we didn't know what to expect on our first trip to Disneyland. In fact, we really didn’t know where to start. We decided it would be a good idea to start our trip with the "Welcome to Disneyland Tour.” The price was $25 per person. There is also a discount available for Disney Visa cardholders and Annual Passholders. Since the tour included both Disneyland Resort and Disney's California Adventure Park, the tour requires guests to have park-hopper admission. Our tour began at the Magic Kingdom where we met our tour guide, Carrie. She was just inside the gates and to the left. It was super easy to locate the sign booth; there was a large sign at the top that clearly indicated, “Guided Tours.” This area offered tables and chairs for us to wait for the entire tour group to arrive. Within minutes our group of approximately 12 people set off on the tour. Because this is a walking tour, it’s a good idea to wear comfortable shoes and sunscreen. In addition, you might want to carry a backpack with a camera, umbrella, and anything else you might desire. We moved along at a steady pace, so I was glad I thought to bring a bottle of water with me too (hint hint). There were times during the tour when we encountered a crowd. Our guide carried a rider’s crop to keep our group close and in her view. I could go on and on with nice things to say about Carrie. She was friendly and knowledgeable. Along the tour, Carrie informed us about the FastPass system, single rider lines, and PhotoPass.
First, Carrie led us across the plaza where we began our tour at California Adventure. We walked clockwise from Main Street to Hollywoodland, A Bug's Land, Pacific Wharf, Paradise Pier, and Grizzly Park. The first ride of our tour was a backdoor entrance to "Journey of the Little Mermaid." We felt like VIP guests enjoying the sights and sounds of Ariel's underwater world. We stopped at the FastPass distribution kiosks for the World of Color show, for any that were interested in attending that evening's show. This brought us to a comfort break at Mortimer's Market, which is located near the gate. Mortimer's offered bottled beverages, juices, and fresh fruits to purchase. Restrooms and drinking fountains were also available.
Next we strolled back across the plaza to Disneyland. We walked under the train station, stopping to notice the Fire House. The second story window is home to Walt's office. When Walt was actually in the park, there was a lamp lit in the window. Now a perpetual lamp shines in his honor. Carrie shared some history on the design elements as we walked along Main Street. Again we toured clockwise, beginning in New Orleans Square. Our second ride of the tour was a backdoor entrance onto Pirates of the Caribbean. The evening glow and fireflies set the mood. Our boat ride began overlooking the dining area of Blue Bayou restaurant. The ride then turned into a very enjoyable pirate adventure. Our guide sat back and allowed us to enjoy both rides without commentary. We continued through Frontierland. We boarded the train for a ride through Fantasyland and exited at ToonTown. My personal group of women enjoyed this stop very much as it fulfilled our desire for ToonTown since it is not at Disney World anymore. Our last land was Tomorrowland. Because this happened to be the day before the opening of the Star Wars Launch Bay, none of the rides or character meet and greets were open. Carrie mentioned that the park sometimes offered soft openings and we should check back later. We found this was correct! When we returned to Tomorrowland that night at about 8 pm, we had a fantastic preview ride on HyperSpace Mountain!
After two and a half hours, we returned to the guided tours booth feeling familiar with the parks, locations of the lands, and attractions. Carrie asked if we would like her to arrange an Advanced Dining Reservation for that day, however we declined because we already had one for that evening. She easily set us up for Goofy's Kitchen the following morning. She also gave us FastPasses to be used anytime later that day for Star Tours and Indiana Jones Adventure.
In addition, Carrie took a moment to find an answer to a question I asked along our walk. I was interested in finding "Walt's Bench,” the actual bench from Griffin Park where Walt sat when he dreamed of making Disneyland. After asking the other guides, she informed us that Walt’s bench is located in the "Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln" building. I encourage everyone to take a moment and notice this bench. I might be overly sentimental, but it brought tears to my eyes.
The tour ended with a personal certificate of completion as well as a commemorative collector pin. We highly recommend this tour, especially if this is your first trip to Disneyland. It was a good value for our group and we feel enjoyed our stay more because of this tour. We hope you give it a try.
Added to PassPorter's Article Collection on 03-01-2016 07:03 AM
What do you think? Please add your own comments, experiences, or news related to this article in this thread! Reader feedback is welcomed and encouraged.
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