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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Greetings! My ADR window of opportunity is opening this weekend and I am not sure what I want to do.
My trip is a solo quickie. I plan to arrive at Disney on Friday night after a day at Universal, so I think I will not make an ADR for that night in order to not be tied to any particular plan. I might just wander around the resort or I might check out Disney Springs.
Saturday is all about Epcot. My goal for the day is to leisurely experience every country in the World Showcase (and try out the new Soarin' and Frozen attractions). My initial plan was to have a taste of something at every country. If I do this, then I don't think I will need an ADR for lunch or dinner because I will be "grazing" all day.
BUT - I wonder if that plan is the way to go or if there is an "You just HAVE to try this" dining experience: Breakfast, lunch or dinner that anyone recommends that would exceed the benefits of "grazing" all day. I am willing to consider anything around the Beach Club/Boardwalk area as well as in Epcot. Maybe even Disney Springs.
I also had originally thought about securing a dining package for watching Illuminations -- now I wonder if as a single I need to worry about having a view and not sure I want to tie myself down to a particular restaurant unless it really is a must do kind of experience.
Thoughts and advice are truly appreciated! I am so excited!
My must do in Epcot is Via Napoli. I love calamari and theirs is my favorite. My DH loves the scotch egg at R&C, so we always schedule a late dinner there at least once so we can stay for Illuminations. We've been very lucky a few times and gotten great outdoor seating with excellent views of the lake.
Since you don't already have a favorite place to eat, I'd go with my indicated plan if I were you and just wing it.
Besides, when you arrive if feeling adventurous, you could always go onto MDE or call the dining line and get a TS "potluck" if anything appeals. That might be fun, too.
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“People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.” —Winnie-the-Pooh
I love to just graze around World Showcase! I don't think there is a dining package to view Illuminations. There is a dessert party. You can also hope to score a good viewing spot at one of the restaurants, but with no guarantees. In any case, it's not hard to find a good viewing spot on your own. Have fun!
I think if I were going on a solo trip, grazing around the world sounds fun. Actually I think it sounds fun no matter what. DD and I did that somewhat at the Flower & Garden festival, but it would be fun even with the regular places. I do recommend that you save room for dessert - the macaroon ice cream sandwich in France. I don't generally care for macaroons, but DD had me try one of these and it was yum!
I, personally, think your plan of grazing sounds like a lot of fun! There are a lot of good restaurants in Epcot, but I wouldn't say that I would prefer any of one of them to your plan of trying something from each country.
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I definitely would stick to the grazing around the world...it is so relaxing to just stroll & take it all in, munching along the way is just a bonus. Someone yesterday mentioned that there was a passport for the monorail bar crawl & after finding it I explored the other products available and one was snacking around the world. A cool simple memento of your time around the world and it was only a few dollars. Might make the experience more fun as a solo traveler.
a comment on your illuminations viewing comment: as a frequent solo visitor, i've had success and failure at securing a viewing spot for illuminations (and the other night time shows). because the thing is: when you are only one person, you have to stand there for a REALLY long time to secure a spot. and even then, you often get squeezed out of the way. because people position one person at a location, and then the whole family returns like five minutes before the show and gathers around. unless you are willing to stand your ground (i am not), you may get squeezed out of the way.
further, i've found that most of the 'good' viewing areas for illuminations are now reserved areas. my recommendation is to avoid the circle around the lake entirely and watch from inside one of the countries. you won't see the globe, but you'll see the sky fireworks. it's particularly pretty from china, with the welcome gate thing as a frame.
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I think grazing is a great plan, and then if you decide you want something more you can pop on MDE or into the nearest TS and ask about availability or go into a restaurant with a lounge/bar and typically can get a full or sizable menu served, no ADR needed. Tutto Gusto in the Italy pavilion is great!
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I am willing to consider anything around the Beach Club/Boardwalk area as well as in Epcot. Maybe even Disney Springs.
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