Special Needs Sharing Question: Where are your favorite places to take a break in the parks? - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!
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.
I don't think I really have a favorite, but I would like to add this little attachment for those who'd like to peruse. I made it when I visited WDW at 7 1/2 months pregnant. It has just about every A/C ride and attraction. I hope it helps at least one other person out there. Look out - It's in a very small font. I laminated it and took it in my backpack.
We love to stop and sit and watch the fountain with the music at Epcot and also the playground there is awesome!
As for Magic Kingdom it is always so crazy there when we go I use the quieter rides as our break time (TTA, Carosel of Progress, ect...)
MGM and Animal Kingdom we only go for half days to those as there are few rides my son will ride at either, so we break at the hotel and take a midday swim and then head out to MK or Epcot for fireworks.
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.
For that total meltdown, head back to the resort for swimming or just resting in the room with a book and a beverage for an hour or so.
We also like to ride the train at MK for a break, and Tomorrowland Transit Authority is another favorite restful ride. Both give you time to rest your feet, think, and talk about what to do next. The rose garden area in MK near Tomorrowland is a nice place to sit with a drink or ice cream, or even the terraced seating area that is sometimes open as Tomorrowland Noodle Terrace. Lovely view of the castle and often nice and cool on a hot day.
In Epcot we stop for coffee in Morocco, or get some teas in Japan or China and enjoy the sound and sight of the water features in those countries. We like to sit in one of the garden areas, like England or Canada. Sometimes you get the bonus of some music too. Visit the trains in Germany, good for all ages, even babies, as it's slightly hypnotic.
In DHS, we like plopping down at Writers Stop if its not too crowded. At AK, we enjoy just sitting in the aviary waiting for the birds to walk up to us, and getting tea at the stand in Asia and watching people walk by.
But if there are ducks in the water anywhere, my son likes to just hang over the rail and watch them. Very peaceful--and very real.
We found a couple places in MK: cosmic rays is nice for a break but don't stay too long or the comic repeats (), also Pinocchio's Village house has windows that you can look through and see the IASW boats as they start the ride (my son really liked this), the train ride is really great and the TTA of course, Also the train station at the front of the park has an indoor area with benches and A/C - you can watch the trains come and go and sometimes see the parades.
In Epcot: The fountain in Italy is very peaceful, the pathways between FW and WS have benches to sit and people watch and see the fountain, in France there are tables near the bakery between the buildings where you can relax and have a cup of joe and croissant and enjoy, inside the Mexico Pavillion is always cool and the gift shop is really neat.
In HS: we found benches outside of GMR and relaxed a spell there, the playground of HISTK is neat for the kids and gives Mom and DAD a rest.
In AK: any of the walking trails have places to sit and ponder away, the BBQ place has little covered patios to sit in and one is right by the lake with a view of Everest.
That is all I can think of right now, I will post more if I can remember them.
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.
I like to Park Hop and usually work a break into the hop. I really like to relaxi at some of the deluxe resorts on my way to another park. For example, I walk over from Epcot or take the bus to Beach Club from any of the other parks. Then I pick up something cold to drink at the Beach Club Marketplace and sit outside on the porch rockers. After I'm rejuvinated, I take the boat to the Studios.
If I'm hopping to the MK, I like to stop at the Poly for something cool and find a tropical shady spot outside to relax.
__________________
ºOº ~*~
Oct '99: CSR ~ May '02: CR ~ Nov '04: SOG ~ May '06: SOG ~ Dec '07: Solo @ Pop ~ May '08: Pop w/friends ~ Oct '08: SOG ~ Dec '09: Pop w/LeAnn ~ Sept '10: Solo @ Pop ~ Spring '11: AKL ~ Jan '12: Pop for 1/2 Marathon ~ Sept '12: 1st trip for DL 1/2 Marathon? ~ Feb '13: Pop w/pals? ~ Mar '13: Tokyo Disney w/PP's?
My son's fav. place in MK - Mickey's Philharmagic. It's great because it's air conditioned, nice seats, dark and amusing. It's a good way to get yourself going again.
My son's fav. place in MK - Mickey's Philharmagic. It's great because it's air conditioned, nice seats, dark and amusing. It's a good way to get yourself going again.
DD and I planned TS meals at lunchtime and we took advantage of the A/C attractions as often as possible. The first time we went, we did not have her wheelchair and she did not want to rent one. I abided by her wishes, but I made sure to talk her into rides and attractions that would allow her to rest her legs for a while.
The first thing for me at DLR and applies to WDW is system repairs so that I can get through the day. Stop for a Coke or some popcorn ot give me carbs I need when I am grumpy. A quiet place away from people like Innoventions at DLR helps but any theater is a good place to hide from people. I find just setting and chilling helps.
Also what helps is anything that makes me happy like street performers and bands. What I find is most important is staying in tune with my body so that I rest before I HAVE to rest and eating before I go into low sugars. Stop the road rage before it happens. I see too many people pushing themselves until they are beyond help.
Last night I found myself not up to doing the Sun Wheel and Screamin's and the Golden Zephyr as I was too tired. Just not doing them. For me it was still fun because I rested in my secret spots and watched the crowds as the parks are full of interesting people to watch. I stopped at a cart and ended up staring at flowers. I rode some rides but I got my rest by taking in the easy things in life like staring at flowers, lol.
__________________
Mom calls to check on me and reminded me to pay the gardener. I love her so much.
Disneyland was fun with flag retreat and pickles. I have a home here, thank you. GAC is NOT a "front of the line pass".
She is gone but keeping signature. Laundry is getting done. My purpose in life is to help poor people in FL. Farewell, will miss you.
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.