The Promise of Spring: F&GF 4.0 UPDATED: 5/11 - Page 8 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
Your dining plans look great! I agree that the food is as important as the attractions when planning a Disney trip! We also have a Rivers of Light dining package at Tiffins. I can't wait!
Love the ever-expanding ADR list! That happens to us every time!!! It's just so hard to try new places AND fit in a few favorites.
After reading your list, I realized that I am woefully out-of-date with Disney Springs. There are so many restaurants there that we have never tried. I look forward to hearing your reviews!
That's too funny how your ADR list quickly escalated from 5 to 10! You were probably adding these when you were hungry and thinking with your stomach and not your head! And in the meantime, you were browsing the menus over on Allearsnet! It's all good and now you have so many more places to enjoy!
__________________
October 6, 2017-Enjoying an amazing dinner at Victoria & Albert's with PP's Dot and Drew
My TR from my most recent trip is now underway. Includes: Universal Studios Florida, Disney World and Sea World Orlando Trifecta TR -Updated December 10th! TR is now COMPLETED!
Our trip in May is short on ADRs too. So far only 5 (one each day we are there). Also - your ADRs look very yummy. We are trying Art Smith's Homecoming in May - so can't wait to hear your thoughts on it! And I am hoping you like Boathouse - I really enjoy it and I would definitely go back!! Happy eating!!!
We do like Boathouse as we ate there last May. I had the filet mignon sliders and was one very happy camper.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Linnynad
LOL!!! I love the list of ever growing ADR's. We always start of with a small one as well.............but then, we all know how that goes.
Great choices and time slots!!
We had good intentions, but I just love eating out at WDW. I knew you all would understand.
Loved your growing ADR list - too cute with Luke's suggestions. I think the times that you have chosen will lend itself to ample time to get stuff accomplished before easing into your night.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk
That became our plan, dining late to give us plenty of play time. Now we'll see how it goes.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ariel14
I love the list Cam! I can't wait to hear what you think of Art Smith's restaurant. It's on our list!
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.
Love all the plans so far. So many similar to choices we will be making when we go back, sadly not till 2019 as we are going to Aulani again next year.
Aulani sounds like a wonderful trade off to me. We're still hoping to finally get to Aulani, but no definite plans yet.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Silvercat
(Another one with a previously frozen shoulder problem - steroid injections and gentle exercise/stretching got rid of it, but I was told it could recur in the other shoulder too!)
Plans look great so far, laughing at the ADR increase though - we are going QSDP this year, (we normally go table service as we get free dining at the time we book, but this year we are going for a different resort for a change), and AT THE MOMENT are relishing the idea of having a bit more freedom around the parks, without having to be anywhere specific to dine. However, in my head I'm taking bets as to how long it will be before DH starts to realise this means that unless we pay out of pocket, there will be no free Trail's End dinner, no free Hollywood Brown Derby, Mama Melrose's Fantasmic Dining package, 50's Prime Time Café, Crystal Palace, Be our Guest dinner, Yak & Yeti dinner, etc. etc.! I give him until, ooh, about August? Hahaha!
I was told the same thing about frozen shoulder, so for now I'm continuing my stretches and exercises.
We really were funny each of the times we decided to go back online and book something as it just kept escalating. Luke looked over our plans this morning while I finished my last therapy session. He asked as soon as I got home why we didn't have dining plans on one of our Epcot days. I had to remind him that we had won't to use that day for the food booths at lunch and dinner.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tara O'Hara
Your dining plans sound wonderful!! If it's any consolation, we do the same thing!! We always wind up booking way more anyway so I don't know why we fight it!!
Who knows what we'll decide for our fall trip, but I think we probably wind up just like this time.
Great dining list! I started my list with only 5, I currently have 6 and I'm trying to get 'Ohana for my husband. So much for fewer ADRs.
If there weren't so many wonderful places to eat, we might all be able to cut back. But WDW just keeps adding more wonderful spots.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lindawdw
Your dining plans look great! I'm looking forward to hearing what you think of some of the new restaurants. I'm hoping to add a couple of them to my October trip.
Thanks! I have high hopes for all the new ones, but only time will tell.
Quote:
Originally Posted by pamcarey
Your dining plans look great! I agree that the food is as important as the attractions when planning a Disney trip! We also have a Rivers of Light dining package at Tiffins. I can't wait!
Cool! Tiffins is one I'm very interested in and hoping it really is a winner.
Your ADR's sound fantastic! Looking forward to full reports on the new places!
Now if I can just remember the food photos.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mousestruck
Love the ever-expanding ADR list! That happens to us every time!!! It's just so hard to try new places AND fit in a few favorites.
After reading your list, I realized that I am woefully out-of-date with Disney Springs. There are so many restaurants there that we have never tried. I look forward to hearing your reviews!
You are so right. We have two now that we consider must dos and several that we try to fit in at least every two or three trips. Such a puzzle to work it all in with so little time.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SuperDave
That's too funny how your ADR list quickly escalated from 5 to 10! You were probably adding these when you were hungry and thinking with your stomach and not your head! And in the meantime, you were browsing the menus over on Allearsnet! It's all good and now you have so many more places to enjoy!
We just had to laugh at ourselves when we made the last ones as we had doubled the number. We just kept reading Disney websites and blogs and then we decided we just had to eat there.
PassPorter's Free-Book to Walt Disney World It’s hard to believe anything is free at Walt Disney World; but there are actually a number of things you can get or do for little to no cost. This e-book documents over 200 free or cheap tips to do before you go and after you arrive. You could save a considerable amount of money following these tips. Perhaps more importantly; you can discover overlooked attractions and little-known details most people whiz by on their way to spend money. Click here to see free sample pages from the e-book! Get this popular e-book free of extra charges when you join the PassPorter's Club for as little as $4.95. A club pass includes access to all our other e-books; e-worksheets; super-size photos; and more! This e-book is also available for separate purchase in the PassPorter Online Store for just $5.95.
I guess I was correct after all and this is the way I think and have the same great problem, which I love with the planning!
__________________
October 6, 2017-Enjoying an amazing dinner at Victoria & Albert's with PP's Dot and Drew
My TR from my most recent trip is now underway. Includes: Universal Studios Florida, Disney World and Sea World Orlando Trifecta TR -Updated December 10th! TR is now COMPLETED!
Just caught up! Love your intros. It seems like as we get older parts of the body reminds us of that!!! You really have great ADRs. I will wait for your review (you always post great reviews good or bad) on River of Lights that is one I'm very interested in.
I guess I was correct after all and this is the way I think and have the same great problem, which I love with the planning!
You were correct!
Quote:
Originally Posted by jackid2
Your ADR's look great!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Roxie2006
Just caught up! Love your intros. It seems like as we get older parts of the body reminds us of that!!! You really have great ADRs. I will wait for your review (you always post great reviews good or bad) on River of Lights that is one I'm very interested in.
I watched a short video today on the Disney Park Blog about Rivers of Light. I just keep getting more excited about this.
Today is Stefanie's birthday, and I have felt very glum for a week. This mood is an annual occurrence now, so I just go with it, knowing in a few days the fog will lift and I'll be myself again. Unfortunately, this year I've been down physically, too, with the frozen shoulder (Therapy is done as I'm much, much better.) and then Friday my eyes open to a large floater in the left eye. I've been to the eye doctor and the retina is fine. But it's going to be a while before this floater and I get used to each other. Now tonight after a sweet dinner with family, I have my feet up as my right knee is swelling. Cold weather is supposed to return with a vengeance tomorrow night and so my early alert system, aka arthritic joints, is letting me know. Bummer! Grief is unpredictable and does not completely ever go away. I'm in good hands so no need to worry or continue all this whining and complaining.
Instead I'd like to share a few photos of spring here in northwestern Kentucky.
On March 2 after taking a walk through our neighborhood, Luke and I realized how green our willow was and noted that our daffodils were indeed blooming. The Jane Magnolia was also budding out already. Remember it is only March 2.
The very next morning (March 3), we awoke to a thin layer of snow on the ground. Here are a few photos from that day, too.
Interestingly, the weather is supposed to take a turn for the worse Saturday with potential for some accumulating snow. It's still a little early to know what may happen. But I was so enjoying this early spring.
Some of you may remember that we bought several prints (5 to be exact) on our May trip last year. We can be slow at getting things done, but we usually manage to get them done. Monday we purchased the frames at Hobby Lobby for all five of these prints. We actually tried to on Friday evening,, but the wall frames weren't on sale last week, so we waited because 50% off makes a huge difference in cost. Today we got the prints into the frames and hung on the walls.
The Larry Dotson print of Animal Kingdom Lodge now is hanging in our safari bathroom.
The remaining four, three of the Magic Kingdom train and one of the Magic Kingdom sign, now hang proudly on our living room wall.
NEXT: Returning to the regularly scheduled PTR with Plans Day by Day
I feel so bad for you with all of the ailments you have been suffering with lately and more coming on! I can't even imagine how you must feel, when your beloved Stephanie's birthday rolls around! There's really nothing I can say about this and hoping the pain gets easier each year, but at the same time just keeping all of the great memories you had with her and I know how much she enjoyed WDW! I remember the time when you surprised her with a WDW trip she knew nothing about! That was amazing and I know she was ecstatic over this! Don't want you to dwell on this too much.
Just hope you feel better soon and the last surge of winter doesn't cause too much aggravation for you! I haven't seen any blooming flowers here in CT as of yet, even though we've had some warm days this winter. Forecast for a few inches of snow Friday morning and possibly another one on Tuesday! Hope this is the end of it as I hate the cold! Glad the days get an hour longer starting Sunday!
__________________
October 6, 2017-Enjoying an amazing dinner at Victoria & Albert's with PP's Dot and Drew
My TR from my most recent trip is now underway. Includes: Universal Studios Florida, Disney World and Sea World Orlando Trifecta TR -Updated December 10th! TR is now COMPLETED!