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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Hi everyone! Welcome to my second PTR With a little more than 5 months to go until our trip, we’ve reached that point where all we can do is wait (impatiently might I add ) for our trip to arrive. You know, all of the planning is done, hotel and flights are booked and ADRs are set. Mostly what’s left are boring tasks, so I thought I would add to my excitement by starting this a little early, hope you don’t mind!
So, without further ado, here we go!
WHO:
Me (Jenn) – 35 (oh, but I just realized I will have had my 36th birthday in October just a few weeks before our trip I'm inching closer and closer to that big 4-0. Yikes!)
DH (Chris) – 37
DD (Kaeli) – 8
DD (Abby) – 6
I think I will wait to do more formal introductions with our background until the TR
Scheduled to make an appearance:
My BFF and her family, DH and DD (12) – I am so excited about this! This will be their second trip to the world, it will be great fun to share the magic with them!
WHAT: Our annual November visit
WHERE: Port Orleans Riverside (Our first on property experience as a family!!)
WHEN: Thursday, November 1 – Saturday, November 10
WHY: Silly question, why not?
HOW: Well, if you read my last TR you know that I am very much a proponent of the good old road trip. We’ve driven down for the past 3 years, mainly to save money and also because I was nervous of flying with Kaeli and her peanut allergy. But, after giving it some thought and discussing it with her allergist we have decided to fly! This will be the girls’ first time on a plane and they can hardly contain their excitement . I am looking forward to arriving in Orlando in about 3 hours, rather than the 16 or so it would take us to drive , and I’m really looking forward to the extra time we will have in our happy place!
So, there you have it! I’ll be back to let you in on the details soon!
I thought I would leave you with this:
We're gonna take ya down
We're gonna take ya down
We're gonna take ya all the way down.
We're gonna take ya down
We're gonna take ya down
We're gonna take ya all the way.
Goin' down the bayou!
Goin' down the bayou!
Goin' down the bayou!
Taking ya all the way!
As sung by one of our favorite characters, Ray the firefly – from the Princess and the Frog.
Great start, Jenn! I think you will enjoy flying, on our last flight I remember the flight attendant announcing that it would be a peanut free flight as there was a peanut allergy. I had always wondered how they handle peanut allergies. And I know you will love staying on property. Port Orleans (both resorts) are just beautiful.
Yay, I got in at the beginning for once! I've been putting off starting my PTR for a trip this July, but I guess I should start posting!
POFQ was always my resort-of-choice before buying into DVC. I love the boat rides on the river to Downtown Disney and the laid-back atmosphere. The bus system is much better, too, than a lot of the more spread-out resorts. You won't get the space in the room that you've been getting in the condo you usually stay in, but other than that, it's really nice. And you'll get to do EMH! I've been on several flights with kids with peanut allergies. They've allowed the family early boarding so that you can wipe down the seats, armrests and tables. Then they made an announcement that no products with peanuts would be served or allowed in rows xx through xx. I'm not crazy about flying, but it does get you more time at WDW!
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YAY great start Jenn, staying on property can't be beat and flying will get you to your happy place much faster and nothing is better than having extra time at WDW. Can't wait to hear all your plans, our trips will overlap by 2 days, we arrive on the 9th.
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Yay, I got in at the beginning for once! I've been putting off starting my PTR for a trip this July, but I guess I should start posting!
POFQ was always my resort-of-choice before buying into DVC. I love the boat rides on the river to Downtown Disney and the laid-back atmosphere. The bus system is much better, too, than a lot of the more spread-out resorts. You won't get the space in the room that you've been getting in the condo you usually stay in, but other than that, it's really nice. And you'll get to do EMH! I've been on several flights with kids with peanut allergies. They've allowed the family early boarding so that you can wipe down the seats, armrests and tables. Then they made an announcement that no products with peanuts would be served or allowed in rows xx through xx. I'm not crazy about flying, but it does get you more time at WDW!
Yes, Laurie, get started posting about your July trip! We can't wait to hear about it
I am so glad you have great things to say about PO, I am really excited about staying there. I know that we will be giving up some space, but I think that all of the things that we will be getting in return will be well worth it I'm already looking forward to EMH!
We are flying on Jet Blue and I am really comfortable with their peanut allergy policy. Not only do they normally not serve peanuts in flight, but they will also not allow passengers 3 rows in front/back of the allergic person to eat any peanut products that they might have brought on flight with them. I can live with that!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cam22
Great start!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Colexis Mom
Great start Jenn!
Thanks, Ladies!
Quote:
Originally Posted by DaisynDonald
Can't wait to hear your plans!! We are also going in November this year
Thanks! When in November is your trip? You will love it, great weather and low crowds!
Quote:
Originally Posted by southerngirl1014
Yay for another trip! I love your title choice too. Princess and the Frog is one of my favs!
Us too, we love that Movie!
Quote:
Originally Posted by HollyH
Great start! Can't wait to hear more.
Thanks, Holly!
Quote:
Originally Posted by valegirl5292
YAY great start Jenn, staying on property can't be beat and flying will get you to your happy place much faster and nothing is better than having extra time at WDW. Can't wait to hear all your plans, our trips will overlap by 2 days, we arrive on the 9th.
I am really looking forward to staying on property! The girls were practically begging to stay in one of "Mickey's hotels" last trip, so I know they are too!
Very cool that our trips will overlap! I don't want to give any plans away yet, but maybe they will overlap with yours too. Say hi if you see us
Quote:
Originally Posted by lexiemom
Great start, Jenn! I think you will enjoy flying, on our last flight I remember the flight attendant announcing that it would be a peanut free flight as there was a peanut allergy. I had always wondered how they handle peanut allergies. And I know you will love staying on property. Port Orleans (both resorts) are just beautiful.
Thanks, Aimee! I am feeling better and better about our decision to fly, and I know that after the trip I am going to be kicking myself for not getting over my fears sooner I mean, we are gaining 2 whole days in Disney that normally would have been spent driving in the car!
I've been looking at videos/pictures of POR online with the girls and all I can say is, I'm in love It looks so beautiful!
Quote:
Originally Posted by abubbles77
Yeah, getting in at the start of your ptr. Can't wait to read more.
OMG.....Josie and I sang that song everyday when we were just there........too cute!!!
Great start to the TR!! I'm so happy you guys are staying at POR. The girls will just love it. Can't wait to hear more of your plans!
I hope that you and your family have a magical time at the world
__________________
Heather - "I'm Tinkerbell's biggest fan!"
WDW - August 1997 Off Property
WDW - January 2005 AKL
WDW - May 2006 Pop Century
WDW- november-dec 2007 pop century
WDW- dec/jan 2009/2010 pop century
WDW- oct/nov 2012 art of animation
WDW- sept 2013 port Orleans riverside
WDW- july 2015 beach club
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