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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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My DD and I have tried to tack a weekend at WDW to her annual pre-season equestrian camp. She is now a senior and we've managed 2 of the past three years. Both times I've gone, we had frozen and burst pipes so it was with some trepidation that in the dark, cold days of December, I booked this trip.
We have had a not so good 2009. It began with my middle son being hit by a driver crossing the yellow line as he looked out at the Isle of Shoals on New Years Day. Son was fine. Car was totalled. It ended with my 32 year old furnace deciding it was no longer willing to be nursed and calling it quits. You can't live in Northern New England without a furnace in December.
The final blow was our beloved male dog on DEcember 30, began to swagger and had a seizure like event and on New Years Eve, the vet stated her professional opinion was cancer. Being great at denial, I came with tons of other alternatives, but within two weeks it was clear, Angus would be leaving us. I also gave lots of thought to canceling.
My first son has been home for 4 weeks and left yesterday to go back to school 1900 miles away. My middle son starts back at school this week, but is only a few hours away and DD goes off to camp Monday and then back to school.
So now I am one week out, in a pretty down mood and trying to get myself in a traveling mood. I am also feeling like I should be saving, not spending.
My DD will be in West Palm Beach and I will fly into West Palm, connect with her and the do the 3 hour drive to WDW.
We have three nights booked at the AKL. I have three parking hopping days left on my ticket from last year.
Hopefully, thinking and focusing on next weekend, will help me build my enthusiasm.
__________________
Charlie
Last edited by Huntermom; 01-16-2010 at 09:25 AM..
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Oh my goodness, I think you NEED this trip. No need to psych yourself up for it -- just get on that plane no matter your mood, and I'm guessing the Disney magic will start infusing itself as soon as you arrive. Try to let go of everything while you're there and just enjoy being at Disney! Magic works wonders!!
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.
Adding to my difficulty getting enthusiastic for this trip is a general sense of "no plans." Usually by now, even on these short trips, I have some sense of what we'll be doing. This time, not so much.
I blame my DD in part because she has plans to meet up with a high school friend, who is now living in Orlando. She just doesn't know when. DD loves thrill rides. I can do Test Track and Splash and Big Thunder Mountains, but that's my limit. I would love her to be able to do Everest and RnRC with her friend so I won't feel guilty about her skipping them (I have walked to the chicken exit with her but I know it's not the same as riding with someone).
So all the plans are:
Leave MHT at 8:15. Pick up DD somewhere in West Palm Beach around 2:30 Friday afternoon. It's supposed to be 80 in West Palm Beach.
Either go to the Winter Equestrian Festival for a few hours or head directly to WDW. I know DD wants to head over but if I am too tired, I may push her to head right up.
I have two reservations for Boma. One at 6:45 and one at 9:00. I am rethinking this because neither of us are big eaters. We usually share one meal, so buffets are not cost efficient for us. I am also thinking if I need to feed her when I pick her up, the 9:00 p.m. reservation may work as a very late dinner.
Saturday, Sunday and Monday until 4:00 p.m. in the parks. Not sure when or where. We will eat CS although I may also try to schedule another sit down meal.
Head home Monday evening. DD heads back to school Tuesday morning.
I do have a couple of goals. When I am not with DD, I plan to do some of the attractions she doesn't really like. I am also bringing my Kodak Easyshare and going to not only take pictures, but actually try to sucessfly integrate them into my TR.
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.
It sure sounds like you could use some pixie dust Glad that you're getting a chance to spend some time with your DD in such a "happy place". I'm so sorry to hear about your dog.
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.
Step one is accomplished-DD is a few minutes from landing in West Palm Beach. She wanted to book at 6:00 a.m. flight down so that she could meet up with some of her team mates in Baltimore and be on the same flight for the second leg.
I was not too happy about the need to rise at 4 and be out by 4:30 and at the airport at 5. Out regional airport is great and seldom has lines so we try to get there an hour ahead, sometimes cut it a little closer. There's also really nothing there but a Donkin Donuts and a McDonalds . DS1 flew out Friday at 7:50 a.m. and said there was literally no one in line before him.
I had been checking the weather all week because DD had less than 1/2 hour between flights. Fortunately, SWA gates are all on the same concourse at BWI. I knew she would be fine so long as she got out on time but any delay and she would miss her connection. So while she was riding yesterday afternoon, I checked the weather and was shocked to see a pretty large snowstorm coming in. Starting yesterday evening and lasting through the day.
DD was up late packing because she has a tendency to put things off. She stumbled upstairs to be bed after midnight. She woke me up and I could see the beautiful white tree limbs out my window. My alarm was set for 4. For some reason, I woke up just after 2 to total darkness-we had lost power! I made my way downstairs, got a flashlight and my cell phone and set the alarm on the cell phone. Still very pretty, but not exactly wanted, snow covered branches.
I woke up a few minutes before 4 when the power came back on. While we had had 4-5 inclhes, it was very light. I had parked my trusty old wagon close to the end of the drive way so it only took minutes to clean the car and the end of the drive way. The plows had come a couple of times (once when I was shovelling) and the street wasn't bad.
I managed to pull out of the driveway at 4:37. We got to the airport a few minutes after 5 and got a close to the terminal, short term spot. The SWA lines at the airport to check baggage was pretty long and it took almost 15 minutes to get through. When we got upstairs, the clock at Dunkin Donuts was wrong, so Dd headed through security and I headed home, arriving back just around 6.
DD's flight got out on time and she was around 15 minutes early into BWI. I just checked online and there are now major delays at the airport, so I guess the 6:00 a.m flight was a good thing.
I arrived just as my electric alarm went off. My dog was a little upset by the noise so I shut it off, let her out again and had a quick snack before heading off to bed again. I woke up just before 10 and am going to head out and shovel to keep ahead of the snow.
DD's friend is free all three days we are there. I told DD she was welcome to stay with us, but DD thinks it odd to ask someone who is residing near by to stay overnight. Dd and this friend went to WDW together over their spring break DD's senior year in High school and stayed at SSR using the friend's family DVC points so I think I may try to get a nice sit down meal for us one night.
I am getting more enthusiastic. Now I just need to get my work done so I can relax over vacation. I decided to work from home today rather than drive on the snow covered roads to the office.
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.
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Great plans! I hope it's a magical trip! 
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