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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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 was surprised a few months ago when my husband suggested that we go to Disneyland soon. We were in the middle of a big remodel at home, and we had been to WDW just last year in September. He is not nearly the fan of Disney as I am...I could go on a daily basis if we lived closer.
So I really didn't even think it was a possibility due to our finances. We talked about it a bit and then CarsLand opened. The kids have been waiting since they first announced it and started asking if we could go now that CL was open. Still I just couldn't see how that was going to work. Well, fast forward to September and after DH and I talked about it again we got an idea. Instead of Christmas gifts this year we are going to surprise then with a trip to the DLR!
The kids think we are going to Riverside to visit my DH's sister, which we are for a couple of days, then heading to DLR. After I booked a package deal with AAA, DH saw that Costco had a pretty good deal on tickets, and would actually give us an extra day in the parks. I cancelled the AAA package with no problems, booked a hotel and DH got the Costco tickets. (Plus with each ticket we got a $50 gift card!) My SIL is on the plan and is hoping to get at least one day with us at the parks.
I am updating my passporter, looking at the holiday happenings, and making a few things for the kids to open on Christmas day. I am making my daughter and I matching T-Shirts, my son and husband matching T-shirts, and making my daughter a special holiday crown. (I made her a crown, and myself a pair of Mickey Ears when went to WDW, plus a bunch of other stuff to wear while we were there.) Maybe I will make a pair of holiday ears for me? I also got her a lot of Disney pins from ebay (we did it for WDW and she loved it) all the pins are official pins and trade-able. They will each get a Disney gift card to use at the parks. Plus I asked the grandparents to give them Disney cards instead of gifts this year as well. Which they all agreed was easier than trying to get stuff for a 15 year old girl and 18 year old boy. I am also thinking I might make them a few fun coupons, like "free popcorn" or "free churro" not sure yet. I did book us a World of Color package since we haven't seen that yet!
We will still be there for the holiday season, January 2 to the 6th. The tail end of the holidays but we get a full weekend so that we won't miss anything. The CM said they will do all there holiday shows, etc. through to the 6th. I am getting excited seeing pictures and the commercials on TV. Even though I have been to DLR during the holidays, I think it will be great to really experience them. I just hope I can kept it a secret until December 25th!
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.
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.
We did a surprise visit to WDW in 2005- told the kids we were flying to Seattle (our layover) and then teased them about sneaking on a plane to Orlando- it was priceless to see their faces when we told them the surprise. I was just lucky they never questioned when I told them to pack shorts (a NW winter is NOT shorts weather)
Anyway, since then we have decided we only travel for the holidays. We make gifts for other family members, then we buy souvineers for each other for Christmas morning. Funny how the kids can't remember the 'stuff' they opened but they will never forget the trips we have taken over the years.
I hope you enjoy your getaway! We get to spend Christmas in DLR and I cant wait!
__________________
DH and I: Epcot 12/07
Life is not about the things I accumulate, but the experiences shared with others
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