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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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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.
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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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I have to laugh! Ever since our friends and family found out we're going down to Wildwood next month, everyone has advice. Forgetting for a moment that I used to go there every summer with my dad and his ex-wife and I know where we plan to stay already, I do have the internet at my fingertips and I'm not a complete dee-dee-dee.
Everyone seems to have an opinion about where we should stay or thinks their hotel is cheaper/nicer/closer. I have to laugh about the ones who claim to be close to the boardwalk. The hotel we're staying at is literally a block from the boardwalk. You can see the sand.
A friend just recommended a hotel to us that has its own minigolf course next to its pool. She told me it's a stone's throw from the boardwalk. I'm wondering how good her arm is. Her hotel is 24 blocks away from ours and 12 blocks from the end of the boardwalk and 3 blocks inland. Umm...define 'close to the boardwalk'. If you mean it's in the same state, you'd be right.
DH's aunt even recommended a hotel in Seaside Heights. We're going to Wildwood. Why would we stay in Seaside Heights? Her answer? "Well, that way you could stay in nice, clean, family-oriented Seaside Heights and visit Wildwood during the day to avoid the gangs at night." I just have no response to that. It's not like they're right next door. And what gangs?! The Irish college students who work in the waterparks are now roaming the streets, looking for trouble?
Do you ever get travel advice with good intentions that you know you just can't take? How do you go about disabusing them of the notion? Or do you just not bother?
I'm afraid they'll give this advice to someone else who doesn't know any better, so I try to find a nice way to say 'learn how to read a map'.
I just got that from my in-laws....when informing them that we would be taking a nice long vacation to Disney, with breaks and relaxation, with no intention of theme park hopping all over Orlando.......when they heard we were probably be down there for 10 days, responded..."oh, you'll be able to do Sea World and Universal, and go see grandmom (in Ft. Lauderdale) while you're there too!"
BTW...they do have a summer trailer in Cape May Courthouse. From what I understand, that's only a stones throw from Wildwood!! (where we always beach too!) If you're hard up for a place to stay, I can offer you an uncomfortable hide-a-bed covered with a TIN roof!!!
I have no advice, having never been to Wildwood. I bet you're happy for that!!
Yep, we've had people when we say,"We're going to WDW again" start advising us as to where to stay/go/play. I always have to ask "Have you been often?" Usually they have only been once or twice - I do that in a year!!
We used to get that too. We have vacationed in Wildwood almost every summer since I was born except for five years when we went to the Poconos instead (ages 9-14) and we bought our trailer in Cape May Court House specifically because it is so close to Wildwood/North Wildwood. I love when people who have never been or been a few times try to tell me where to go or what to do. I know the Wildwoods like the back of my hand and could probably be on the Wildwood Welcome Committee !! As far as gangs that's hysterical. There was a time when Wildwood was getting a little scary but that time is loooong gone. I will tell you that you should probably do the boardwalk early while you are there because you will more than likely run into quite a few Senior Week revelers the week you are going. I think it is public school Senior Week that week. You might have some in your hotel too so that's something to think about or maybe call your hotel and ask about although most hotels no longer rent to Senior Week kids. No matter what you will have fun, Wildwood is a great time!!
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My Irish Princesses !!!
Irish Fall Festival, North Wildwood, NJ
September, 2007
We specifically avoided the week that some hotels blocked off for senior week. It seems some hotels only book students for senior week to avoid other customers complaining about the noise from the teenagers. We figured it's a pretty safe week considering it's when the National Marbles Tournament is held there. (Kids ages 8 - 14 compete against other regional champs for the title.) I've been to Wildwood in the 80's and 90's with my dad and his much younger, hot ex-wife. Even at 13, I looked old enough to get away with going clubbing with them. The boardwalk after 10 pm is nothing compared to the dives I've been in in Wildwood.
I'll admit to being surprised at being warned away from the boardwalk late at night. Wildwood is a party town. It's one of the reasons we like it. Otherwise, we'd be staying in the Crest. We're night owls. It's nice to have something to do after 10 pm with a 4 year old who's wide awake. No clubbing for us this time around.
I totally agree with you!! I love Wildwood because it's a party town too!! I love to go to Cape May to walk around and shop but Wildwood is my favorite shore town by far. I only mentioned not going to the Boardwalk late at night because if there is a Senior Week that week it can get REALLY crowded late at night and there might be some things going on you might rather DJ not see although it might make for some great DJ stories when you get back!! My kids are night owls too so it is nothing for us to still be up at the boardwalk at Midnight getting ice cream after the Friday night fireworks!! We have season passes for the boardwalk this year so I see alot of late nights for us there this summer!! I hope you have a GREAT time and I will try to make the Doo Wop Diner meet if I am down there!! I am really hoping to meet to famous (infamous?) DJ in person, I'm sure my girls would get a kick out of him and I think Molly and DJ are about the same age. Have fun!
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My Irish Princesses !!!
Irish Fall Festival, North Wildwood, NJ
September, 2007
Excellent! We would love to meet you and your girls. I don't know how busy you guys are during the day mid-week when you're down at the Cape, but we'd love to have you join us at the beach or what-have-you if you've a yen for some beach time. The hotel is pretty lax about visitors using the pool, too, if you'd rather. (I am not a swim-in-the-ocean type. I like the sand, but the water - not so much. ) Let me know when you find out whether you'll be down there in time. We'll work out some time to get together if you can't make it to the diner for the meet.
I think you're gonna have a blast!!! I've only been there a few times in the past 10 years (a couple of Irish Weekends with Luv4my4 Stacey!! A few bachelorette parties, and my own bachelorette party). But the few times I have gone, we've always had the best time (we used to go there for a week every summer when I was a kid-- until I was 10, and then my dad wanted to start going to Delaware beaches because we could drive onto the beach and fish). I was so sad-- all my friends were in Wildwood. Have fun on your trip!!!!
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Dina
Last edited by Happymommy; 05-16-2007 at 07:56 AM..
That is annoying, and it's difficult to find a tactful way of saying, "I know, doofus." I just usually nod and smile until I have a chance to say, "Oh, I think I know exactly what you're talking about...you know, we've stayed at Bookalookaville for the last eight summers."
It usually only happens to me with WDW ("Did you go to Disney World? And Epcot?" ). Our other most-frequent vacay spots are yearly trips to the Outer Banks and half a dozen trips a year to Myrtle or Holden Beach. No one really tries to give advice on those...not sure why, come to think of it. Maybe because going to Myrtle/OBX is a right of passage for living 'round here, so folks just assume you know about it?
Our other most-frequent vacay spots are yearly trips to the Outer Banks and half a dozen trips a year to Myrtle or Holden Beach. No one really tries to give advice on those...not sure why, come to think of it. Maybe because going to Myrtle/OBX is a right of passage for living 'round here, so folks just assume you know about it?
You know the song Allentown by Billy Joel? He mentions weekends at the Jersey Shore. My DH works in Allentown. WE (okay, and our parents) are the people Billy Joel was talking about. You don't live here without spending at least a few weekends in your lifetime down the shore. (Actually, he wrote the song about Bethlehem, but nothing rhymed with that mouthful and Allentown is the next town over. ) I think it's because everyone has been there that they think they know it better than everyone else even after just one visit because shore towns are so small.
I've had a few try to give me advice about WDW, but they soon realize that I probably know more than they do. I really do try to be polite, but I'm not very good at feigning ignorance when they ask if I know about this or that.
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I know their intentions are good, but...
Ever since our friends and family found out we're going down to Wildwood next month, everyone has advice. Forgetting for a moment that I used to go there every summer with my dad and his ex-wife and I know where we plan to stay already, I do have the internet at my fingertips and I'm not a complete dee-dee-dee. 
I'm wondering how good her arm is. 
Umm...define 'close to the boardwalk'. 
If you mean it's in the same state, you'd be right. 
We're going to Wildwood. Why would we stay in Seaside Heights? Her answer? 
I just have no response to that. It's not like they're right next door. And what gangs?! 
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!! As far as gangs that's hysterical. There was a time when Wildwood was getting a little scary but that time is loooong gone. I will tell you that you should probably do the boardwalk early while you are there because you will more than likely run into quite a few Senior Week revelers the week you are going. I think it is public school Senior Week that week. You might have some in your hotel too so that's something to think about or maybe call your hotel and ask about although most hotels no longer rent to Senior Week kids. No matter what you will have fun, Wildwood is a great time!!
It seems some hotels only book students for senior week to avoid other customers complaining about the noise from the teenagers. We figured it's a pretty safe week considering it's when the National Marbles Tournament is held there. (Kids ages 8 - 14 compete against other regional champs for the title.) I've been to Wildwood in the 80's and 90's with my dad and his much younger, hot ex-wife. 
No clubbing for us this time around. 
I hope you have a GREAT time and I will try to make the Doo Wop Diner meet if I am down there!! I am really hoping to meet to famous (infamous?) DJ in person, I'm sure my girls would get a kick out of him and I think Molly and DJ are about the same age. Have fun!
Stacey!! A few bachelorette parties, and my own bachelorette party). But the few times I have gone, we've always had the best time (we used to go there for a week every summer when I was a kid-- until I was 10, and then my dad wanted to start going to Delaware beaches because we could drive onto the beach and fish). I was so sad-- all my friends were in Wildwood. Have fun on your trip!!!!
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