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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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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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Universal fans - this is a question I've been pondering. With the announcement of the new HP area at IOA, will you change any plans to visit? I am seriously thinking we need to plan a trip next year before HP opens in 2009/2010, because I think it will draw a lot of crowds.
So, are you planning one last trip pre-HP, or do you want to wait until it opens to return?
I don't think we'll visit Universal until the kids are older, and that may be many years away still. Will HP still draw the crowds then? We'll just have to wait and see!!!
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I don't think I'll be able to get back to Orlando before HP is opened. I would love one more pre-HP visit but at the moment I am thnking my trip in October '06 was my last pre-HP trip. Of course, I've learned to never say never when Florida is involved!
Can't say we're making different plans, but we are planning on a USF/IOA visit as part of our trip next year..... of course, we still haven't decided exactly when we will be going yet.
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I have no plans to go there before HP is built. I most likley will wait a while after the Muggle world views the Park before I apparate into the Park ( past the ticket gates) hee hee
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In our case, HP is the only reason we'd be going to Universal Studios.
I love Disney but don't do typical amusement parks well -- too much emphasis on coasters, which I don't ride. So we've never had much interest in USF. Until the Harry Potter announcment, that is! DD and I love the books and can't wait to see the wizarding world up close and personal. Luckily we were planning a return to Orlando in 2009, so it works out perfectly - and DD will be almost 10, so probably old enough for the rest of the park, too.
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I was definitely considering visiting Universal next time; my husband loves the comic-book heroes and would love to visit on our upcoming trip, but no time! I heart roller coasters, but I'm often too big to be comfortable in them, so unless there was another draw to Universal I wasn't too interested. Harry Potter would be that draw for me.
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My sister and I were actually talking about this on Sunday. We think we'll be visiting once the HP part of the park is up and running. My immediate family wants to go to US/IOA again (this time staying on site), but there probably won't be a trip to Orlando before then (after our upcoming Disney trip).
In our case, HP is the only reason we'd be going to Universal Studios.
I love Disney but don't do typical amusement parks well -- too much emphasis on coasters, which I don't ride. So we've never had much interest in USF.
Quote:
Originally Posted by awitelin
I heart roller coasters, but I'm often too big to be comfortable in them, so unless there was another draw to Universal I wasn't too interested.
I hope you all do get a chance to visit USF, because I think you will be pleasantly surprised to learn that Universal's theme parks are anything but typical amusement parks with coasters. Universal's parks have top-notch theming. I am a coaster freak, but my favorite attraction at USF isn't a coaster at all. It's Men in Black, which is a dark ride similar to Buzz Lightyear but 1,000 times better.
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Our only prePotter trip will be to Disney. I am definitely going to Universal for at least a couple of days once HP is open. I can't wait to be immersed in the Potter Universe.
I hope you all do get a chance to visit USF, because I think you will be pleasantly surprised to learn that Universal's theme parks are anything but typical amusement parks with coasters. Universal's parks have top-notch theming.
My boys and I are planning a family trip once Nick graduates from college and that should be post HP and we will definitely make a visit there--- crowds or not!
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Will HP change your USF plans?
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I would love one more pre-HP visit but at the moment I am thnking my trip in October '06 was my last pre-HP trip. Of course, I've learned to never say never when Florida is involved! 
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