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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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 DH, DD(17), DD(15+), DD-BFF(15+) and I are going to WDW this summer for ten days (staying at Shades Of Green). After reading posts about how much fun people had at the Pirate and Princess Party, I got tickets for us.
My question is this: What other activities and restaurants at WDW do you recommend for a family with teenagers? (We haven't been to WDW since 2004)
I have 3 teens, too. When we go in August they will be: DS (19) DD (18) DS (16). Sci-fi cafe was unanimously picked by all three for lunch. The boys want to do Disney Quest (well sort of, DS19 doesn't "want" to do any of it!). The Lights Motor Action show at the Disney Hollywood Studios was pretty cool. Of course if they are into thrill rides, a couple of my DD favorites are Rock N Roller coaster and Space Mountain. The boys have never been. Hope this helps!
DS, DS-BF and Cousin (all 18) are most fired up about SeaRaycers. The funny thing is they all drive tricked out cars and they're so stoked about these little 9 horsepower boats. They're also planning on spending a few hours in DTD/PI.
In 1998, I took 40 teenage girls to WDW. They loved the Sci-Fi, most loved the ToT and the Rockin Roller Coaster, they actually liked the Hoop de doo but didn't admit it loudly.
We are going next month and DD(17) is most excited about taking the surf lesson at Typhoon Lagoon. Aside from the usual rides and such we had a lot of fun playing mini golf last year at Winter Summerland. We went one evening and literally had the place to our selves! Whatever you plan, your family will have an amazing time!! Enjoy!
When my kids were that age they really enjoyed the Waterparks and WinterSummerland Mini golf as well as all of the parks. One of the things they most enjoyed was having a little time on their own. A few times we would seperate in the parks. My ex and I got to wander WS one evening while they stood in lines for rides. With cell phones it was easy to keep in touch. My ex and I also always enjoyed TS restaurants and a couple of times the kids just wanted a CS meal. So we even had a couple of adult meals. We had given our kids charging privelges on their room cards so they could eat where they wanted while we enjoyed a leisurely meal.
That's not to say that we didn't have some wonderful family meals together, They really enjoyed Prime Time Cafe at DHS, Whispering Canyon Cafe for lunch at WL, and we always did at least one character meal. I think WDW is a great place for a family vacation with teens. There are so many things for everyone to do. My kids are 21 and 24 now and they both still WDW. I know you will all have a wonderful vacation together.