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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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 sister and brother in law are going to WDW with us this year. I'm so excited we have spent years trying to talk them into to going. Dbil is a big sceptic but he is surpirsing my dsis with the trip. I'm doing most of the planning and would love to throw in some things that will really wow them and show them the magic we love. Any ideas would be great!
We really enjoyed the fireworks cruise (we did the IllumiNations one). A bit pricey, but really special!
Where are you staying? My MIL stayed at the GF, so I had a white chocolate Tinkerbell surrounded with chocolate dipped strawberries sent to her room after our first day in the park...again, a little expensive, but definitely made an impact. (I arranged it through the concierge.)
You could also do the family portrait session...we did one at the GF, but I think they do them at the Poly and possibly some other resorts as well. We enjoyed that one, too.
That's what's coming to mind right away...I'm sure others will have some great ideas!
What about dinner at California Grill during wishes if they don't already know about being able to see it from there? Maybe not tell them about wishes but just that it would be an amazing dinner? I'm sure this would make an exciting night for all of you, expecially to see their faces when wishes begins
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1st visit shirts if they won't mind the extra attention. if they are more laid back, i would plan one relaxing meal a day, we do places like LTT, Moracco, Raglan Road, Rose and Crown...places with lots of magic but somewhat quieter.
a photo session, maybe a carriage ride. i'm not sure where you are staying and the temperment of your guests. my bff generally goes with us on our family trips and this last trip she said that i'm right.. disney magic is in the little things like the door greeter, Ethel in the food court who got beads for our group to make a meet and greet special. maybe more infor about which resort, ages of guests, general likes.
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It's their first trip our 4th. They are stay at POR we are staying at BWI. I'd love to have something in there room when they arrive.
i think what you are looking for are baskets by betsy i think that is it they have a link i'm sorry i know someone will come by and drop it off they have really nice things for what you want . good luck and have fun planning.
I was going to say the same thing as Jeff, send something to their room maybe with Disney Snacks, or even a cake or strawberries as Korki-rad stated. I saw the baskets that the Disney Florist, however it sounds like Betsey might be more easy to work with, but those type of things help make a first trip to Disney more special. Good luck and happy planning.
Fireworks Voyage
Keys to the Kingdom Tour
Be at park opening ceremonies
Book character dining at whichever place has their fav character
Matching T-shirts for each park day for everyone in your party
Design your own shirts at DTD (and write on PP what it was like for those of us who have yet to go there)
Get a hold of the current park maps and a copy of the planning DVD and host a Disney countdown party where you can get an idea of what things interest them.
Send countdown newsletters at regular intervals counting down to your trip. Include trivia and hidden mickey info to grab their curiousity.
Make a Disney scrapbook with space for them to add photos and autographs with the characters. Be sure to include space to journal about their day.
Have fun!
Another idea, if you have the Mickey Waffle Machine or the Mickey Egg Shaper, why not host a Disney themed Brunch or have a dinner all Disney/Mikey Theme with Hidden Mickeys and Mickey Dessert and watch Disney Movies or have a Disney Sing Along.
If any young children are coming along, what I'm going to do for DS this trip is make a bag full of Mickey/Disney toys, coloring books, his Autograph Book (he won't get that til his first autograph though), Pillow Cases, shirts for each day of trip, and special ones for our Dinners for our Anniversary and DS Birthday, and Some Disney Dollars; when we go with DSis, DBroIL, and Twin DNephews, We're going to surprise them on their beds in Disney themed Bags with a Plush Mickey, Disney T-shirt, their Autograph Books, a Disposable Camera for each, and some Disney Dollars. I forgot to mention Mickey Ears too.
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I'm so excited we have spent years trying to talk them into to going. Dbil is a big sceptic but he is surpirsing my dsis with the trip. I'm doing most of the planning and would love to throw in some things that will really wow them and show them the magic we love. Any ideas would be great!
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