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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Last night we were on our way to go out to dinner. While stopped at a busy intersection my husband and I noticed a woman on one corner and a man on another. They both had these huge cardboard homemade signs. They were hard to see but we finally got a glimpse of what was written.
"Will work for money or food. lost job and almost homeless. Need money for food and diapers" And there was a beautiful picture of the two of them and their young child.
I was heartbroken over this. Here I am going out to a dinner that I'm sure will cost us about $50 and these people need food and diapers for their child. I went through the mall parking lot and back down to where they were. When we stopped to give them the money the man repeatedly asked if he could do any work for us. We said no, that this was a gift. I gave them $20.
I don't know if I did the right thing. I don't know if their story was real. All I know is my heart really broke for this couple. I did what I thought I should do.
I can't stop thinking about them. I just needed to talk to some friends about this.
Thanks for listening.
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.
you are a very kind and generous person. and there is a real possiblity that they are indeed in need of help. a close friend of mine has worked with the homeless population in town since the 70s. she knows so many deserving folks. all that said, she also knows those who are homeless who do this and make several hundred a day and the money doesn't go to food and diapers. it is so hard not to get jaded about this especially when she can call these folks by name.
i will pass along the advice that she gives folks. follow your heart and help by working or donating to food banks, shelters (my small town has a woman's, men's and family shelters), soup kitchens, voluntary action centers, wardrobes, ......the list is long. i used to volunteer for a group that collected baby clothes and items and we put together enough things to help people though a few months of baby times. there are so many places out there and they so need our help in these tough times. i know our food bank is struggling to help all the families these days. Thanks for your kindness and open heart.
So your safest bet is to do as the poster above said and donate to the food banks. My aunt works at one, and she said that nothing makes her madder than for someone to walk up talking on their cell phone to collect their free groceries! It happens all the time.
Many people have cell phones b/c they cannot afford regular phones. There are so many pay as you go phones now. You also have to remember that in the past few years a lot of people are now struggling to make ends meet. Going to food banks, church food closets, etc are helping a lot of people have the money to pay for rent, or a mortgage, clothes for them & their children, put gas in the car for work. Not everyone who uses a food bank is homeless, most of the time they are having a hard time staying afloat.
i've never had someone who wasn't really in need not ask for their help in return-I think it was real otherwise he wouldn't have asked to work-we tried to help someone once by buying them food because they asked for money for food but when we offered he refused and wanted the money instead so in that case he probably was wanting something else. I think you did the right thing!
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.
Very sweet! I think you did the right thing. Thank you for loving on them.
Danielle
__________________
WDW Oct . 2012
Since Minnie's chair is gone, I had to find a new place to have our photo taken this past Oct. Not sure this will be the permanent place.
Your heart was in the right place, & your intentions were good. Should the folks you gave it to be not on the UP & UP, that doesn't diminish your "pass it on" moment. A leap of faith sometimes is like that. Unfortunately our world today makes it hard for the people who are honestly in need of help to get it because of the schemers. I hope a child was fed last night thanks to you!
As others have said, it may have been legitimate or may not have been but what you did was.
However, I'd also recommend that people give to reputable food banks and shelters -- with your donations, these charitable organizations are able to purchase larger amounts of food or clothing from merchants who give them a discount than any individual could purchase for themselves. It's a way to make your donations go farther...
However, I'd also recommend that people give to reputable food banks and shelters -- with your donations, these charitable organizations are able to purchase larger amounts of food or clothing from merchants who give them a discount than any individual could purchase for themselves. It's a way to make your donations go farther...
Thanks Eileen! That is an excellent point. We definitely do that as well.
It was just one of those in the moment type things. It is honestly very unlike me to do something like that. But I really felt in my heart that there was a need there. I followed my heart.
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Here I am going out to a dinner that I'm sure will cost us about $50 and these people need food and diapers for their child. I went through the mall parking lot and back down to where they were. When we stopped to give them the money the man repeatedly asked if he could do any work for us. We said no, that this was a gift. I gave them $20. 
*Ginger*
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