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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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That's right! The Milestone Birthday Celebration is confirmed. That's what 40-30-40 means years, not measurements. Got your attention didn't it!!
This is my first PTR so bear with me if I'm long winded. I'm just so excited!!
WHO:
Me!! Jennie, 39. WDW fanatic since my first trip with Grandma way back In 1979. I can’t give a number of how many times I’ve been to WDW but it’s over 30. I do not want to go anywhere else on vacation. I am constantly thinking up ways to get back there asap. I help my friends plan their vacations to WDW to keep me occupied in between mine.
I am a Jersey native but a Floridian at heart. Always was. Any chance to get to the Sunshine State, I took it. Finally, in early 2001, I did it, I moved to FL. I packed up my cats and my stuff in a U-Haul, put my car on a tow dolly and took off! No place to live, no job, no friends. Just hopped on 95 South and headed for the Gulf of Mexico. Within a week I had a job, a cute one bedroom apartment and a Florida residents annual pass to Disneyworld!!!
I enjoyed my two year stay in FL, going to WDW every six to eight weeks with my girls to hit a park, stay in a different resort on property and tear up Pleasure Island! Boy, do we miss the Adventurer’s Club – Kungaloosh!! I returned to New Jersey in 2003 to be Aunt Jennie to my nephew and niece. Over the next five years, I made it to Disney as often as time and money would allow. Food & Wine Festivals, Pirate & Princess Party, Birthdays, you name it! Then, on one such trip (originally was for a wedding, but since that ended up being cancelled, why not go to Disney??) I ran into a friend of a friend that used to live in Orlando that had moved to South Carolina two years ago. He was in FL for the (cancelled) wedding and decided to make a vakay out of it as well. Even though we had met several times over the last six years, this time it was different. This time, we clicked!
Within six weeks, I had packed up my cat and my stuff (anything that would fit in my car, the rest went into storage) and moved to South Carolina to live with my honey, Scott! Coming up on two years together, we have two Disney trips under our belts and are planning the next one. No signs of stopping!!!
That leads me to the next member of our vakay…
Scott, 37. My boyfriend / Prince Charming! Don’t worry, I won’t get all sappy on you, just want to let you know, there are still men who know how to treat a lady. It took me 37 years to encounter one but it’s definitely worth the wait!
What an understanding man, just let’s me run on and on about Disney. Doesn’t phase him that I don’t want to go elsewhere for vacation. What a guy! However, when I mentioned that I would like to celebrate my 40th birthday at WDW next year, he put his foot down. 2009 was not a very prosperous year for us. I took a HUGE pay cut when moving to SC. My hefty car payment became difficult to pay, my cat got very sick and I had to eventually euthanize him, Scott’s house in Orlando (that he couldn’t sell due to the horrible FL housing market) was vacant for four months, my car had some technical issues, the house in Orlando had some issues, our taxes on the house in SC went up A LOT!! And Uncle Sam said I made too much money in 2008 so I owe $550 more! Whew!
He had crushed my dream – 2011, I will be turning 40, MK will be turning 40, my bff Lori will be turning 40 & my other bff will be turning 30. HELLOOOOOOO!
So Scott suggested a part time job. OK, tell me I can’t go to WDW for my birthday, I don’t think so! (must be said thru clenched teeth while stomping around loudly) I went out, got a new (better paying w/ benefits) full time job and two part time jobs. Now, we can pay bills and sock money away for Disney!! I plan on having our trip paid in full before we even go! He’s amazed! He also said ok to February’s trip!!! On with the show!
Here’s the rest of our vacation peeps….
Lori. Aforementioned bff. Lori is also a Jersey native (we actually grew up in neighboring towns but never met) who moved to Florida as a teen. Lori and I met while working in a restaurant in Port Richey, FL. Lori introduced Scott and I (as friends way back in 2002). Lori is a work-a-holic. Lori is loud, funny and afraid of nothing but Bacardi Razz (thanks to Scott). Although she is not a big Disney fan, she will be joining us to celebrate our 40th bdays.
Jennie & Joe. Jennie is my coworker and partner in crime. She is also my team mate in Cornhole and Beer Pong. Joe is her husband. Joe is quiet, Jennie is not. Both have a sick sense of humor and are very giving. In fact, they have offered to use their bus (huge SUV) as our mode of transportation to Disney for this trip. Jennie and I have severe motion sickeness so we will be the drivers. Joe is ok with this. Joe has not seen me drive. PS. Jennie will be celebrating her 30th bday AND her first trip to Disney!!
Ann & Chris. These two are not what they seem. They are very quiet and reserved. Until you really get to know them. Still quiet, no longer reserved. Ann’s giggle is contagious and Chris is a roller coaster maniac. Both are very witty and can shock you with one liners. Ann was never a big Disney fan, until Chris took her for her first trip last December. Now there is no stopping her!!!
Donna & Tony. Where do I begin?? Donna and I have been going to WDW together for 10 years now. We have been besties with Lori since I moved to Florida. Donna and I are trouble together. Just ask Disney security (or Mickey Police as we affectionately call them). We have had more fun at Disney than anyone should be allowed! We have stayed at almost all the deluxe resorts and decided we should start a martini resort report.
That’s all the partiers we have right now. Probably have some day trippers stop by as usual.
WHY???
Why?? Why not? Oh, but there is a couple of good reasons for this trip. First and foremost, we are celebrating Lori & I turning 40 and Jennie turning 30. We are also going to watch the Superbowl (Feb 6) at the ESPN Café. Last time we did that the Giants beat the undefeated Patriots. GO GIANTS!!
WHERE?
Looks like we have decided on Old Key West. A two bedroom villa will be perfect. I originally had my heart set on the Treehouses at Saratoga Springs but after thinking about it, someone’s getting stuck with bunkbeds (most likely me), the bathrooms are small, it’s not anywhere near the main pool or parking lot and OKW rooms are 300sq ft bigger. We also like the layout and laid back theme of OKW. We definitely wanted a full kitchen so we could cook our own meals (Jennie & I are quite the chefs) and just be able to hang out, drink some awesome wine and converse as we make dinner. Plus, I make a kick butt breakfast!!
WHEN?
We have set the dates for Friday, February 5 thru Saturday, February 11. Reservations have been made as of today and requests off from work have been approved. Jennie, Joe, purchased 10 non expiring park tickets and Scott and I purchased 7 day non expiring base tickets so we will have days left over for future trips. No park hoppers needed, I’ve never gone to more than one park in a day so why spend the money? I will be using my AAA membership to get a discount on our room only reservation. We will be driving the bus (7-8 hour trip straight thru) so we will have a vehicle large enough to fit everyone no matter where we go during the week.
WHEW!
So there are the basics. Put the countdown ticker on my signature today so, let the fun begin!!!
Oh the monkey wrenches that are being thrown into my plans!!!!!!!!!!
As soon as we booked the two bedroom villa at OKW, two people in our party are rocking the boat! They have announced they are not sure they will be going with us and can't give a definite answer until Nov/Dec. Rut-roh Raggy! Now, they are part of the 6 person party that will be (might be) staying the whole 7 nites. Others will be staying 2-4 nites rotating days so we have no more than 8 ppl in the villa at a time. Unfortunately, that means there could possibly be only 4 of us in a 2 bedroom for a couple of nights - that's gonna get expensive. Unless we stay in a 2bd for a few nites and a 1bd for the other. Ahhhh!
They have also stated that they need (if they go) the master bedroom since they are "naked people" and need their privacy (hint, hint). Ewwwwww! TMI!!!
Now, the rest of the group, we go by the motto, The More, The Merrier! We ALWAYS have people stopping by. Old friends that still live in Florida come over for a few days and some meet us at a park or for dinner. We usually have friends from out of state fly in for a few days as well. It's like a friends and family reunion. There is no privacy, who needs privacy when you have tons of friends hanging out with you! We haven't spent time with these peeps since the last Disney trip!
I'm about ready to tell these two to stay home! Is that wrong?
On a positive note, the disney connection desktop widget is working and my daily countdown is ticking away! Starting purchasing little items for the trip already. Just need to see if I can still preorder the PhotoPass for $99.
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It's Official!!!! We booked our room TODAY!!!
I help my friends plan their vacations to WDW to keep me occupied in between mine.
– 2011, I will be turning 40, MK will be turning 40, my bff Lori will be turning 40 & my other bff will be turning 30. HELLOOOOOOO!
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We are also going to watch the Superbowl (Feb 6) at the ESPN Café. Last time we did that the Giants beat the undefeated Patriots. GO GIANTS!!
PassPorter Guide Author
Kim, I just wet myself!! That is fantastic!! I would do something like that too!
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