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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Location: Deep in the Heart Of Texas, I like to call it CandyLand.
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DL at Christmas time?
We have NEVER been to DL & we are trying to plan a trip for late 2012. As of now we are thinking about going during the week of Christmas 2012. So I was hoping someone could tell me what DL is like during Christmas time & on Christmas Day??
It can be very COLD, by California standards anyway, crowded and BEAUTIFUL. All schools will be out so there will be TONS of children, there will be 'blackout dates" between Christmas and New Years but that won't stop most guests from coming. Lodging rates will be at or near the highest and they tend to book up early.
expect crowds the week before Christmas. Expect highest prices for lodging and Disney can and has at times raised the price of special stuff like character meals during the holidays.
Weather can get down to near freezing especially near water areas but can be a balmy 70 plus degrees. We get the arctic frigid air from Alaska and Washington plus the pineapple express that brings warm air from Hawaii. Sometimes we get Santa Anas and Mexican warm air. Depends on which front wins the battle to get to our area, lol.
MAGICAL, carolers in the hotel, Santa Claus at DLH and parks, everyone dressed up for winter like Mickey, holiday foods, decorations, reindeer, oh my it is so special. DCA does not go all out for decorating though. Toontown has wreaths themed to the shops like tires in the wreath at the tire shop. Special parades and fireworks, oh my, the magic of Christmas at the parks. This is the first year we did not go at least 3 or 4 times.
Give yourself lots of time for lines and crowds. For a first time I would go off season so I can enjoy the parks without the hour wait for food, crowds, lines for bathrooms, and stress. Check the schedule as by the time you go things will have drastically changed in DCA and at Disneyland Hotel. DLH will be getting a new snack area, restaurant, and water area. DCA will be opening new rides, rethemed rides, and restaurants with new themes and improved menus.
I love holidays in the parks.
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Mom calls to check on me and reminded me to pay the gardener. I love her so much.
Disneyland was fun with flag retreat and pickles. I have a home here, thank you. GAC is NOT a "front of the line pass".
She is gone but keeping signature. Laundry is getting done. My purpose in life is to help poor people in FL. Farewell, will miss you.
I see you are planning in advance as your planned vacation to DLR and DCA is about 20 months in the future.
Here are a couple of sites to give you an idea of happenings during past Christmas and Christmas week. New information will be posted from time to time as it becomes know by other members.
If you file this correctly it will delete, update and add new information automatically. Then just review them.
For other information on DLR and DCA you will have to conduct a Search or ask others.
Remember that new information will be also posted from time to time by others.
Another search for information is to use the SEARCH at the top of this page in the darker orange line. Click on the SEARCH and when the box opens merely enter the subject you wish information on. For example CHRISTMAS and it will take you to other posts and their replies on the related subject you enter by PP members.
We go every year at Christmas time, however we go at the beginning of Dec. In terms of Christmas Spirit - it can't be beat! But, I don't know that I'd want to deal with the crowds right at Christmas. As long as you know to expect large crowds (and large crowds at DLR impact how well you can travel around the park), then you'll be good.
I've heard rumors that DLR may add in MVMCP. As of right now, their Christmas activities are included in the cost of regular admission (Christmas parade, Christmas fireworks, snow on Main Street, Fantasyland and parts of Frontierland). But keep an eye out for that. It may help reduce crowds, since locals would have to buy tickets for it and it would be harder for them to just pop in for the fireworks, but it may also make the days a little more crowded with the locals....
You can't beat Disney for celebrating the Holiday Spirit. The fireworks always brings tears to my eyes with the "snow".
BUT, it can be the coldest and sometimes WETTEST time to go ~ in addition to the crowds with the lines.
I remember my last Christmas Day trip - it poured! People went back to their hotels so that helped with the lines but by the time we left that night we were soaked . We probably should have gone back to the hotel to change but it was just so much fun...and when it rained it was warmer than the time before when we needed scarves and mittens!