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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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...at the Little League field . A little back story: My DS (7) is autistic and plays on a typical team with his peers. There are a few (maybe 4 out of 14) who are special needs kids and I attribute that to the fact that his coach is outstanding! My DS has had an issue this year with striking out (last season they got to swing until they made contact) and after a strikeout he gets so upset that he's "bad" he runs off the field and wants to go home. We've talked to the coach about it and he has told us that DS is part of the team and welcomed back with open arms. Onto my problem: during last nights game my DS gets up to bat. As I am walking past the bleachers I hear a mother of one of his teammates say "great, here we go again" with unbelievable disgust in her voice. I froze. Mainly out of sheer shock that it was said. I turned and looked at her with that WTF (excuse my language) look on my face.
So WWYD? I face ignorance on a daily basis when it comes to my son but to hear it from a teammates mom, a team with special needs kids on it, utterly blindsided me. It's one thing to roll your eyes when you see my DS (I've seen that too) but to make a negative comment while sitting on a packed bleacher???? We live in a relatively small town for Long Island so its not like I won't be crossing paths with her or any or the other ignoramaces (sp?) that are around.
Thanks for listening, I'm not normally a complainer but this one hit hard.
I am so sorry that this happened to you and your family. I do not have children, although my mother was a special needs preschool teacher for 30 years. I commend you for not slugging the woman at first chance.
Just like autism can be an invisible disability, stupidity can be invisible (until said person opens her/his mouth.)
On a personal level, I try to go the education route - explaining why I don't like the r-word, why it demeans people, why certain folks in our large group of friends do what they do, how to understand that it's not something that they do to annoy you but is something that they can't see or can't control, etc. But I don't have kids, and I know it's a whole other level when it involves your kid.
Sometimes the best weapon is the kid - if the kids understand your son and his different needs, then they can correct the parents. I see this with our service dog - he's a Yorkie and therefore not standard. More than one kid has correct his/her parent about petting the dog. Kids get it better than parents sometimes.
I wish you lots of luck and lots of control. And if no control, good aim
Maybe bring it up to the coach? Perhaps he/she could say something during a post-game meeting. Not to point out her comments directly, but where she would get the picture. They could let the parents and children know that hurtful negative comments would not be tolerated.
Sorry for you that there are some ignorant people out there. GOOD LUCK!!
I'd speak directly to the woman: let her know you heard her comment. Tell her how important it is that your son interact with others, and you know sometimes it's concerning because he strikes out, he and the other kids are getting so much out of the experience - including learning how ridiculous exclusion is.
We NEVER let anything like that slide when it came to DD Samantha. It's not that most people are mean - they're just ignorant and need educating. At the very least, she'll learn to keep her mouth shut when she may be overheard.
I would say something to her directly. Maybe ask if you can speak with her in private and explain the situation. Additionally, at that age the kids are still learning how to play and they aren't going to be pro athletes. My son is also in his first year of kid pitch and constantly strikes out, as do many of the other boys.
I have certainly heard my share of rude comments about my kids. In most cases, I let it go, unless my child has overheard it. If they haven't, then I would have just said to the woman "that's my son." That's usually enough to start a conversation without being confrontational. And it lets her know that you heard her hurtful comment.
I'm so sorry you have such a thoughtless parent associated with your team. It's sad when the parents don't get that it's just a game and the point is for the kids to learn teamwork, fair play, and even disappointment (hey, everybody loses one time or another) - oh yeah, and to have fun.
I think you have some great advice here, so I'll just send pixies that she develops some sensitivity - or moves away.
__________________
Pat (a.k.a., PFlamingo) "We are the people our parents warned us about."
About This Page: 
. A little back story: My DS (7) is autistic and plays on a typical team with his peers. There are a few (maybe 4 out of 14) who are special needs kids and I attribute that to the fact that his coach is outstanding! My DS has had an issue this year with striking out (last season they got to swing until they made contact) and after a strikeout he gets so upset that he's "bad" he runs off the field and wants to go home. We've talked to the coach about it and he has told us that DS is part of the team and welcomed back with open arms. Onto my problem: during last nights game my DS gets up to bat. As I am walking past the bleachers I hear a mother of one of his teammates say "great, here we go again" with unbelievable disgust in her voice. 
I froze. Mainly out of sheer shock that it was said. I turned and looked at her with that WTF (excuse my language) look on my face. 
I face ignorance on a daily basis when it comes to my son but to hear it from a teammates mom, a team with special needs kids on it, utterly blindsided me.
It's one thing to roll your eyes when you see my DS (I've seen that too) but to make a negative comment while sitting on a packed bleacher???? We live in a relatively small town for Long Island so its not like I won't be crossing paths with her or any or the other ignoramaces (sp?) that are around.
Our last WDW trip as a family 
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