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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Friends at WDW....
I received a phone call yesterday from some friends who are WDW right now. (All Star Sports Resort)
They are there for 3 days. It is mom, dad, 23 year old daughter and 18 year old son.
This trip is because their kids graduated - one from college, the other from high school. They are doing a 4 day cruise (not Disney) as well.
They bought 2 day park tickets - not park hoppers.
Anyway....the mom called me to ask me what they could do on a non-park day.
So I gave her lots of ideas and she was thrilled with my suggestions. The one thing she thought they would really enjoy was going to the Boardwalk area and go to ESPN for the guys.
Well, I just have to tell you guys what they ended up doing.
The mom and daughter went to the pool yesterday and the son stayed in the room.
The dad found a map of the area and went to Walmart to buy food for their lunches as he didn't want to pay the $$ at the food court!
They didn't go to ESPN last night either. I am assuming it was because he didn't want to pay the price for the meal there either.
When I talked to my friend, I told her that I don't think they were saving much money by driving off property, buying food and driving back. She agreed, but she couldn't get that point across to the dh! I asked her what they did last night and she said that her daughter and dh went to DTD and walked around. She sat by the pool and watched the movie they were playing on the big screen. The son stayed in the room. I felt so bad for her! She loves WDW and has never really done it right.
She has never been to Animal Kingdom! The two parks they are going to is the MK and Disney Studios.
This just made me realize how fortunate I am that my dh lets me go to WDW and enjoy my time there!
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It's kind of frustrating isn't it? I offer to everyone I know who is going to answer any questions and give advice because I know how much planning can affect a WDW vacation and to hear of someone who did not have a great time when you know you could have helped them do better...
Yes, I agree you are lucky. I am too because the whole family is equally in love with WDW.
Maybe you can go with your friend someday for a girls only trip and show her the "full mickey" wouldn't that be fun?
Well, sometimes just relaxing around the pool is a good day "off" from the parks.... so, atleast they got some rest....
But, I know what your saying in general..... I talked to my bff a lot about a trip they did a few years ago and then afterwards she was telling me all about it and one of the things she said was they bypassed fantasyland because they didn't want to waste their time on baby rides! Ummm..... Philharmagic is one of the best attractions in the MK! Oh well....
How on earth can they even think they've had a WDW vacation???
Yes, the vacationed at Disney - but it's not the same.
I agree, it frustrates me when I offer people my advise (I only say "I'm available if you have any questions or want to know something - just give me a whistle.") - and then they don't ask me any questions, and come home completely upset that it wasn't a good trip.
We had friends years ago who went - stayed at the FW cabins (4 kids, then about 16,14,10, and 7). Gave them guide books, offered to help them figure out how to do it cheaply but well, and they never once asked a question.
The mom spent the whole week they were there at MK every day with the "little kids" and dad spent every day with the "big kids" at DHS. No EPCOT, no AK, no DTD. They NEVER ate at a restaurant because they didn't get ADRs and they eat at very specific times (dad is old military and 20+ years later, they still keep his old schedule). Mom cooked EVERY meal for 6 people in that cabin!
Of course, they all hated it and swore to never go again. Oh well, more ADRs for those of us in the know!
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Teresa
How on earth can they even think they've had a WDW vacation???Yes, the vacationed at Disney - but it's not the same.
This was my thought too! I can't imagine just sitting in the hotel room! There are so many things to do and see that you can do for free or really cheap at Disney on a non-park day! Heck even when I was sick that all I wanted to do was sleep, I still managed to go to Epcot for EMH!
They haven't even begun to experience a real Disney vacation, and will probably come home feeling cheated and not want to go ever again!
So sorry. Not much of a celebration when you spend it sitting in the room. Maybe you'll have to have a girl's trip with your friend and her daughter and REALLY show her WDW!
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I feel for her. We just got back from Orlando and we took my 18 year old nephew with us who had just graduated from High school. We were there for 2 weeks and all he talked about was how bored he was. We had one more day left on our Disney park hoppers that I was saving for after my DS10 got back from baseball camp ( he would have killed me if I went without him). Anyhow my nephew didnt want to go. So of course my DS13 (who wants to be like him) didnt want to go. So I left the 2 of them at the resort and DS10. DD3, and me went to MK that day. At the beginning of the trip all I worried about was about my nephew but by the end I said I wouldnt invite him again. So sad....
Ann, you need to plan a girls trip and show her WDW the way it should be enjoyed! I always feel for those who have experiences like this. I have a coworker who spend a grand total of 2 days at the WDW area and "seen it all". UHUH...sure you saw it all...
This sounds like my vacations as a child. My dad would drive 15 miles out of his way to save a dollar.
I vaguely recall realizing at a certain point that my (soon-to-be) husband would NOT be like this! He's good at saving, but also good at realizing that it's important (to them) to buy your kids the giant $5 lollipop on occassion too.
So sad for your friend! I'm with the others in that you need to plan a girls trip for your friend to really get the WDW magic. I hope her DH realizes all the food is paid for on the cruise already.
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! Ummm..... Philharmagic is one of the best attractions in the MK! Oh well....
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