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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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I'm hoping you guys can help me make a list of what I should try to get for my DD's first dorm room.
We already have the basic linens: sheets, comforter, blanket, towels, hamper. She's not allowed to have anything like a microwave, hotplate, popcorn maker, or anything that generates heat.
It's been a long time since I've been in a dorm, and when I was, it was an apartment type dorm with a kitchen, living room, and our own bathroom. I don't want to send her with too much, but I want to be sure she's comfy.
I'm going through the same thing. Some things I've thought of include, school supplies, waste basket, basic first-aid, bucket for shower things, flip-flops for shower, laundry stuff, paper goods such as napkins, paper plates/cups, paper towels, closet organizers. It's also a good idea to find out exactly what the room comes equipped with & what the roomates want to bring/share, too. Fortunately for my DS, we live 10-15 minutes from his school, and it literally is on the way to DH's job, so if he forgets anything or doesn't need something, it will be easy to transport.
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First trip DW--Nov. 1975; Senior Class Trip DW--Oct. 1979; First trip w/kids--Oct. 1995; Halloween at DW--Oct. 2002; Spring Break at DW--April 2004; Christmas/Pop Warner Nationals-POR--Dec. 2005;Cruisin'--April 2008; Mom/Son trip-POP--March 2010;Taggin' along w/DD on DH's conference-BWI--Oct. 2011; 50th birthday with the Gartner Geeks--Adults only!--BWI--Oct. 2012; The Trip That Almost Wasn't--BWI--Oct. 2013; We climbed The Summit (National Cheer Competition)--ASMovies--May 2014
I remember that my dorm room didn't have an over head lamp. I had a desk lamp and a tall, freestanding lamp that gave off a lot of light.
Ours had a light in the ceiling, but it was worthless. And rude if your roommate was trying to sleep. So I was going to suggest a desk lamp, and something that would clamp on the bed frame for reading alone.
We couldn't have hot plates or popcorn poppers either, but hot pots and irons were okay. I ate a lot of instant soup freshman year!
Do you have measurements for the dorm furniture? My dad built me a bookcase that fit around my dorm desk. There were no shelves in the room, and that was the only way I could store things without taking up extra floor space.
What about an over the door shoe organizer just like people recommend for WDW or a cruise? Lots of pockets to put stuff in. I remember my dorm room had practically zero counter space. Of course, this was back in the stone age (1983), LOL!
I agree-less is more. Do not overdo it. There are stores everywhere and these days all the same stores.
If I remember, your DD is going to school in New York state. Check the school website carefully for do's and don't's. NY has some pretty restrictive state fire policies.
If you want to save a few dollars, Target has a large back to school department in July and August. Come September, the put everything on clearance. My DS got lots of bargains for his grad school apartment in early September.
Probably the best thing any of my kids got and used was a rolling, plastic bin set-DS1 still uses his.
If I remember, your DD is going to school in New York state. Check the school website carefully for do's and don't's. NY has some pretty restrictive state fire policies.
Yes yes yes - you do want to check all the rules from the college. Trust me, if there is a fire "drill" at 2am, they will toss each and every room looking for anything against the rules because no one wants to be up at 2am!
Alot of people put the beds on risers so they can store stuff under the bed for more room. My dd just spent a week on the campus of St Cloud State and the dorm room was so tiny and was for 2 people.
My daughter gets a lot of use out of her bedside bag. She puts glasses, TV remote (yeah, I know!), pens, etc. in there if she doesn't have a nightstand. Fits over the bedleg or tucks under the mattress. Also, I'm sure your DD's school already told you, but a lot of schools are doing extra long twin beds, so make sure you get the right size sheets!
Small refrigerator? I would think laundry sheets would be easier and take up less space. Lots of quarters for laundry? Power strip for all the computer stuff. Drawer liners. Hangers. I would get a pop up hamper. Things that make your trips to Disney easier, prob will work well in a dorm room too.
Here's a great check list College Checklist - Bed Bath & Beyond We saw a model dorm room setup using some of this stuff at the College of Charleston when we stayed in their dorms during Speletto.
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