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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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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
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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.
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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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Disney Is In Our DNA August 27 – September 5, 2011 Mystic Dunes Resort, Animal Kingdom Lodge
Hello, my name is Sharon, and I’m addicted to Disney. My addiction began during my first trip when I was just 4 years old. Now, mumbledy-mumble years later, I’m a full-fledged Disney nut. But I fear no judgment from y’all, for we are cut from the same cloth (why else would you be here? and reading about a trip taken by someone you probably haven’t even met?).
Over the years, I’ve managed to infect most of my family members. I kid that Disney’s in our DNA, but it kinda might be. This trip is a perfect case study! But let me first tell you about my family. I’ll start with myself, in case you’ve not read any of my trip reports before really, is it your first day?
I’ve posted countless photos of me, almost all complete with my trademark doofy grin, but this time I figured I’d be different and post a photo of myself from my very first trip to Disney, all those years ago.
Me and Mom
I love to travel everywhere, but particularly to visit the Disney parks. I don’t need to explain why to you. I hope to visit them all some day! Normally, I like to visit Walt Disney World a few times a year. Generally, that happens in the spring, during the Food & Wine Festival and during the Christmas season. You can pretty much guarantee those trips. I also manage to squeeze in a trip or two here and there in between. The six month drought between my last trip and this one was darn right extreme! There were many times I was tempted to hop on a plane and head down to Disney, believe me! A few things stopped me. One was a trip to Italy, which was fabulous in case you haven’t heard. Another was that I allowed my annual pass to expire at the end of May, making this the longest I’ve been without an AP since I bought my very first one, way back in 2002! I’ll be making up for that (in a big way ) the moment I get there!
There were a couple of other factors keeping me away (like the blistering July heat ), but I resisted. Then just about a month ago, I had a change of heart. I wanted to wait for my next vacation. I can’t really explain it, but it seemed more exciting to anticipate. I go so often that I lost the sense of excitement from just anticipating my next trip. I really missed the parks, but listening to Mouse World Radio at work the past month has helped with that. Now that it’s almost here, I’m practically bursting at the seams!
I guess credit for my mania really goes to my parents. After all, they took me to Disney World before I was old enough to ask to go myself! Mom and Dad aren’t quite as hooked as I am, but they do own a timeshare at Mystic Dunes in Kissimmee, which is where we’ll be staying this trip. And they also bought in to Disney Vacation Club a couple of years ago. See? I get it honestly! It kind of kills me to stay off property, but hey, it’s free! And to ease my pain, I added on two nights at my favorite resort, Animal Kingdom Lodge. If you ever met my parents, they would undoubtedly tell you that while they enjoy going to Disney, they really enjoy sharing it with their children and grandchildren (and even great grandchildren).
My parents say we’re not taking the big family trip next year because my brother is in the midst of buying his first house and it’ll be my folks’ 50th Anniversary next year. My parents keep talking about a Disney cruise and I’m all, “great, we can make it a big family trip!” and DM’s like, “yeah… sounds… good.” I guess they want sort of a second honeymoon! Anyway, DM says the big trip won’t happen, but we’ll see about that. She’s said that before, and her grandchildren, particularly Isaiah, have her totally wrapped around their little fingers. Isaiah is tough to resist when he pulls out the big guns, as I learned first hand just yesterday!
I don’t have any photos of my parents on our first trip (no Photopass in those days, so they aren’t in many pictures, and none of DF - I guess he was too busy being the photographer). I do happen to have a photo of them on their first Disney cruise. I meant it when I said they loved Disney!
I think I may have gotten both of my brothers’ share of the Disney bug, which is probably why I have it so much worse than anyone else, but they’re coming around! And we’ve definitely got their families infected!
We’ll start with my oldest brother, Eddie. He’s married with three boys. His boys definitely got the Disney gene. They are just as excited about this trip as I am. Possibly more excited. I can’t tell you how many times I reminded them not to wish their summer away because they’d be heading back to school days after we return. But I totally don’t feel sorry for them – I’m heading back to work hours after I return.
Ed’s wife Jackie also caught the Disney bug from us, and she’s the biggest reason Ed comes with us on our family trips. Ed doesn’t like to spend money, so it takes a lot of convincing him, but deep down he wants to go (it is in his DNA whether he admits it or not), so he grumbles a lot, but then gives in. DSIL hates having her photo taken, but here’s the rest of them.
Eddie on our first trip
And one of my favorite photos evah!
Tallest to shortest – Ed, Noah, Daniel, Isaiah
Next there’s my brother Eric. Even though for years he and his family lived in Tampa, just over an hour’s drive from the mouse, Eric has been a tough sell. But I’m sneaky and I know how to win him over. I know what he likes, so that’s what I give him. I know I’ve won them over because up until just about a month ago, Eric and his wife Jackie were planning on heading to Connecticut during this time to attend DSIL's class reunion. Imagine my delight when I learned that she’d decided to ditch the reunion and they might join us, at least part of the time, at Disney!
Eric’s daughters, Erica and Brooke, were infected long ago (I did the infecting myself ), but being poor students (and now, a single mother), they haven’t been able to enjoy Disney as much as they would’ve liked (also living in Atlanta now makes it that much harder). I wish I’d known they’d planned to join us sooner, as Kamiya is 2 years old now and I know she’d love to have breakfast in the castle with Cinderella almost as much as I would. I did attempt to get an ADR, but I half expected a page to pop up with people pointing and laughing at me! That didn’t actually happen, but there wasn’t an ADR to be had.
Brooke waiting for a bus, pretending to be asleep
We may also have an uninvited guest on this trip, namely Hurricane Irene! I think this is my punishment for bragging about how I always have good weather when I vacation! As it stands, the storm should be past the Orlando area by Saturday, so I’m hoping that Irene will only cause us to have a bumpy flight and no other impact on the trip.
Current photo of that uninvited jerk, Hurricane Irene
Seriously though, pixies to anyone in the path of Hurricane Irene. I know she is a much more unwelcome guest for you!
I’m going to stop for now. I’ll be back soon with the details of where we’ll be and when!
Up Next: You call that an itinerary?
__________________
Mickey's so happy to see me back, he can barely contain himself!
I love the outfit in your sig pic. I actually did meet you once so I don't feel like a loser for that reason. I do, however, feel like one because I don't have a trip countdown of my own.
Off to a great start Sha! I too let my AP lapse last month so no running away to WDW with my 3 days off this week. In fact, no running off to WDW until October I love your big family TRs. I also love your Mom's pants in the photo from your first trip! I think Disney is your DNA! I'm going to have to look through the old family albums the next time I visit my folks and see if I can hunt up some photos from our first family trip.
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That was a great intro! I love the photo of you and your mom on your first trip. (I was 40 on my first trip--no Disney in my family's DNA, but there appears to be a spontaneous mutation in mine!) Can't wait to see this year's batch of photos of those handsome boys.
Looking forward to this family trip! I hear ya about the Disney DNA...thank goodness my kids got my Disney genes! I wouldn't know what to do if either one ever told me they don't like Disney!
__________________
Huge Disney Fan...Always Have Been...Always Will Be!
Disneyland 60th Anniversary Celebration TR here!
2013 WDW trip here!
2011 trip to Hawaii here!
I just have to say...I so love your polka dot dress, so much so I am going to ask my mom to look for the picture of me (in almost the same dress) except my mom must have been color blind because mine was green with orange polka dots (let's just say I love my mom which is the only reason I have allowed her to keep the picture of me in that dress )
Love Love Love the introductions...especially all the pictures from your frist trip (I am sure those brothers of yours will truly thank you for posting those pictures )
I have already been crossing my fingers...can't let your good weather mojo be lost on this trip (hurricane Irene needs to take a bee line far away from the coast so everyone is out of harms way - it did more than enough damage already )
And I think a family cruise to celebrate your parents anniversary is a must...there is just no way they could enjoy it as much without the gang along (not like they have a choice )
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About This Page: 
I’m a full-fledged Disney nut. But I fear no judgment from y’all, for we are cut from the same cloth (why else would you be here? and reading about a trip taken by someone you probably haven’t even met?). 
This trip is a perfect case study! But let me first tell you about my family. I’ll start with myself, in case you’ve not read any of my trip reports before really, is it your first day? 
but this time I figured I’d be different and post a photo of myself from my very first trip to Disney, all those years ago. 
The six month drought between my last trip and this one was darn right extreme! There were many times I was tempted to hop on a plane and head down to Disney, believe me! A few things stopped me. One was a trip to Italy, which was fabulous 
I’ll be making up for that (in a big way 
), but I resisted. Then just about a month ago, I had a change of heart. I wanted to wait for my next vacation. I can’t really explain it, but it seemed more exciting to anticipate. I go so often that I lost the sense of excitement from just anticipating my next trip. I really missed the parks, 
but listening to Mouse World Radio at work the past month has helped with that. Now that it’s almost here, I’m practically bursting at the seams! 
Mom and Dad aren’t quite as hooked as I am, but they do own a timeshare at Mystic Dunes in Kissimmee, which is where we’ll be staying this trip. And they also bought in to Disney Vacation Club a couple of years ago. See? I get it honestly! It kind of kills me to stay off property, but hey, it’s free! And to ease my pain, I added on two nights at my favorite resort, Animal Kingdom Lodge. 
If you ever met my parents, they would undoubtedly tell you that while they enjoy going to Disney, they really enjoy sharing it with their children and grandchildren (and even great grandchildren). 
My parents keep talking about a Disney cruise and I’m all, “great, we can make it a big family trip!” and DM’s like, “yeah… sounds… good.” 
I guess they want sort of a second honeymoon! Anyway, DM says the big trip won’t happen, but we’ll see about that. She’s said that before, and her grandchildren, particularly Isaiah, have her totally wrapped around their little fingers. Isaiah is tough to resist when he pulls out the big guns, 
as I learned first hand just yesterday! 
I know what he likes, so that’s what I give him. 
I know I’ve won them over because up until just about a month ago, Eric and his wife Jackie were planning on heading to Connecticut during this time to attend DSIL's class reunion. Imagine my delight when I learned that she’d decided to ditch the reunion and they might join us, at least part of the time, at Disney! 
That didn’t actually happen, but there wasn’t an ADR to be had. 
I think this is my punishment for bragging about how I always have good weather when I vacation! 
I know she is a much more unwelcome guest for you! 
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Pixie Dust
I love your big family TRs. I also love your Mom's pants in the photo from your first trip! I think Disney is your DNA! I'm going to have to look through the old family albums the next time I visit my folks and see if I can hunt up some photos from our first family trip.
)
PassPorter Guide Author
Love the photo of your first Disney trip! 
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