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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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My dh had to leave today for a wk. This is the first time we have been apart in 15 yrs. The kids really miss him as I do too. It hurts that he isn't here. We are all so upset that he isn't here. How do you deal with the lonliness and the tears? (both me and the kids experiencing them). Yes, I am trying to be strong but the kids know that I miss him...only natural.
Dh became a truck driver a year ago. The first company he worked for he was home just 9 days out of 6 months. He now works for a company and is away 2-3 nights a week. It's not fun, and it took a lot of adjustment, but we are managing now. No easy answers, but you'll work through it!
It's never been a big deal in our house.
When I was a child, my dad rarely travelled. But when he did, mom and I had popcorn and milk for dinner, I got to sleep in her big bed... not an issue.
Pretty much the same now. Daddy is gone for a few days, but he'll be back. Nothing to fret about.
Its hardest when they first leave because you have to make this big adjustment, then its hard again when they come back because you've got to adjust again. Its hard to explain, but you get into your own groove, then we have to change back. My husband does have to leave for pretty long periods, once for 4 months, so I know how hard it is. Just know this will come to an end soon, you will get there. And homecomings are awesome!
The first time I got married, it was to an active duty Army guy. The first 6 months he was at school, then we moved and he was gone 1-2 weeks every month for training. There were also deployments, some lasting as long as 3 months, and that was just the first 3 years we were married. We moved again, and he was in school for 6 months, the last 6 weeks spent away. His next assignment sent him to Kuwait for 18 months.
It is normal that you and the kids miss him. Tears are also normal, especially if this is the first time he has had to travel without you. Just keep reminding yourself and the kids that it is temporary. It is only a week, just 7 short days. He will be home soon. Maybe plan a coming home party, get the kids involved. That way they're not concentrating on him being gone, but rather on him coming home.
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My husband doesn't travel as much as he used to, but when he does I try and make it special with me and the kids. Stay up a little later on the weekends, have them take turns sleeping in bed with me at night, going for ice cream just us, or doing a mini vacation to Chicago or something local. Cell phones sure help and he would call when he could because my youngest is very much a Daddy's boy.
It's harder on DS (3) than it is on me. I understand he is coming back, but to him, he just sees Daddy isn't home. I try to pack in lots of extra fun things to keep both of us occupied. Sometimes my mom comes to stay for a few days and that quickly gets his mind off it because he doesn't get to see Grandma very often.
My husband and I both travel for work. We make sure to keep in contact with phone calls and Skype when possible. Our son also picks one small stuffie to send with us. We take pictures of the stuffie each day and send them home via text. It cracks our son up to get to see his stuffed friend hanging out in our hotel room or riding on the plane! It makes him feel more connected to us. My husband is particularly good at setting up hilarious photos!
It's funny you should post this now as my DH is currently out of town. He never travels but does have crazy hours (detective) that can keep him out of the house all hours of the day and night. He's now been gone since early am Monday & is due to return tonight. We prepped the kids and let them know they could text him and call him at bedtime. Thought my DS (9) would be the biggest issue because his autism sometimes hinders him in understanding certain situations. He's been fine, DD (11) has been the mopy one. She texts him and even sent him a video msg she recorded and DH sent her one back. That helped tons. I'm used to him not being around b/c if his line of work so I've been treating these days like any other. I think the kids will feed off of your energy so pulling it together may help. Good luck.
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I'm sorry you guys are having a hard time.
This is interesting. My DH used to travel a bit for work. I don't think we ever felt bad about him being gone. Is there something wrong with us? We knew he'd be back and we just went on with our lives as usual while he was gone. The kids usually got a little something from him on his return, so they had that to look forward to. The only thing that was weird for me was the empty side of the bed. I do find it harder to sleep if he's not there with me.
I always think about military families and what they go through and it makes the small trips my husband goes on seem like no big deal. Really, you have to realize its not that big of a deal so your kids don't get too upset about it. With phones and skype and all the ways to keep in touch, your husband should be able to stay in touch with the family just fine.
Personally I enjoy quick and easy dinners, we go out to restaurants my husband doesn't like and the kids like to sleep in my bed...so there are things they look forward to when daddy has a trip away. Its also good sometimes to have time away to miss one another so you can appreciate each other more when you are back together.
Hubby and I have been very happily married 16 1/2 years and have 2 girls(ages 11&10). We enjoy each others company and always laugh and have fun. But we also have our seperate interests. I love to travel alot more then DH so I go out of town alot more by myself. My DH has also gone on done things on his own out town(visited friends). The kids have gone to sleep away camp. We miss each other but know that person will be home soon. We just treat it like any other day. Whomever is out of town calls every day and talks to the rest of us. We just look at it as this is part of life, the kids are going to grow up and move out, everyone has their own lives and cannot live in someone else's pocket so it is only natural to be apart every once in a while. Of course you miss the ppl you love but it should not cripple you to be apart. Go and make your own fun and go and do something new, like try a new ice cream place with the kids. Try to look at it as a fun thing, daddy is gone and we will try something new, etc.
This is interesting. My DH used to travel a bit for work. I don't think we ever felt bad about him being gone. Is there something wrong with us? We knew he'd be back and we just went on with our lives as usual while he was gone. ....
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It makes him feel more connected to us. My husband is particularly good at setting up hilarious photos!
Our last WDW trip as a family 
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