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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Here's the story- several weeks ago my two year old sone had a brief (15min) surgery to open a tear duct. We spent about 3 hours at the hospital outpatient eye center then headed home. We were kept in basically a small, curtained area before and after surgery, not even a real room. Son was given no snacks of course and no juice from hospital after surgery. I got the benefits explanation today from our insurance company. The total charge to insurance?
$15000!!!!!
With our deductible and coinsurance we owe $2000. I just cannot believe the charge! In the breakdown, $7000 was for surgery and anesthesia, the other $8000 was facility charges! My dad recently spent 3 whole days admitted to the hospital and his facility bill was only $3600. I know healthcare is crazy but I feel like I am in the twilight zone!!!!
PassPorter Guide Community Rank: Legend Extraordinaire
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You can always call and inquire about the different charges and see if they've added anything that doesn't belong. $8000 for 3 hours in an outpatient situation seems outlandish.
I'm with you on this. About a month ago, I got bit by my own dog. I had kept putting off his rabies shot and we had been at the dog park a few days earlier, so I opted for the rabies vaccines. I got the bill for the er visit and first round of shots. Grand total....$31000. And I don't have insurance. Nor do I have $31000. Granted, like $27000 of the bill was just for the vaccines itself.
I have already called and asked the hospital to send me an itemized bill. Four years ago my oldest son had ear tubes put in and his adenoids at in one year and I know we didn't pay anywhere close to this. I feel like this is crazy! I definitely feel for those with no insurance but in a way, the hospital is billing more towards the insured when the insurance negotiates a price and they get payment from me, whereas those with no insurance can often negotiate bills to 30-50% of the original. I am just in shock, not that we have to pay, but that the bill is so ridiculous. I mean $6000 for a 20 minute surgery means the surgical unit is billing $18000 an hour! Wish I made that much an hour!
Charges to insurance companies are outrageous. I keep track of everything insurance is billed for us I have a spreadsheet detailing each appointment. Just out of curiosity (because I can't remember) I just looked at them. The "cheapest" procedure done (back in 2007 to me) was billed 22,000 just for the hospital, not including the doctors, x-rays, etc. The most expensive one was for Lenny when he had a stent put in and that was billed for $57,000 - again just for the hospital, not the doctors or x-rays. Needless to say, at the end of the year our grand total of billed to insurance ends up being $100,000 at the minimum. It was over $200,000 one year so it makes me very glad for not only insurance but the good insurance I get from the town.
Sorry to hear about your little one needing surgery.
I'm with you on the bills! I had to be admitted twice in the last 4 months. We are broke! Still going to Disney though. I don't care if I have to sell my soul I can't give up my vacation this year! I'm just considering it an investment in preventing many billable hours to a psychiatrist . Too bad insurance won't cover it.
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I have spent too much time over the last several months at medical appointments, hospitals, etc. Although care is very expensive, it's more than just renting a room. I had a recent procedure done that took about 20 minutes for the actual procedure and I was in the procedure suite for less than an hour. There were three nurses and two doctors there that I am aware of, the room was sterile and filled with what I suspect is very expensive equipment. I also received wonderful care for the hour after while I waited for the sedative to leave me. I can't imagine where I would want the hospital to cut back.
So long as we have so many uninsured, those of us with insurance will see bills that subsidize the uninsured. Don't want to get in a political argument but I am happy with the care I receive and fortunately have good insurance that pays almost all of it.
ETA: my DD in law is a physician in training (2nd year resident) and after all her schooling (and loans) does not make nearly enough money and she is in a high pay specialty. MD's now graduate with 200K in debt and so many specialties require 4-8 years of training after med. school.
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Charlie
Last edited by Huntermom; 04-18-2013 at 05:16 PM..
Reason: add info.
I'm from Canada where we have health coverage both through our province and through our work insurance. I can't get having to pay that much for healthcare!! What if you don't have insurance or the money to pay?? What happens to you?? And why, when Obama suggests universal healthcare, do Americans vote it down?? I don't understand!!
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Pixie Dust
That is crazy! It is ridiculous how much healthcare is! 
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Too bad insurance won't cover it.
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Angie
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