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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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 got hurt at work in September 2011. Since then he has had back surgery. The pain has not gone away and we don't think he will be able to go back to work. If he is declared unable to work he will have to go on SS. When this happens we will not be able to afford New Jersey. We have decided to move to North Carolina. We just don't know where in North Carolina to live. We need an area with good schools and affordable. Thanks to whom ever answers!
Is there any particular reason you picked North Carolina? My parents sold their house in NJ and moved to South Carolina a few years ago. The weather is better. The property taxes are low and the communities are small and have fairly good school systems.
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You'll be very close to good hospitals, plenty of activities for the family in Chapel Hill, and the drive to Raleigh or Durham for more city type stuff is very easy.
We lived in Winston-Salem for 8 years and loved it. Close to both mountains and beach, small-town feel with lots of culture due to Wake Forest university. Low cost of living. I would move back in a second.
Thanks everyone! We still have family here in New Jersey, so we wanted something in between New Jersey and Florida. One of my husband's cousins was living in NC for a while and lived it. I just don't know the state that well to make a decision on what area. All I know is that I don't want to live too close to the ocean because of flooding. I want a safe and comfortable area to live in.
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Location: Chapel Hill, NC USA
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Originally Posted by DisneyDana
I've lived one mile from the ocean in SC for 22 years and it's never flooded. As a matter of fact, during hurricane hugo, it was Raleigh NC and the inland places that got really bad floods. I think the only areas you would have flooding are the first few blocks near the ocean. Charlotte NC is a cool place, and I love Raleigh.
I agree, flooding isn't the major problem unless you are right on the beach or waterways close to it. Our usual fear with hurricanes is the wind.
Hugo was a big problem in Charlotte. My DH had to go help his brother clean up their yard afterward. And I saw the destruction along I-40 driving to the mountains. It was the most inland hurricane damage I've ever seen.
Fran was the big one that hit Raleigh area. We were without power for three days after Fran at our house. Floyd was also pretty devastating and that one did do a lot of flooding in the eastern portion on the state.
OP, you just have to remember that we don't get hurricanes every year and most of the ones that come inland don't do much damage. Just bring rain and wind. They shouldn't even be a worry in your house hunting in the state.
My daughter lives in Richlands NC, near Jacksonville NC. It is rural and beautiful. Weather is good, and the people are friendly. They live just minutes from the beach, and the beaches are covered with seashells like I have never seen before!
I'm sorry to hear about your DH. I hope you're able to travel to NC and visit before you make your decision. I lived in NC about 20 years ago so I can't be of much help describing what it's like right now. We lived in Salisbury and Charlotte. I would suggest checking it out for yourself before you make a decision.
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I have family in Jamestown, Greensboro, and Winston-Salem. They all moved there many years ago from Florida and love it! Good luck with your decision and your move!
My parents live in Greensboro. They have lived all over the country, and my mom says NC is her favorite place they have lived because they get all 4 seasons but just minor amounts of snow. (It's still way too cold for me though...south GA has great weather... ;-) )
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We plan on visiting before we make a decision. I want to get a few good areas to concentrate our search. Thanks for all the info on the hurricanes. We don't really get any up here in New Jersey so I was not sure how bad it gets. Sandy was the closest we have gotten. Keep the info coming. Thanks!!
If all the money you will have to live on is SS Disability, I would not hit the big towns. I would look for a smaller town. If either of you will also have a job, then you might be OK closer to a big town.
I live about 20 miles south of Raleigh in Johnston County. Any decent house to rent around me is close to $1000 or more per month, and that includes no utilities.
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