Forums Closed
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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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!
Best wishes for a wonderful and magical new year!
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Welcome! We're happy you've found the PassPorter Community -- the friendliest place to plan your vacation to Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland, and the world in general! You are now viewing the PassPorter Message Board Community as a guest, which gives you limited access. As our guest, feel free to browse our messages by selecting the forum you want to visit from the list below.
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If you think you've already joined, log in below now. If you don't remember your member name or password, please visit our Member Name and Password Recovery page. You are also welcome to contact us.
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04-22-2006, 08:51 AM
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#1
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Community Rank: Trekker 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Nova Scotia Canada
Posts: 1,906
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\"Faking\" birthdays?
I will be celebrating my birthday while we're in DW, totally a coincidence. (I love my b'day and want it to be all about ME, not the whole family on vacation!! ;-) FOCUS, people!! Uh, ok, I'm turning 42, I should get over it!) Anyway, I actually feel a little guilty having a fuss made about me when the kids would probably appreciate it more. Unfortunately our trip is right between our kids' b'days, a May trip for kids born in Feb and August. Dh is actually closest, about 3 weeks before we go, and he's definitely pouting.
So. Does anyone "fake" it? Uh, is anyone going to call us on it? Maybe it's not worth it, as it is so far from my kids' b'days that it might really confuse them, and set a bad precedent!
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04-22-2006, 09:09 AM
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#2
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Community Rank: Explorer 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: nyc
Posts: 9,580
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Re: \"Faking\" birthdays?
all in all, it's fine to have a 'disney birthday' but unless the kids completely understand the concept, it might not be a good idea. i'd probably either suggest you don't make it known it's yours if you feel guilty, or you present in a way that everyone is celebrating together, sort of like a family birthday in a way that would keep focus on the kids as well
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04-22-2006, 09:26 AM
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#3
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Community Rank: Traveler 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Alabama
Posts: 358
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Re: \"Faking\" birthdays?
A castmember misunderstood us and gave my son a birthday pin. All day when soeone said happy birthday he felt it necessary to say it wasn't. We tried to tell him it was his unbirthday or his half birthday but he just couldn't do it! We told him to just say thank you but he had to explain to everyone it wasn't his birthday. So much for enjoying the attention to him it was like cheating! I say enjoy your birthday and have the kids get into it by trying to embarass you by having people sing or notice-- it's up to you to act embarassed as you enjoy it!
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04-22-2006, 11:20 AM
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#4
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Community Rank: Explorer
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Kissimmee, FL
Concierge Level: 6
Posts: 10,481
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Re: \"Faking\" birthdays?
[img]/ubb/images/graemlins/whistling2.gif[/img] Ummm..hmmm...I don't know anyone who has "faked" a birthday.
[img]/ubb/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] I did it in Memorial Day Weekend 2002, Mid May 2005 and [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/ukid.gif[/img] I am doing it again this year...Memorial day week!! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/woot.gif[/img] My birthday is on June 5...so it is CLOSE!! In 2003 I actually was at WDW on my true birthday.
I say GO FOR IT! WDW is a great place to have a "me" day! BTW [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/birthday.gif[/img]
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04-22-2006, 11:30 AM
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#5
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Community Rank: Adventurer 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: St. Marys, PA (Too far from tigger!)
Posts: 982
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Re: \"Faking\" birthdays?
Have fun celebrating your birthday and the fun should rub off on everyone. When I was there in Jan. it was during my b-day and I had a shirt made that said "Having a Tiggerific Birthday at Walt Disney World "(front) and "Today's My Birthday" (back). You could do something like this for yourself and then have shirts made for them that say "Today is mommy's birthday" for your kids and "I'm with the birthday girl" for your DH. Make sure they know it's your B-day when you make your ADR's or tell them when you arrive.
If you feel you need to fake their birthdays then do so, but I think celebrating your birthday with them in the Happiest Place" will be just as fun. When we were there my DD5 didn't care that I got some attention. In fact, she kept telling everyone it was mommy's birthday. Plus, the fact that I had the cake birthday hat on didn't help. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]
Lori
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04-22-2006, 11:48 AM
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#6
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Community Rank: Scout 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Southern New Jersey
Concierge Level: 1
Posts: 4,013
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Re: \"Faking\" birthdays?
We didn't really "fake" a birthday, but when we went this past October - we called it my DS's (12) "birthday weekend" (we were there from the 13-17 and his birthday is the 15th) He was treated well at 3 different "birthday" dinners, but by the 16th, he no longer wanted to wear his birthday buttons (I think he was getting weary at saying Thank you to all the people wishing him happy birthday!!)
Don't worry about anyone calling you on your "fake" birthday. Although you may want to talk it over with kids so they understand they are celebrating an "early" or "late" birthday and not a "fake" one!! Enjoy the magic!!
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04-22-2006, 12:56 PM
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#7
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Community Rank: Traveler
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 239
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Re: \"Faking\" birthdays?
My DD7 (she just turned 7 today sniff sniff) really wants her bday to be at Disney. We are going in Dec 2007. I told her she could pick a day and we would celebrate it as an early bday. Now my oldest wants the same thing. I think it depends on how old your kids are and if they really want it.
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04-22-2006, 02:53 PM
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#8
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Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Kissimmee, FL
Concierge Level: 6
Posts: 3,470
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Re: \"Faking\" birthdays?
One day during our trip last July when we were celebrating our DS's "substitute" birthday, a CM asked him if he knew what his birth "date" was (as it was also the CM's birthday that day) and my DS said August 22nd!!! The CM said "Oh, then it's not your real birthday- it's your "fake" birthday! We celebrate more "fake" birthdays around here than real ones! I won't tell!" I think they're pretty much used to it at WDW. Pick a day and celebrate each person in your party's birthday on that particular day... that way everyone gets a special day and doesn't feel left out!
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04-22-2006, 04:39 PM
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#9
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Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Connecticut
Concierge Level: 6
Posts: 16,825
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Re: \"Faking\" birthdays?
I wouldn't think of it as faking it. Explain to your kids that Disney is a special place and that since you can't be there on thier birthdays that you are having a special day during your trip to celebrate. And you can explain that to the CM's you ask for the borthday buttons - they completely understand and will be happy to accomodate you! I celebrated my 30th birthday in WDW and got a button at each park. I also felt the need to explain on the days it wasn't my actual borthday but the CM's said birthdays just last longer in WDW and that I should absolutely celebrate for our whole trip! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]
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04-22-2006, 10:16 PM
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#10
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Community Rank: Trekker
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Nova Scotia Canada
Posts: 1,906
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Re: \"Faking\" birthdays?
Thanks everyone. It actually sounds sweet the way the staff respond, loved the CM's comments, Carla! I do think my kids are probably too literal to understand that it's not just "lying", though we often have birthday weeks in this family. A birthday is too good not to stretch it out! Dh is the ham who would love all the attention, but I guess I can stand it on the actual day. Now I have to decide what to do about a cake--we have booked dinner that night at OHana, and the bread pudding sounds too yummy to miss for a cake!
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04-22-2006, 10:49 PM
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#11
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Community Rank: Explorer
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Concierge Level: 6
Posts: 7,386
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Re: \"Faking\" birthdays?
With the ages of your kids and how far away from their actual birthdays your trip is, I think you're wise to simply have them help celebrate your birthday.
Joy
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04-23-2006, 08:27 AM
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#12
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Yeti Chaser
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Way down south
Concierge Level: 6
Posts: 20,411
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Re: \"Faking\" birthdays?
I say celebrate your birthday there. I think you may underestimate how much your kids would enjoy celebrating your birthday with you. WDW is already such a magical place, I don't think the kids will miss out on anything by not celebrating their own birthdays there.
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04-23-2006, 04:18 PM
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#13
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Recovering VMK Addict!
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Thornton, CO
Concierge Level: 6
Posts: 13,087
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Re: \"Faking\" birthdays?
My trip in June is to celebrate my 40th birthday, which was in November. When I ma made ADRs the CM asked if anyone was celebrating a brithday or anniversary. I explained that this trip, while wasn't on my birthday because I am a teacher and can't go to WDW then, I was celebrating my birthday. She made note on all of our ADRs that I was celebrating my 40th birthday.
So, I told the CM it really wasn't my birthday, just a belated celebration, and she said it was still a birthday celebration.
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04-23-2006, 04:33 PM
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#14
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Community Rank: Trekker
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Nova Scotia Canada
Posts: 1,906
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Re: \"Faking\" birthdays?
Happy belated (or maybe early?) 40th! I totally stressed about that one, and then, you know, it wasn't so bad! I was planning on going on safari for my 40th, never made it, so when I told dh we were staying at AKL on this trip, he had no out. ;-) Cheaper than tickets to Africa!
I hope you have a great trip.
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04-24-2006, 12:21 PM
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#15
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Community Rank: Jetsetter 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Lansdale, PA
Posts: 2,112
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Re: \"Faking\" birthdays?
I don't think is "faking" a birthday. It's celebrating on a different day. Just go and enjoy!!
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