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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
To post messages and ask questions, join our FREE community today and you'll get access to tools and resources not available to guests, such as our vacation countown timers, "living" avatars, private messaging system, database searches, downloads, and a special PassPorter discount code. Registration is fast, simple, and completely free. Just click the Join Our Community link.
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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08-31-2007, 11:44 AM
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#1
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PassPorter Guide
 Community Rank: Globetrotter 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 3,041
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Niagara Falls, Ontario
by Michelle Kosloff, PassPorter Guest Contributor
Growing up within a couple of hours of Niagara Falls meant we visited whenever relatives came to visit from the UK. It's a Wonder of the World and what visit to Canada would be complete without it? But as I grew older Niagara Falls grew dingier and it seemed to lose some of its luster. The falls were still there but the Skylon sort of emptied out and the tourist area just seemed to be dying off.
After I got married, we moved away from Ontario but just about 2 years ago we moved back. It was time for a visit because unlike us, our kids had only seen the falls once or twice.
Niagara Falls has changed significantly. I am not a big gambling fan, but I have to say, the two Casinos that have opened since I left Ontario have made a significant difference in the overall feel of the city. It is more vibrant, more alive than it had been the last time I visited.
Over the past year, we have visited Niagara Falls four times and have barely scratched the surface and we have seen and done different things each time.
Our first visit was to our relatives. We stayed at their house and took a quick trip down to the falls one day. We did the touristy walk by the falls and then took a trip under the falls.
My second visit was with my mother and sister for a ‘girls' weekend. We stayed at the Skyline Inn because it probably has the best location for your buck. We weren't there to lounge in our room so we weren't worried about luxury accommodations. The beds were comfy though and it was nice inside. It is a very short walk to the American Falls and right across the street from the Casino which was our destination both evenings we were there. One night we went to the closer old Casino (which I liked better because it seemed brighter and was on two floors) and the second night we took a free shuttle over to the newer casino.
During the day, our goal was shopping. We visited the Outlet malls in Niagara Falls, NY and found many bargains. We also visited the Outlet mall on the Canadian side and bought some things there as well. Before our trip to the Casino in the evening we also saw the Festival of Lights which takes place November through January. It was quite spectacular!
My third visit was with my husband for our anniversary. Our anniversary is the end of November which in hindsight is a rather good date. Hotel occupancy is very low so we usually can find something dirt cheap and Christmas decorations and sales are starting to come out.
Since this was our anniversary we decided to go for a bit more luxury. Since we didn't really care where we stayed, we tried bidding for a room on Priceline. That was fun in itself. We ended up with the Sheraton on the Falls for less than a cheap hotel would go for in the summer. When we arrived we asked about upgrading and for $10 more we got a suite with fireplace and Jacuzzi tub on the 21st floor with a fabulous view of the American Falls. We could even hear them with our window closed. Instead of the surf to go to sleep by we heard the faint roar of the falls. That $10 extra was so well worth it! It was a very romantic weekend.
Our last visit was with our children for our son's hockey tournament. We spent a lot of time in hockey arenas but we also did a bit of shopping with the kids, a bit of sight seeing and a bit of playing around. This time we stayed with the team at Michael's Inn. This hotel must have once been very nice but seemed a bit bedraggled now. It still had a very nice pool but the whole feel of the place was that it was a bit run down. The beds were very uncomfortable and none of us slept well all weekend. The location however was amazing! Again we were in walking distance of the falls and all the attractions on Clifton Hill. We didn't do a lot there more than look. You could spend a ton of time on the street what with all the wax museums, rides, and attractions. Next time, next time…
We will be back again to Niagara Falls in the fall when the prices decline dramatically. We have promised the kids a trip to the Fallsview Water Park which is a water park built on top of the Casino parking lot with a direct view of the falls. There is still so much more to see!
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