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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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We've been there 3 times. Its a really great park with pleanty to do for all ages. My best park tip is to take advantage of this: if you buy passes at the gate for the next day, then you can get in that night for a free preview! We walked the whole park planning our attack for the next few days this way. We stayed at the campground. The cabins are wonderful. We went in July so it was real hot and we went to the park for open, then back to the campground via their free bus transport for lunch and a refreshing dip in the pool, then back to the park after a little rest. Again, it worked out perfectly. If you have any specific questions, just Pm me and I'll be happy to answer them.
Two things come to mind. First it that it is a lot of walking, so be prepared. The park is a bit hilly too!
Also, there is so much to do in the area. I would love to take a 4 or 5 day weekend in the area, and see some of the Amish sites in the area. We picked up a few brochures of the area this summer. I'll see what I can find, and post again if I find anything interesting!
We have stayed at Hampton Inns in the area, and have liked them.
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I did see a picture of the outside of a cabin. It looked small. Will it fit 5? I like the idea of being able to take a break and a swim during the day.
If we stay at the Hampton Inns, what is the parking like at Hershey and could we get back for a break if we wanted to?
Hershey Park is a wonderful family amusement park. You'll have a great time. They have a new Boardwalk type of park that you might want to check out for a day with lots of water rides. I believe this just opened last summer.
I don't know much about the accommodations because HP is just a day trip for us. We plan on going Dec. 22 for the Christmas lights and ride the rides in the freezing cold.
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Cabins also equipped with coffee pot/microwave and I believe a grill outside. But we didn't use it so I'm not sure about that one. If you call the campground they are wonderful people that will be happy to answer questions for you. We were only in the cabin long enough to sleep. We did parks from open to close.
I live so close, but haven't been there in 14 years! Nothing much to add- just hope you enjoy yourselves! My girlfriend and I are spending a weekend at the Hotel Hershey in January to take advantage of the 'chocolate' spa for a girls weekend. No kids, no husbands.
If you're road-tripping and want to take advantage of some other local parks - Dorney Park in Allentown, Knoebels in Elysburg, and The Land of Make Believe in Hope, NJ are all a relatively short drive away. They're all within about a 2 - 2 1/2 hour drive. Throw in Great Adventure a little farther south in Jersey, and you could make a short week out of it.