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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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I got the ones from Sharene for my DD too. I let her pick out what color she wanted and got 3 since they are so affordable and I figured she might lose one. Now she tells everyone that mommy bought her "lovely jewelry to be like a princess at Disney World"
I ordered 4from Shanrene for our Disney trip this summer and they came yesterday. I got 2 for our 9yo. and 2 for his 7yro. cousin as suprise. They are great. Thanks so much for the tip.
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Ugh! I have to stop reading this thread!!! I ordered one of those velcro bracelets for my (soon to be) 2 year old the other day. And then (after a bad dream last night) I got to thinking that some other couple might be able to come up and claim him. (Yes, I know I'm paranoid.) So, after reading the posts about the dog tags, I decided to create a photo dogtag with our family Christmas photo on it and our cell numbers on the back. That way, the CM (or whomever) will have proof that we are the ones to claim our son.
Okay, we just got back and the id tags I had purchased worked beautifully. They put them on as soon as we got thru security and left them under their tops the whole time. They wore them every day and I just removed them in the evening. I would definitely go this route again!
So, after reading the posts about the dog tags, I decided to create a photo dogtag with our family Christmas photo on it and our cell numbers on the back.
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I bought silicone bracelets for my DD and they were really inexpensive (think under $5) with our info on them. I will try to find the link to the site and post it for you.
I bought silicone bracelets for my DD and they were really inexpensive (think under $5) with our info on them. I will try to find the link to the site and post it for you.
we bought something back about 8 years ago at a baby show , it is 2 fanny packs that connect to each other . there is about a 9 or 10 ft cord so the kid has running room but not too far . everyone loves it when they see it , we wanted to by a new one but can not find any info for the company . i'm going to try again to find info on this company again , if i find it i will post it .
We have used regular dog tags for dogs ( the largest they make) that we ordered through the vet's. I put them on the belt loop w/ a clip on, but since one of our DS fidgets sooo much, I also use a safety pin through the key ring & belt loop (then I can secure it on when they have shorts w/o loops too In scared situations, even older kids can either forget or accidently switch a number or two and then parents can't be reached (this happened when I had a severe accident @ work-- I was 22!)
The AWESOME thing about these, they are reflective (aka...@ night), small so not to be seen by unwanted eyes, and they last over & over & over. I am lucky since both boys start w/ the same first letter (worked that way, not intentional naming on our part )... so, on the front X. Xton (child's name) name/name Xton (parent(s) name) cell #1 (don't forget area codes!) cell # 2 home #
on the back, I tape a small piece of paper w/ our hotel name and the dates of stay ex: BCV 12/9-- 17/05
A few words of more advice... I have always told the boys to look for a parent w/ kids w/ them... even in stores... sometime it is too confusing or too easy to access the needed clothing/apron to look like a worker... besides, a mom or dad w/kids will always help. At WDW, to look for a CM w/ a nametag--- too confusing since visitors can also get the same looking (at least in the eyes of children) nametags. I will not get anything w/ their names on it... to easy for others.
Please remember, sometimes a child may walk away from you thinking you know where they are / they are or feel safe...
Our oldest DS walked away from DH @ the Legos store in DTD (@ night of course) to check out one of the sculptures next to the dinosaur!!! He thought dad knew where he was and he even said after we found him that he felt safe. The other spot we lost our other son (HONESTLY, WE'RE GOOD PARENTS & WATCH OUR BOYS) was in AK in the Bone Yard/ Grave Yard playground. I was near the bottom close to the exit area & DH was up on top of the slides/climbing equipment. It was super busy and just one moment looking away to watch the other DS, and he was gone. Fear and Panick have never struck as fast or a strong as those two incidents!!!
The CMs saw my panicked face and they immediately closed the playground down--- no entrance or exit for ANYONE until DS was found!!! Others helped us too. Turns out there is a bridge that connects the playground to the digging/sand area. It was our first time there and we did not know about this--- and this playground has TONS of nooks & crannies!!! Our DS followed another child instead of going down the slides. He was in the sand pit playing and TOTALLY UNAWARE of what was happening and the extensive search for him!!!
Disney does an awesome job helping to find lost children/people. After seeing the shut down process in the playground area, I was relieved that it happened there vs MN's State Fair or somewhere else. We still use the dog tags/IDs @ busy, large places. A great video to watch/talk to the kids is the Safe Side Stranger Safety DVD by John Walsh The Safe Side - Teach your kids to stay Smart, Cool and Safe
Sorry this is sooo long, I get very wordy when very tired!