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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Ok, seriously though... How do you celebrate your birthday?
In our house, the boys of course get two parties - one with a few friends somewhere (bowling, mini-golf/driving range/batting cage fun center/movies) and one with the extended family at home.
DW and I usually just celebrate with a small cake, and a few presents.
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The kids get a "friend" party. Sometimes we do a family party, and sometimes we don't (depending on our schedules). Plus they get to go out to dinner at a place of their choosing!
For DH or me, we get to go to dinner (usually at a place of the kids choosing) and we get a cake
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Ryan gets a big friend/family party. I will be spending my birthday (ahem - next Tuesday!) in Hilton Head. I plan on having dinner at the Crazy Crab! She Crab Soup and Fried Shrimp
Usually DH is travelling for work on my actual birthday, so he just takes me out for dinner when he's home. And I refuse to do any housework because I deserve a holiday sometimes. (I'm a housewife, so I don't get statutory holidays like people who work outside the home)
DD's always get a BIG party (as they should, they're only little once!) DH and I usually celebrate quietly doing something special the birthday person wants. DH is lucky though, his birthday is in Aug and we've been on vacation for several of his b-days, once to WDW! Mine is Nov, crammed right between Thanksgiving and Christmas so we're always so "busy." Luckily, when a new James Bond film comes out, it's usually in Nov, so that's my b-day special event that year. (Love 007!) I am determined that our 2010 WDW trip will be right after Thanksgiving for my b-day!
When DD was living at home, we always went to a movie together on my birthday, and then went out to dinner. One year DM and DD got me a Barney birthday cake! Yes, there was a purple dinosaur on top!
For DD's 21st birthday this year, we went to WDW for a long weekend to celebrate! Now that is a tradition that I wouldn't mind continuing!
BTW~ Happy Birthday, Rob! I hope you have a wonderful day!
Happy Birthday Rob!!! DD12 & DD6 get birthdays with family. DH and I don't really celebrate. We do get to pick what we want for dinner that day, but that's about it.
Now that the boys are older, we have much smaller parties for them, and we all get dinner out which the birthday person chooses or dinner at my in-laws with a cake. Presents are usually cash or gift cards now (so the boys can get the games they want).
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We never seem to celebrate our birthdays on the actual day anymore. We usually go out to dinner and get each other some kind of gift. Our birthdays are 16 days apart so we normally combine them!
DH and I usually just go out to eat for our birthdays. Restaurant choice goes to the birthday boy or girl. For Lexi's first birthday in July we are having a family party with a few friends invited.
Happy Birthday Rob!! My birthday was a week and a half ago, and I did nothing. Well, I went to see Indiana Jones (awesome), then came home and had ice cream and cookie cake with my parents, sister and dog. I was promised a Wii for my birthday, but probably won't get it anytime soon.
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We never seem to celebrate our birthdays on the actual day anymore. We usually go out to dinner and get each other some kind of gift. Our birthdays are 16 days apart so we normally combine them!
Rob!!!
, except ours are 6 days apart. Normally we just go out to dinner at a mutually chosen place. This year, Sulley surprised me with a quick four-day trip to WDW! We stayed at the Contemporary where they upgraded us to Concierge. Hey, you only turn 50 once!
My kids are older so I usually take them out to dinner for their birthday and get them one or 2 nicer presents. As a matter of fact I usually take them out to dinner for my birthday too! One of these years when they are more financially secure I'll let them spoil me. I've always told them the one date you never forget is your mother's birthday - so I always get a card, a small present and phone calls.