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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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also, should I be concerned about sea sickness?? I cant ride wild rides or roller coasters due to feeling ill... but I am a little scared about getting sick.... not sure what to expect...
I have a real problem with motion sickness...I even got sick on a harbor cruise once. On the ship I made sure to keep current with Bonine and Ginger and I had no problem, not even on the last night when there was a lot of motion.
Prevention is the key! The time of year you sail can have a bigger impact, too.
Even experienced cruisers can be hit with an unexpected bout of seasickness so definitely be prepared. I take a Bonine (less-drowsy form of Dramamine) right before the safety drill, that way it has about an hour to start working before we sail. For me, it's better to take them from the beginning, rather than wait until I don't feel good. Then I continue for at least a day. Depending on the sea condition, I'll either stop or continue for another day or so.
Talk to your doctor to see what they recommend for you. If OTC medications are OK, try them at home to judge your reaction to it first. Dramamine knocked me on my keister so I switched to Bonine and have been a happy sailor ever since!
__________________
Lynn
Yes, I am a Disney Addict... and I'd rather be cruising!.
I suffer from a more slight form of motion sickness, mostly in closed in places (reading on a car, flights, etc - open air boating & roller coasters don't bother me). I do pretty good on cruises, except on sea days, since I'm exposed to the rocking so much more. I try not to take medication and can usually get away with taking it when I start to feel yucky, rather than prior.
I recommend the Sea Bands, though. They've been great for me and my mom - who is very much worse on watercraft. Ginger and the bands are her chosen methods. The bands can bother your wrists a little (think tight socks that leave a ring around your ankle), but I use them on airplanes to great relief.
I'm really prone to motion sickness on rides, cars, plane, so I understand your worry. I was VERY worried before we sailed. I tried the over the counter pills before the trip and felt terrible after taking them, so they aren't an option for me.
I used motion bands. They do bug you a bit, because they are tight, but for me - better than feeling sick! I bought inexpensive wide bracelets to wear over them for evenings because they don't look cute with dresses.
I also used ginger root capsules, 550 mg. I bought them at GNC. The salesperson looked up dosage and told me 2 capsules every 3 hours. I did this pretty faithfully! I started the morning we sailed, just to be safe! (I also used them a bit when we got home when I would feel the ship rocking. ) I had no problems but we had a very smooth sailing. No one else in my family is prone to motion sickness and they took nothing. DH has a hard time with the ship rocking feeling after we get back, so he tried the ginger. He thought they helped.
On last sailing, I had an extra pair of the bands. I had met a lady online and we met on the ship. On the first evening, I saw her and she looked terrible. I gave her my bands and whenever I saw her after that she was fine. She thought the bands worked perfectly. Some swear by them, some say they don't work. My DH says that it's all in my head that they work, but I don't care. Even if it is, it works for me!