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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!
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.
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My friends niece is Cinderella!! So cool! We met her down there in 2007, but she was off for a few weeks and just doing a check-in. I guess they asked her to do a check in to make sure she didn't change her appearance drastically. Or that was how it was explained to me! She was the Cinderella who was on Jon and Kate Plus 8 when they went to WDW.
My friend's son lost his autograph book while he was down there, so "Cinderella" bought him a new one and got it filled up with autographs from every character you can imagine and sent it to him. That was nice, and definitely a perk!
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15 total family trips with stays at the Poly, AKL, Wilderness Lodge, Beach Club, Swan, Dolphin, POFQ, Pop Century, All Star Music, Movies & Sports, and Coronado Springs.
My uncle worked for WDW for years! I have always been such a Disney freak that he always got me "the perks"!
One visit he took us through a CM gate and low and behold, we walked right into Fantasyland...right next to where the old sky way was. That freaked me out!!
When I was in college, he arranged for me to have a "backstage tour" of the bacstage tour! It was pretty cool, they took me all around the costuming department that you see from the trams. (I majored in Fashion Design so this was right up my alley) I got to see concept designs and sample garments for different shows and character costumes that were coming up for shows in he park. I met some really cool people on that tour, later in the day, one of the girls I met happened to be the hostess for Indiana Jones, she recognized me and picked me
put of the crowd to be in the show!
My uncle has since retired but when he did he sent me all his CM name badges with all the special pins for years of service...he knew I would cherish them. I have them all in a special place, waiting to put them in a shadow box and display them someday!
I also used to work at The Disney Store, but this was way back when they first opened. My storewas #13 and at the time, store CM's were classified the same way as park CM's, we had the same ID's and everything. So, when I went to WDW all I had to do was show my pass to get in, I was also alowed backstage with my ID!
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Yesterday, I had a substitute in Social Studies... she said that she had just finished the College Program at WDW, and was a tour guide on the Great Movie Ride. She preformed the whole spiel for us in class! It was amazingly amazing!
I know two people currently in the CP. My friend Jason works at the stores in Adventureland and I actually just visited him on Monday. He had the day off so we went to Epcot And the other is a girl from my floor, she's down there doing entertainment I believe!
My friend's husband works for Disney. He works on computers, so he's not a park CM, but he's great! I also know the two guys that made up 2/3 of The Kristos (former performers at EPCOT). I wish they were still there.
You sure do hear some hilarious stories from CM's, though, I tell you what. I bet it's fascinating to work there and see the behind the scenes stuff that no one else sees or hears about.
I don't personally know any current cast members - but my neighbor's daughter was a CM in the Living Seas a couple of years ago. Also, my daughter's old dance teacher was a friend of Cinderella in the CP several years ago, and the new hip hop teacher at their school was part of the cast of Tarzan Rocks.
There is a couple from my town who are "snow birds" and work at WDW during winter months. Our previous trips have overlapped their time at WDW so we have met up with them. Dd and ds have enjoyed the CM discounts (40%!!!) They've toured us around the area and shared lots of interesting info with us. Unfortunately, we will miss them by about 2-3 weeks this year as they'll be heading back early. The kids are very disappointed As of the last I heard, they are resigning and won't be returning to WDW again. It was great while it lasted!!
Another girl from work use to be in the CP years ago. It's been fun talking to her at times.
Also, I'm hopint that I can say that I "officially" know Dawn (Graygables) after our trip in a month!
One of DH's and my college friends from Vermont (funny who you meet in life) Ryan works for WDW and is a number of Characters (which ones he won't tell). Ryan also did the College Disney Program. Also one of my friends from Elementary-High School Kate works for Circ du Solel La Nuba. I believe she works behind the scenes or is one of the coordinators. No special treatment needed for our family to enjoy Disney, just as long as I get to say hello and give them a hug.
That is so cool that some of the PPers on here are CMs or Used to be! As a Kid I always wanted to work for Disney.
i applied for the college program two years ago, got accepted, but some things came up and i declined. i'm so sad about it now, hahah.
my cousis was a CM for 7 or 8 years until he passed away two years ago. i met a lot of CMs when my family flew down for the services disney held for him after he passed. some of the greatest people i've ever met. the things they did and are still doing for my family is incredible. i can't wait for our trip in june so that we can meet up with some of them again.
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Thanks Sarah. Silly Matt. 
And the other is a girl from my floor, she's down there doing entertainment I believe!
Trish
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