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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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ToonTown looks so fun. I love all of the humor there. Wonderful pictures. I'd spend alot of time there checking out the details.
I also love the parade pictures. It looks kind of like a cross between one of our daytime MK parades and AK Jammin Jungle parade. Very artistic which is what I love. What was the name of the parade? I'll have to see if I can find the music.
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šOš ~*~
Oct '99: CSR ~ May '02: CR ~ Nov '04: SOG ~ May '06: SOG ~ Dec '07: Solo @ Pop ~ May '08: Pop w/friends ~ Oct '08: SOG ~ Dec '09: Pop w/LeAnn ~ Sept '10: Solo @ Pop ~ Spring '11: AKL ~ Jan '12: Pop for 1/2 Marathon ~ Sept '12: 1st trip for DL 1/2 Marathon? ~ Feb '13: Pop w/pals? ~ Mar '13: Tokyo Disney w/PP's?
WOW, wonderful photos. Toontown looks awesome and the parade was so amazing and colorful. And there were so many characters in it, even my beloved Tinkerbell. Can't wait for the next installment!!!
PassPorter's Free-Book to Walt Disney World Its hard to believe anything is free at Walt Disney World; but there are actually a number of things you can get or do for little to no cost. This e-book documents over 200 free or cheap tips to do before you go and after you arrive. You could save a considerable amount of money following these tips. Perhaps more importantly; you can discover overlooked attractions and little-known details most people whiz by on their way to spend money. Click here to see free sample pages from the e-book! Get this popular e-book free of extra charges when you join the PassPorter's Club for as little as $4.95. A club pass includes access to all our other e-books; e-worksheets; super-size photos; and more! This e-book is also available for separate purchase in the PassPorter Online Store for just $5.95.
Wednesday 8 April part seven: the most magical Disney moment . ever!
After that, I literally bounded back to the others, I was so happy, and we headed to Tomorrowland, where they wanted to ride the Speedway, so we said our goodbyes and walked through Tomorrowland, which seemed to be very sleek and again, so big. We couldnt get over the size of the walkways here, although Donna had earlier told me that when they were last here on a Saturday, it had been packed out with no space on the walkways. That, I would not have liked to have seen.
We were both getting hungry, so we headed for a nearby counter service, which specialised in pizza and I ended up getting the snow crab pizza, which was so good that I went back for a second piece that Mark then helped me with. He had the chicken and vegetable one first time around.
We slowly walked back towards the entrance, seeing the new Monsters Inc. ride that was due to open on 15 April.
We browsed some more shops in Main Street and finally I found a hat with the 25th anniversary logo on it, so I got that, but I was giving up all hope of getting a T-shirt with Tokyo Disney on it, as they didnt seem to have any.
Mark found a hat in here as well, but dont worry, this is one you wont be seeing in December!
We wandered through the penny arcade here and Mark had a lot of fun in here, as you can see:
On the way out, we bumped into a friendly face:
We decided to get in line to get our photo taken in front of the 25th anniversary display at the entrance and it was the best thing we couldve done. As we lined up, characters came out and Mark saw Donald Duck in his 25th anniversary garb, but I was determined to get our photo taken. That resolve was tested a moment later, when he saw Eeyore, but we stuck there and got our photo done.
Then it was straight off to see Eeyore and to get a hug from him. What a great surprise.
But even better was to come. Just as we were trying to get Donalds attention, who is obviously really popular here (I managed a photo of him on this own)
we heard the sound of marching and who should come out, but all seven dwarves! We couldnt believe our luck. : Finally, Mark would get to see his beloved dwarf Grumpy and he made a beeline for him. Over the next few minutes, we got lots of photos with him and the other dwarves, all apart from Doc and Dopey, but lets be honest, the latter is often out on his own.
Why on earth they cant do this in Walt Disney World or Disneyland is beyond me. It really did make both of our days and I was crying with delight afterwards, as I knew how much Mark has wanted to meet his favourite character and for how long. It truly was the ultimate Disney magical moment for both of us I think.
What did amaze us in that encounter was the fact that it became clear to us that all the characters here speak both fluent English and Japanese. How do we know this? Because we couldnt work out who one of the dwarves was it turned out he was Bashful, but he made us go through all the names and kept shaking his head and each one we came out with. It was amazing to have such great interaction like that and trust Disney to think that the characters had to be able to speak two languages.
Mark does look extra happy and "in his element", joking with all the Dwarfs!
You've shown us some pretty fantastic stuff from Japan, now, I have to see this amazing Disney hotel!
I love the look of pure delight on Mark's face. Wonderful pictures. I love Tokyo Disney's entrance - so colorful. I also like your hat but Mark's - not so much. Looking forward to more.
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šOš ~*~
Oct '99: CSR ~ May '02: CR ~ Nov '04: SOG ~ May '06: SOG ~ Dec '07: Solo @ Pop ~ May '08: Pop w/friends ~ Oct '08: SOG ~ Dec '09: Pop w/LeAnn ~ Sept '10: Solo @ Pop ~ Spring '11: AKL ~ Jan '12: Pop for 1/2 Marathon ~ Sept '12: 1st trip for DL 1/2 Marathon? ~ Feb '13: Pop w/pals? ~ Mar '13: Tokyo Disney w/PP's?