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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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.

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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.

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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!

Best wishes for a wonderful and magical new year!

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Old 06-29-2009, 12:37 PM   #16
WillCAD
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I remember the old Ghostbusters show, where Twister now stands. I liked it, though I wasn't terribly in love with it. I do wish there was some representation o Ghostbusters in the parks today, though.
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Old 06-30-2009, 07:16 PM   #17
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I loved Kongfrontation. Back to the Future was one of the first of its kind
YES Kongfrontation!!! I will have to scan my picture from that ride!! Why did they take it away it was great!
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Old 06-30-2009, 07:17 PM   #18
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I gotta say the Simpsons Ride is great, really cute and the line is so well decorated. Its basically the same thing as Back to the Future with a Simpsons movie.

I think Disaster was better as Earthquake! Except of course with the addition of Christopher Walken to the pre-show.

Anyone remember the Wild West Stunt Show?
Yes I remember the Wild West Stunt Show what is it now?
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Old 06-30-2009, 08:45 PM   #19
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Yes I remember the Wild West Stunt Show what is it now?
Fear Factor Live

Also how could you forget AT&T at the Movies?
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Old 07-09-2009, 01:31 PM   #20
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Earthquake! I liked Back to the Future, but love The Simpsons!!! Flying Unicorn Is the Animal Actors not there anymore? I thought I saw it last year, but maybe not!
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Old 07-09-2009, 04:08 PM   #21
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It wasn't a ride but we loved the Hitchcock theater.
We loved that one, too! It had audience participation, with a volunteer to show how they did "The Hitchcock Zoom." And they had the entire setup of apartments from "Rear Window." It looked so real! As Hitchcock fans we really enjoyed the Hitchcock Theater.
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Old 07-11-2009, 07:11 PM   #22
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We loved that one, too! It had audience participation, with a volunteer to show how they did "The Hitchcock Zoom." And they had the entire setup of apartments from "Rear Window." It looked so real! As Hitchcock fans we really enjoyed the Hitchcock Theater.
Yeah, the Hitchcock theater was cool. What is Fear Factor Live like?
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Old 07-11-2009, 08:39 PM   #23
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Yeah, the Hitchcock theater was cool. What is Fear Factor Live like?
if i remember they took 2 vacationers to try what they did on the tv show but a smaller version.
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Old 07-11-2009, 09:07 PM   #24
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Kongfrontation for sure!!! I really miss that one.
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Old 07-14-2009, 07:17 PM   #25
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the fear factor live show i cried the first time i saw it because i thought they were actually throwin a spider at me...that was in december and im 21 haha

i love the disaster ride, i prefer it much more how it is now to the earthquake ride, it really mades me giggle!
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Old 07-20-2009, 10:30 AM   #26
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Last year was the first trip to US/IoA for the DW and I. I wish we had gone in the years past as some of the themed attractions you all have mentioned are things that I loved growing up. Cant wait to go again this year, nor for the new HP to open up
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Old 08-17-2009, 06:39 PM   #27
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Miss KONG the most. Back to the Future was great & the Hitchock show was very good.

*Why does Universal close such good rides, they have more space/land for new attractions....right?
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Old 08-18-2009, 10:36 AM   #28
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I think it's a combination of wear and tear on the rides, and trying to keep the park as up to date as possible. I started in '90, before the park opened, and besides training on the rides, we were constantly running them for the engineers so they could fine tune, repair, and maintain the rides.

Most of the originals were state-of-the-art rides that had never been done before, and Universal really wanted them to be something to blow visitor's socks off. I started on Jaws, and we were working on that ride through park opening and for months and months after. We had times where it worked great, but then it just had so many recurring problems they had to shut it down.

After Jaws closed for remodeling, I moved to Kong, and while that ride ran much better, it also had it's share of breakdowns. Lots of hydraulic leaks, and just stress on the parts, especially the two Kong structures. Nothing like the ride stopping cold when you're driving the tram 35 feet in the air.

When the park opened, these were the originals:
Rides:
Kong (opened a cpl months after park opening)
Jaws
Hanna Barbera
Earthquake
Back to the Future (opened a few months after the official park opening)
E.T.

Shows:
Hitchcock
Murder, She Wrote (this was similar to the sound effect show at MGM)
Horror Make Up
Animal Actors
Stunt Boat show in the lagoon
Ghostbusters (I think this opened just a bit later than the official opening, but can't remember - hey, it was almost 20 yrs ago!!)
Wild West Stunt Show (same for this one)
Nikelodeon Tour
Backstage Studio Tour

During the first few months, Jaws and Kong had major issues and were open sporadically. Jaws finally got going and then Kong opened a cpl months later. BttF took a little longer, but ran the best. Universal gave out free park tickets to everyone during those first few months to make up for it.
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Old 08-23-2009, 07:55 PM   #29
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i loved the backstage tour! I miss that
kongfrontation and hanna barberra was great too
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