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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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We've never before been to WDW during the holiday season so decided that MVMCP was something we absolutely could not pass on because we may never be able to go during the holidays again.
We want to party as hearty and completely as possible. Two adults, no kids to consider, starting the evening with an early dinner at Cinderella's Royal Table so we'll already be in the MK for the party's start.
What should we be sure to do and see so as to have the most magical memories to last a lifetime?
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“People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.” —Winnie-the-Pooh
Last edited by Belle*; 07-29-2013 at 09:45 AM..
Reason: newsletter08012013
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Don't miss the parade or the fireworks. To us, those are the absolute highlights of the Party. If you're interested in the characters, check out who's appearing. We managed to catch all seven dwarves last year, which was a real treat. Make sure you also see it "snow" on Main Street - that's very neat.
We got to meet some Princes last year with their respective Princesses- that was very cool! And I agree with Cheryl about the fireworks and parade- they are very fun!
DH and DS also tried to hit just about every cookie and hot cocoa station
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Don't miss the parade or the fireworks. To us, those are the absolute highlights of the Party. If you're interested in the characters, check out who's appearing. We managed to catch all seven dwarves last year, which was a real treat. Make sure you also see it "snow" on Main Street - that's very neat.
I also agree with Cheryl. Don't miss the parade and the fireworks! I also enjoy seeing the characters in the festive costumes, so that was a must for me.
Another vote for the parade! I don't even really like parades but my friend and I were quite tired and wanted to sit...so we watched the parade...and I loved it!
Btw, with DH in a scooter, will the last parade be a bit less crowded? We like to avoid as many crowd hassles as possible knowing that we'll be dealing with maneuvering through crowds for the party anyway.
__________________
“People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.” —Winnie-the-Pooh
Btw, with DH in a scooter, will the last parade be a bit less crowded? We like to avoid as many crowd hassles as possible knowing that we'll be dealing with maneuvering through crowds for the party anyway.
I think that usually the later parade is less crowded. By then older folks and folks with young kids have left the park. We were sitting right next to the Corn Dog Cart in FrontierLand. It wasn't bad crowd wise. However, I will be honest...I too ride a scooter and was planning to get one when we got to the party. They were out, so I was planning to return once the party officially started and figured that some of the day ticket people would have returned some. At some point I decided there was NO way I was trying to maneuver through the crowds, and ended up walking the entire time. (BAAAAAD idea on my part! I can walk some and thought I could handle it...boy was I wrong, I hurt for days) On the other hand, I wouldn't let that information stop you from going...it's SO worth it!
Also, if you plan to go to the Osborne Lights, they stay open until 1 hour past park close. I went after dinner which was in that 1 hour after close...much, much less crowded. It was very hard maneuvering through the crowds earlier on the scooter.
I saw that you're doing an early dinner at CRT before the party. The castle lighting actually takes place before the party (I think about 6:00) so that people who aren't attending the party can still see it, so your timing may not work out.
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I saw that you're doing an early dinner at CRT before the party. The castle lighting actually takes place before the party (I think about 6:00) so that people who aren't attending the party can still see it, so your timing may not work out.
True...however, the Castle Lighting is not part of the party and takes place every night. So if you're there another night, you can see it then too.
True...however, the Castle Lighting is not part of the party and takes place every night. So if you're there another night, you can see it then too.
Yeah, I should've mentioned that, but it did sound like the OP was planning to see it on her party night and I wanted to let her know that she might not be able to with her CRT ADR.
Yeah, I should've mentioned that, but it did sound like the OP was planning to see it on her party night and I wanted to let her know that she might not be able to with her CRT ADR.
Agreed. Just wanted her to know in case she will be in MK any other night.
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If you're interested in party specific merchandise, go shop early! I went shopping not long after we arrived while DH and DS went to meet some characters. It was a bit of a madhouse in the store. I don't remember which one I went to but it was in Tomorrowland. A lot of items were flying off the shelves fast. The parade and fireworks are a must. And don't forget the free hot chocolate and cookies! The night we went it was in the 30's. We got our money's worth in free hot chocolate that night!
If you're interested in party specific merchandise, go shop early! I went shopping not long after we arrived while DH and DS went to meet some characters. It was a bit of a madhouse in the store. I don't remember which one I went to but it was in Tomorrowland. A lot of items were flying off the shelves fast. The parade and fireworks are a must. And don't forget the free hot chocolate and cookies! The night we went it was in the 30's. We got our money's worth in free hot chocolate that night!
Party specific merchandise?!?! That sounds like fun! What types of things were available? Need to be sure I have a few extra $$$ for some shopping; I am surprising my kids with tix for MVMCP and definitely want to let them get souvenir. thanks!
Party specific merchandise?!?! That sounds like fun! What types of things were available? Need to be sure I have a few extra $$$ for some shopping; I am surprising my kids with tix for MVMCP and definitely want to let them get souvenir. thanks!
You can see some of what was available in 2011 in this post from easyWDW:
I've also gotten a mug and ornaments and I've seen a party-specific Santa Mickey hat, but I haven't been since 2007 so I don't know if those items are still typically seen.
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