/Cruising on a Dream Full of Frights and Friends: 10/12/13-10/19/13 TR completed 4/21/2014 - Page 8 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Way to go for driving!! I have thought about driving, but my husband can't stand being in the car that long! Way to go Hope for doing well too!! That can make the trip so much better!! I can't wait to hear about Hope's reaction to the surprise!!
That's a loooong drive! I'm amazed that Hope was so good and didn't ask a million times where she was going or what the surprise was. I was never fond of driving, either, and have now given up my license, so no more road trips! Your teaser has me very nervous, now, about the hotel you're pulling into.....
Glad Hope was so well behaved on the ride down. My kids would go crazy being in the car for so long. Then the fighting, teasing and bugging would begin. Then I would need alcohol to knock myself out and not hear them.
Sounds like Hope was a lot better than my kids! And they are 13 & 17! We are driving only as far as Hilton Head and spending a couple nights before going on to WDW, and then Port Canaveral.
Love both your photos from the shoot, and the name of your company!!
Very scared about the teaser for the next installment!
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Great start, Melissa!
I love the pictures you were working on editing. Great job!
It sounds like the ride down went pretty smoothly. It's so great that Hope was content and able to keep herself entertained, that's always such a worry when doing long trips.
I'm a little worried about your teaser though!
Thanks so much! I was so impressed with how well she did with that long drive. There wasn't even any whining, which was a HUGE shocker!
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Originally Posted by chezp
I love those beautiful photos of yours. I don't like the sound of the next instalment though...
Thanks so much Cheryl! And yeah, the next installment doesn't end too well.
Quote:
Originally Posted by guerns17
Way to go for driving!! I have thought about driving, but my husband can't stand being in the car that long! Way to go Hope for doing well too!! That can make the trip so much better!! I can't wait to hear about Hope's reaction to the surprise!!
I HATE driving! I have a crappy commute, so this was like torture for me, but I wanted to try to save us money. I've already booked our airfare for the next trip to Disney.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lauriep
That's a loooong drive! I'm amazed that Hope was so good and didn't ask a million times where she was going or what the surprise was. I was never fond of driving, either, and have now given up my license, so no more road trips! Your teaser has me very nervous, now, about the hotel you're pulling into.....
Too long if you ask me. I would gladly give up my license if I could. If I had the money, I'd even pay someone to drive me around. I could read a book, take a nap, work on my laptop...all while sitting comfortably in the passenger's seat.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MayraLR
Glad Hope was so well behaved on the ride down. My kids would go crazy being in the car for so long. Then the fighting, teasing and bugging would begin. Then I would need alcohol to knock myself out and not hear them.
Well, I only have one, so maybe if I had added another child to the mix there may have been complications.
Quote:
Originally Posted by KMB733
Great Start!! That's a long drive, but then again, I love a good road trip!
You're a better person than me.
Quote:
Originally Posted by cubfancolleen
Sounds like Hope was a lot better than my kids! And they are 13 & 17! We are driving only as far as Hilton Head and spending a couple nights before going on to WDW, and then Port Canaveral.
Love both your photos from the shoot, and the name of your company!!
Very scared about the teaser for the next installment!
Chad and I complained more than she did! Once my tailbone started hurting, that was then end of my good mood.
And I chose that name because my Nanny used to call me that. It was her nickname for me, and it just seemed perfect as the name of my business. I'm in the process of getting a logo made up (nothing fancy right now), so I have something more professional when I really get into my portfolio building.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Linnynad
Holy crap!! You are there already...........that seemed like such a quick drive
Yup...just. like. that. Does tha mean you're ready to take on this super fast drive when you go in May?
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Originally Posted by pamcarey
Great start! Sounds like Hope was such a good girl on the ride! How long in total was your drive?
Going down to Florida it took us about 14 hours, and coming home it took us 15 hours.
Holy crap!! You are there already...........that seemed like such a quick drive
Yea sure when you just say we drove and drove and drove and didn't experience it, it seems quick. Wait until you hear about our drive home!
And why don't I remember what this crappy ending is?! Maybe I willonce I read about it. And now I guess I better get started on mine or I'll be WAY behind since I've got days beforehand to write about.
Sounds like the drive went great! You're very lucky that Hope was so well behaved. We can't even make it 1 1/2 right now in the car without a major meltdown from Cameron. I'm dreading Thanksgiving and our 2 1/2 hour car ride.
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Great trip report so far (I'm catching up...). Amazing luck on the deal on the new car and stay at AKL!
Long car drives to (and home from) Disney are the worst! I feel your pain even though it sounds like a doozy of a post is coming next. Hope it's not too bad!
We drove down last year for our cruise and I agree, that drive is a bit brutal. I didn't think we would ever get out of Virginia. Chris and I got a good laugh and a few eye rolls at the billboards going down 95, luckily Sean can't read yet
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I don't like the sound of the next instalment though... 
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I would gladly give up my license if I could. If I had the money, I'd even pay someone to drive me around. I could read a book, take a nap, work on my laptop...all while sitting comfortably in the passenger's seat. 
Once my tailbone started hurting, that was then end of my good mood. 
Disney Magic - Oct 2015
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