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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Thanks so much for sharing! I really enjoyed reading the trip report. I wasn't even thinking about a family picture with pajamas--what a great idea!
You are welcome! Santa did find us on the ship, too! Our son packed his stockings and we hung them in our stateroom. "Santa" was prepared by keeping small wrapped gifts in the carry-on luggage disguised in a black sack (as wrapped packages cannot be in checked luggage). If memory serves, Santa brought a box of Mario figures, a new game for the handheld gaming device, a plushie, and other items. They all fit into the two stockings.
I think DCL would clean up if they offered boxing/wrapping services during their holiday cruises!
We are booked on the Fantasy this coming Christmas. This will be our first Christmas away from home and I cannot wait. We too plan to bring the girls' stockings and some small gifts for them.
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My Happy Place
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"When you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way, implicitly and unquestionable." ~ Walt Disney
We are booked on the Fantasy this coming Christmas. This will be our first Christmas away from home and I cannot wait. We too plan to bring the girls' stockings and some small gifts for them.
It would be our first Christmas away from home too. I figured Santa will fill stockings on the cruise and leave a few bigger gifts at home for our return.
We have been on 2 Christmas cruises, 2008 and 2012. They were the most relaxing and memorable Christmases my family has experienced. My children were teenagers on the first cruise and it was our first Christmas away from home. We did bring gifts and even a small decorated (boxed)tree (about a foot tall). For bigger gifts we took a picture of the gift and wrapped it in a small box. The gifts were waiting for them at home. Disney had some fun themed activities like making gingerbread houses and of course the ship was decorated beautifully. We also enjoyed celebrating midnight Mass in the Disney theater.
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"It's kind of fun to do the impossible." ~W. Disney
We have been on 2 Christmas cruises, 2008 and 2012. They were the most relaxing and memorable Christmases my family has experienced. My children were teenagers on the first cruise and it was our first Christmas away from home. We did bring gifts and even a small decorated (boxed)tree (about a foot tall). For bigger gifts we took a picture of the gift and wrapped it in a small box. The gifts were waiting for them at home. Disney had some fun themed activities like making gingerbread houses and of course the ship was decorated beautifully. We also enjoyed celebrating midnight Mass in the Disney theater.
Sounds awesome! My only fear is once I do this how can I ever stay home for Christmas again?
Sounds awesome! My only fear is once I do this how can I ever stay home for Christmas again?
This is my fear as well! I am so looking forward to relaxing and not having to split our time between families. My family is easy, but DH's is complicated. We're already getting grief from them that we won't be around for Christmas. I wish I could just tell them that they are part of the reason we're going on this trip in the first place.
__________________
My Happy Place
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"When you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way, implicitly and unquestionable." ~ Walt Disney
Registered Message Board Members save 30% off PassPorter guidebooks! When you register you'll have access to a discount coupon good for 30% off the list price of PassPorter books in our online store.
Our first cruise was over Christmas 2011. We sailed with myself, DH, DD 13, DD5. Given the youngest, it was an important aspect that Santa did infact find us on the ocean and filled the stockings we left hanging up for him (hooks were already on wall) in the cabin. He left us a variety of small items and a note indicating that the remaining gifts were under tree at home. We had a ball and we also particiapted in a secret exchange (Fish Extender type exchange that I started on another discussion site). Our wonderfully warm sailing was completely enjoyable! Do it if you can!
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