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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Let's see, I've got a Fodor's Florida book (2003), The Unofficial Guide to WDW (1999, 2001, 2002, 2003), Disney World with Kids (2003), of course my PP (2002 and 2003) and an older Birnbaum's WDW book (2001 maybe).
For several years in a row I bought the Unoffical Guide to WDW (just in case we could get to WDW) but then I came across the PP - I haven't looked back. I still refer to the other books but have truly found the PP to be the BEST book for planning a WDW trip.
FYI I bought the luxury guide and was not really impressed with it at all. Granted I did learn a few things, but not one that I will run out and get when the new edition comes out. I like the unofficial one, that one is pretty funny and my good ol trusty Passporter!
I absolutely adore going through books regarding WDW as I'm pretty much a planning nut. I've got all the books everyone has already mentioned plus a few others. The only ones I really use a lot are:
1) Passporter - accurate information and those invaluable Passpockets
2) The Birnbaum official guides - for the little tips and great photos
3) Walt Disney World for Couples - an excellent book with lots of information plus lots of tips for making a vacation more romantic. And it doesn't apply just to couples travelling to WDW without kids - they also have lots of ideas for couples with children as well. In addition this book has the most complete WDW resort descriptions I've ever seen.
4) The Unofficial Guide - Although I disagree with a lot of their negativism, the book is well written and humorous and I get a lot out of reading the tons of different opinions they include from various WDW guests and visitors. I also like the way their restaurant ratings include a thumbs up, thumbs down rating that is determined by readers of their book who have submitted their opinions.
Actually, I recently bought DH the Hidden Mickey's book and he loves it even though we haven't even taken it on a trip yet. I'm just impressed that he read a book, DH hates to read books. Other than that PP is the only one I have.
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I got the making memories book. Fellow passporters don't waste your money. These guys are kind of funny,but the Cd is dumb. Take the money & put it in your vacation fund.
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Thanks, now I don't have to worry that I might be missing something great.
One book I used a LOT last year was the "Disney World for Kids by Kids", which I gave to my 9 year old to read and prioritize 5 things he wanted to do in each park. Then I read it to my 7 and 4 year old (at the time) and had them each prioritize 5 things they wanted to do in each park. Then I added in my 5 things (of course!) and made a master list of what we "had" to do. It was great! I could say to a child, "Such and such is on our list and we'll get to it before we leave" and that really appeased them!
I've been reading the Disney Trivia book lately and am really enjoying that, although it's not really for planning.
I also bought the "Making Memories" book and I'm enjoying reading it, but am not using that for planning either.
I also use allears.net and tourguidemike.com a lot, too!
I think I will probably just stick with my Passporter (of course) and maybe the 2004 Birnbaum's and the Hidden Mickeys book. On our last trip there was a little girl in front of us on The Great Movie Ride with the Hidden Mickeys book - she and her family were trying to find the Hidden Mickeys on each ride and it seemed like a lot of fun to me, so I think we'll try that on our next trip. I'm also kind of interested in checking out the Disney Trivia book.
Aside from PP (of course!), Birnbaum's, and the Unofficial Guide for Grownups, I've also used The Cheapskate's Guide to WDW (I think that's the title, or something similar...) which is where I learned about Belz Outlet Mall, having a sit-down meal at lunchtime (to save money), and other tips...I also have the Hidden Mickey book....
I just noticed a couple of you mentioned my book, and just wanted to say thank you and that I'm happy you are enjoying it! I really wanted the book to be fun to read and use as a game, and it's really nice to hear that other Disney fans are having a great time with it!
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Other than that PP is the only one I have. 
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