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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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I was 26! It was Sept. 1999, just after a hurricane came though FL. Disney had closed for one day. The next day we (my future dh, Bo and me) went to MGM and had the most wonderful, magical time! I kept telling him it was just as I imagined and more!!! The next day we went to Epcot and I was completely wowed again! We did not go to MK and I was so sad. So we rode the monorail and I took pictures out the window of Cinderella's Castle. I found these photos this weekend and we had a good laugh about my blurry pictures of the Castle. One was actually clear. Of course, now I have close to 100 pictures of the inside, outside of the castle - not shot from a monorail.
Danielle
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WDW Oct . 2012
Since Minnie's chair is gone, I had to find a new place to have our photo taken this past Oct. Not sure this will be the permanent place.
Last edited by fairestofthemall; 06-12-2007 at 04:10 PM..
My first trip was in October of 1976 at 5 years old. My maternal grandmother took my mom, my sister, myself and all 8 cousins on my mom's side to WDW. We stayed at the Polynesian for 7 days and all there was MK. I don't remember much except for riding the monorail around and around watching the ELP at night and getting my first Dumbo plush. I was the baby of the group with the next oldest at 12 so I spent a lot of time with mom and grandma I am sure.
My first trip was in 1998 at the ripe ole age of 46- with DH, DS13, DS11 and DD5. It was the most amazing and magical experience. The kids, who normally bicker non-stop, got along so well and behaved like angels. I'm sure the magic rubbed off on them all. We didn't stay in a Disney resort but that didn't matter at the time. It was so much fun trying to experience everything-it helped me become the Disneyholic I am today.
My first trip to the world was in 2004 with my DH, and our DD. It was a first for us all. I just remember coming through he tunnel and walking up Main Street and seeing the castle for the very first time. Then looking down at my DD and over to my DH and seeing their faces, I knew I made the right decision on where we should take our very first family vacation. It was one of the best moments of my life to see the sheer wonder and happiness on their faces. We are going for our 3rd time in September for my birthday and the free dining, and I just can't wait.
My first trip was in 1986 just before my 7th birthday. My parents, older sister and I went for 3 days and I was scared of everything. I remember being really afraid of the villian characters walking around and really surprised when I went to get Captain Hooks autograph and he didn't hurt me. (Incidently, he did grab me by the arm today when I walked by. Watch out for that guy!)
We went on the Snow White ride first and after that I was terrified of every other ride. I literally did Disney World with my eyes closed that trip. Then we went back just before my 14th birthday and went on the Snow White ride on the first day and I thought I was all big and brave now, but as soon as the Queen turned around from her mirror that was it, the eyes were shut again. I saw maybe half of Disney with my eyes open that time. It didn't help that on the dark rides my mom would catch me off guard and pretend she was an animatronic attacking me.
So maybe my 2004 trip was the first time I really SAW Disney World! I love to go on Snow White now. I can leave my eyes open and I count it as a personal victory
My first trip was two years ago. I was forty two. We spent two days in the MK with our then four year old son. Day one was on Monday and it was horrible. The park was so hot and crowded that you could barely move. We had to eat lunch standing up because there was no place to sit. I decided that WDW was a croc and would never come back.
Once the wife and kiddo were in bed and asleep at the resort, I went back to the park to try to get on some rides. It was just as crowded. I did manage to get into the Haunted Mansion and it broke down. Yep, I decided that WDW was over hyped and over priced - I was never coming back.
Then I saw Spectr0Magic and Wishes. I started out watching the parade in a very sour mood and then I started watching the kids' faces and seeing the wonder in their eyes and I started to appreciate the parade for the spectacle that it is. I then began to look forward to watching my son watch the parade and I couldn't wait for the next night. I then watched Wishes and was amazed and delighted. Maybe WDW wasn't so bad!
The next day at TMK was a magical as the first day was bad. We had an incredible time and I got to watch the look of wonder and delight in my son's eyes as he watched the parade and we all marveled at Wishes. It was wonderful and I couldn't wait to go back!
My first visit to Walt Disney World was in January, 1976. I was 26 years old and visited with my husband, two year old son and both my parents. Back then there was only the Magic Kingdom and we just spent one full day there but I will never forget a moment of it. Now that my dad has passed on and my son is all grown up, those memories have become that much more precious.
Joy
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1968 - Disneyland
1976 - Offsite
1984 - Offsite
February, 2003 - All Star Music
August, 2003 - Animal Kingdom Lodge & Wilderness Lodge
December,2003 - Wilderness Lodge
December, 2004 - Beach Club Villas
August, 2005 - Port Orleans, French Quarter
November/December, 2005 - Old Key West
July/August, 2006 - Disneyland Hotel
January, 2007 - Boardwalk Villas
I was 5 and it was to Disneyland. Then first time to WDW was in 2000 with my 8 yr old DS (at the time). We went the day after thanksgiving and they were decorating for christmas. It was Beautiful. We had such a wonderful time. We have tried to go back every year to year and a half. Can't get enough of the Mouse and friends.
My first trip was in 1995 and I was 28 at the time. I went on a whim with a friend from school. It was exam week, and as we had just finished student teaching we did not have any exams. Oh, how naive! I didn't do one iota of research about WDW and I now cringe at all I missed. But at the time we had a blast! I remember the Tower of Terror and Space Mountain, eatting breakfast at Chef Mickey's and dinner at the Concourse Steakhouse. I loved the MGM parade (Aladdin theme), and I don't think that I ever even made it into adventureland in the MK!!! Had a ball body surfing at Typhoon Lagoon's wave pool, and went to Pleasure Island every night. WOW....I guess I fit alot into 4 days, considering that I didn't know what I was doing!!
Well, the first time that I went to WDW I wasn't even 1 yet, so I did not remember anything. All I had was pictures and stories. So, for years I bugged my parents to take me back. They always said that they wanted to wait until my DS was old enough (she's 5 years younger). We finally went for the first time (that I can remember) in 1990, I was 9 yrs old. Not did my parents, myself, and my DB& DS go, but both sets of grandparents came too! It was wonderful! We stayed at CB for 5 nights and it looks a lot different now than it did back then Anyway, I remember going to MGM the first day, and the very first Disney attraction that I went on was The Great Movie Ride. Ever since then it has been my favorite ride and it is always the first thing that we do!
I just remember being in total awe of everything! To me, there is nothing more special or magical than going to WDW, especially with the ones that you love! I have been back many times since then I and love sharing the magic with those who have never been, like me step-kids. I can't wait to have my own child so that he or she will have their own Disney memories!
1991, I was a month shy of 23 years old.
I went with my dad and youngest sister (16 at the time).
We stayed in the Treehouse Villas.
We were there from Wed-Sun and visited all THREE parks.
It was a fun trip and the crowds were light, as it was the week before Mother's Day.
It was during the "20 Magical Years" celebration.
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My first trip was also my dd's first trip in October 2002. I was 35 and dd was 7. It was a fabulous vacation and very easy to do as a single parent. On our first full day we went to the MK where we had a PS (ADR now) for breakfast in the castle. When we check in at the podium the hostest said she had the best table in the restaurant for us. On our way up I'm thinking "yea right they probably say that to everyone". Well they sat us at a table for 2 right in the middle of the big window looking out over Fantasyland. It absolutely was the best table in the house. Kelsey and I had a great week and I actually teared up on our last day as we were leaving MK because I didn't want to leave. Kelsey & I also fell in love with World Showcase on that trip. We went down again in 2004, 2005 and I just celebrated my 40th birthday at the Beach Club in April 2007. Our next trip will be in June 2008 to celebrate Kelsey's 13th birthday.
It was April 1974 -- we left home on my 9th birthday. It was my mom, me, her best friend and her son/my best buddy who would have been 7. We went because Mrs. S. wanted to see 'that new place" in Fla and we stayed with their relatives in Claremont.
It was just the MK then, so it was just a one day outing. But the trip made a huge impression on me.
I remember the outfit my mom made me, the ghost that appeared on the Haunted Magic ride, that CMs called me by name all day (it wasn't until we got home that we realized my name was on my hat -- which I still have!). But I also remember fishing with David's grandpa, seeing alligators, and the horrible dinner the first night of the drive down.
We left to drive home on Easter morning and stopped at either Silver Springs or Cypress Gardens (we did both, just don't know which was that day). I also remember that our chocolate rabbits melted into shapeless blobs -- and learned that jelly beans can melt!
2005 was the first trip for all 4 of us... I was 35 years old but instantly transformed into a child the moment I saw Cinderella Castle against the night sky and saw Tinkerbell take flight!
It rained almost every day on that trip but we didn't care. We put on those rain ponchos and kept right on going! That trip turned me into a complete Disney Nut and we plan on making it an annual family event.
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