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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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If you are going to be there in May, you will definately not need a jacket.! Florida is HOT! This is a list of things I always carry to the parks. Hair brush, bandaids, neosporin, chewing gum & mints, Tickets, Room keys, Passporter, ponchos, water bottle with neck strap, pen, highlighter, chap stick, tylenol, allergy medication, camera. I now will also carry extra batteries because I learned my lesson the hard way last time.
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I always have my wallet with id, cash etc., earplugs, camera, extra batteries, memory card case with extra memory card(s) in it, cell phone, pen, map(s), sunglasses, lip balm, kleenex & (almost always have) wet wipes. When I was at DL last month for some reason I started carrying a book (paperback) with me and really liked having it while waiting in line so that will be getting added to my list.
Another brand you can look at if you like the Baggalini type of bag is Kavu. They make a "rope bag" which is perfect for touring the parks if you're not carrying tons of stuff. They're very in-style in our area just to be used as a purse as well.
Here's the link to their bags: KAVU Online Store - Busy Livin', Apparel and Accessories for Outdoor Sports
I usually bring DH - he wears EMS pants 365 days a year - think LOTS of pockets - they are like cargo shorts on steroids!!! We often joke that his pants weigh more than he does - which isn't that far off the mark! So - when he's along - I don't have to carry anything!! He can even fit an autograph book in one of the pockets!
When he is not along - I usually just bring my camera (tiny Sony) in my pocket, and my Passporter pouch with ID, money, park passes, etc. There is room for a pen in the back of the pouch - but an autograph book just doesn't fit. I don't usually need much - if I need to, I head back to the car/room. In warm weather - I bring a bottle strap for a water bottle.
When the kids were younger - I used to bring a sizeable fanny pack. Now - if they want it - they tote it. I tried to tell my daughter Sarah to use a fanny pack last June when we went with my sister & family - but she thought they weren't fashionable. So - she brought her little purse with her pin lanyard, money, chapstick, sunscreen, etc. I tried to tell her she'd forget it somewhere but she insisted not! Sure enough - on our last full day - in AK - she stopped to eat some french fries for a snack - got up and moved just a few yards away - realized she'd forgetten it - and it was already gone! We did go report it at Guest Services - although they said that no one had turned it in - when we got home the next afternoon - there was a message that a CM had picked it up, turned it in, and they mailed it home to our home address! She was a very happy girl - her little amount of remaining money and all $50 worth of pins were still there! Gotta love the WDW customer service!