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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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My boys and are headed for NYC in October...we'll be staying in Jersey (hotels are a lot less expensive) and using the PATH to get into the city...my boys are interested in eating "real" New York pizza and meatball subs. Any suggestions about where to go for these treats?
Our rough plan at this time is to maybe spend our first evening in Times Square AND visit the WOD store (this all depends on how late our flight arrives etc currently scheduled for mid-afternoon)
Next day: Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, if time Ground Zero
Next day: Whatever we didn't have time for in the first 2 days, Brooklyn Bridge and we want to go on the Empire State bldg in the evening so we can see the view both day and night...anybody know if we can take food (dinner) up there with us?
Next day: Cetral Park (south)...maybe the Museum of Natural History
Next day: This is our go home day...but we don't leave until evening...so if we missed something, we'll try to catch it in the late am early pm on this day.
So, given that rough draft...can you guys recommend some good places to eat that are close by the areas we'll be visiting each day...
Also...is there anything else you think we should see...or leave out?
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I'm not sure if you can bring food up to the ESB. Their website just says no glass bottles. I'd highly recommend you buy and print out your tickets before you leave home, as that will save a lot of time
We ate at Hard Rock Cafe in Times Square when we went last fall. Big portions, quick service, and a good meal. There are tons of other places in that area though so there is no shortage of restaurants
I grew up on Long Island and a family favorite of ours is Katz's Delicatessen. We love it there and I miss it (I'm in PA now).
They have HUGE sandwiches you need a knife and fork for, pastrami, corned beef to die for, hot dogs, kinishes and yummy cream soda.
Ah, I want to go eat there right now!
Be warned their website isn't very user friendly...looks like someone took a website course and went nutso with FLASH!
As for everything else... even though I grew up in the area, I've never been to the Statue of Liberty. We attempted it twice but it takes a LONG time (ferry to island and lots of steps) and they closed before we got past the base! I know that you couldn't go up into the statue for a very long time after 9/11... I would double check the status of it before you get there.
Love the Museum of Natural History..and the Planetarium next door. Central Park Zoo used to be free...and there is a Carousel nearby too. South Street Seaport is a lot of fun on a nice day, and it is semi closeby to Ground Zero. I would normally recommend the aircraft carrier Intrepid, but it's being rehabbed.
FAO Schwartz is a fun store to check out, and Rockefeller Center...will give your sons an appreciation of how very large the Christmas tree is when they put it up!
I know that NBC does studio tours if you are interested in that...not sure of the specifics. (NBC is in the GE building which is the one behind where the Christmas tree goes in Rockefeller Center).
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Thank you guys so much for your help! This is a tough vacation to plan because we've never done anything outside of Disney before...I feel like I'm going into this blind...and of course my family has nothing good to say about going to NYC...only about the dangers of a mom and her boys...but I say both of them are taller than I am and I'll carry $20 with me specifically allocated for muggers! (hee! hee!)
Is John's Pizzeria a good place to get a meatball sub also?
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oh Serendipity has the best frozen hot chocolate, if you can, Carmines in the theater district, (near toys r us) is a great family style Italian place. Carmine's - Family Style Italian
carmines is also in the heart of the theatre district. this makes it impossible to eat at before and after shows, so if you do go (and i'm a fan of it myself), try to eat during the time shows will be going on.
as for serendipity 3, i used to be a fan, but after the board of health actually shut it down for a period of time last year, i'm not too excited about it anymore.
it is right near dylan's candy bar though which is an awesome candy store.
We did the NBC Studios Tour, which is in the GE Building in Rockefeller Center. They have an good food court in the basement level that was good for my kids to find a quick bite for lunch after the tour. You can get your tour tickets online ahead of time (I highly recommend this - it guarantees your time) and there is a great NBC gift shop too.
There are a lot of restaraunts around Rockefeller Center, but we opted to eat inside and less waiting to be served. It's good to have a plan for each day with your tours prepaid and restaraunts prechosen. Too much time was wasted by others in our tour group who failed to show up with a plan and ended up spending most of their time waiting in line to be seated or waiting for food. We took our tours, ate and shopped. A good day for my kids!
You guys are the greatest! Thank you so much for all of your help.
Love the photos on the Top of the Rock...is the view there better than the ESB? I'm sure I won't be able to convince my boys to go there instead of the ESB...unless you know of a movie in which King Kong is running away to the Top of the Rock!!!
Another vote for Carmine's...we had our department holiday dinner there and had a great time...it is located right in Times Square, it really fun and the prices are not bad at all (since it is family style)...
The Natural History Museum is great...we try to go every couple of months and it is the one place the kids never get bored (plus there have a really nice food court)...there also is a Carmine's on the upper West side (I find it calmer then the one in Times Sqaure...in it I think either the upper 80's or low 90's....
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Your kids will love it, especially the frozen hot chocolate. 
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