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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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We are taking my DS's best friend with us on our upcoming trip. DS is 15 and his friend is 13. They have been friends for about 8 or 9 years. Both of them are very excited. DS is an only child and is usually alone with us at WDW, except sometimes with his much younger cousin. The friend has never been to Disney.
When we initially invited him, I was soooo excited that DS would have a friend to hang out with and all. I was also excited to share something special with him that he hasn't been able to experience.
Now, for some reason I am starting to have anxiety about the whole thing. I hope it will add to our enjoyment and not take away from it. Our trip is something we really look forward to every year, and is a special time for us. I just hope the friend will have a good time and both boys will enjoy spending a week together.
Anyone else ever done something like this? Were you glad you did, or not? There's no turning back now, I just hope I won't regret it.
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I've been BOOED!! Thanks, TinktinkTink!!!
1969--DL, 1976 and 1980--WDW off site (childhood trips)
Feb 1998--WL, Feb 2001--WL, Feb 2002--WL, Feb 2003--WL, Feb 2004--WL, Feb 2005--AKL, Jan 2006--Poly, Nov 2006--AKL, Feb 2007--Eastern cruise on the Magic, Oct 2007--POP, Nov 2008--POR
My best friend just did this! Her kids are 18 and 19 and their 18 year old friend had never been to WDW. They had a blast! She said he was like a little kids seeing it all for the first time which in turn brought more of the kid in the rest of them - not that they needed it Have fun bringing a newbie and seeing it all again that way!
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i think first you need to take a deep breath and let it out .
i think it is going to work out in the end . and you will have that magical trip you are looking for .
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We did this last year DS took a friend. They both had just turned 14. It was great!!! They rode all the rides they wanted and my aunt and I could sit and visit (she lives in another state) or go ride a "granny" ride. We even took one evening and sent them to the CS in the resort and we went to Jiko for dinner. They went swimming everyday and that kept DS from bugging us to go with him. It was great having a friend along for DS. We let the friend call his parents every evening with one of our cell phones. It was his first time flying and being away from home and everything. We even let them go to one of the parks one morning while we relaxed alittle longer.
As an only child I can tell you, this is the best thing you can do for your son on vacation, lol! I LOVED it when mom let me take friends on vacation with us. I loved travelling alone with her too, of course, but taking a friend, especially somewhere like Disney, was so fun for me as a kid / teen. Don't worry - it will be nice for you guys to have someone else to entertain him. Enjoy!
As an only child I can tell you, this is the best thing you can do for your son on vacation, lol! I LOVED it when mom let me take friends on vacation with us. I loved travelling alone with her too, of course, but taking a friend, especially somewhere like Disney, was so fun for me as a kid / teen. Don't worry - it will be nice for you guys to have someone else to entertain him. Enjoy!
Same here! I was always happy when I was able to bring a friend w/ me on a trip! And just think how magical it will be for the friend seeing that this is his first time! I think it will only add to your enjoyment. What a wonderful opportunity you are giving your DS's friend.This is a great memory that will stay with him for life.
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I am having the same anxiety. The only difference is that we are taking our annual WDW trip and my sister and my niece are coming with. I felt the same way. I am sure we will have a great time but Disney is our special place. Everything will work out great. You will have so much fun just watching your sons friend and how he reacts to the magic of Disney
I think it's a great idea to have a friend along for your DS. You should make
sure to have medical information/parents approval (in writing) for any
medical issues that may come up.
Also this would be a great time to get with him and have him plans some
things he thinks look fun.
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I've been BOOED!! Thanks, TinktinkTink!!!
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Have fun bringing a newbie and seeing it all again that way!
My Princesses Sarah and Hannah
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-Amanda 
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