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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Last year I arranged for three "surprises" to be delivered to our hotel room from the Disney Florist web site.
On our arrival day we had the "Welcome to the Wonderful World of Disney" package which cost about $70 or so. This was "ok" as it had a few snacks in it, a pair of "Mickey hands" gloves (which get used by DD every now and then when she pretends to be a Cast Member!) a single use camera (which can't be processed anywhere in WDW it would appear!) and a set of "Mickey ears" which haven't been used. We told DD that Mickey had left this for her as a special welcome.
About mid way through our vacation we had the "Neverland Lullaby Treat" (about $80) which was nice. It had a Peter Pan story book, a couple of snacks, some cute little tins of assorted hot chocolates and two mugs marked with "wish" and "believe" (although, unfortunately the wording wasn't dishwasher safe and faded after a few washes!). We told DD that Tinker Bell had left this for her because she had been so good.
Towards the end of our vacation, just before we were about to return home, we had the "Mickey's Stocking of Surprises" (about $60) delivered before we came home from the park. DD thought this was great as we told her that Mickey & Minnnie had left this as a "goodbye" gift. This had a neat little Christmas stocking (which saw use back home on Christmas Eve) and a selection of treats etc.
I'm trying to decide what to do, if anything, this year?
The pacakges were nice, but I don't think they were really worth the cost, and there's nothing really that I can see that "wows" me from this year's selection of offerings. I don't want to buy the same things again, and I don't want to "do nothing".
What would you suggest? DD is going to be 5 just before we arrive. I don't want to spend silly money, but I don't mind a few $$$ on a bit of "extra magic" for DD. I know there are other options to Disney Florist but I'm undecided.
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I would try Memories by Betsy Welcome . She is really easy to work with and will customize your basket. That way you won't have to pay for anything you don't want.
I would try Memories by Betsy Welcome . She is really easy to work with and will customize your basket. That way you won't have to pay for anything you don't want.
I worked with Betsy on something in May and it was great - I could personalise to exactly what I wanted.
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I used Besty last year and was very happy with what we got, despite the delivery charges.
That being said, is it possible for you to secretly pack your own stuff? I realize that's really hard to do ( I have 3 little ones myself and have tried. And failed.), but in the effort of saving $$, it could be the best option. Maybe just wrap some things at home, put it in your luggage, and work with guest services upon your arrival to put it in a gift bag and deliver it to your room??? I honestly don't know if you could still pull off a surprise, but it's probably the least expensive option. I'm sure guest services/concierge would help you out. Just a thought.
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I'm trying to decide what to do, if anything, this year?
The pacakges were nice, but I don't think they were really worth the cost, and there's nothing really that I can see that "wows" me from this year's selection of offerings. I don't want to buy the same things again, and I don't want to "do nothing".
What would you suggest? DD is going to be 5 just before we arrive. I don't want to spend silly money, but I don't mind a few $$$ on a bit of "extra magic" for DD. I know there are other options to Disney Florist but I'm undecided.
Over to you my fellow Passporters!!!!
Did you think of making your own? Ordering stuff online or going to your local walmart/target/dollar store. You could also go to the Disney store etc. It won't cost as much but you are still doing something like you wanted to. Not sure if that helps
Could you collect your own goodies from either the Disney Store, or local merchants, package them up the way you want and then ship them to your hotel? I've heard of others who have things shipped to their resort and the resort holds the package until you arrive. That way, she wouldn't see you packing those things in your suitcase.
depending on whether or not you want to do it or not I would do my own this way I know what i'm getting and i'm in control of the $.. check with your hotel about this even if youhave to package it to ship write a note to yourself to hand to the front desk upon check in to give to y our daughter. hope
depending on whether or not you want to do it or not I would do my own this way I know what i'm getting and i'm in control of the $.. check with your hotel about this even if youhave to package it to ship write a note to yourself to hand to the front desk upon check in to give to y our daughter. hope that helps
I worked with Betsy, Memories by Betsy, on my last trip in December '08 to help celebrate my 12th anniversary. She did a wonderful job on the gift basket and she is so easy to work with. You can suggest items to her to add or take out to the basket. I will definitely use her in the future!
Could you collect your own goodies from either the Disney Store, or local merchants, package them up the way you want and then ship them to your hotel? I've heard of others who have things shipped to their resort and the resort holds the package until you arrive. That way, she wouldn't see you packing those things in your suitcase.
I'm probably going to use "Memories by Betsy" for an "arrival" surprise.
Then I'm going to buy a few little odds and ends during the day, keep them hidden from DD (probably by getting them delivered to the resort) and then leaving them on DD's pillow/bed just as we leave in the morning (DD is young enough not to realise that me "forgetting" something in the room and having to pop back wouldn't be linked in anyway to the "surprise" she'll find when we get back in the evening!) This way we can guage exactly what she would like to receive as a surprise.
With a little bit of luck, and a sprinkling of pixie dust, this should work out perfectly!!!!!
I too am using Memories by Betsy for my trip in a few weeks. I chose everything for the baskets and she did the shopping. Afterward, she put them together and e-mailed me a picture of the finished prduct. I am just DYING to see my family's faces when they see them! They have no idea!!!! She was so great to work with. I will definately use Betsy again.
I am going to use Betsy for my anniversary in May 2010. Last Year I arranged for Disney Florist to do Mickey's Grand Welcome for my husband. But it was a a bit pricy.
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