A seed was planted and here’s what grew....Magical Memories - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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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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A seed was planted and here’s what grew....Magical Memories
Friday night, like many nights that week, I didn’t sleep well. Around 3 am I woke up to use the bathroom but just couldn’t get back to sleep afterward so I said the heck with it and got out of bed about 3:30. I didn’t want to turn on the tv and wake up Lenny so I went downstairs to use the computer . It’s become my habit to check the PP boards before anything else and I was surprised to have 3 PM’s about a train derailment. With all my preparations for Disney, I hadn’t seen the news so I had not heard anything about it. The first thing I did was obviously read the messages then I read the links I was given. From those links, some links from Google and the Amtrak website, it seemed like I was all set for our scheduled train trip. Plus too, Amtrak hadn’t called me about any cancellations like they did for Hurricane Faye. Just to make sure though, I did call Amtrak as well. The automated system told me the train was still scheduled but I spoke with an agent who told me the same thing. He even went on to double check with someone else. He said that the train derailment was cleaned up enough that all the trains affected originally were up and running as scheduled. Relieved at the news, I decided it was time to do the next step for my vacation readiness: check my credit card balances. I’m glad that’s another habit because I found out that my local Papa Gino’s double charged us AGAIN!! (and this is the only location it’s ever happened at). So at the nice early time of 4 am, I was on the phone for the second time of the day .
I got that charge all straightened out and as I was getting off the phone, I heard noise from my bedroom (it’s directly above the computer room AKA the office AKA Abby’s office). I went upstairs to find Lenny awake and watching tv. Maybe all my joking about being up and out at 4 am was in Lenny’s subconscience. He had woken up at 3:30 or so and couldn’t get back to sleep either. Since he had the same problem I did, I suggested that he have some breakfast so we could maybe leave at 6 any maybe miss some of the construction backup we knew we would hit on I-81. He did do just that and even though everything went smoothly from that time, we didn’t leave the house until 6:25. I was fine with that though - it was still earlier than I thought we’d actually leave.
Unlike last year, we made it to the highway with no additional stops along the way. This year however, we ended up stopping twice soon after we got on the highway. The first time was in the breakdown lane because I had gotten nauseous and I needed to take one of my pills (which was not in my purse at the time) and the second was at a rest stop along the MA Pike. And not for the typical reason you would normally stop at a rest stop for. We did that too (we were there after all, so why not ) but we actually stopped because Lenny thought he had read about a pressed penny machine at this particular one . Yes, there was one and yes, we broke out the penny pressing money to get them.
Once we got those, we were on our way again. We also made good time IMO. Around 11:30, we were already on I-81 so we decided it was a good time to stop for lunch and gas. Of course we ended up at an exit that didn’t have a McDonald’s so we ate at Wendy’s instead. Abby wasn’t happy about it and didn’t love it but at least she ate it (way to go Abby). After our "bad" choice for lunch we got gas at the same station as last year - the one that advertised using "real meat" on their subs. They weren’t advertising that though this year - the sign was blank.
Bellies and gas tank full, we headed out again about 12:15 to hit that dreaded backup shortly thereafter. I didn’t think it was too bad at all this year. It only took 45 minutes to go 10 miles but after that, it was smooth sailing. I think we got through so easily because it was still early and that people were still out shopping or having lunch. It could be that or it could be that people have learned other ways around it, who knows.
We got through easily and arrived at our hotel at 3:40. By 4 we were in the pool but the water was too cold for me so I got out. I spent the time reading my book then talking to a couple that was there with their son.
When Abby and Lenny were done swimming, we decided to go to Ryan’s Grill for dinner. For those who don’t know, this particular Ryan’s is part of the Hometown / Old Country Buffet chain. Abby absolutely loves our OCB at home so this was a perfect choice for dinner. And to add to the perfectness, I could use the kids free buffet coupon I was given at home at this location . The buffet itself was everything we expected and more. There were choices we don’t have here at home and as usual, everything was delicious and the servers were great.
Happy and full, we headed back to the hotel where we stopped at Arby’s first. We weren’t hungry, but I love Arby’s and all the ones close to us have closed down. So we stopped and I ran in and ordered a couple of sandwiches off the dollar menu for either midnight snacks or lunch on Sunday. Once those were on ice, we headed back to the hotel for the night. As for the hotel, I don’t really have anything to say about it. Hotels are all getting to be about the same for the most part. As long as they’re clean, I’m happy. The only thing I disliked about the hotel was the bed. It was a pillow top. I like firm to extra firm beds so pillow tops are just too soft for me to be comfortable on. I slept that night , but I didn’t sleep well.
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Great start! Glad you were able to get on the road early and make good time. You guys were the first thing on my mind when I heard about the train problems; glad you were not affected..... More please
Great start! I was glad to hear you weren't affected by the train derailment - I'm sure that caused you some momentary stress that you didn't need though! And now you've got me hungry for Arby's
__________________
Stacey
Why do these kids look so pathetic?
Find out in: A New Grade, A New House, and A Surprise!Final Thoughts 01/30
Can't wait to hear about your trip Darlene!! I had heard about the train derailment and thought of you, but was glad to hear you weren't affected by it. Can't wait to read more!
Yay your TR has begun!!! I have watching for it everyday.
Sounds like you had a great start. I love the picture of Abby. She looks very comfortable. Looking forward to reading more.
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. It’s become my habit to check the PP boards before anything else and I was surprised to have 3 PM’s about a train derailment. With all my preparations for Disney, I hadn’t seen the news so I had not heard anything about it. The first thing I did was obviously read the messages then I read the links I was given. From those links, some links from Google and the Amtrak website, it seemed like I was all set for our scheduled train trip. Plus too, Amtrak hadn’t called me about any cancellations like they did for Hurricane Faye. Just to make sure though, I did call Amtrak as well. The automated system told me the train was still scheduled but I spoke with an agent who told me the same thing. He even went on to double check with someone else. He said that the train derailment was cleaned up enough that all the trains affected originally were up and running as scheduled. Relieved at the news, I decided it was time to do the next step for my vacation readiness: check my credit card balances. I’m glad that’s another habit because I found out that my local Papa Gino’s double charged us AGAIN!! (and this is the only location it’s ever happened at). So at the nice early time of 4 am, I was on the phone for the second time of the day 
.
so we could maybe leave at 6 any maybe miss some of the construction backup we knew we would hit on I-81. He did do just that and even though everything went smoothly from that time, we didn’t leave the house until 6:25. I was fine with that though - it was still earlier than I thought we’d actually leave
. 
and I needed to take one of my pills (which was not in my purse at the time) and the second was at a rest stop along the MA Pike. And not for the typical reason you would normally stop at a rest stop for. We did that too (we were there after all, so why not ) but we actually stopped because Lenny thought he had read about a pressed penny machine at this particular one 
. Yes, there was one and yes, we broke out the penny pressing money to get them.
but at least she ate it (way to go Abby). After our "bad" choice for lunch we got gas at the same station as last year - the one that advertised using "real meat" on their subs. They weren’t advertising that though this year - the sign was blank.
then talking to a couple that was there with their son.
and the servers were great.
, but I didn’t sleep well.
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Pixie Dust
. You guys were the first thing on my mind when I heard about the train problems; glad you were not affected..... More please
Heather
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