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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Help! My family has been planning our current WDW vacation and 11 days before we were scheduled to leave my oldest DD (age 12) severely sprained her ankle. She's using an air cast and is on crutches. We're scheduled to leave this Friday (Jan 21st), but DH is thinking that maybe we should postpone our trip. We did get the Disney travel insurance which would refund our money for WDW and our airfare, but we got the free DP and the Value room rates along with great airfare. If we were to go in a couple of months, we would never get the same deal. Not to mention the fact that our three DD's all celebrate their birthdays within 10 days of each other (2 actually while we'd be down there). I'm thinking wheelchair, but do you all think this is reasonable? DD is able to put a little pressure on the foot now, but not able to walk on it, even with the cast and crutches. DH really hates the idea of the wheelchair. Have any of you had an experience like this? What do you all recommend? Thanks!
No experience or advice in this area, but I've certainly seen a lot of people with wheel chairs in the parks. By the time you get there, I would think she could pretty easily maneuver onto the rides and such, just would have trouble walking all over the place. Good luck with your decision.
I would go and have her in a wheelchair. I know some rides (like The Haunted Mansion) sometimes have priority for people in wheelchairs. Disney is always magical IMO no matter how you're moving
Don't postpone - get a wheelchair. When we go and take DH's aunt (she's 88) we rent a wheelchair from a drugstore near our home for $25/week. We like to have it in the airport as well. It is very easy to navigate WDW with a wheelchair, tell your DH not to worry. At attractions you just go to the castmember in front and he/she will tell you where to go for easy access.
I would just go and use a wheelchair- you won't be the only ones! And Disney is really great at handling things like that. I hope you're able to go! Sounds like you got a good discount on your trip!
I would go & rent a wheelchair. You could also rent one from Buena Vista Scooters & it will be delivered &picked up right at the hotel. I have rented wheelchairs at the parks before for my DD, who has bad knees, & it was the best $ I ever spent. It really wasn't hard to get around, the cm's were very helpful & she enjoyed the extra attention she got from the characters. I think she will be fine & you will still have a great trip. Good luck!
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First trip DW--Nov. 1975; Senior Class Trip DW--Oct. 1979; First trip w/kids--Oct. 1995; Halloween at DW--Oct. 2002; Spring Break at DW--April 2004; Christmas/Pop Warner Nationals-POR--Dec. 2005;Cruisin'--April 2008; Mom/Son trip-POP--March 2010;Taggin' along w/DD on DH's conference-BWI--Oct. 2011; 50th birthday with the Gartner Geeks--Adults only!--BWI--Oct. 2012; The Trip That Almost Wasn't--BWI--Oct. 2013; We climbed The Summit (National Cheer Competition)--ASMovies--May 2014
Don't Postpone. Disney is magical for everyone and I am sure she would be devastated if you postponed on account of her. I think that a wheelchair would be the best option. Goodluck and heres hoping for a speedy recovery
I think the wheelchair is the way to go. Hopefully she will be feeling better by the time you leave but I doubt if she will be able to do lots of walking.
Lots of pixies that everything works out.
Thanks for all the great advice, support, and pixies! We haven't made our final decision yet, but the kids and I are really hoping we'll still be going. Keep your fingers crossed for us!
We just got back and half way through I had to get a wheelchair, some advice if that is the path you choose.
One: Get a free one from your resort (if you are staying on property), just go to the front desk and ask and they will give you a complementary one for your whole stay!
Two: It can get hard to push, but shouldn't be a big deal if you take turns, however AK is ALL hills and it can be exhausting and make the whole park not fun. I suggest trying this one as a half day.
Three: The buses will let your family on first if you take the Disney transportation and it can be a little bit of a hassle to deal with but they are SUPER accommodating
Four: Get a GAC card (Guest Assistance Card) it will allow you to use the alternate entrance to the rides to help your daughter not have to stand in the lines and walk all the way through the que. This is a life safer! (I have a little trouble standing for long periods of time) Simply go to Guest Assistance at whatever park you are at first thing, explain your situation, and they will give you a card.
Five: It is still fun with a wheel chair, and it holds all the stuff you inevitability pick up along the way.
Four: Get a GAC card (Guest Assistance Card) it will allow you to use the alternate entrance to the rides to help your daughter not have to stand in the lines and walk all the way through the que. This is a life safer! (I have a little trouble standing for long periods of time) Simply go to Guest Assistance at whatever park you are at first thing, explain your situation, and they will give you a card.
I was also going to suggest the GAC. I have heard from some people that you don't need a doctors note and I've heard from others that you do. I would suggest asking your doctor to type up a simple letter. Obviously, they will be able to see that your daughter is in a cast so I wouldn't expect any problems though, even without the note. Our daughter has severe anxiety, not a disorder that is outwardly obvious, so we always have a note from her psychiatrist.
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Me ~ Christina; DH ~ '92; DD ~ '99; DS ~ '06
My reasons for breathing!!! MGM Studios October 2007