Remember those kiosks that sold those huge balls? They've all closed - Page 2 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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Forums Closed
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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!

Best wishes for a wonderful and magical new year!

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Old 07-13-2011, 03:26 PM   #16
Cheeser
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Dang...sorry to hear that!
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Cheeser is busy...surprising Jaydon with a trip to Disneyland!!!
My Previous Trips2014 WDW/Dream Cruise with the Lewis/Gibbs Family ,2013 Fantasy Cruise to San Juan, 2012 August Summer WDW Heat, 2012 Dream Cruise and WDW Extravaganza, MNSSHP, Sept 2011 with DH, Wolfhunt and Puzzlewoman. March 2011 Hellcation with the in-laws. Don't ask. Let's just say that the trip ended with someone in the hospital! September 2010 with DH, Wolfhunt and Puzzlewoman, April 2010 with DH and the Kids, Feb 2007 with Maleficent an 17 mos DS. and a million times before, seriously almost!
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Old 07-13-2011, 03:53 PM   #17
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Funny -- I have no memory of them whatsoever. But they sound more "state fair" than "WDW" to me.
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My Previous Trips1974 w/mom and best friend -- 1976 w/parents -- 5/2002 ASMo DD's 1st visit -- 11/2002 ASMo w/hubby and the Princess (2 trips that year - what luck!) -- 2005 POP holiday trip -- 2006 ASMo w/ DH, DD, B and SIL for niece's graduation -- 2/2009 DLR -- 11/2009 ASMu -- 11/2010 POFQ & 12/2010 POP -- Non-Disney trips: too many to mention
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Old 07-13-2011, 05:35 PM   #18
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Thanks for the info!
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Old 07-13-2011, 10:35 PM   #19
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Ours is about 7-8 years old and going strong. Many of the neighborhood kids play with it now. Our youngest DD is 16 and has moved from bouncy balls to boys.
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Old 07-14-2011, 10:32 AM   #20
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Its gonna be weird walking through Epcot and not seeing them
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My Previous TripsTrips: May 2002; November 2003; November 2005 (honeymoon); October 2006 (1st annv.); November/December 2007 (2nd annv.); November 2008 (3rd annv.); September/October 2009 (4th annv.); October/November 2010 (5th annv.); November 2011 (6th annv.); November 2012 (7th annv.)
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Old 07-14-2011, 09:19 PM   #21
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Glad we bought a bunch of extra balloons, we got a few over the years and they're all still working...
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Old 07-16-2011, 12:34 PM   #22
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I got one for my dog, She loves it! She can play with it quite a while before it pops..
‪Haley Whippet & A Big Balloon!‬‏ - YouTube
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Old 07-16-2011, 05:37 PM   #23
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Sorry Mickey, sorry Mickey.... (I always think of Stacy bouncing the ball in the in-room Disney shows.)
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Old 07-16-2011, 09:25 PM   #24
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We own one...princesses in pink.
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Old 07-17-2011, 05:19 PM   #25
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Unhappy no more Big Bouncy Balls

Kinda sad- We liked doing a Photo with those Balzac Balls-- kind of a tradition with us. Now what will we do!!??
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File Type: jpg Disneyworld 2010 265.jpg (49.0 KB, 17 views)
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My Previous TripsCaribbean Beach Resport- September 2012. Pop Century- September 2011. Pop Centry -September 2010. Caribbean Beach Resort- September 2009. Pop Century- September 2008. Pop Century- August 2007. Pop Century- August 2006. Port Orleans Riverside- August 2005. Port Orleans French Quarter- August 2004. Caribbean Beach- August 2003. Contemporary - August 2002.
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Old 07-19-2011, 07:04 AM   #26
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I don't remember seeing these balls. I'll have to google it and find a picture.
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My Previous TripsFamily vacations to WDW yearly 1978-1991 (off site)~~WDW March 1993 (off site)~~ First visit with hubby Sept 2008 (POP)~~ POP Sept 2009~~POFQ Sept 2010~~POFQ Sept 2012~~Ditto 2013
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Old 07-19-2011, 01:01 PM   #27
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Pic of Balzac Balls

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Originally Posted by Disney Dream'n View Post
I don't remember seeing these balls. I'll have to google it and find a picture.
Take alook at my previous post- I included a pic of the Balzac Balls!!
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DO not disturb- drinking hot cocoa with Stitch and Mickey!
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My Previous TripsCaribbean Beach Resport- September 2012. Pop Century- September 2011. Pop Centry -September 2010. Caribbean Beach Resort- September 2009. Pop Century- September 2008. Pop Century- August 2007. Pop Century- August 2006. Port Orleans Riverside- August 2005. Port Orleans French Quarter- August 2004. Caribbean Beach- August 2003. Contemporary - August 2002.
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Old 07-23-2011, 05:19 PM   #28
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I was looking for them last week - now I know why I couldnt find any!!! We had gotten one a few years ago - our last one popped and I planned on buying a refill pack!! But I couldnt find them there.....Guess I will be searching online!!
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Old 07-23-2011, 09:41 PM   #29
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Eeyore Tattoo View Post
I got one for my dog, She loves it! She can play with it quite a while before it pops..
‪Haley Whippet & A Big Balloon!‬‏ - YouTube
Your dog is hysterical (and adorable)!
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Old 07-29-2011, 09:16 PM   #30
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Sorry to hear this, one of our favorite Disney memories caught on video is of our son playing with one of these balls at Magic Kingdom.
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