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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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You two fine young ladies certainly know how to have fun, as we have seen firsthand. Its great reading about the first part of your trip. I bet I know what comes next!
We slept in and decided to skip breakfast because our lunch ressies with Liz & Brent were for 11:20. As we were getting ourselves all dolled up, we stopped to look out into the hallway and noticed The Mouse himself:
Well Mickey, we'll be out of your way soon -- we promise!
Ready for our close-ups, Mr. DeMille:
We looked so mahvelous that I suggested staying in our costumes all day. The hats were surprisingly comfortable, so Sheri agreed. Then she suggested walking to DHS, and I acquiesced as long as we both swished our behinds and waved our cigarette holders the whole way there. And so we did!
Over at the Boardwalk:
Anytime a jogger ran past, Sheri would whoop, “Hello, dahling!” and the jogger's body would keep going past us but the head would swivel. We were off to a fine start. And it wouldn't dare rain on OUR parades, so no umbrellas or ponchos to muss our fabulosity.
We were nearly to DHS when Sheri spotted a multi-day pass on the sidewalk. So we sashayed over to Guest Relations. Now, keep in mind that every Cast Member who saw us (including those in Guest Relations) gave us a big and complimented us on our fabulous hats. As well they should, dahling.
I told Sheri that since we had done a good deed that morning, our day was sure to be spectacular. And it was!
We went to TSMM to obtain Fast Passes for 2:00, which should be perfect because our lunch with Brent and Liz would be over before that. A woman complimented us, and of course we engaged in conversation and I asked Sheri to please pose with our newest fan.
And I should have asked this Army Man "Why don't you come up and see me sometime?" but I must admit the thought didn't occur to me until just this moment. Let's tuck that away for NEXT time.
Then we ran smack into a CAMERA CREW – I am not kidding now – I wish we’d thought to take a of them so you’d believe me, but this REALLY HAPPENED.
We looked at them; they looked at us; the director opened his arms and we ran into them. Apparently you might see us the next time you’re at WDW, whenever you turn on your TV at one of the Disney resorts.
I got to sit in the director’s chair (waving my cigarette holder, of course) and I said to the camera, “Disney A to Z” in my dulcet tone. And then Sheri and I turned to each other and said, “C is for” and then we faced the camera (dramatically, of course) and cried, “Cruella DeVille!”
We were so wonderful, I just know we’re going to win an Emmy or something. Stay tuned!
Sheri quickly decided her stage name would be Marilyn DeVille (Cruella’s daughter, don’t you know ) and I chose Gloria as my first name but kept forgetting and/or changing my last name until I finally settled on Gloria Grant (Cary’s fictitious daughter, dahlings ). We swished and sashayed our way all over the Studios, getting some strange looks but mostly delighted ones.
We walked over to the Brown Derby to check out the menu (so we’d know how much to eat at 50’s Prime Time for lunch), and we saw more of our fans there.
We decided to take an Animation Academy class. I had last done this in December 2010 with Sandy & a Disney Brit named Michael, and I think we were all underwhelmed by the teacher. Well, I am THRILLED to have gone again with Sheri, because we had an excellent teacher this time. But I get ahead of myself.
First we went into the Art of Disney store and engaged in conversation with this fine gentleman, who was drawing – of all things – Goofy!
I told him about my fascination with Goofy and that Sheri (I mean Marilyn ) and I would soon be enrolled in an animation class, and he’d better be careful or I would be taking his job away. HE said, “Well, if you’re that serious, you’re going to need a drawing tube.” He proceeded to hand me the cardboard tube from a roll of paper towels. I said, “Something free from Disney? My friends won’t believe it!”
Turns out it was a good thing he gave me that “drawing tube.”
We went to class and I began studying this poster intently, thinking eventually I would make good use of it.
I have absolutely no artistic ability, but maybe if I study this at home I'll get better.
Then the class was called to order.
The teacher asked everyone to guess whom we were drawing. Mickey? Donald?
As we added features, one other guest and I shouted (well, I shouted – he probably just spoke like a normal person): GOOFY! And I screamed in delight. (And those around us scooted just the teensiest bit further away. )
And here is my completed drawing, which is now proudly displayed on my office wall so all my co-workers can think I'm even more than they already thought I was!
omg...laughing again at all our hilarity. and as i recall, we chose our stage names BEFORE even leaving the BC that morning...you just had to keep changing your last name....ha ha ha. I am hoping the rightful owner of that multi-day pass was reunited with it. (and yes, i AM a believer in karma....it is probably the only thing that keeps me in line...ha ha ha). now i gotta go look through my photos and see if i have anything to add....
Marilyn my dearest, I'm delighted to have you chime in!
What is it, dear ? You want a photo of moi with my work of art? But of course, dahlings!
And we went back into the Disney shop and I showed David our two drawings. He said, “Well, these couldn’t be anyone other than Goofy” which I assume means Marilyn and Gloria are incredible artistes. Which of course we ARE.
Our lunch ressie was for 11:20, so we went on over to 50’s Prime Time to await Brent and Liz. I took the opportunity to dash into the restroom to reapply my fabulous lipstick (purchased just for this occasion) and to pull out my extra feather boas so I could bestow them on my soon-to-be friends. When I came back out, there they were! Let the festivities begin!
Brent seemed delighted with his bright pink boa and immediately put it on. (I knew I was gonna like this guy.) Pretty soon, I felt like I’d known Brent and Liz for years. I gave both of them a “cigarette” and explained that I only had two cigarette holders and so the world-famous Marilyn DeVille and Gloria Grant needed to keep those, and they quite understood. I mean, our fans expect a certain panache from us, if you know what I mean.
At the entrance, Sheri requested Loukilou or something like that, and Lou was available and so she insisted that he be our server. WELL, that was quite a decision. I have eaten at 50’s several times, but always solo which pretty much meant just eating. THIS was more fun than the proverbial barrel full of monkeys!
Sheri and I were delighted to find Liz and Brent (almost) as fabulous as ourselves!
I love a guy who's secure in his manhood, don't you?
I asked Liz and Brent to kiss while holding their "lit cigarettes" aloft, and they took direction very well. I mean, this could be an ad for Viceroy or Winston, don't you agree?
We asked how they’d met, what Brent’s fascination was with Cinderella, etc. Turns out 50's Prime Time is the perfect place to get to know new Disney friends. It was GREAT and we loved both of them right away.
Liz was the first of us to get in trouble with Lou, who caught her with her elbows on the table. Lou made her press her nose against the door frame.
ha ha ha...i am glad you got the photo of liz. she was such a bad girl with the elbows, don't you agree? he he he
oh, i found one of you, pointing out our room:
i know, i digress.....
and here is another of you in your fabulosity:
and in YOUR car:
and a closeup of miss liz's punishment:
gee, i am hoping i have remembered how to post photos...ha ha ha....
Sheri snuck in some mahvelous photos while I was putting this next set together for you. Thank you, dahling!
Next in trouble were Sheri and me – Lou claimed we were making too much noise (can you imagine? ) and bothering the family next to us, and so we had to stand up and sing “I’m a Little Teapot” to them, which we promptly did and we both remembered all the words and we were absolutely wonderful. (Liz, if you locate the pic you took, would you post it in my Trip Report? Thank you, dahling! )
Later I felt it was wrong that Brent had escaped punishment and so I ratted him out to Lou (saying something like “Brent’s being mean to us”) and so Lou made him sit the corner for a l-o-n-g time.
Brent refused to say he was sorry, so we just left him over there.
He was still there when a birthday dessert headed our way, so he quickly said “I’m sorry!” and we let him come back.
Brent, I can't help noticing that you are not singing along at this point, which makes me rather -- so Liz do be a dear and make Brent sit in the corner of Michigan for at least one hour. Thank you, dahling!
And Sheri ordered S'Mores while Liz, Brent and I ate my birthday cupcakes -- Liz must have the good photo of those because I don't seem to have that one either. Liz dahling, it's that perfectly adorable one of me with my netted veil down and looking evah so 21 years old. But here are Sheri or rather Marilyn and her S'Mores.
It was all too-too mahvelous for WORDS, dahlings! Lou kept referring to me as "that British lady" or "that lady who talks British" because of my snooty Hollywood intonations. (Sorry, Cheryl -- nothing against the Brits, mind you! ) We through the entire meal. Trust me, nobody had more fun at 50's Prime Time than the four of us that afternoon!
We begged Lou to pose with us for a picture, and so here we all are:
I'm really enjoying re-living our day with you guys. Indeed, a better time was not to be had in that little restaurant, dahlings! Here are those fabulous pictures you requested:
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Location: Physically stuck in Michigan while my heart and soul reside in Disney.....
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OMG!! Just found your TR! I loved spending time with you! I will chime in when I get a day off this weekend! I can't believe I have missed it up til this point! We must do that again soon! You and Sheri are just deeelightfuuuull!!! We love you!!! You are almost as crazy as we are about Disney!!!
OMG!! Just found your TR! I loved spending time with you! I will chime in when I get a day off this weekend! I can't believe I have missed it up til this point! We must do that again soon! You and Sheri are just deeelightfuuuull!!! We love you!!! You are almost as crazy as we are about Disney!!!
Liz, your moniker on the Passporter boards describes you perfectly. You ARE a chaser! Can't wait for your input. Hey, have you and Brent ever considered the Sunrise Safari? I'm just sayin' I seriously want to share more great times with the two of you at the Happy Place.
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Parlor Panther in 'stalking mode'
of them so you’d believe me, but this REALLY HAPPENED. 
) and I chose Gloria as my first name but kept forgetting and/or changing my last name until I finally settled on Gloria Grant (Cary’s fictitious daughter, dahlings 
Well, I am THRILLED to have gone again with Sheri, because we had an excellent teacher this time. 
But I get ahead of myself.
)
than they already thought I was! 
(Liz, if you locate the pic you took, would you post it in my Trip Report? Thank you, dahling! 
-- so Liz do be a dear and make Brent sit in the corner of Michigan for at least one hour. Thank you, dahling! 
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