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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Nice plans and I like how you're avoiding the parks on the busiest days, like Christmas Day and New Year's Eve - sensible thinking!
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Originally Posted by Colexis Mom
Great plans for your trip!
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Originally Posted by Kellymel
Great Plans! I too like that you are missing the busiest days. That will be a good time to recharge yourself as well. Enjoy!
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Originally Posted by Hugmonster
Great plans! Not long now!
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Originally Posted by Grammy Grumpy
Awesome plans! I, for one, am very jealous!
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Originally Posted by KMB733
The plans look great!!
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Originally Posted by Cam22
Great start and plans, Brandy!
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Originally Posted by MayraLR
How awesome to get to spend Christmas at WDW! Your plans sound great!
Thanks for following along everyone!
We had to have a few break days one way or the other since the only ticket options for our length of stay would be 10 day tickets or annual passes. AP's are just too expensive given we wouldn't be able to get there more than once in a year. So, 10 day tickets it is. But it's just as well- because I do truly enjoy having a few break days.... And it'll be nice to avoid the crowds on Christmas Day and New Years Eve as well....
Well, when I booked two of my sisters and their families were planning to join us on the trip. The one sister is the same one who went to Disney with us two years ago, but she ended up cancelling a few months back.
My other sister has literally never been to Disney World before. She will be joining us along with her two children ages 10 and 3. She is off the chain excited to be going. Her kids have no idea they are going…. They will find out Christmas morning (we are making a “reveal” video for them from Disney). She will be driving down the day after Christmas and be there until we all leave together on January 2nd.
We also have some friends that will be coming along. It’s a rather odd situation. My second son was dating a girl back when we booked this trip. Her family was asking about going also. I gave her our basic information and she booked the same dates and hotel as us. Well, fast forward a few months and the girlfriend broke up with Dillon. They are still going. We are still going. I don’t know how much actual time will be spent together under the circumstances but I’m just going to go with the flow… I expressed concerns with her that it may be uncomfortable for the two kids and that maybe we should just tour separately but she is convinced they will be fine… So, it’s up in the air how much, if any time we will spend with them. But they are booked at our resort, they will be there for our same dates, and all of our dining reservations are the same time/place . She has asked about my fast pass reservations- I gave her an overview of them, but I’m not sure what she booked so…. Just playing it by ear…
How exciting to be able to introduce your sister and her kids to WDW! Her kids are at great ages for it and will be jumping out of their skin when they see your reveal video! I hope all goes well with the girlfriend and family. I think it's smart that you just gave them your plans and they can figure out what and when they want to join up with you. Even if the kids were still dating that's a pretty big group to tour with during such a busy time at the parks!
How exciting to be able to introduce your sister and her kids to WDW! Her kids are at great ages for it and will be jumping out of their skin when they see your reveal video! I hope all goes well with the girlfriend and family. I think it's smart that you just gave them your plans and they can figure out what and when they want to join up with you. Even if the kids were still dating that's a pretty big group to tour with during such a busy time at the parks!
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Originally Posted by chezp
How great to be able to introduce your sister to Disney! Safe travels and have a magical time!
Thanks for following along everyone! We are headed out in about ten minutes- the van is warming up.... We are not going directly to Disney though as we are all doing a half day of school first.... But the van is loaded despite being worried we wouldn't have everything together in time I hope to post tonight from Disney
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