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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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My Mother recently passed away, and she did not want a funeral. She instead wanted my family and I to spend the money we would have spent on a funeral on making a memory. She had set aside money in what she called a "burial fund," and I am trying to decide what to do with those funds on our next Disney trip. We go to Disney about 3 times a year, so we have done quite a few things. I am thinking of springing for the "Thrills" tour for our family of 3. It's not HUGE money, but in addition to everything else, it's a good chunk, and it's something I've always wanted to do, but haven't wanted to pay for.
But that got me thinking...
If money were not a factor, what would you do? Maybe I'll hear a suggestion I hadn't thought of! We are traveling with a 5 year old who is up for just about any challenge!
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I'm so sorry about your mom.
I might look at visiting Disneyland Paris. I would at least check to see how much it would cost; it might be surprisingly affordable, ya never know.
And I think I would place a great picture of it at her gravesite, or attach it to her urn, whatever was appropriate. Maybe even holding a sign that says, "Thanks, mom!"
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I would do the caring for the giants tour since kids can go on it. Stay at a resort room that is on your bucket list. Another bucket list for me would be a week or combined Disney World/Disney Cruise Vacation. At the very top of the list would be the Adventures by Disney Australia tour.
The Ultimate VIP tour would be awesome too.
Is there somewhere park/resort that your Mom enjoyed that you could stay at or visit and do a special tour at to honor her ?
I'm sorry for he loss of you mom, mine passed away at the end of Oct. If it were me, being that you go to WDW frequently I'd consider DL. I'd use the money to go somewhere I hadn't been before. Keep us posted with what you decide!
i'd echo what a bunch of people already said--go somewhere you've never gone before. for me, if money were no object, i'd do an around the world disney trip--all of the parks around the world, plus a cruise. but that's if money were REALLY no object. with a bit extra, would you be able to add a short disney cruise to your existing trip? cruising is great for family bonding time.
If I could I would do one of those after hours, in the park, dinner party events. How cool would that be to dine at the haunted mansion with the rest of MK empty?
We've been to all of the in state Disney resorts--Aulani is fabulous! We are hoping to get back there next year! Husband can't do cruises. We took one, and the only thing that helped him was prescribed medicine, but that knocked him out. It was like I was on a vacation by myself (which was nice some of the time).
It's interesting to see that so many folks would travel overseas to a Disney park. I love Disney, and we've been in the vicinity of Disney parks overseas several times, and I've just never had that calling. Not sure why.
I don't know how much you were left or how much you're willing to spend but have you considered the Backstage Magic Adventure by Disney trip? I know you said you've done Disneyland but this would give you a different perspective on Disneyland as it takes you backstage there as well as at the Disney Studios. The suggested age for kids is 5 so your son is old enough. I've done this tour myself and it's the one Adventures by Disney tour that I would consider doing again.
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