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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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I wanted to start this PTR now with three weeks to go because I had a few requests to do this from some fellow passporters!
So, with no further adeu let me introduce myself and my fellow travelers.....
Me: 30 years old, addictions counselor longtime disney fan and obsessed with anything disney or traveling persay....
My DBF: 32 years old, Mechanical Engineer. Loves anything to do with the Carribean, not exactly a disney fantic just yet We've been together for eight years but not solid. We had a long distance relationship while in college for the first five years. The past three we have lived together in SC where we moved three years ago from Tennessee for his job.)
Now, his parents and his aunt and uncle are joining us as well for our trip this year.
DBF's father: Early fifties (not sure of exact age), looks like Jerry Garcia and he gets told this allll the time Very laid back fellow, super funny and easygoing.
DBF's mother: Early fifties too, only five foot tall she's really short and super cute. She's very laid back and easygoing too!
This is our third cruise with his parents. They got us going on our first cruise three years ago and we've been on one every year with them since.
DBF's uncle (dad's brother): Late forties and just like DBF....they are of the same mold and we often joke that DBF is really his son *LOL*
DBF's aunt: late forties and super nice lady. She is just like me and we get along great!
Usually, i would be saying "oh goooodddd i can't believe i'm going with family" But, his parents are so much fun to go on cruises with and this will be our first time with his aunt and uncle.
A little background about us and cruising.....
We went on his parents request on our first cruise in 06 from Charleston on an Western Carribean cruise. It was on NCL and the travel agent suggested this low key, older ship for our first cruise. We really enjoyed it but didnt know what to expect because it was our first cruise ever.
Once we got back from that Cruise Eric (DBF) decided we had to do it again. So, this past year in Feb 07 we took a seven day cruise on Carnival Glory on our first Eastern Carribean cruise.
This was a MUCH nicer ship with many more amentities. We then realized we loved the Eastern Carribean and had to continue to go back. here are some pics from this last cruise
This is St. Maarten
This was our excursion in St. Maarten
Here is me waiting for the excursion
This is St. Thomas US Virgin Islands
me and my burned on sunglasses *LOL* must wear sunscreen!!!
and the bahamas
and our cruise ship
So, come june Eric and his parents started plotting. We went home to TN for the fourth of July like we always do and his parents and his aunt and uncle were there. We all decided to try to do something again together in 09.
And, this is how it started!
up next: which cruise and cruise line???? so many choices!
Registered Message Board Members save 30% off PassPorter guidebooks! When you register you'll have access to a discount coupon good for 30% off the list price of PassPorter books in our online store.