FIRSTS, BIRTHS, and GIRTHS…A September 2013 PTR - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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 cry every time I watch Dumbo too. In fact, it's one of those movies I try to avoid watching because it makes me so sad. You're definitely not alone.
On another note, I ordered Disney crocs yesterday too!
Whew! At least I'm not the only one! Another movie that gets me the same way is Brave. I'm so close with my DM so watching them fight in this movie really just broke my heart!
Yay for Disney crocs!! I'm with you...Not sure I would wear them, but DD loves them!
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Originally Posted by Cam22
Dumbo is a favorite with us, too. Great purchases all around!
Thank you!
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Originally Posted by DisneyMamaSarah
We got grand gathering buttons in 2008, so unless something has changed since then.... They were a button with the Incredibles on them.
The deluxe dining plan is THREE meals a day and 2 snacks -- so I'm sure many of your snacks will go home with you. LOL We ended up taking home a good portion of our snacks too, and that was just on the regular dining plan, and my family are big eaters too.
I will definitely ask about them! This little tidbit of information has me so excited!!!
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Originally Posted by DisneyMamaSarah
Unless of course - you are using 2 credits at some meals. I didn't see if you posted ADRs, I haven't made it entirely through all the pages of posts yet!
Ding! We have several 2 credit meals planned because I knew about the food amounts and was pretty sure we wouldn't eat 3 big meals a day. Our 2 credit meals include Spirit of Aloha, Flying Fish Cafe, CRT, Fulton's Crab House, Hoop Dee Doo Revue...and I think that's it.
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Originally Posted by Alaskan Mom
I am really enjoying your Pre TR, I just got all caught up. You are great at organization which really helps with planning a WDW trip. I was thinking that with all the people going you are bringing the party with you! Your movie nights sound so fun. I always cry at Dumbo too. Keep up the great posts.
Thank you for joining along with me! Welcome! I'm really thankful that I inherited my DF's anal retentiveness; I have a strong organization gene. You are absolutely right! The party is going to Disney World!
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Originally Posted by Colexis Mom
Congrats on the purchases!
Thank you!
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Originally Posted by iwonathomas
WOW!!!! I just finished reading your plans and makes me even more excited for my trip in October 2013.
I love all of the plans that you have made so far and great luck on getting all of the ADR's that you wanted my 180 day is April 22nd and I am just starting to make a list of the places I want to try. Need to sit down with DH and see if any restaurants jump out at him as we are doing the middle dining plan this year which will work for us as I usually don't eat breakfast.
Can't wait to hear more!
Wow! What a compliment! Thank you! I'm very happy that my posts are helping to build your excitement! I think that's why I started writing a PTR in the first place; I was so excited reading about the plans of other travelers I felt like I was bursting at the seams! Writing this PTR is an outlet for me to share my excitement for my trip. It makes me happy to know that I am affecting others the way other writers affected me.
Good luck getting your ADRs! I was pretty lucky when planning this part. This is DH's first trip to Disney so he's not exactly sure about the whole "dining thing" as he said. I was able to pick everything out without protest. Now I'm just crossing my fingers everyone is happy about the choices!
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Another movie that gets me the same way is Brave. I'm so close with my DM so watching them fight in this movie really just broke my heart! 
Your movie nights sound so fun. I always cry at Dumbo too. Keep up the great posts.
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