PassPorter's Decade of Dreams Timeline: Milestones and Memories (The Idea - 1996-1997) About This Page:

[Jennifer Marx]

PassPorter's Decade of Dreams Timeline:
Milestones and Memories

The Idea: 1996-1997

Pre-1996: Jennifer falls in love with Walt Disney World as an adult and goes as often as she can -- in between trips, she PLANS trips. Jennifer writes computer books about AOL, the Internet, and the Mac, which in turn helps finance her Disney trips. Dave meets Jennifer through AOL's VirtuaLeader Academy and begins to collaborate with her on her book projects. Jennifer and Dave love writing books, but wish they could write about something they feel more passionate about.

1996 - On October 14, while on a Disney bus travelling from Epcot to Dixie Landings, Jennifer thinks about all the maps, menus, receipts, and other bits she collected during her day at Epcot. At the time, she'd put the items in a regular pocket folder, which was too big for her backpack and getting creased and bent inside the backpack. She thinks, "Wouldn't it be great if there were a smaller pocket-type thing to put these things in?" Immediately, a mental image of a PassPocket forms, almost identical to the ones we all know and love today. Jennifer's mind races along with the bus, realizing she could create little pockets to go with the custom travel planner she'd cobbled together, creating one neat little package of a book. The idea was born!

1997 - Jennifer tells Dave about her idea over the phone (Jennifer lived in Michigan and Dave lived in New Jersey at the time). Dave loves the idea and suggests they call it a "Play-Timer." Jennifer makes up a prototype, using manilla envelopes as PassPockets. Jennifer shows the prototype to Dave, her sister (Kim Larner), brother-in-law (Chad Larner), mother (Carolyn Tody), and father (Tom Anderson), who provide the very first feedback. Jennifer and Dave go on a field test trip to test out the concept ... and it works!

Below are thumbnail images of the actual PlayTimer Dave took on our field test. Click them to see larger versions.



So what happened after the field test? Did Jennifer and Dave charge ahead with their idea .. or did it languish, forgotten and alone? Read the next installment of PassPorter's Decade of Dreams Timeline: 1997-1998!