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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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'll admit that I was teary eyed when reading about you and Hope during the fireworks. What a special moment to share with your daughter. Sorry about the bus ride and the long wait for your milkshake, but otherwise its sounds like you had a great night.
Happy Thanksgiving!!!
The bus ride wasn't bad for me, but I can't say the same for my mom.
Quote:
Originally Posted by disneydreamer33
What a great evening at MK.
What an ordeal with the buses. It is always crazy at the end of the night.
Tell me about it. You want to wait until the last minute to exit the parks, but then again, you don't want to deal with the bus crowds. Everyone is tired and cranky.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Linnynad
Great update..............up until the point where you called out the falling dancer Shame on you! Just kidding.....I am usually the first to point and laugh as well, but as a retired performer, I know how awful that can be.
We loved MEP and Wishes looked different to us. Was it? I loved it and can totally agree with the whole holding your baby while watching Wishes. Gets me everytime.
Now I'm off to call hubs and ask him to bring me a vanilla milkshake from anywhere.....thanks alot
Hope you got your milkshake. I did feel bad for the dancer, I could only imagine what was going through her mind at that moment, but it was also funny too. Too bad I didn't have a video camera! Haha!
Quote:
Originally Posted by PrincessSharon
Loved this update, Melissa! Your story of watching Wishes with your little girl is so sweet. Definitely worth skipping the pictures. Sorry it took so long to get your milkshake but coming from B&C I know it was worth it.
Awww...thanks! That milkshake was sooooo worth the wait. I only wish I could have had more on that trip!
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Originally Posted by lazanya
Great update Melissa! Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanks! I hope you and your family had a wonderful holiday.
Quote:
Originally Posted by countrykid
Awwwwww how wonderful you & Hope watching fireworks! It almost made me cry! My babies are 12 & 15 but they will always be my babies! Watching the fireworks & everything about our trip was amazing to me!! I love sharing these things with my kids!! I can just imagine how wonderful it was for your mom!! I feel sooooo sorry for that poor girl falling.....it would have made me laugh but feel bad for it....I know I'm silly! Sorry about the bus ride....we had some bus fun too. My mom was in a scooter & some people were not too happy about waiting for her to load & unload. Not that I blame them for wanting to get going. I just felt bad for my poor mom being the center of everyone’s wait. I have found that some people will just never be happy! We were on safari bus at AK one day & people were getting super mad at the bus driver for not going. I still am not sure what he was waiting for....o well people were getting overly rude with him in my opinion. Your milk shake looked yummy!!! I love your pictures! I know I say that a lot....I may have to get a camera like yours! My night parade pictures were just awful I thought yours were nice. For a short trip y’all got a ton of fun in!! I just LOVE your trip report!! Can’t wait to read more!! ~**~HAPPY THANKSGIVING~**~
I'm sure I'll still feel the same way when she's all grown up, but it was such a magical moment for me. About your mom and the scooter...people have to realize that she'd probably rather not be in that situation, and just learn to be patient. I understand they're tired, but I always try to put myself in the other person's shoes, just like when you see a crying baby on a plane...yes, it's annoying, but you don't know what's going on. Thanks for liking my photos...even though I thought they were horrible. The camera is nice, but it's very complicated, at least to me it is.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sc507
Sounds like a great night overall, despite the bus issues and the wait for the yummy shake! I have to admit, I did laugh a little at the picture you painted about the fallen dancer
That poor dancer...but it was definitely amusing.
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Originally Posted by chezp
What a great end to the day, except for the bus ride back. I think your photos of the parade and the fireworks came out very well.
For you to say my pictures are nice is something. I don't agree with you but thank you. Hopefully next year I will post a picture that I actually think is halfway decent.
Quote:
Originally Posted by debrabrown
Oye. Those busses and poor parents with strollers! I know because we've lugged 2 of them in past trips and it is just not fun at the end of a long day to get on a packed bus with crabby kids and parents. Poor lady. Bet she'll think twice about lugging a monster stroller next time!
That memory of you and Hope watching the fireworks together is sooo sweet! That is Disney magic at its best!! I can so relate. On our first trip after Spectro Abby, who was 4 at the time, looked at me and in the sweetest voice said "Mommy...." and just gave me the biggest hug in the world. Priceless. That's why we Disney geeks always go back!!
I'm waiting to hear about your Epcot day.
Happy turkey day!!
I don't know how some parents pick up some of those strollers!!! They just keep getting bigger and bigger. I totally agree that those moments are what keep us coming back for more. I should use that when people ask me why I always go to Disney World...that might shut them up for a second or two. What a nice moment with you and your daughter...I hope mine feels the same way when she gets older.
Quote:
Originally Posted by PamelaK
I had to reach for the tissues after reading about you and Hope watching Wishes. Another wonderful update.
I wanted everyone to get the same feeling I had when I was there...so I guess it worked.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ilovedisney247
Sounds like a great night and by the way I think some of your fireworks shots are great--especially the pinkish one!
Thanks so much...maybe next time they won't look crooked.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mommapants
Loved the update Melissa. The story of you holding Hope and watching the fireworks got me choked up. I think that is exactly what Walt had in mind and agree with the other poster that - that is what brings us Disney geeks back. Can't wait to do the same with my little man next year.
I plan on having that same feeling myself when I take her back again...have fun making your own magical moments!
Quote:
Originally Posted by dsteiny23
What a great story about you and Hope watching the fireworks. Watching the World throught their eyes is just amazing. I love the pictures of the castle with the pink flowers in front. And I feel so bad for those poor parents with the screaming child. He must have been just so tired and overwhelmed.
I feel bad for those parents too because I can only imagine how they must have been feeling. It's like you just want to crawl in a hole.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JandBmom
There is something to say about the magic of Disney. Your pictures are fantastic and that milkshake looked yummy! I can't wait to hear more.
I completely agree! There's nothing like it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lindawdw
Just caught up with your last couple updates and really enjoyed them. It was so nice that you were able to meet up with friends in the MK. The bus ride back to the hotel sure sounded stressful. I like renting a car at WDW just for that reason. Can't wait for more.
I usually don't mind the bus, but now that I'm carrying a sleeping child that feels like she weighs a ton when she's dead weight, it's definitely a different experience.
Quote:
Originally Posted by luvnwdwgal
Your castle pictures are beautiful! What a touching moment the three of you had watching the fireworks.
Thank you!
Quote:
Originally Posted by mcc0313
What a great evening at the MK and what a magical moment during Wishes...just reading it brought tears to my eyes. Love the sight of the milkshake, hope it was worth the wait
That was one of my favorite moments of the trip, and I can't wait to have more when we go.
About This Page: 
Shame on you! Just kidding.....I am usually the first to point and laugh as well, but as a retired performer, I know how awful that can be.
I did feel bad for the dancer, I could only imagine what was going through her mind at that moment, but it was also funny too. 
Too bad I didn't have a video camera! Haha!
how wonderful you & Hope watching fireworks! It almost made me cry! My babies are 12 & 15 but they will always be my babies!
Watching the fireworks & everything about our trip was amazing to me!! I love sharing these things with my kids!! I can just imagine how wonderful it was for your mom!! I feel sooooo sorry for that poor girl falling
.....it would have made me laugh but feel bad for it....I know I'm silly!
Sorry about the bus ride....we had some bus fun too. My mom was in a scooter & some people were not too happy about waiting for her to load & unload. Not that I blame them for wanting to get going. I just felt bad for my poor mom being the center of everyone’s wait.
I have found that some people will just never be happy! We were on safari bus at AK one day & people were getting super mad at the bus driver for not going. I still am not sure what he was waiting for....o well people were getting overly rude with him in my opinion. Your milk shake looked yummy!!!
I love your pictures!
I know I say that a lot....I may have to get a camera like yours! My night parade pictures were just awful I thought yours were nice. For a short trip y’all got a ton of fun in!!
I just LOVE your trip report!! Can’t wait to read more!! 
~**~HAPPY THANKSGIVING~**~
I think your photos of the parade and the fireworks came out very well. 
It was so nice that you were able to meet up with friends in the MK. The bus ride back to the hotel sure sounded stressful. I like renting a car at WDW just for that reason. Can't wait for more.
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