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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Our next family vacation is a cruise to Alaska that is round tripping out of San Francisco. We leave on July 30th, and although I've done a lot of research on shore excursions, I'm having a hard time narrowing it down. We're stopping in Sitka, Skagway, Juneau, and Victoria, and cruising one morning in Glacier Bay. Has anyone cruised here and done a shore excursion that's a "can't miss?" We're planning on doing the Raptor Center in Sitka, and Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau. In Skagway, I think my Dad and Zack are going to take the Whitehorse Pass train into the Yukon territory, while my sister and I do a day hike near town. Any tips from veterans would be much appreciated. And, look for a trip report some time in August!
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Karen, aka Zack's Mom - Lover of all Things Disney and the San Francisco Giants!
I'd love to hear any words of advice too, as we're looking at doing an Alaskan cruise in a couple of years' time - and I can't wait to read your trip report Karen!
Wow, that sounds like an awesome adventure! Sorry I can't offer any advice on the subject but wanted to tell you that I'll be looking forward to your trip report! I've always wanted to visit Alaska sometime, and who knows, maybe Disney will offer Alaskan cruises once their new ships are ready (2011 and 2012), too!
I just returned from an Alaskan cruise and land tour about fifteen hours ago!
Sitka - This cruise did not stop in Sitka, but the last time I was there we did go to the the raptor center, and it was amazing.
Skagway - the White Pass and Yukon Railroad is not to be missed! The scenery is spectacular and the train ride is fun. Bring snacks unless your shore excursion specifically state it includes them.
Juneau - we did a photography tour that included Mendenhall Glacier and a wildlife viewing cruise. This was an excellent choice for us. I would definitely recommend something that includes time on the water for wildlife viewing.
It sounds like you had a wonderful time Joy - I'd love to read more about your trip and see some photos!
I am planning a trip report, once I get caught up from being out of the office for two long weeks. One of my compact flash cards (the big one, of course) got corrupted somehow and I've spent the last two days recovering photos - ugghhhh..... But I'm hoping to have photos sorted and ready to post soon!
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there is a sled dog experience (not sure if it's a show or a ride) in Skagwey that you might want to look up. sorry I don't know more, but sled dogs are the ultimate Alaskan experience
wish you were coming into the South Central area, we're so much better than the Panhandle (ok maybe we're just as good, but I'm biased lol)
Would love to see your photos, Joy :-) . My family is cruising Alaska Jul.08 - I've even got my Mom and a friend, plus 3 other friends w. families to come along too. Can't wait.
OK! We did Alaska a couple of years ago on Princess and what a blast! Juneau - do not miss the whale watching trip. They send planes out ahead of your boat to find the whale pods and then radio it in so you go right to the whales. The boat must stay so many feet away from the whales but no one told the whales that. We would pull up and stop and pretty soon be surrounded by whales. These were humpbacks. The boats are very good size so don't be afraid. Its not like those little zodiacs. This boat holds about 50 people. Always room at the railing and places to sit inside if you are cold. We went in July and you WILL be cold. So dress warm. Do not miss the White Pass Railroad trip. We saw bear right next to the train, saw big horn mountain sheep, spectacular scenery, ends at a high mountain lake that looks like a mirror then comes back down. Fabulous. Took tons of pictures. But the best advice I can give anyone going on a cruise to Alaska, get a balcony! In the summer, the sun never fully sets so there always views from your balcony. One morningat 4AM I woke up to find a huge otter fishing below our balcony and I was the only one up to see him (we were docked at the time). We had orca glide along side of our ship for hours. We saw tons of seals on floating icebergs with newborn babies. We pulled up so close to the glacier that you could have sworn that you could reach out and touch it. And the captain turned the ship so that each side got a close up view of the iceberg calving. This was the most amazing cruise we have ever done and now we can't sail at all without a balcony. I know that the original poster has been on their cruise already and long back but thought someone else might like the info. Bigred
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I have done the Alaskan Cruise as well. We went in June of '05. I highly recommend a oceanview room, or even better still, a balcony room if you are going up the inside passage. The scenery is spectacular! We saw lovely cabins/homes along the way, and wildlife as well. We did a Juneau bus tour, and salmon bake, Mendenhall Glacier, and the White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad. While we absolutely enjoyed the scenery while on the train, we thought the price was quite steep ($99 each!), and we were less than pleased with the constant odor of fumes coming into the cars from the engine, and got a bit tired of politely saying no everytime the conductor came by with must have souvenirs to sell. We completely enjoyed this cruise and would definately do it again!!!!!!
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Pixie Dust
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I've always wanted to visit Alaska sometime, and who knows, maybe Disney will offer Alaskan cruises once their new ships are ready (2011 and 2012), too!
Marianne IS bigred!
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