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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Since 9yo's panic attacks started, she has also been suddenly exhibiting OCD behavior, primarily the hand washing. She had a rash before the attacks started, but it is REALLY bad now from all the washing. I've tried everything I know and cannot get her to stop. She's also hidden/thrown out the lotion the doc told me to get her (Aveeno/oatmeal) and was not a happy camper when I found some Mickey lotion from our last trip. It's as if she *wants* her hands to be a mess and cry about it. I do NOT know what to do!
Also, she's lost 8 lbs in a month from going from an OK eater to VERY picky.
Her appt with the therapist isn't until Saturday, but if I can do something before then, I'd love some suggestions. Wit's. End.
The views and opinions expressed on this post are mine and do not necessarily represent or reflect those of The Walt Disney Company and Affiliated Companies
Oh my goodness. I'm very familiar with OCD , but I don't know if I can help. The only thing that helped me was actually experiencing things that gave me anxiety. I think I'm a handwasher, but I don't have a problem with lotions (but my sons don't have OCD-- don't mind germs or being dirty, but they hate lotions, so the more I do it, the better they about it-- they have eczema so lotions are needed, and now in the summer-- sunscreen -- you would think I was torturing these boys-- I can't imagine what the people in next door at AKL thought we were doing to these boys every morning as we put on sunscreen-- we were in a studio that connected to a 1 br). I, personally, was more concerned about germs and toxic things, the only thing that got me past it was working in a hospital, and having patients on contact precautions (And patients where we found out the day after I cared for them, that they should have been on contact precautions, and weren't) and not being able to get to a sink every time I felt like I needed one (though of course always between patients when dealing with contact precautions). I feel like a completely different person since I would say my second sememster of clinicals. So, I don't know if that helps, but the more you experience the things that upset you, the more you are "desensitized." The therapy will help, but Oprah's Dr. Oz said (about OCD) if your therapist doesn't discuss "exposure therapy" (not sure that's the exact words), then they aren't going to help-- and I really believe that. I also think OCD (at least for me) has a lot to do with wanting to feel in control of everything around you (and your kids), and those with it need to realize that they can't control every bad thing from happening to them. I don't know if that helps, but that's what helped me. It's not always a completely bad thing, I was talking with my son's pediatrician and she said a little OCD will serve me as a nurse, because (and I know what they're talking about ), I'm very careful with my patient's IV connectors , and in wound care etc, I'm very conscious about cleaning my stethoscope between patients and things like that, and washing my hands between patients, and checking and rechecking meds before I give them to patients-- sometimes when I had more than 20 meds to give to a patient my friends, that were having easy days, would want to help me check them, and I can't have other people touching my meds before I give them(I have a system)-- so sometimes its a good thing. But the anxiety from OCD can be very hard to live with-- and that's what she needs to get past. Lots of pixies for your poor DD Feel free to pm if you have any other questions. I don't know if I helped at all--- I just really believe the more you just put the lotion on, the less anxiety she'll feel--- but I'm not a therapist. Good Luck!!! My hands used to be completely cracked and bleeding all of the time-- so I can definitely sympathize. It's been really weird having soft hands again (since I stopped the handwashing). Good Luck!!!!!!!!!!!
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Dina
Last edited by Happymommy; 07-14-2008 at 09:08 AM..
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Dawn, my oldest exhibits lots of OCD signs - he went through a really bad hand-washing phase (chapped, bleeding hands) when he was about 11 or 12. In fact, all my kids show some signs of OCD, just not as pronounced as DS's.
I'm not an expert by any means, but I can tell you what I have observed is this. Compulsive behavior begins when they start some routine - for whatever reason. Then it's like a program that get stuck in their brains, and it (the behavior or action) replays over and over, until it becomes a ritual. At that point, they are convinced if they do NOT do this action/ritual, then something bad will happen. It's so complex, I don't even think I can explain it well enough.
Getting to the root of the behavior helps to understand how it started, and then you can help to try and eliminate whatever fear motivated it. I like HappyMommy's idea of exposure to fear-inducing elements. Couple that with distraction and you can help break that programming replaying in their heads.
I don't have any short-term solution for you and your sweet DD. And I know you know your family has a long road ahead. Sending you a million...
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Dawn My heart goes out to you and your DD! Having gone through so much with my DS Corey and some of his medical problems I can relate to your frustrations! I will keep you both in my prayers! I think her hand washing is in part her way of dealing with some of her anxiety. I don't have any advise on how to get her to use the lotion other than just talking to her and letting her know that you understand she doesn't want to use it. But let her know that she is also old enough to know that this is one of those situations that she needs to use it to help herself. Maybe putting some of the control back into her hands (I know you don't want to, but you know you need to) will help her realize she DOES have some control over the situation and she will use the lotion to help protect her skin.