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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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 am about to make my ADRs on Monday (yipee!) and go back and forth on trying to get into the Rose and Crown to be able to watch Illuminations. I know it is kind of hit and miss whether we'll be able to see it from our table or not....
Anyway, I wondered if any of you had suggestions on a good counter service place that had a good viewing location for Illuminations just in case I don't score the perfect time at R&C.
Registered Message Board Members save 30% off PassPorter guidebooks! When you register you'll have access to a discount coupon good for 30% off the list price of PassPorter books in our online store.
thanks! I am starting to stress about making these ADRs!
For the first time we don't have hopper tickets and I've tried to carefully plan dinners to coordinate with EMHs and fireworks, etc. so am kind of "stuck" with certain days for certain restaurants.
Luckily the boys are older now so we don't mind 8pm ressies!
Our countdowns are almost the same!!! I will be calling on Monday, too, but we are staying on DVC points so no free dining for us!! I was wondering about the Rose and Crown and Illuminations so thank you for asking this!! What time do you have to make the reservations to be able to see Illuminations?
__________________
Betty Sue
Affiliated with CruisingCo.Com/MouseEarVacations.com
Disney Destination Specialist/ BettySueS@cruisingco.com August '09 Trip
Yup - we are also staying on DVC points! Booked this before the free dining...oh well.......Where will you be? We're at BWV. Oh I see that you're at AKL. Very cool - I like the pictures of the new pool there.
I was thinking of trying for an 8pm ADR, checking in early and asking about a table on the water. It's our 20th anniversary so I'll try to play the anniversary card! We'll see if that works!
I am about to make my ADRs on Monday (yipee!) and go back and forth on trying to get into the Rose and Crown to be able to watch Illuminations. I know it is kind of hit and miss whether we'll be able to see it from our table or not....
Anyway, I wondered if any of you had suggestions on a good counter service place that had a good viewing location for Illuminations just in case I don't score the perfect time at R&C.
Thanks!
In Dec 2006, we ate at the Rose and Crown for our Illuminations viewing. We arrived around 7:30PM and just finished our dessert when the fireworks started. My parents ate in Japan. When they were done with their dinner, they joined us at the Rose and Crown (the staff was VERY accommodating) and we viewed the fireworks from the Rose and Crown. We were not on the patio but our table was right above the patio. We had the clear vinyl down as it was a little windy and technically had "indoor" seating with a heater. Once the fireworks began, the vinyl was pulled up and we were able to see everything.
That night, as the fireworks were going off, the smoke drifted over to Japan/Germany. We had no smoke in our area and looked as though we had a perfect place. We never had anything blocked and I had beautiful pictures from our table.
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I was wondering about the Rose and Crown and Illuminations so thank you for asking this!! What time do you have to make the reservations to be able to see Illuminations?
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