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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Pre-Trip Report
Dates May 18, 2010 to May 25th, 2010
Travelers
Mike (34 when we travel, birthday is May 10 we plan on celebrating it at the park)
Alissa (32 ME!! )
Caroline (13 DD)
Juliaun (9 DS)
Background
This will be everyone in the groups first trip to WDW and the kids first ever Disney trip. My husband has been to Disneyland a few times in his life and I went every nearly every year for my birthday until I was about 16. My husband and I had a Disney themed wedding and where gifted a Disneyland Honeymoon in 1996 and had a blast!! In 2001 we returned just the two of us for a couple day trip post deployment.
I have been trying for years and years to pull off a Disney trip but just as we get ready to book something comes up, cars break, appliance conk out, septic tanks need replacing, deployments get moved, and FINALLY we are paid and ready to go. Although, I will feel better once we actually arrive.
Planning
We first wanted to return to Disneyland then suddenly decided “lets give WDW a go.” Our next issue became when to go. With two kids in school picking dates and time was an issue. I really wanted to go over winter break but military commitments mean that we could not go till April. April was ruled out due to my school commitments. Then we discovered Star Wars weekend and the dates where set!! My husband is a huge Star Wars fan. To the point his only requirement when I was looking at houses was “it has to have a Star Wars room.”
Next problem, where to stay? We knew we wanted to stay on property. We looked at SOG and decided we could do better at one of the value resorts. Plus on my first trip I really want it to be Disney-ized with the soaps, hidden Mickey’s, and all that. We figured we wanted to stay at the Pop or the Music. We ran numbers using both the % off promotion and the gift card to figure out what was the better way to go and got our details all saved and ready to go, just waiting on a payday to book and pay a deposit. Then in planning the details of dining plans, spending money, new clothes, new luggage, kennels, etc. the worst thing that could happen happened, my husband said “we don’t do things like this often and we haven’t done anything in years so lets enjoy it.” Uh-oh……… I’m not sure at what point it happened then but next thing I knew we had booked a savannah view studio in AKL-Jambo.
So WDW here we come!!! My husband really wants to see a giraffe as he drinks his coffee on the balcony. DD and I figure worst case we can buy a stuffed one and stick it on the balcony of the room for him to wake up to. DS is hoping to get picked for the Jedi academy, but I think when they look for volunteers his story will change. I think DD and I have the least amount of specific must sees, we just want to get there and soak it in.
DS will no longer allow any talk of Disney in the house because he just cant wait that long to go. I fully expect my 13 year old to turn into a 2 year old at the parks and frankly, I know I will. We have made all out ADR’s and booked a hotel room near our local airport for the night so we don’t have to leave our house at midnight. The new luggage is sitting in the other room with all the new clothes in it waiting. A few times a week we watch a Disney movie just to make sure we are all up to date on the background stories. We did have to watch the Griswalds trek to Wallyworld too.
I think I will be holding my breath till I see the “Welcome to Disney” sign out front. My husband says he feels for anyone that gets in my way getting down there. He’s a bit worried that I am going to be disappointed since so much planning and time and excitement is going into the trip not to mention I squeal anytime I get Disney mail, but I told him it’s okay because as long as I get there FUN is my only expectation!! Okay, and I'll admit I’m already bummed we are not staying longer.
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Last edited by italyqt; 03-12-2010 at 10:49 AM..
Reason: Apparently I'm 32 not 31, really who keeps track
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Great start. You will love AKL. We stayed there for the first time last year and it was amazing. Hope you have a great trip. Can't wait to read all about it.
OMG!! I am soo excited for you! I am about to start my first PTR. The planning has been so fun and in reading your PTR I have anxiety just sitting here!! I am looking forward to hearing more about your planning and trip!!
Thanks everyone!! Last night we swung by the craft store to get stickers to make tip envelopes. Funny thing is I think the stickers cost more then the tips will but its about the process. A good friend loaned us a HUGE binder of Disney movies. I also pulled the pages out of the passporter not needed and started to right in it. I am also finally seeing the inkling of excitement in my always calm husband.
As for seeing it all, I know we can't; however, we did each make a list of what we each have to see. Thankfully, most of us overlap each other in what we want to do. For now we are planning at one day in each park, with two days left to return to pick up anything we want to see again or might have missed on the first go-around. We have a plan to jump into MK and hop the train but I have an odd feeling that plan will go out the window because I will just HAVE to walk in down main street. Trying to convince myself I can walk down it later in the day.
Have fun planning! I know what you mean about the excitement of getting ready! WE saw Giraffes every morning when we stayed at AKL! and Zebras! can't wait to hear more!
You are going to love AKL! We stayed at Kidani Village last year and when I originally booked it my DH was rather ho-hum about it and then after we got there and even still today he says it was the best place we've stayed and really wants to go back there.
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Dreams, Wishes, Hopes... these are the parts of childhood we should never lose.
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I am looking forward to hearing more about your planning and trip!!
Susan
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