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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Honestly, even if you forget to pack something... it's not the end of the world. As others have said, make yourself a list. I didn't get our things packed until the day we left but I did have a list and the only thing I forgot was our 2 Disney Gift Cards, lol
Good luck!! I can't wait to hear about the surprise when you tell the kids! How exciting!
Deep breaths...in........out.........in........out..... ..
OK, better?
First of all, cleaning the house? What for? Will they stop you at the gates of WDW and ask "is your house clean? OK, come on in!" No! So take that off the list right now. Doesn't that feel better?
It will all feel so much better come Sunday when your kids are screaming and telling you how amazing you are.
Have a great time, and for getting everything done.
Deep breaths...in........out.........in........out..... ..
OK, better?
First of all, cleaning the house? What for? Will they stop you at the gates of WDW and ask "is your house clean? OK, come on in!" No! So take that off the list right now. Doesn't that feel better?
It will all feel so much better come Sunday when your kids are screaming and telling you how amazing you are.
Have a great time, and for getting everything done.
You really made me laugh. Thank you! I just like coming home to a clean house, but you're right. I've already dumped things off my list because of course my ds came down with an ear infection today and we just got back from the DR. No school for him tomorrow. *sigh* I will survive ~ after all there are Zebra Domes that are just waiting to be eaten
Just a little bite of Heaven found at AKL in the dessert bar at Boma or can be found in The Mara CS too for a snack credit Recipe - Zebra Coffee Domes - Boma Prob more than you wanted to know
I'm so jealous! Sit down with a nice cup of hot tea(anything added to it is up to you), & make out your list. Do some nice deep breathing that anyone with kids knows all about. Think about what a wonderful time that you will have. Everything will be fine
First of all, cleaning the house? What for? Will they stop you at the gates of WDW and ask "is your house clean? OK, come on in!" No! So take that off the list right now. luck:
Agree. As long as you have dishes washed, trash taken out, and a few things picked up, you're set to go. Even if we do clean our house, we mess it up again with our luggage, dirty clothes, and souvenirs when we return. It always takes a few days to get things back in order.
I hope you are excited as well as stressed - I'm sending pixies that it all gets sorted even if it's not as perfectly done as you would like. Once you are on your way the stress should start to melt away.
I have packed at midnight before now 6 hours before I have to leave on the trip . Your post is a reminder to me to start packing for my Paris trip NOW!!
People leave for a vacation with a clean and tidy house? What planet are they from?
My philosophy has often been that I'm preventing a car or plane crash because I left dirty dishes on the counter or in the dishwasher. "Can't shuffle off yet, got dirty dishes to wash when I get home."
And we don't have kids, so I've really no excuses but excitement about going on vacation and last-minute packing.
You'll get there and will be soooooo relieved when you do, I'm sure. Have FUN!
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“People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.” —Winnie-the-Pooh