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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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've never been on a cruise, and we've never been to florida, and we are Disney novices, to say the least. We fly out Wed morning. I've just been packing like a crazy woman this afternoon, as it has been the only chance I've had since we decided to suprise the kids with a Christmas trip (therefore, a secret....therefore, not much opportunity to pack since I'm at work when kids are at school and DH works odd hours). Still not done, but 90% there. My older DD gets off the bus in, oh.... about 10 min. I think she is still clueless, but at 13yo..... hard to say!
Some takeaways from all this advance planning:
1. I'm happy to be able to surprise the kids with this trip, but I don't think I will do a surprise Christmas cruise again - to difficult to keep it a secret, and get everything ready for Christmas, etc. However, as you can see by my ticker, I have 2 mom-daughter trips coming up. I will be surprising each DD, but will wait until the morning of the trip...but those trips do not coincide with Christmas prep (and I don't have to pack for 4 people!)
2. Fish Extender items take up a lot of room in the luggage. We only have 9 cabins participating, and I thought I was being space conservative, but with clothes for 4....
3. I will make sure that I have enough luggage. Part of my challenge this afternoon has been the realization that I imagined a suitcase, that I , in fact, do not own. ha ha ha..... So, I had to decide - 1. go to store and buy one more piece of luggage, or 2. use the ginormous piece of luggage that would most definitely be heavier than 50lbs when packed (and therefore cost $$$) or 3. make due and squeeze everthing into the 2 moderate sized pieces of luggage and 3 carryons (very small - always fit in above bins even on small planes). Of course, I chose option 3.
Really, just sharing my thoughts.....I've got only about 40 hours till we leave for the airport......thank goodness for coffee (and for makeup - to make it appear that one is refreshed and awake).
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Sounds exhausting but I'm sure it will be a great time and worth your efforts... What an awesome Mom your kids have! Take a deep breath and think of how relaxed you will be as you set sail and have nothing left to do but enjoy every minute! Bon voyage!!!
Sounds great and you are almost on your way!! Don't forget to spare some room for your purchases!! We ended up buying a duffle bag for extra room and shipping a box home from WDW on our last trip!!
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this is one surprise i could not hold back on lol . last aug was my first cruise and i did and ran a FE and i had one suit case filled with this and we had 17 cabins so i will say 9 will be a breeze . we pack as light as possible and like dave has said the dream has a nice wash room But make sure you check your bill at the end if you use then that was my olny issue there was a mistake with on my bill. as for packing we went in the summer and packed extremely light .
I will be honest i was a bit nervous but i will say one thing Disney it was so relaxed from the checking in process to registering the kids in the oceaneers club and boarding . It was so amazing we re booked on board for 2013 .
So all i can say is have a Magical Cruise you and your family .
OK..... only 12 or so hours till we leave the house for the airport!
At 7:30am this morning...Sears was open!!! Hooray for sales on suitcases and the nice ladies at the checkout who looked for a coupon in addition to the sale price! I am now the proud owner of one 25" suitcase. I'm very nearly packed, just the little things are needed (brushes and stuff). My problem, I realized, was that I only own 21" suitcases and then a few very small carry-ons, which are great when I travel for a day or two for work....by myself.
So, the count is one family of 4, 2 suitcases to check (a 25" and a 21"), and two small carry-ons! I think I'll pack the kids a small backpack with a few activities and books - I think the 13yo will get to read my copy of Passporters DCL while on the trip.
I think the kids are clueless. The 13yo is giving no signs of suspicion or secret excitement, so I might have jsut gotten away with this! My plan is to put a note in the Advent calendar to tell them to look for a note in the Christmas tree. I colored the envelope green, of course. The note indicates they won't go to school that day, but instead go somewhere with mom and dad. Once at the airport, they will know we are going to Orlando. Once in Orlando, depending on timing, where the conversation is going....(but certainly by dessert time after dinner) I will give them the booklet I made telling them we will be going on a cruise the next day! Thanks to DCL, the last page contains their mailing to us regarding our cruise with a great picture of Goofy and Donald waving on board the ship with our family name printed right on the picture. Perfect!
Whew! almost there! Thanks for all your good wishes!
Have a great time!! I also wanted to add that most 21" cases can be carried on as well. If you're having to pay for luggage you could always carry on that bag too.
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Looking forward to another Christmas with The Mouse!!
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Have a blast, I am sure it will be worth it!
Bon voyage!!!
[SIGPIC]Ricky, Sharon R, Richard
PassPorter Guide Author
hope you had a great time.
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