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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Anybody have good knowledge of the area? We are foregoing a "Big" WDW trip next year ( dont worry we still have 2 small trips) and want to take DD14.
We also want to travel with our dog. Maybe.,
What areas to stay? Any resources?
HELP!
When are you planning on visiting? Spring time is great because you can see the Cherry Blossom Festival. Touring the Smithsonians and Monuments is a lot of walking, so it's more comfortable to do it when it's warm, but not too hot. Best part is all of those are free!
Cherry Blossom Festival is going on right now....so you will probably miss that. The trees are already bloomed as we have had such a mild winter here. The museums are all great and free. The food inside of them, including the McDonald's in the Air & Space, is not that cheap. Just a little FYI. Not sure about how well this trip would work with the god and if there are a lot of hotels that can accommodate pets. If you do plan on staying in the city, my suggestion is to stay near the museums or near a Metro station and use that as your means of getting around. You can reach the zoo (which is also free and has cute pandas) by Metro as well. The traffic in and around DC is HORRIBLE!!!! Especially during rush hour times. I live an hour and a half away, and lots of people here travel into the city and surrounding areas for work.
I've been to DC a few times as my friend lived in Alexandria, VA. The Metro is a great way to get around. If you have a smart phone, download their app. It's free and shows what trains you need to take and the next train times. It worked great.
There is lots of walking. We did a night trolley tour that I really liked. The tour guide talked about the history and you got to see a wide area in a short amount of time. If going to the Archives to see the Declaration of Independence, get there at opening as it gets crowded.
Last time, we stayed in Arlington, VA at the Crystal City metro stop at a Sheraton. I liked the location and the metro stop was connected to our hotel via an underground shopping mall. It was very convenient.
If flying, you could fly into Reagan airport and not have to rent a car as it's connected to the Metro. Dulles is quite a ways away and takes about an hour to get to DC.
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Michele
I'm living the dream 20 minutes from Disney! Next trip...tomorrow. Follow me on instagram at ShirtsByShell
If you are driving there I would recommend going to the National Arboretum since they allow dogs. You can also take your dog around the Mall but not into any buildings. I live about an hour away from DC so I have never stayed but usually go one Sunday a year. I am sure they have dog friendly hotels. We have taken roughly 1 road trip a year where we take our dog along. AAA puts out a book and there are a few websites you can check. Of course you still have to call and make sure they still allow dogs and what size they allow. I recommend the Zoo which is on Connecticut Ave outside of downtown. My favorite Smithsonian Museums are Air and Space, American History, American Indian, and Natural History. There is a branch of the Air and Space Museum at Dulles Airport and I believe the Space Shuttle Discovery will be on display there soon. You can't go into the Washngon Monument due to the damage from the Earthquake but I would look at it up close as you walk to the WWII Memorial and Lincoln Memorial. If you have time the Spy Museum is nice. It is not that far from the other attractions. I like the National Archives where you can see the Declaration of Independence. It is right behind the Museum of Natural History I think. Good luck!
PassPorter's Free-Book to Walt Disney World It’s hard to believe anything is free at Walt Disney World; but there are actually a number of things you can get or do for little to no cost. This e-book documents over 200 free or cheap tips to do before you go and after you arrive. You could save a considerable amount of money following these tips. Perhaps more importantly; you can discover overlooked attractions and little-known details most people whiz by on their way to spend money. Click here to see free sample pages from the e-book! Get this popular e-book free of extra charges when you join the PassPorter's Club for as little as $4.95. A club pass includes access to all our other e-books; e-worksheets; super-size photos; and more! This e-book is also available for separate purchase in the PassPorter Online Store for just $5.95.
Check with one of the suite hotel properties - Residence Inn, Staybridge, Summerfield, Homewood Suites, etc. - they often have pet-friendly policies. Also, there are large- chain boutique-style hotels that allow pets. We have a Lab puppy - nicknamed "The Hooligan" and he isn't ready to stay with our beloved pet sitter yet, so he comes with us. Hotels are friendly to us because he is walked regularly, takes his crate, obedience-trained and Finnegan is closely monitored during the stay.
Also, a second recommendation for the Metro system in DC, along with the hop-on, hop-off tour bus around Washington, D.C. The Metro was easy to use, convenient, affordable from Gaithersburg into DC. We loved the hop-on, hop-off tour service - we had specific places to visit, but wanted to glimpse all of the must-sees. The bus comes by regularly, set-schedule to a meeting point, so you can stay for as long as you want/don't want and return to your hotel as you please.
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Julia Elzie
Family Travel Specialist
Affiliated with MEI-Travel and Mouse Fan Travel
E-mail: juliae@mei-travel..com
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