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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Does anyone have a suggestion for a family trip for 13 people, 2 grandparents, 5 'kids' (adults), and 6 grandkids (8yo, 4-6yos, infant) that is in the continental US?
My parents have graciously taken us all on several trips to an all-inclusive resort in Mexico several times and would like to do something in the US this year. Naturally, I suggested Disney, but they have never gone and aren't necessarily interested. I am still working on that idea though!
Does anyone have a suggestion for someplace that would be fun for the kids and still somewhat 'easy' to visit. We stay at all-inclusives whenever possible in Mexico and such because you don't have to organize eating out every meal for a group of 12.
I'm excited to hear ideas, we aren't coming up with a whole lot yet.
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We did a family trip of 18 at The Homestead in Virginia last summer. Great place for a wide variety of ages in both summer and winter. Also we did a trip with the other side of our family to Biltmore Estate in NC several years ago.
I would suggest renting a large house at the ocean. My kids always enjoyed their time with their cousins at the beach. I like the east coast better-Maine, Cape Cod, Long Island.
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Michelle, I think you should take an Alaskan Cruise on the Disney Wonder !
Okay, sorry.......
I forget what part of the country you are from. I can tell you that we took a trip to San Diego with my parents and my sister and her husband, We had a blast! San Diego has very good public transportation and it also offers a wide variety of activities that appeal to people of all ages. It also has fabulous weather!!!! We went to Sea World, the Zoo, the Safari Park, Legoland, went to a baseball game, took harbor tours and trolley tours, went to museums at Balboa Park, and more.
I dont know what part of the world you are from or where you have been but here is an idea on your question.
Because Disney is out why don't the 7 adults each think about a place they would like to go. It could be a week at the Outter Banks, TX, IL where ever. Then have a night where everyone comes over for dinner and pitch their ideas. Once the "pitchs" are over then put each place on a slip of paper and put it in a hat, don't worry about it for the rest of the night so to speak. Let the adults know that one of the kids are going to pick where y'all will go. However no one will know what kid gets to pick. You pick a "winning word" tell the adults so that if they hear the kid say it they can say ok Bobby gets to pick out of the can. And what ever gets pick that is where you go on vacation!
Wow! Thanks for all of the great ideas! I forgot to mention that we're in Colorado, but we're definitely willing to travel. These ideas are a great kickstart to get us thinking. I also like the idea for each adult to write their idea down and then draw to see where we go.
Quote:
Originally Posted by HollyH
Michelle, I think you should take an Alaskan Cruise on the Disney Wonder !
Okay, sorry.......
I'll forgive you, this time! I know that my parents and my sister that sailed with us last year would go again in a heartbeat!