Taking Our (PassPorter) Friendship to the Next Level - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Taking Our (PassPorter) Friendship to the Next Level
As with many others on the boards, a few of us have become close over the years. We all 'met' on here and share common interests (other than Disney, but that being a main interest of course). Then we started following one another's TRs, then came texting & Facebook. And then thanks to Skype we all 'met' in person this past summer. We have monthly "Girl's Night In" via Skype and I look forward to it each month. And now we are "Taking Our Friendship to the Next Level" and meeting in person! The title came to me from a co-worker as we 'took our friendship to the next level' by going out for happy hour/girl's night out and not just being work friends, so there you have it.
And now for the details:
Who: Dawn (dsteiny23), Linny (Linnyad), Melissa (honeybee723) & Me/Kelly (OhToodles!)
What: FINALLY getting together in person
Where: Atlantic City, NJ; Showboat Casino
When: Sunday, March 3 - Tuesday, March 5
Why: See 'what' & the title to this PTR/TR!
I will actually be coming in on Saturday, March 2 and staying with Dawn and her wonderful boys. Then we will all be meeting Sunday am at Showboat. Linny has been our tour guide and has helped us with making decisions. We're still working on final details, but all we really want to do is spend time together!
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.
I can't wait to read more about this trip! I love reading about all of your Disney adventures. I can only imagine what you will do all together for a girls' weekend.
AH-HA!!!!! Sucker
I'm so glad you started this PTR actually Kelly, and tonight of course I found it really special. As I sit here on my laptop reading up on everyone's TR's, I'm also watching TV.....oh what am I watching you ask??? Walt's One Mans Dream documentary. I find that funny and also fitting.
Yay!!! So looking forward to this and finally seeing each other in person. Enjoying chatting, eating and Linny's AC touring plans!
I volunteered for TR duty, but for some reason I was vetoed
I will say I'm quite impressed with your updating lately though! You're doing better than me.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Linnynad
AH-HA!!!!! Sucker
I'm so glad you started this PTR actually Kelly, and tonight of course I found it really special. As I sit here on my laptop reading up on everyone's TR's, I'm also watching TV.....oh what am I watching you ask??? Walt's One Mans Dream documentary. I find that funny and also fitting.
I had noticed your countdown, Kelly, and am so glad we get to peek in at the fun via this report! I'm so glad you're all getting together and I have no doubt these are life-long bonds you are forming.
Yay!!! So looking forward to this and finally seeing each other in person. Enjoying chatting, eating and Linny's AC touring plans!
I volunteered for TR duty, but for some reason I was vetoed
Hmmmm? Don't ever know why that could be. Did you notice I wasn't jumping up and down with my hand raised? Kelly is super woman for being able to juggle two of these babies at the same time.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Linnynad
AH-HA!!!!! Sucker
I'm so glad you started this PTR actually Kelly, and tonight of course I found it really special. As I sit here on my laptop reading up on everyone's TR's, I'm also watching TV.....oh what am I watching you ask??? Walt's One Mans Dream documentary. I find that funny and also fitting.
Okay, so even though I wasn't watching Walt's One Man's Dream on my laptop, I did, however, get a little tear in my eye when I started reading it. Oh Lord I hope this isn't a sign of what's to come when we get together. I'm wanting way more laughs than tears (happy tears that is) with you girls.
Quote:
Originally Posted by OhToodles!
And this will be a group PTR/TR. Got that girls?
Okay...I guess if you really really want us too. (That's my whiney voice just so you know). Thanks for getting this thing started Kelly, and I'm getting ready to add my countdown to my siggie right now.
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.
Yay!! That sounds like a whole lot of fun. Girls trips with PP friends are the best! I am so glad you girls worked something out to make it happen.
Melissa, I am sure there will be tears. Of course, happy tears like you said, but they will be there. Just wait till you read my last day, once I get it posted. Not too mention when we finally met up in the airport arriving. Forgetaboutit!