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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Myself - Diane age 48
DD - #1 Age 20
DD - #2 Age 14
Here is a little pre-trip report for my upcoming trip with my daughters. Leaving July 14th for five days. I will be driving from southern NH, so the drive should take me about 5.5 hours without stopping. My driving leg should be fairly numb by the time I get there!
I have been to Bar Harbor/Acadia 3 other times in the past and have enjoyed it each time. Here are our plans...
WE are staying this time, at the HOliday Inn Regency - on Frenchman's Bay. They have a pool, ocean=view rooms with a balcony and a "tiki bar". But mind you, it is still a Holiday Inn. I hope it will be nice enough however, as I have never stayed there before.
My first trip to BH was sans children. My ex-husband and I drove the 5.5 hours in a rain storm to a campground just over the bridge onto the island. (Yes, Bar Harbor is actually an island). We stayed at Narrows Too Campground on that trip many years ago. It was right on the water. And the water was right in our tent! It was a stressful setup to say the least. On that trip, I really didn't have a handle on what to do in Acadia like I do now....so susbsequent trips just improved, simply because I knew what to do and what not to do.
Trip #2 was with just two of my girls. We stayed "in style" in the heart of downtown BH at the "Harborside". They had a pool and restuarants and a bar. But it was sooo expensive! I ran out of money pretty quickly. We made due, but that trip was also a bit stressful, because I was a pennyless single mom. We had many nice memories, however.
Fast forward to trip #3 (myself and significant other Tom). This trip was just last July, 2013. We stayed at Emery's Cottages. They are older accommodations, with no air-conditioning, but are extremely clean, quaint and RIGHT ON FRENCHMAN'S BAY! The view was amazing. We would make a cocktail and bring cheese and crackers to the lounge chairs on the bluff that overlooked the bay. We would watch the sea porpoises and boats go by as the sun dripped into the horizon. It was beautiful!
This year I am going with my girls again - but we are staying at Holiday Inn, like I mentioned before. I figure I need less rustic accommodations and a pool for them. I'll tell you more specific plans in a future update.......
Ok, enough with past trips - let's focus on this one
My plan is to get up bright and early and load the car next Monday. I'm going to take along a small cooler so I can transport some things for use in the room. Eating out for all three meals is not in the cards - so here is what I'm going to take along:
Belvita breakfast cookies (I discovered these recently and love them)
Chobani coconut greek yogart (again we love these)
Individual cups of oatmeal
Bagels and cream cheese
various -in-room snacks (roasted almonds, oreos, various drinks, bottle or two of wine - can't forget the corkscrew!). I'm probably gonna pick up some already cut up fruit or grapes to have with cheese and crackers. I figure we can sit out on the balcony in the evenings after we get back from the downtown area each night and just relax.
I am really starting to look forward to this brief trip away. It has been a long school year for everyone. I'm not sure if I mentioned it before in a previous post, but I work for a high school - year round. For those who do not work in education, it is hard to understand how busy it can be to close out one school year and get ready for the next! Can you say c.r.a.z.y......
I digress, where was I??? ok, so the food requirements will be met, luggage will be packed (fyi the weather in coastal Maine can be tricky). I have been checking ACUweather all week long and it keeps changing! The fog can roll in very quickly up there and you have to be ready for it. I am hoping to have at least two sunny days that are warm enough to simply lounge by the pool. They have a Tiki Bar with a food menu that I am hoping to try. Some of the drinks look interesting along with some food offerings.
Here are some of the things from their menu online: Warm Spinach & Artichoke Dip with torilla chips; grilled burgers; A cabana chicken sandwich sounds good: Grilled chicken breast, house-made barbeque glaze, bacon, cabot cheddar cheese on on a fresh roll. That sounds like it is right up my alley! the cocktails sound great too like: "sun shower" "indian summer" and a special mai tai......The prices are a little steep but isn't everything in life nowadays?
I would like to be able to upload photos to this report, but I am so challenged by this site to do this correctly! Any help/tips would be appreciated. I thought I followed the directions to a T when I did my PTR for my Feb. trip to POR, but apparently no one could see my photos Now mind you, I could see them just fine when I posted them, but none of you could see them. Why is this? I am pretty tech savy, or so I thought I was, but apparently I am not.....
After we arrive and get checked in, depending on the time, our room might not be ready. The long drive is hard to do, but hopefully my kids will help me pass the time and they won't be "plugged in" the whole way! I think I'm going to put together a car traveling goodie bag. I know they are older now, but they (and me) will find it fun to dig into. I'll probably get a MadLib book, some magazines and some candy. I usually don't stop, except to gas up in Ellsworth before heading over to the island. I might stop at McDonalds, like I did last year, to get a bathroom break and stretch my legs. Maybe grab a coke and some fries for the last part of the journey.
After check in and depending on the time, my plan is to explore the hotel grounds. We will head to the "Visitor's Center of Acadia National Park" where we will get our car pass to enter the park. It is good for 7 days. That way, the next morning we won't have to do that and we can just head on in.
Dinner that night will be at our favorite pizza place of all time. Rosalie's Pizza! Best pizza I have ever had. Seriously good stuff We will end the evening early, but not without the traditional stroll along the streets of downtown BH. The shops are so cute to stroll through and of course there is ice cream to be had. They actually have lobster ice cream. It looks gross IMO. to each his own though. We'll drive back to the hotel and relax. The game plan is to be up bright and early the next morning........
Great start! We're heading up the Bar Harbor the last week in July, staying at the Harborside! Still trying to get into the BH Inn, where we've stayed before, so I can save $100+ a night! Looking forward to hearing about your adventures!
You are so right about packing for a trip to Maine. The weather changes constantly and quickly and temps vary a lot all through the day! Can't beat that Maine sea air, though.
Plans look good. I agree, Rosalie's pizza is fantastic. We try to stay at the Bar Harbor Inn at least once each year, but I always insist we walk for pizza!
Great start! We're heading up the Bar Harbor the last week in July, staying at the Harborside! Still trying to get into the BH Inn, where we've stayed before, so I can save $100+ a night! Looking forward to hearing about your adventures!
__________________Colexis Mom
I really liked the Harborside - the rooms were nice and the location was so close to everything. We walked every night to shops and dinner. The walk out on the sand bar to Bar Island (sp?) was literally right around the corner. I hope you get BH Inn and are able to save some money
Looking forward to this. Bar Harbor is one of the stops on my October cruise duck addict
Where does the cruise leave from? Portland or Boston....I always thought it would be fun to do a cruise up the coast of Maine.
You are so right about packing for a trip to Maine. The weather changes constantly and quickly and temps vary a lot all through the day! Can't beat that Maine sea air, though. lauriep
Yup - sure does. On our 2nd visit. the fog was so thick it was a very defined "wall" of fog. You could actually walk into it and disappear and walk a few feet out of it back into visability! it was so weird
Plans look good. I agree, Rosalie's pizza is fantastic. We try to stay at the Bar Harbor Inn at least once each year, but I always insist we walk for pizza!
Are you able to see this photo? I followed the 90 step directions to upload it!
Anyway, this a pic of yours truly when we stayed at Emery's Cottages on Frenchmans Bay. As you can see we had a great view from those lounge chairs.
Great start! We're heading up the Bar Harbor the last week in July, staying at the Harborside! Still trying to get into the BH Inn, where we've stayed before, so I can save $100+ a night! Looking forward to hearing about your adventures!
__________________Colexis Mom
I really liked the Harborside - the rooms were nice and the location was so close to everything. We walked every night to shops and dinner. The walk out on the sand bar to Bar Island (sp?) was literally right around the corner. I hope you get BH Inn and are able to save some money
Looking forward to this. Bar Harbor is one of the stops on my October cruise duck addict
Where does the cruise leave from? Portland or Boston....I always thought it would be fun to do a cruise up the coast of Maine.
You are so right about packing for a trip to Maine. The weather changes constantly and quickly and temps vary a lot all through the day! Can't beat that Maine sea air, though. lauriep
Yup - sure does. On our 2nd visit. the fog was so thick it was a very defined "wall" of fog. You could actually walk into it and disappear and walk a few feet out of it back into visability! it was so weird
Plans look good. I agree, Rosalie's pizza is fantastic. We try to stay at the Bar Harbor Inn at least once each year, but I always insist we walk for pizza!
I actually dream about this pizza!
I fly to Quebec, spend the arrival night at Le Fronterac, then board the ship with two days in Quebec, then Port Sanquenay, Hallifax, Bar Harbor, Boston, Newport, NY City, Charleston, SC then get off in Port Everglades.
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DLinNH
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! Can you say c.r.a.z.y......
Now mind you, I could see them just fine when I posted them, but none of you could see them. Why is this? I am pretty tech savy, or so I thought I was, but apparently I am not.....
We will end the evening early, but not without the traditional stroll along the streets of downtown BH. The shops are so cute to stroll through and of course there is ice cream to be had. They actually have lobster ice cream
Looking forward to hearing about your adventures! 
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