Taking Our (PassPorter) Friendship to the Next Level - Page 12 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Too bad you had to leave the game and miss Dylan's basket, only to find out at the airport that you could have stayed a little longer I'm glad your family got it on video for you atleast. It sounds like you're off to a good start to your weekend!
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You knew darn well that was bound to happen, didn't you?
But, if you're going to drown your sorrows, a Starbucks Frap is the way to go!!
Hmmm, the flight attendants were appreciative and loved the gift bags, wonder what that feels like...
Registered Message Board Members Get Our Free Newsletter! When you register you'll have the option to sign up for our weekly PassPorter Newsletter. It's chock-full of feature articles; news; tips; contests; photos; and special offers in our online store.
Registered Message Board Members save 30% off PassPorter guidebooks! When you register you'll have access to a discount coupon good for 30% off the list price of PassPorter books in our online store.
What a shame about Dylan's basket! Just wait until Lukas is on teams, too, and you have to choose which game to watch "live"! Glad you're on your way!
I know! Next week they start swim lessons at the same time. Someone has to be in the pool with Lukas so Dylan will be on his own. I'm a little nervous!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Thomhazel
Sorry you missed the basket, but at least it was for such a good reason. Hopefully he will repeat the performance now you are home.
Sadly that was the last game of the season. Good news is soccer started last Saturday and he scored 4 goals, which I saw!
Flight was uneventful and soon I was back on the ground, hundreds of miles away of where I’d just left. I was off the plane quickly and made my way to baggage claim where Dawn was to be meeting me. On ly I found her as soon as I made my exit past security. There she was with a big grin and a big hand! DME (aka Dawn’s Magical Express) was there waiting for me and was just as welcoming and magical as Disney’s Magical Express. Hugs were exchanged and we made our way out to the car. This was a picture Dawn texted to Linny & Melissa before leaving to pick me up, but you get the idea of how she looked waving to me once I saw her.
We got so busy talking that Dawn missed our exit and took me on a tour on the city instead. It turned out to be a pleasant mistake and I got to see NYC a bit too. It seemed like we’d known each other forever and just picked right up where we left off if we’d ever met before. Which we have in virtual reality, but this was real. I remember being only slightly nervous about this whole situation and knew immediately once I was with Dawn that there really was nothing to be nervous about. Linny made a comment later in the weekend that I really was the one taking the biggest risk. Everyone else could bail at any second – back to their cars and only a 15 minute or 2 hour car ride home, but not me. I was flying hundreds of miles to meet ‘strangers’ and my husband let me. It of course all worked out fine, but you never really know until it actually happens.
Anyway, soon we were pulling up to Dawn’s house. And as we were getting out of the car there was a greeting from the 2nd story window. Needless to say the boys were waiting and watching for our arrival. I met everyone except Zach right away and they were all so nice and welcoming, even Tyler’s friend (and later parents) were nice. I brought my things upstairs to my room for the night, leaving my shoes downstairs – didn’t want to be the one to mess up the new carpets! And was greeted once again by a Disney touch. Dawn really knows how to make an impression! She also gave me gifts for the boys, which I somehow managed to keep wrapped until I arrived home. Dylan got a set of Cars and Lukas the Jake & the Neverland Pirates playset. (Funny thing is his favorite is Mr. Smee from the set.) Thanks Dawn! The boys loved them. Dylan’s words were “I wanted these!” towel art away from Disney! and those toiletries everyone takes home were put to good use!
I went back downstairs and now it was time to decide what to have for dinner. I was certainly getting hungry – that scone and frap doesn’t make a lasting meal. Dawn brought out the menus and told me to pick. There was Italian, pizza or Chinese and I really had no idea – too many choices! We decided on pizza so I could have ‘real’ pizza, which I think Linny calls North Jersey pizza. Anyway, Dawn & I picked it up from the restaurant and some garlic knots. Holy cow those were good! We think it’s pizza dough tied in a knot and dipped in a garlic butter with some parmesan cheese. And the pizza was really good too! checking out one of the menus
At dinner we were talking about all that we’d be doing and seeing when Lucy the elephant was brought up. And Dawn mad ethe mistake of saying there was a window in her butt and well with a table of boys you can see the conversation went downhill fast. Zach also came for dinner so I got to meet him as well. And apparently I stole his room for the night. Sorry Zach!
After dinner Dawn needed to pack so I watched and tried to hold off Jason. He wanted me to watch him play video games which was really so cute and sweet – and I eventually gave in and watched him play a bit. He also wanted to be sure I saw how the Hot Wheels Wall Tracks worked that were in my room. Those were pretty cool too – and different from the ones we have at home. Dawn & I just chatted a bunch while she packed and watched Jason play with his toys. It all felt so easy and was so nice.
We watched a movie. I know we watched Bridesmaids but was there something before that? I can’t remember. Maybe Dawn will. It was then getting late and we wanted to get up and moving in the morning to be in AC by 11am, which was a 2 hour drive away. I will say that I had an excellent night sleep and don’t think I moved once during the night.
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I'm glad your family got it on video for you atleast. It sounds like you're off to a good start to your weekend!
Great start otherwise! 
"Sparky"(My first trip.)
Disney Magic - Oct 2015
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