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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Then, because we’d failed to go to Germany on Monday and because I would have nearly 3 hours to kill at the airport, we headed over there (caramel shop, of course). And on the way, we saw something neither of us had ever seen before: The Spirit of America Fife and Drum Corps in front of the American Experience. It was wonderful! One gentleman sang, and he saluted two veterans who were in the crowd. And Sheri and I both got tears in our eyes and cried "Hooray" for the military. It was magnificent.
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And in addition to the chocolate-caramel-pecan "turtles" (I never remember what they call them in Germany) that I knew Rick (Mister I Hate Disney) would help me eat at home , I inquired about an enormous thingy and was told “that’s a Rice Krispies treat drizzled with caramel and chocolate and pecans.” I’ll take that, too! (Rick complained later that he never even got to SEE this treat – and that’s because I ate the whole thing in the Orlando airport. )
Then we hoofed it back around the world so I could catch DME from the Beach Club. I told everyone at the BC that I certainly hoped to stay there again someday.
Sheri waited with me and we hugged goodbye. Here’s the last photo I took before getting on the bus and heading back to winter (although I shouldn't complain -- we have had an extremely mild winter in St. Louis ):
Oh, and today I took some of my photos I'd taken from across the water of the Tree of Life and cropped the heck out of them – and lookie here, there are a couple of nice images of several of the carved animals:
And I've cleaned up the Walrus-Rhino picture a bit:
And guess what my dear friend Kathy located for me at a flea market while I was gone?
Oh Marilyn! This is so "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend!"
And of course I had to try them on.
And yes, that was taken in my office and I have a picture of Pinocchio behind me to which I've added a Walt Disney quote: "Always be in a state of becoming."
And then see what else she found at the flea market: it's a WORKING PHONE. Every time it rings, Goofy's head comes up, his eyes open, and he says one of five different sentences before his head drops back down and he starts snoring.
Here are his five sentences, one per ring:
1. Huh? Did YOU hear somethin' ringin’?
2. Whaddaya know? A phone call!
3. If it’s for me (yawn), I’m a sleepin’.
4. Whoa – hit the snooze button for me, will ya?
5. Hmm – guess you’re not home.
Now it's time to say goodbye to all our company, M-I-C -- see you real soon! K-E-Y -- why? Because we LIKE you! M-O-U-S-E.
I hope you've enjoyed my Trip Report as much as I've enjoyed it!
O.M.G.!!!!!!! How the heck did I miss this TR???? I had seen some things on FB but totally missed the trip report. And, excellent it was I must say.
You guys are awesome and it is so very obvious that you are two great friends who had a great time!
Thanks for taking us along Darlings!
we ALWAYS have a fabu time together, Barb. and YOU would have a great time with us as well...hmmmm....a plan might be hatching....it does not take much to convince miss cindy, er gloria, er cindy to come on down for a visit. hmmm...maybe a fabulous and frivolous fine fillies in their fifties frolic in the world in the works????
Well, Cindy, you can have the pic of Mickey with the castle. I will take the REAL one! hahaha. Those gloves are terrific! Great TR - Dahling! Thank you so much for sharing with your fans!
Dahling, I was woefully behind, but just read 6 pages to finish the TR. can't decide which meal I would rather have witnessed -50's PTC or HBD. You ladies are such a riot, and I laugh all the way thru the TR, can't imagine it "live."
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