It All Started With A Postcard **Updated 4/26** - Page 2 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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I found this just in the nick of time!
Great start!! You are going to have a Magic-al time!! How do I know? Cuz we did it!!
But, since we did the Western, I am curious to hear all about the Eastern!!
Wow, what a great way to start, with a postcard from NanaTink. She and Sulley were tablemates with DH and I and 4 other great PPers on the eastbound repo cruise last August. They are great people!
You guys are going to have a wonderful time. Can't wait to hear all about it.
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Great start!!! I can't wait to hear all about the cruise.
My husband and I were also married in May and this year will be 15 years! I can't believe how fast it goes.
Have a wonderful trip!!!!
anc Congrats to you and DH on your 15th
Quote:
Originally Posted by chezp
Great start and what a wonderful way to celebrate your 20th anniversary!
CHeryl
Quote:
Originally Posted by Moxrox
Sounds like you and DH are going to have a magical Valentines day!!
Can't wait to hear your TR when you get back!!!!!!!!
Moxrox
Quote:
Originally Posted by MontiMouse
Sounds MAGICal Melissa. We are planning a cruise next year for our 20th Anniversary. The funny this is our dates for next year are exactly the same as your dates for this year! Hurry back with more...
Monica, I will take good notes for you!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by NanaTink
Yes, I KNEW if I sent you that postcard!!!! Grumpy was toast from the moment I picked it up in Treasure Ketch! He never had a chance! BWAHAHAHAHA!!!
I can't wait for you to go because I KNOW you are going to it! Hurry back with more!
Stephanie, my sister planner in all things Disney
Quote:
Originally Posted by mom2twingirlies
Sounds awesome. Mmmmm - 20th anniversary cruise. This sounds like a great idea - maybe something to plan for......
I will take doubly good notes, so we can plan your cruise
Quote:
Originally Posted by FanOfMickey
Great start to your TR!! I really can't wait to hear about it as I am going on the Eastern in April with a bunch of other Passporters
and Congrats on your April cruise, I think I am th eonly PPer on this cruise
Glad you started writing the TR, Melissa! I know how very excited you are to take this cruise; it is going to be awesome!
danielle
Danielle,
Quote:
Originally Posted by cmhand30
I hope you have a grand time! I will be missing you by a few months! Someday we will meet!
Charleen, one of these days we will run into each other
Quote:
Originally Posted by Luvsun
Sounds wonderful!
I will look forward to reading all about your romantic anniversary cruise! (since we are going on one in November!!)
Why didn't I know about the DCL DVD????? I am off to check that out!
Luvsun, I will take good notes for you!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by DyanKJ130
Great start!! Looking forward to more
Dyan
Quote:
Originally Posted by shellybelly72
Great start!
Shelly
Quote:
Originally Posted by CRCrazy
Congratulations - I can't wait for you to go on your special trip so I can read all about it.
Good luck with the snorkeling - I too am snorkeling handicapped. I've only been once - off the coast of St. John. I am seriously nearsighted - so unfortunately, when I put on my mask - I had to take off my glasses so I couldn't see anything. I didn't wear flippers - and since I couldn't see - I stepped on a sea urchin - YUCK!! I still have little black spots on my toe where the spine disintegrated as I pulled them out. Those things hurt!!!!!
So - take my advice - wear flippers!!!!!
Marie, I will take your advice and stay away from the sea urchins
Quote:
Originally Posted by iamgrumpy
Your going to have such a Magical time! I can't wait to hear all about it!
Amy, I only hope that my TR can live up to one of yours!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kenny
I found this just in the nick of time!
Great start!! You are going to have a Magic-al time!! How do I know? Cuz we did it!!
But, since we did the Western, I am curious to hear all about the Eastern!!
Kenny, I enjoyed your Western TR, so I hope IO can do it justice with my Eatern TR!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Grammy Grumpy
Wow, what a great way to start, with a postcard from NanaTink. She and Sulley were tablemates with DH and I and 4 other great PPers on the eastbound repo cruise last August. They are great people!
You guys are going to have a wonderful time. Can't wait to hear all about it.
Grammy Grumpy, I heard you all had a wonderful time on your Eastbound Repo.
Well one day we happen to venture into the newly reopened Surf Shop down on the beach in Biloxi. Know if you now Biloxi the only way you are ever going to surf is on a very windy day with a huge sail attached to you; or you have to wait for the next Tropical storm to roll in so that you can catch a wave. So to have a Surf Shop in Biloxi and Gulfport is really quite funny
So Grumpy and I walked in and much to our surprise the store walls were covered with Pirate Paraphernalia: jawdrop: We found the best T-shirt for Grumpy and tank top for yours truly. I found a wonderful skirt on Ebay for $5 to wear on pirate night, I actually found quite a few skirts on Ebay, but I digress.....
Well I called DCL in November and booked the Romance at Sea package for us and the next day I was able to go online to DCL and book my Palo reservation and all my excursions. We are dining at Palo on Sunday 15 Feb. WAHOOO
We booked an excursion in St. Maarten, Under Two Flags Tour, which will take us to both the French and Dutch side of the island. We booked the Walking Tour of St Thomas, which will take us up or down the 99 steps, but I read there are really 103 steps. Good thing Grumpy and I already do a lot of walking. So we are ready for 99 or 103 steps!
We traveled to PA for the holidays, we were lucky enough to experience, snow, ice, temperatures below 10 degrees. The whole time Grumpy and were counting down the days until we sail the azure blue Caribbean.
In January Grumpy and I went off to do some shopping for the cruise, specifically Snorkeling gear. So we went to the Surf Shop in Biloxi, we found snorkeling gear there for $10.00, the same exact gear at Academy Sports was $25!!!
We are at 4 days and counting until we depart. I was up at 6am this morning, ironing all our clothes to be packed. The suitcases are packed, our clothes for our garment bag hanging on the bedroom door, pressed and waiting to be put in the bag. We are both only working 3 days this week. Oh how will I make it thru the next 3 days at work.
We are planning on departing from home on Friday, 13 Feb, drop the fur kids off at the vet and then drive to Ocala, stay the night there at the Best Western and get up the next morning and drive to the port.