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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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 have a mesh sling-type napsack. super lightweight. good for camera, passporter pouch which holds cash and cards, passporter pages and if need be expands out to hold toys, bottles, etc.
with the mesh security doesn't even open it, just takes a look through the mesh.
I also use either the Vera Bradley Hipster or the Vera Bradley wallet on a string. Both can be used across your body so it doesn't slide off your shoulder.
I bought a hiking fanny pack. It is bigger then normal. It has 2 water bottel holders and a big, and I mean big, pouch.
I bought one of these as well. I will be using one of the water bottles for incidentals I don't want lost or wet. The other can be used for drinks. That leaves the pockets open for all my other essentials. I also just bought a more compact camera I will be keeping in there with just my wallet and passes. The less I have to carry the happier I am!
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My 19 year old hero! Hurry home! (A.K.A. D_Stitch)
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I use this sling bag and LOVE it! It has two pockets for camera and cell phone, plus the inner pouch for water bottle/ drink mixes. And I can keep my pins on the strap
I'm still looking. I'm not sure what to buy, but I'm leaning towards a bagallini. I have two kids and can't get away with something small. I'm going to pick something gender neutral so my husband can help carry!
I found a fabulous bag this weekend at the columbia outlet store. I think it is going to work well. It is a cross body bag and if I can get a picture I will put it on here to show everyone.
I have used the same microfiber kidney bean shaped healthy back bag for years. It is water resistant for my camera, has outer and inner pockets and enough room for a sweater if I need it.
The downside is that there is only one strap. I would love to just go in with items I need in my pockets, but I'm always afraid they'll fall out on rides etc.
Here's a bag identical to mine. I got mine on sale.
I use an extra large cargo style - casual - cross shoulder purse.
It is cotton denim weight -- and has lots of zippers
It is big enough for everything from autograph books to camera, wallet and camera , plus small purchases.
And then it is machine washable when I get home
Last time we visited, we used a back pack, but that became cumbersome and hot on the back. It was too big to bring on most rides and had to check it in the lockers....what a bother!
This time, I'm trying a Gemline eco choice bag. Gemline.com - Shop Gemline It has a long enough strap that I can put it over my head and wear it across my torso. During the summer months at home, I use a fanny pack, but I know that won't be big enough at Disney.
I use a side shoulder purse (World Famous), it;s a little bigger than a purse but not as big as a bag.... works great for me...But last time I bought the Jack (Nightmare Before Christmas) backpack...and that worked even better
We used 2 different kinds of bags. (have little ones) Hanging on the back of the stroller was the see through backpack. Included all the essentials like diapers,wipes,sunscreen, pens and books. I also carried a fannypack with the important stuff like the cards,cash camera, phone etc. Believe it or not neither one was bothersome at all. I think it all depends on what kind of a packer you are and if you know you will be "collecting" disney stuff.
I really, really dislike standing in a 20-minute line to have someone paw through my bag every time I enter the parks. I don't like wasing my time, and I don't see any need to be searched, since I never carry any prohibited items into the parks.
I also don't like to be weighed down. Even when I did carry a bag, in the days before the bag checks, I stuck with a small bag, roughly equal in size to a gallon-size Ziploc. If something didn't fit in the bag, or into my pockets, I didn't carry it.
The bag I was using was something I picked up at WalMart over a decade ago - and still have - which had belt loops and a removable shoulder strap. Since I wore a water bottle belt into the parks anyway, I used the belt loops and added the bag to the water bottle belt.
Later, I added a cell phone pouch to the belt.
When the bag checks started getting on my nerves, I removed the bag and redistributed the items I normally carried in it to my pockets, or my camera strap, or hung them on the belt in plain view so there was no need to go through the bag check. Those items included a Mickey poncho, sunblock, a tabletop tripod for my camera, extra film (before I went digital), and a pencil and notebook for making trip notes.
These days, the utility belt is still alive and well, and my trusty old camera strap has been replaced by a much more comfortable and secure camera harness.
There is only so much stuff that can be crammed into my pockets or hung on the belt or camera harness without adding an actual bag to the mix; this limitation helps me to keep my touring gear light and limited, so that I don't have to worry about what to do with a bulky bag when I get on a ride or see a show or even in the bathroom stalls. My current setup, pictured below, is comfortable, convenient, and secure enough for all-day touring. I change a few things with each trip, but the basic setup is flexible enough to accommodate lots of modification and variation.
Besides:
I've got gadgets and gizmos a-plenty
I've got who's-its and what's-its galore
You want thing-a-mabobs?
I've got twenty
But who cares? No big deal. I want more!
Oooo, I love this setup, WillCAD. When I am out shooting (Sony A100), I have photographer's vest and a small bag that I carry. It's just too hot for me to wear in FL in late August, though, so I'll use a smaller bag. Still, I love this harness set up. Thanks for sharing!