Celebrating as One Big Happy Family: 5/10/14 - 5/18/14 - Page 28 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Just have to say that from the pics I've seen on FB of some of your shoots, you are bound to be a success! You have such talent! And good to have something to focus on, other than Hope, of course!
So sorry that you're going through such a difficult time Melissa. Although I'm sure some days may seem dark, remember that brighter days are ahead for you and Hope. We're here for you whenever you're ready to return to PP.
Melissa, so sorry to have read this and know that you are going thru this. You and Hope are in my prayers as you go thru this and figure out your new normal. Know that we are here for you
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.
Evan and I are planning on coming down your neck of the woods before the end of the year. We are heading to DC in November but in December I want to bring him to MD because we are going to try and see the "ICE" display at Marriot/Gaylord. If that isn't too far from you and Hope maybe we could meet up for a cup of coffee or tour together. Christmas on the Potomac | Gaylord National Resort Near Washington D.C.
Oh Melissa I'm so sorry that you are dealing with this situation. I had been away from the boards for a while as we were moving so I'm a little behind on sending these
You are a strong lady and can handle this. Even if sometimes you feel defeated. Your daughter knows mommy loves her and things will work out the way they are supposed to. Even if the road is long and the tears are many. You've got a beautiful daughter and a wonderful business adventure to keep your future bright.
I can't believe I've made my way back here to the boards. It actually feels a bit strange because I've been gone for so long. There's been so many times that I wanted to hop on here, but for some reason I just couldn't. I'm definitely going to try to get my feet wet again around here, but I'm still not sure if that means ever finishing this report. My life is completely different than it was at that time, and even though Chad and I are trying to remain friendly, I just feel weird at the thought of posting "happy" family pictures.
We're going through with the divorce. I had approached him with a trial separation, along with counseling, and he threw me for a loop when he said he just wanted the divorce. He moved out in October, and everything has now been filed. Hope and I are adjusting, and even though he talks to her every day, he doesn't see her as much as I think he should. Hopefully that will change.
My mom and I have a trip to Disney World planned for this October, sort of as a celebration for making it through this nightmare but also to get me to my happy place since I definitely need it. I'm hoping between the legal fees and all the other financial issues that come with this, that I still be able to afford the trip when the time comes, but I'll keep thinking positive until then.
I also haven't been able to pick up my camera since December. I so desperately want to get my business started...I could definitely use the money, but my desire just isn't there right now. I know it'll happen, but it just hasn't happened yet. I'm hoping that by coming back on here and being around all the friendly faces I knew so well, that it'll give me that spark of positivity I need.
Anyway, there's my little not-so-happy update. Sorry. But you'll be seeing me around here, hopefully more and more, and just so you know, I did miss this place very very much.
Oh, Melissa! You know, a couple of days ago I was wondering about you and how you were doing. I'm so sorry you and Hope are going through this. You know that you can count on your Passporter family to bounce back from this. Hope you find the strength to get on with your life and that you find the peace and happiness that you much deserve.
So wonderful to "see" you back here again! Don't worry about finishing up this report-- I can understand that even though it's WDW, it's not a time you'd like to focus on. Visiting here and laughing and planning your next trip (yay!) will be great for you and for us. I do hope you start up your photography again. I bet seeing others' attempts here will get the juices flowing again. Welcome home!
Good to hear from you, Melissa! Like others, I have been wondering how you're doing. Based on a few things on FB, I assumed that at least the separation was moving forward. I'm sure it is all painful right now, but I know you have lots of good support between your family, friends, and other PP'rs.
I do hope you can get back into the swing of it with the photography - you really do have a gift with that.
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Although I'm sure some days may seem dark, remember that brighter days are ahead for you and Hope. We're here for you whenever you're ready to return to PP.
Holly: 
It actually feels a bit strange because I've been gone for so long. There's been so many times that I wanted to hop on here, but for some reason I just couldn't. I'm definitely going to try to get my feet wet again around here, but I'm still not sure if that means ever finishing this report. My life is completely different than it was at that time, and even though Chad and I are trying to remain friendly, I just feel weird at the thought of posting "happy" family pictures. 
Katie's graduation
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