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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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But enough about ME, dahlings! For this trip, I was determined to get into every nook and cranny of the Tree of Life. One way to do that is when you exit the Tough to Be a Bug attraction – turn left instead of following the crowd to the right. And so that’s what I did, snapping away like mad.
You wouldn't believe how many photos I'm leaving OUT, but I simply must share the rest of these with you, dear . Get comfortable, because this will take awhile. Some carvings are downright scary, some are beautiful, and all are magnificent. And I tend to hurry past them just like you do -- but not this time! I was determined to enjoy every single creature I could find on this tree.
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Some are so touchable, and others -- like this eagle -- are too high up to reach. I sure would love the opportunity to climb that whole tree with a guide sometime. It doesn't hurt to dream, does it?
I asked a Cast Member if there was a way to get closer to the front of the owl's face (I was up against a fence at this point), but the answer is no. Which makes it all the more fascinating. I guess I could have zoomed in on its face from across the water, but I kind of like it this way.
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You've been tremendously patient. And I will end my Tree of Life carvings with this one, which everyone sees as they enter It's Tough To Be a Bug. It's the only carving named for a specific animal: Jane Goodall's old friend, David Greybeard.
I am so thankful to Disney for the concept of the Tree of Life and to all the artists who worked on it.
You got so many great pictures of the tree! It's been a while since I took time out to appreciate it like that. Will have to remember to slow down next time! Loved the elephant, and the walrus, and the.....oh heck, love them ALL!
I enjoyed reliving those fabulous carvings in the TOL. Thanks for posting them. Dh has been wanting to go to Jiko, but I have been hestitate and sticking with Boma for the variety. You just changed my mind, but how do you think young kids would do there for dinner.
great shots of the tree, cindy. add me to those who have never really stopped to look at all the beautiful carvings....i love all the details at AKL. i have several african masks at home, and i love the decor.
I enjoyed reliving those fabulous carvings in the TOL. Thanks for posting them. Dh has been wanting to go to Jiko, but I have been hestitate and sticking with Boma for the variety. You just changed my mind, but how do you think young kids would do there for dinner.
Wow, Cindy those are just awesome pics of the tree, Once I got to look at the carvings, when I took a crying 5 year old out of it's tough to be a bug! But, those are some of the most amazing pics I've seen in awhile! Thanks!
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Some carvings are downright scary, some are beautiful, and all are magnificent. And I tend to hurry past them just like you do -- but not this time! I was determined to enjoy every single creature I could find on this tree.
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