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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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 don't know why using the GAC as instructed, implies that someone has "entitlement issues". Both of my children are on the spectrum and other than our first trips in 2003 & 2007 we have requested a GAC every trip for both kids (in case we split up, which we often do). Note: In 2003 my kids were 3y & 6m old and had not been diagnosed and in 2007 we did not know about the GAC. When we get the GAC we have done what we have been instructed to do. We went to the CM at the attraction and asked where we go. Sometimes they directed us in the FP queue, sometimes we were instructed to get a FP, sometimes we were taken to alternate entrances altogether and sometimes the CM would ask questions to determine what accommodations would work best (i.e. sitting close to the front or sitting on an end aisle in shows etc.) I don't feel that doing what the CM's said is an entitlement issue, we used it at every attraction and asked where to go and followed their directions.
We did not use FP very often because trying to return during an hour period of time can prove to be very difficult for our kids. They may be engrossed in another activity and they can't transition. But if we skip the FP ride, once they realize they have missed it can also be a problem. Transitioning can be one of the most difficult things for us and we utilize schedules but if we don't know when the return time will fall in a schedule it can be challenging. Not impossible, but challenging. Typically, if FP was our only option, we would have to work out the best option for us that day. I often would try to work in these attractions early in the day or late in the evening, during parades or fireworks (both of which are very difficult for our kids to enjoy with the crowds).
I do feel that the GAC provided an "above and beyond" Disney service and I am very sad that people have abused it so blatantly. At the moment I think the new system will make things more difficult for my family and I am going to have to be very creative in planning our days to make it work without adding to the frustration. I think we will be able to make it work, but we will have to use more of our coping strategies and we may have more meltdowns than we have had on past trips, at least until the kids adjust to the changes.
It is going to be a big change for everybody that was use to using the GAC as an unlimited fastpass. But Disney going above and beyond led to the abuse and issues that now have to be corrected. Now it has come down a notch to just providing equal access.
It is going to be a big learning curve for most families with Autistic kids. And it may mean for some families that they can no longer come to Disney year after year. But things had to change. Disney just could no longer allow the abuse. It was affecting the able bodied ppl's park experince by increasing wait times because of the sheer volume of ppl going through the FP line with GAC's. It was oit of hand.
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10/27-11/4/12 All Star Music Family Suite (DDP) --Family Trip
4/14-4/19/13 Quality Suites Lake Buena Vista- Adults Only Trip
11/10-11/17/13 Wyndham Bonnet Creek- Adults Only Trip
11/2015 Wyndham Bonnet Creek- Family trip
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TuffyCO
I do feel that the GAC provided an "above and beyond" Disney service and I am very sad that people have abused it so blatantly. At the moment I think the new system will make things more difficult for my family and I am going to have to be very creative in planning our days to make it work without adding to the frustration. I think we will be able to make it work, but we will have to use more of our coping strategies and we may have more meltdowns than we have had on past trips, at least until the kids adjust to the changes.
I truly hope you guys find a way to continue enjoying WDW. When is your next trip planned? Hopefully others in your situation will have reported their experiences and coping mechanisms for you to try before then.
Change is going to happen, That's a fact..
When more info & facts has been released we can discuss it more.
But for now I am closing this thread after receiving several complaints via email.
Thanks for understanding..
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