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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Those castle shots...all of them...are gorgeous. And you couldn't have had a more beautiful blue sky as backdrop. Funny to see the Partners statue in the Studios. And yeah...I think Blanche is going to stick. Although I keep thinking of Blanche DuBois from Golden Girls and...oh...wait...yup...now I'm singing the song. "Thank you for being a friend....." Thanks PSha!
Is it possible to have too many castle pictures??? I don't think so!
Remy is very cute. The stained glass windows are beautiful. That rides sounds so cool. I need to win the lottery, so I can add DLP to my list of places to see.
Blanche. Too funny! It was odd seeing the Partners statue in Studios instead of in front of the castle. And, the castle is gorgeous! I would have taken a billion pictures, too. Remy looks like fun. They really should keep him around at Epcot. I can't get over the Germans and the wait for the ride. I'm glad the ride was worth it. I hope you get to ride it again without the same long wait. Great update!
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.
Great update Sha! I lOVE the castle photos and no . . . you can't have too many because you don't know which one is going to look perfect on your desk until you get home!
I was also humming the Golden Girls theme at your mention of Blanche! Keep up the good work! I like laughing out loud when there's no one at home to make fun of me being a dork!
You're never going to hear me saying that you've got too many photos of something in Disney - I'd be a fine one to talk!
Sorry about the German family - oh my goodness, that wait for Crush's Coaster. It is hugely popular and I just don't get why they didn't Fastpass it. What were they thinking?
I Remy - I didn't realise he was there. I hope they make him a permanent feature, rather than the temporary one at WDW, as I'd love to see that one day.
I'm glad you took so many photos of the castle, as my favorite is the one of the back side. I was LOL at the description of the family behind (and in front) of you in the coaste queue. That coaster had to be pretty amazing to make the long wait worth it!
Yeah, when you said you had a new favorite ride at DLP I just KNEW it had to be Crush's Coaster! I LOVE that ride! Sorry to hear you had such a long wait - but unfortunately, it's always like that How on earth they didn't think to build a FP line is beyond me It's the most popular attraction at the Walt Disney Studios and it's brand new - you'd *think* they could have anticipated the need for FP! People start lining up as soon as the gates open (which is 15-30 min before the official park opening time), and the wait time never drops below 90min throughout the entire day.
Sorry to hear about the annoying German family, Sharon. What can I say, we're a lovable nation, aren't we? Really, though, as much as I like my country, I can't say that I'm surprised to hear my fellow countrymen were trying to cut in line. It's a nuisance I encounter quite frequently over here. (Try going to an amusement park in Germany )
Can't wait to read more! I love your castle pics, by the way. Definitely postcard material!
I Remy - I didn't realise he was there. I hope they make him a permanent feature, rather than the temporary one at WDW, as I'd love to see that one day.
I think I've decided where I'd like to have my Unmentionable Milestone Birthday meal next year...with you all invited of course!
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Tinkerboo (or in the real world, Toyah) Reading Challenge 2015: 0/84
Follow my journey from sweaty panting mess to running goddess (I hope!) Out walking with The Boy...
Those castle shots...all of them...are gorgeous. And you couldn't have had a more beautiful blue sky as backdrop. Funny to see the Partners statue in the Studios. And yeah...I think Blanche is going to stick. Although I keep thinking of Blanche DuBois from Golden Girls and...oh...wait...yup...now I'm singing the song. "Thank you for being a friend....." Thanks PSha!
I also started thinking about Blanche Devereau, nee Hollingsworth as well... Great pics Sha!!! Remy was so adorable.... You castle pics were very nice!!! Not as nice as your home in Versaille, but still very nice!!!
I think your hotel looks amazing and DUH i hope you took many a free toiltrees because they were extra nice! So cool that you had roses waiting for you. I think its so cool how you got to hang out with fellow travelers and that you kept running into them. I the castle! It looks amazing and I totally would've taken that many pics too!
I really want to ride the crush's coaster but nearly a 2 hour wait with rude people in line...that's crazy! I'm so glad it was worth the wait though. TOT building looked weird like it was cut in half or something im not sure what they are going for with that.
That was really cool that you got to see Remy! I think DLP is much bigger than I had imagined for sure! Cant wait to hear more about it!
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I really like the pictures of the castle and the hotel. Your ability to just walk out into the park is great. I probably would have passed on the extreme queue for the roller coaster. That sound like TSMM without a FP line. Gld you are having such a wonderful trip.
Crush's Coaster sounds awesome! I would LOVE that ride (minus the ridiculous wait time, of course.) By the time I ever get to DLP, I'm sure the excitement will have died down a bit.
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.