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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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It's so hard waiting for a trip to WDW. I feel like I'm in that phase where all you're doing is waiting. I've made the hotel reservations so there's nothing to do there. I've got my flight booked so that's taken care of already. My ADRs are all set up so that's done. It's too early to start packing or doing any other pre-trip related things. I'm excited for the trip and I do feel like it's getting closer, but I want something TO DO!!
Cameron and I have been having fun with the countdown calendar I made. I started with 100 so it's a LONG countdown, but Cam isn't old enough to get too impatient about it. He the calendar. The stickers are all his favorites Mickey and gang and Cars. I've got Toy Story too, but I don't think he knows that as we don't have the movie. He likes the "teeeedy" sticker though. Every day he walks up to the calendar and points "Miiiiky! Daaaaa Duc!" And then runs to where I keep the stickers. I even had to move the calendar higher up on the door where it is hanging because he was pulling it down all the time. I'd post a picture, but I don't want to admit to my completely pathetic craft skills. Maybe when it's a little more decorated with stickers
I did send in for my credit card rewards cards. I had enough points on the card that we charge everything to for a $500 Visa gift card. And I applied for the Disney credit card because of the $200 gift card they were offering. I received both cards last week. So we've got our spending money for the trip.
I have started a before trip TODO list:
- Finish packing list
- Make final Disney payment
- Activate rewards cards
- Survive Thanksgiving with my family
- Make Christmas shopping lists
- Get lists of what people want in the Garden Grocer order (for us mostly breakfast snacks, water and diapers)
- Find someone to take care of our cats and fish when we're gone
- Go Christmas shopping
- Decorate for Christmas
- Wrap Gifts
- Survive Christmas gatherings with my family and DH's family
- Figure out transportation to/from the air port (here in MN)
- Download toddler iPhone apps
- Finish purchasing things needed for trip
- Make/buy something to put on the stroller so that it is easy to spot in the sea of strollers
- Finalize plans for what park when
- Pre-order photopass CD
- Get tip money and make tip envelopes
- Submit the order to Garden Grocer
- Make room request for location, conjoining rooms and pack and play
- Online check-in for flights
- Online check-in for hotel
- Laundry (it's never ending, but I've got to get the last bit done before the trip so we have clothes to pack)
- Pack
I feel like I'm forgetting a lot on the TODO list, but I'm sure I'll add to it quite a bit the closer we get to the trip. At least with the holidays mixed in the wait should fly by right?
- Make/buy something to put on the stroller so that it is easy to spot in the sea of strollers
We used a bright green bandana that we tied around the stroller handle. It made our stroller a cinch to spot whenever we exited an attraction (particularly when the stroller has been moved from its original location, as sometimes happens!)
Sounds like you're all organized! Hope the time passes quickly for you.
Congrats on the spending money! It looks like your to do list will keep you busy before your trip, but I know what you mean about having everything done you can and it being too early to start prepping and packing. That is my least favorite time before a trip.
Just spent an enjoyable amount of time reading your whole Pre-TR! What exciting plans you have! You are truly a Disney planner extraordinare!
Keep posting, love all the updates. Can't wait to hear what you have planned to surprise your DMil with for her bday!
Thanks for reading! I don't know if I'd call myself a Disney planner extraordinaire, but I do enjoy planning a trip!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Colexis Mom
Congrats on the spending money! Good luck getting the list done!
Thanks!
Quote:
Originally Posted by lazanya
with the to do list!
Thanks!
Quote:
Originally Posted by shnewell
We used a bright green bandana that we tied around the stroller handle. It made our stroller a cinch to spot whenever we exited an attraction (particularly when the stroller has been moved from its original location, as sometimes happens!)
Sounds like you're all organized! Hope the time passes quickly for you.
Hum. I don't know if I have a brightly colored bandana, but I think I have a bright orange Lei from my sisters Hawaiian Luau graduation party. Maybe that would work. Better to use the stuff you have than buy something new!
Quote:
Originally Posted by honeybee723
I'm finally all caught up with your plans...phew! A lot of stuff going on there, but I'm glad it's finally all working out for you.
Thanks. The trip is shaping up nicely. Hopefully it stays that way.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lexiemom
Congrats on the spending money! It looks like your to do list will keep you busy before your trip, but I know what you mean about having everything done you can and it being too early to start prepping and packing. That is my least favorite time before a trip.
I suppose if I wasn't so obsessed with the trip it wouldn't be so hard to wait for it. I'm sure DS will keep me plenty busy though.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cam22
for spending money! and with the to do list!
Thanks! I'm looking forward to spending that money, but it will be hard to put it away until the trip. Maybe I should have waited a little longer before I ordered the rewards gift cards.
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the calendar. The stickers are all his favorites Mickey and gang and Cars. I've got Toy Story too, but I don't think he knows that as we don't have the movie. He likes the "teeeedy" sticker though. Every day he walks up to the calendar and points "Miiiiky! Daaaaa Duc!" And then runs to where I keep the stickers. I even had to move the calendar higher up on the door where it is hanging because he was pulling it down all the time. I'd post a picture, but I don't want to admit to my completely pathetic craft skills. Maybe when it's a little more decorated with stickers 
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