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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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What most people learn to late is if you are lucky enough to be able to find your dream job the money won't matter because you go home rewarded with your effort and amazingly you often get more than you need. for things to work out for you.
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Great post Dawn...I am sure that if the decision has to be made you will make the perfect one for you, even though in a way I think you already made it But it was real nice for the manager to say what she said - it is nice to know someone else notices how good you are at what you are doing.
Congrats on the extension, Dawn and I'm sending additional &that a Guest Relations PI will come through for you. That's kind of what my job is now, and if I ever were to werk for WDW, that's what I'd most like to do, that or front desk at one of the resorts. I know it's a cliche, but I'm a people person and I like solving problems for them and making things right. Going by what you've said here over the past few months, I think you're happiest when you're working up front with the people, rather than tucked behind the scenes in some office. I wish you luck in whatever pans out for you. I have to say I'm impressed that you've had as much interaction with management as you have, being in the CP. I know in my job rarely to managers talk to us about our aspirations unless we're doing something wrong! That's the Disney Difference, I suppose!
__________________
-Lisa
The World is a book. Those who do not travel read only a page." - Augustine
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I'm catching up on your adventures Dawn. I think this is working out great for your family, and if it's meant to be, then I have no doubt that you'll be offered a PI. At least you've got the extension which gives you more time for PI's to come available. Best of luck!!
Just a thought..........Did you ever think about sending this thread to your DH when you are ready for him to know what is going on? It sure would explain everything and maybe he'd see a part of you he has never seen and would it help things. Of course I don't really know you so it might be a disaster but I just had that thought the other day, and that seeing this side of you might really be good for him. Maybe when you know how you will be able to sustain the way of life where you are you will be able to decide the best way to handle things with him. One other question, if the DD's know your intentions; are you not concerned if they go to visit this summer that they'll let the cat out of the bag, or will he know before then? Sorry, this is really none of my business and if you want to view these as rhetorical questions it is fine with me. It is difficult to read your story and not get caught up in the semantics of it all and care for you although we have not personally met. Thanks for sharing with us, I know everyone who visits here wishes you all the best
Hi Dawn,
Wishing you lots of luck on getting the position you are hoping for! We're heading down in a few days. We're planning on being in the AK on 4/19...do you know your schedule yet?
Just on the bright side...I think you are handling things very well and are making positive choices for your dds. One of the things I preach to parents I work with is that it's a parent's responsibilty to make contact with a child, not the child's responsiblity. I say that because I know you've taken some *heat* for not making the girls call their dad/encouraging this relationship. I don't believe in forcing kids to do something their not comfortable with and it sounds like the dds are at times uncomfortable with their dad and what they *get* or not *get* from him.
Things will definitely work out for you! You are still my shinning star and I look forward to your posts each day! Keep up the great work!
We're planning on being in the AK on 4/19...do you know your schedule yet?
Yay! I'll be working from 12-230ish, then again from 430ish-6 (I have some training in the middle of the day) I'm scheduled for the store, but could be on carts, too.
If anyone comes to visit, please remember to ask for "Gray" as that's what they know me as. I know Matt asked for "Dawn" and luckily the one lady he talked to knows my "secret" but most of the people would be
Just a small update on hubby...he's now talking about revolution and martial law and such. I guess one of my BILs was at Easter dinner and wants to arm himself in preparation for a revolution. I find myself cutting conversations shorter and shorter... DDs had a great time at Disney Quest yesterday and 20yo took them to play a little tennis today. 13yo got racquets and balls for her b-day and we have a court where we live, so that was nice. We are hoping to go to the pool on Friday, when I *finally* get a day off. I don't know if I've mentioned it before, but we are trying to learn Spanish as part of our "Wake up. Start learning" philosophy. We are currently using My Spanish Coach on the Nintendo DS and it's pretty good. I've also looked up phrases that I might need at work and numbers to 100 to keep in a little notebook. I doubt I will ever be fluent.
Yesterday was a games day for me, but it was STORMY. They kept making announcements about a strong storm approaching and how they might have to close the attractions in the Dinorama. I did have to take off the microphone b/c of lightning several times, but we kept the games up and running through the wind and rain. Felt a bit like a Mail Carrier. I was able to make LOTS of magic for people which is always the very best part.
One little girl was very upset that she hadn't won several games she'd tried and simply did NOT want to play another game. There were 2 tickets left and her mom was trying to get her to play *something*. I finally got mom's attention and motioned her to come back over to my game. I told the little girl that I'd just gotten a call from Mickey and he's seen that she had animals on her dress and that she was sad. He didn't want anyone to be sad at WDW, so he asked me to let her play for our medium prize (a sabre-tooth tiger) since she likes animals so much to wear them on her clothes. After a little encouragement from mom and I, she agreed, so they played (and mom kept "missing") and she won. Her face was priceless and reminded me of the reason I keep coming to work even when I'm exhausted and would much rather call in. Her MOM'S face reminded me why I keep coming in.
You know, the guests tell us all the time that we are the reason they come back, but I think it's important to know that the guests are what makes OUR days seem like a holiday rather than a job most of the time.
Today was a money room day, but I spent some time out on an apron, so that's generally not too bad. I get to sprinkle lots of "pixie dust" on vouchers and see happy faces come back to show me what they won and relieved parents who tell me, "It worked!"
It's hard to believe, but 3 weeks from today is my CP "graduation" event, and 4 weeks from Friday is my last day at Dinoland. I can't believe how fast this has all gone by. I keep trying to remember "Carpe Diem" and I'm trying not to wish the days away waiting for a call about a PI, but it's hard!
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If anyone comes to visit, please remember to ask for "Gray" as that's what they know me as. I know Matt asked for "Dawn" and luckily the one lady he talked to knows my "secret" but most of the people would be
I must have missed that post. Hopefully you'll still be at WDW in December and I'll get to come by to give you a hug.
Quote:
Just a small update on hubby...he's now talking about revolution and martial law and such. I guess one of my BILs was at Easter dinner and wants to arm himself in preparation for a revolution.
Ok, this had me at too. Wasn't it a year ago that your hubby was predicting the collapse of out financial system or was that something different? I do sometimes wonder if we'll be headed to martial law with some of the policies that are being put in place. Double
Good for you for spreading some pixie's for the little girl. I'm sure that was the highlight of her trip.
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for things to work out for you.
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Pixie Dust
But it was real nice for the manager to say what she said - it is nice to know someone else notices how good you are at what you are doing.
&
Michelle - with my step sisters!
They'll be lucky to have you in either position.
Trish
I find myself cutting conversations shorter and shorter... DDs had a great time at Disney Quest yesterday and 20yo took them to play a little tennis today. 13yo got racquets and balls for her b-day and we have a court where we live, so that was nice. We are hoping to go to the pool on Friday, when I *finally* get a day off. 
I don't know if I've mentioned it before, but we are trying to learn Spanish as part of our "Wake up. Start learning" philosophy. We are currently using My Spanish Coach on the Nintendo DS and it's pretty good. I've also looked up phrases that I might need at work and numbers to 100 to keep in a little notebook. I doubt I will ever be fluent.
PassPorter Guide Author
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