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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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40th Birthday Extravaganza-Update 4/20 Day 4 added
Travelers
Me (Kris) turning 40 on 4/8/07 Easter Sunday
DD's Dad (Courtney) 44
DD (Kelsey) 11
This trip planning started a long long time ago. In October 2004 the three of us (listed above) were sitting outside of the Boardwalk Bakery with our friends who had moved down to Florida that year. It was very peaceful, we were listening to the World Series playing out of the ESPN Club and chatting. I was staring across the water at the Beach Club resort and that is when I decided that some day I had to stay at the Beach Club. The next summer (July 2005) dd & I went back down to Florida to stay with our friends and decided to tack 3 days on the end of our trip and stay at POFQ because I got a great deal on the resort thru my TA. We purchased 8 day park hoppers to take down with us and ended up only using 3 days of them because we did so many other things while down in Florida with our friends. So I paid to put the non expiration on the remain 5 day tickets dd & I had left knowing that would be a great excuse to come back to WDW. Then it hit me!!!! I was looking at a calendar at the end of 2005 and realized that my 40th birthday was on Easter Sunday, April 8, 2007. I consulted the current school calendar to see which days the school typically gives off for the Easter/Spring holiday and realized they usually have 5 or 6 days in a row off for the holiday. DD would be in Middle School by then so she wasn't going to want to miss any school because it would be too hard to make up the work and we both had 5 day park hopper passes burning a hole in my metal box that I was keeping them safe in. It sounded like a perfect plan. Now where to stay????????? The choice was obvious. Beach Club!!!!!!!!! It was bad enough I was getting so old and would be turning the big FOUR O I might as well do it at a deluxe resort at my favorite place on earth. Now to just save enough money to be able to afford it . That was the hard part. I made an automatic deposit every week into my ING account and counted on the last big tax refund that would come in February 2007. I plotted it out and realized that it could be done. I was going to go down and celebrate like I was actually rich enough to stay at a deluxe resort. People down in WDW don't know me so they won't know any different . I booked the resort before the prices were even released and had my TA apply my AAA discount as soon as they came out. The discount took the room from $429/night to $389/night so at least it was a little better.
At 180 days out I called for my ADR's. We were very disappointed because Teppyanaki would be closed for rehab while we were down there but made other plans. Jiko was at the top of my list along with doing the afternoon tea at the GF. Kona Cafe for breakfast is a must do every trip now. We usually book one character breakfast every trip so we decided to Cape May Cafe since we were staying at the BC, plus Goofy is dd's favorite character. Now to pick my birthday dinner for Easter Sunday. Courtney wanted some Asian food and since Teppyanki was closed I booked Nine Dragons. Not what I wanted but since he was coming with us I figured it couldn't be all about me (well it could but that would be mean).
Fast forward to late winter 2007. I get word that the rehab for Teppyanki has been pushed back for the 2nd or 3rd time and now it doesn't start until 4/15. That is fabulous news and I get right on the phone with Disney Dining and get a ressie for 4/8 at 6:30. Then I hear horrible news that the tour I have always wanted to do is being stopped after April. I have been waiting to do the Hidden Treasures of World Showcase tour until dd was 16 or at least a little older and could pass for 16 since there was an age requirement. Now it's ending and dd is only 11 (although she already looks like she is around 14 or 15 but I hate to lie). But the passport lists the days of the tour not being days I will be down there. Again I'm disappointed until my faithful passporter buddies post that the days they are offereing the tour have changed. I get on the phone with disney again and book the tour for Friday 4/6. DD & her dad will hang out at Stormalong Bay while I do the tour by myself. Not a bad plan since our hotel has the best pool on property. All my plans are coming together. This morning I woke up and jumped out of bed when the alarm went off so I could print our boarding passes so we would have an A and be able to board early. Tonight I will pack the last remaining items and we are on our way. We are so excited. Even dd's dad called this me at my office this morning and said "Let's go Florida trip because this weather sucks". It's raining and today's high is 40. I looked at weather.com and our 5 day outlook is sunny and 80. Disney here I come. When I finish my report I'll be an old lady. Oh well at least I'll have another disney trip under my belt.
__________________
Last edited by krisk11; 04-20-2007 at 03:23 PM..
Reason: additional post
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I hope that you and your family have a magical time at the world.
__________________
Heather - "I'm Tinkerbell's biggest fan!"
WDW - August 1997 Off Property
WDW - January 2005 AKL
WDW - May 2006 Pop Century
WDW- november-dec 2007 pop century
WDW- dec/jan 2009/2010 pop century
WDW- oct/nov 2012 art of animation
WDW- sept 2013 port Orleans riverside
WDW- july 2015 beach club
Happy 40TH!!! I hope you are having a fab time. I am plotting a trip for my DHs 40TH next fall. Can't wait to read the rest of your report when you return!
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Well we are back. We had the best time ever. Once I clear off my desk at work I;ll start on the trip report. I hope it doesn't take too long, you know you move slower in your old age!!!!
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. That was the hard part. I made an automatic deposit every week into my ING account and counted on the last big tax refund that would come in February 2007. I plotted it out and realized that it could be done. I was going to go down and celebrate like I was actually rich enough to stay at a deluxe resort. People down in WDW don't know me so they won't know any different
. I booked the resort before the prices were even released and had my TA apply my AAA discount as soon as they came out. The discount took the room from $429/night to $389/night so at least it was a little better. 
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Can't wait to hear all about it 
I hope you are having a fab time. I am plotting a trip for my DHs 40TH next fall. Can't wait to read the rest of your report when you return!
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