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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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'm finally breaking down and buying some new dinnerware for our family - we've had the same old 'restaurant-style' pieces we had since we were first married. Everything is beginning to chip and just look weary...
So - I'm looking at patterns. ...Not going for any fine china or holiday styles (that's for next year!) I'm thinking either some classic white patterns that will go with anything or else going completely opposite and getting the colorful pottery styles and really expressing myself!
But - I'm worried about chipping on the colorful plates/cups. And worried that plain white/cream will get scratch or cut marks.
What type of tablewear do you have? Why do you like it?
We're currently using some melamine tableware intended for outdoor, summer use. It's great because my DH hasn't managed to break a single piece yet (unlike the tableware we received as a wedding gift - we have none of those plates left ). However, you can't use it to microwave anything. It's like picking up redhot iron when it comes out of the microwave.
I have some sunflower- and peacock-colored Fiestaware on my wish list this year. And I keep leaving pictures and notes about it all over the house for DH.
My mom has 8 china patterns (9 if you count her Lenox Christmas pattern). She has a problem. Right now, we use her Royal Orchard pattern (by Noritake) for our every day, and while the look of it isn't something I might would pick out for my own house (when I get my own house!), it's very sturdy and I don't think we've broken or chipped one piece since she bought it over 10 years ago. It's microwave/dishwasher safe and looks nice enough for entertaining as well. Royal Orchard by Noritake at Replacements, Ltd.
As for my china (which is carefully boxed up at the moment), my "every-day" is Disney-themed! It's a pattern they had about 4 or 5 years ago, white with fruit on it, and the fruit (orange and lemon slices, grapes and cherries) are artfully arranged to make out "hidden" Mickeys. I love it. It's also incredibly hardy and the patterns are happy and cheerful without having a cartoon Pluto running across the plate (not that there's anything wrong with that!). I didn't mind my clumsy roomates and their clumsier boyfriends using it when I had it in college.
My nicer china is something my Mom started for me about four years ago and I've never actually used any of it. I was too scared to un-box it in my apartment with all my roommates, and my mom doesn't need it here! I though and CAN'T WAIT to use it! It's called British Colonial (by Lenox), and it surprisingly sturdy, as it does have a somewhat delicate look. Their are actually four patterns within the pattern, but I have a mix and match - they all have a coastal look, with neutral colors and greens and blues - shutters, palm trees, sail boats. Lenox :: British Colonial Shutter Dinnerware
Good luck on choosing a pattern for you and your family! I'm so jealous! I may have "inherited" my mom's problem.
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I just replaced all my college Walmart and Target issue dishes with the Ocean Breeze pattern from Pfaltzgraff. Ocean at Pfaltzgraff.com
It was a Christmas gift from my parents - since when mom was here she was so concerned that my dishes didn't match.... who am I to say no to 8 place settings of this stuff?? not me. Still have some things to buy to make it complete - but I really like it. I don't have china - 1). No where to keep it and 2). at this point - no need for it.
My every day dishes are corelle but I don't remember the name. they have a blue border with the kind of grass you see at the beach on them. I have 2 sets of good china. One is Franscan and the other is from Japan that one has cherry blossoms on them.
Liz
I found a photo of our old pattern that Walt has broken nearly every piece of. The pattern is retired, sadly. I never really loved it, but it was a wedding gift. We had another Pfaltzgraff set given to us that my parents got as a wedding gift. At the time, we didn't have space for the second set, so we loaned it to my BIL and his girlfriend. When they moved, they sold it instead of returning it. I ate ceral out of those bowls while watching The Smurfs when I was younger than DJ. I have not forgiven BIL yet.
Our everyday dishes are Corelle - Winter White pattern. I've had it for about 15 years and it still looks brand new I love it because it goes with any tablecloth, napkins, decorations, etc. I also have the Pfaltzgraff Winterberry collection which we use pretty much from now until New Year's. For Thanksgiving and other special dinners I have my Grandmother's Waterford - Lismore pattern - china.
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Our everyday pattern is Mikasa Golden Harvest (not sure if it's still available) But mostly I use some Corelle plates (plain) for everyday use sine the Mikasa ones are bigger and heavier (hence more breakable with little kids around)!
Our everyday dishes are the Brasserie Dinner Ware from Williams Sonoma that we received as wedding gifts. It is plain white and I love it because it is easy to buy pieces that coordinate or color pieces to punch it up a bit.
I'm always changing out our dinnerware. Currently, we have a pottery type collection from Pier 1 in orange, yellow and green. We also have a set that is black on the outside and red on the inside bought at Target (similar to some carried at Pottery Barn), a Mickey Mouse set that is white with his shorts, ears, shoes and gloves. This set has scratched very easily. Finally, I have a set from Pier One that is white with a blue and yellow floral trim. I've been happiest with those I purchased at Pier One.
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Our everyday plates are Corelle - the "Shadow Iris" pattern shown here.
I really like this pattern a lot. But, as we're getting married this summer, I'm looking forward to replacing it with some more "trendy" pieces - specifically, I want some square and triangular plates and bowls. Not really sure what kind of pattern I'm looking for though. Just something fun, not outrageously expensive, and durable. I'm pretty clutzy when it comes to loading and unloading the dishwasher.
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Last year I bought a pattern from the J C Penney Home Store - it is called Isabella.
I have 12 place settings - 6 creamy white with very light pink swirled around the edge of the pattern. The other 6 settings are very light pink swirled with creamy white around the edge.
I have had 3 other patterns of dinnerware since I have been married.
When I bought this last time - I boxed all of the other dishes away, and told each of the boys that when they moved into their own home -they would each have a set of dishes to start with. Adam and Zachary have both taken their dishes.
I am sure Nate will be taking his once he graduates from college!
We didn't register for it, but we were given a bunch of Fiestaware for our wedding and I couldn't love it more (unless it came in plaid.) It's sturdy and it's fun to add to our collection from flea markets and garage sales.
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Everything is beginning to chip and just look weary...
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). However, you can't use it to microwave anything. It's like picking up redhot iron when it comes out of the microwave. 
And I keep leaving pictures and notes about it all over the house for DH. 
She has a problem. Right now, we use her Royal Orchard pattern (by Noritake) for our every day, and while the look of it isn't something I might would pick out for my own house (when I get my own house!), it's very sturdy and I don't think we've broken or chipped one piece since she bought it over 10 years ago. It's microwave/dishwasher safe and looks nice enough for entertaining as well. 
It's a pattern they had about 4 or 5 years ago, white with fruit on it, and the fruit (orange and lemon slices, grapes and cherries) are artfully arranged to make out "hidden" Mickeys. I love it. It's also incredibly hardy and the patterns are happy and cheerful without having a cartoon Pluto running across the plate (not that there's anything wrong with that!). I didn't mind my clumsy roomates and their clumsier boyfriends using it when I had it in college.
though and CAN'T WAIT to use it! It's called British Colonial (by Lenox), and it surprisingly sturdy, as it does have a somewhat delicate look. Their are actually four patterns within the pattern, but I have a mix and match - they all have a coastal look, with neutral colors and greens and blues - shutters, palm trees, sail boats. 
I never really loved it, but it was a wedding gift. We had another Pfaltzgraff set given to us that my parents got as a wedding gift. At the time, we didn't have space for the second set, so we loaned it to my BIL and his girlfriend. When they moved, they sold it instead of returning it. 
I ate ceral out of those bowls while watching The Smurfs when I was younger than DJ. 
http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m83/kazzamcgazza/dlp-1.jpg
But mostly I use some Corelle plates (plain) for everyday use sine the Mikasa ones are bigger and heavier (hence more breakable with little kids around)!
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