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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Okay I am going to rant just a bit. I had a party for my daughter, just my family and a few kids from the street. First my family (Dad & Brother) did not show up unil 7pm. I told all the parents on the street about the party, all the kids came. Not one child brought her a gift. They ate and took treat bags, played the games, took the prizes. I know it is not the kids fault but, I would never send my daughter to a party w/o a gift.
She really had her feelings hurt. What should I do I say do nothing and forget it. Any Suggestions?
I told her not to worry she was very blessed and be glad that she had fun.
What do you think? Woud you every send you child to a Bday party w/o a gift for the Bday child???
NO WAY!!! When I see a good sale at the toy store I stock up because inevitably, there will be that last-minute invite or somethign might happen that keeps you from shopping and I never want to be the parent whose kid shows up empty handed! Your poor daughter has every reason to feel disappointed, I think.
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I'm sad for your DD, I can't believe that happened.
Even when we asked nieghbors not to bring gifts to my DDs 3rd birthday (we invited all the people on our street over for ice cream sundaes), almost all of them brought something. I was shocked.
As far as saying something.....Ijust don't know. It depends on how well you know the parents, I guess. They probably should know that her feelings were hurt.
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NO WAY, that is just very odd, to be invited to a birthday party and not bring a gift for the birthday girl. What a bunch of Freddie Freeloaders for DD
I am shocked by the lack of social skills in your neighborhood! WHO does that? Even in a last-second invite situation, you can put $10 in a white envelope and decorate it!
Holy, moly! I would never send my child to a birthday party without a gift. Heck, I would never even go to someone's house as an invited guest without bringing something along. I am totally shocked by your story. That being said, I think you handled it great with your daughter, turning it into a wonderful opportunity to stress the most important blessings in life and the meaningful gift of sharing her birthday with friends. (But geez.... I'd be peeved!!!)
WOW I cannot believe that no one brought her a gift. I always had little gifts put away so that if they received an invitation at the last minute I was prepared.
I would never send my child to a b-day party without a gift. But - I have an idea of what happened: It sounds like you just asked the kids over for some cake/ice-cream for your DD's b-day. One of the reasons I always send a written invite, even if it's for the kids next door is so that there is no mistake that this is a party. The parents probably thought it wasn't an official party, since there was no formal invite.
I wouldn't say anything to them. They probably had no idea.
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Sounds like you handled it well with your DD. I would be more angry if no one came but dropped a gift in later! Say nothing, whilst it hurts now, I'm sure your DD will have many more happy birthdays with fonder memories. Best wishes for next year.
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I have to agree with Teresa that the parents may not have realized it was a party. At least I hope that's the case. Maybe she will get some presents later when they realize what happened. Has your daughter been to any of their parties?
No Way!!
Even a small gift would be better than nothing.
It is hard to believe that no one knew it was a birthday party, even the kids.
Surely one of the kids would have haunted one of the other kids saying Ha Ha you didn't get invited to "so and so's party. You know kids.
If I had been another mother and I had found out about the birthday party, even later, I would have called that mother and said (here's the white elephant) that Gloria forgot the present being she was in a hurry and she (Gloria) will bring it over later. Now what is Gloria going to say?
Now my sister, not presents, has more occasional cards than Hallmarks would ever think of. You name the occasion and see has it, plus ones you would never think of. She is like a girl scout...be prepared. Honestly, I believe she has over 200 plus an extra one just in case.
A couple of weeks ago she mailed one out. It came back. She forgot the stamp. It still arrived in time. I know of a couple that didn't--mailed late but sent.
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I told all the parents on the street about the party, all the kids came. Not one child brought her a gift. They ate and took treat bags, played the games, took the prizes. I know it is not the kids fault but, I would never send my daughter to a party w/o a gift. 
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by the lack of social skills in your neighborhood! WHO does that? Even in a last-second invite situation, you can put $10 in a white envelope and decorate it!
Aimee
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