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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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We are talking our kids (nearly-10 year old twins, and DS2, 15 months) to Williamsburg for the first time - we will be staying with my mother and her husband in a time share.
Any must-dos, good family-friendly restaurants, etc. ? We've never been there - any info would be appreciated
This is our first non-Disney trip in a long time I've been putting off planning because I have been busy planning our upcoming trip in Aug. / Sept., and DCL in spring 2010
I had a lot of fun at Water Counrty USA last September. We had a 3-day ticket and did 2 at BG and one at WC. I love they not-so-lazy river Hubba Hubba Highway! I like that you wear the life vests and don't have to haul around a tube. It's also a little faster moving than other lazy rivers.
Love Busch Gardens, too! Haven't been to Colonial Williamsburg in ages, so I can't really comment on that; when I did go we didn't buy a ticket we just walked around did what we could for free. I had a co-worker who went last year, and her son loved Jamestown the best.
Love Busch Gardens, never been to Water Country, but those would be good bets. Busch Gardens has a new Sesame Street themed area they have been heavily advertising.
Walking around Colonial Williamsburg and doing just the free things is a good idea.
Jamestown would probably be the most fun for the 10 year olds, I agree. We like Yorktown too. But we really get into battlefields.
I love the shopping, The Williamsburg Pottery is mindboggling. The Prime Outlets are my favorite. There are lots of shopping areas!
Playing Putt Putt is my son's favorite activity, there is a great Pirate themed one on the bypass road.
What time share place are you staying at? We have toured a few and stayed at one in the past.
There are so many restaurants to chose from, and all of them are very family friendly.
Hope you have a great time!
__________________
Donning my Wellies to cut Peat in Scotland
Melissa
Thanks! I think the name of the timeshare is Townes at Kings Creek Plantation.
We will definitely go to Busch Gardens (though it seems rather pricey) thanks for the info on the Sesame Street area - our younger son has just started watching Sesame Street - he should really enjoy this
And I am really hoping for some time to do outlet shopping (though we have plenty of outlets here in NJ, but I'm always up for checking out nmew ones )
this is one place that i want to do again . we went here back in 1997-1998 if i remember correctly me and my wife then just GF . we stayed in a holiday inn that was nice . williams burg i remember was fun and learning about the era at the same time . busch gardens is VA is nicer then the one in FLA i have been to both and if they did not take the big bad wolf away for something better just remember to howl. lol that was the only ride that stuck in my head remember i'm not that old but the good things do stick .
It's been awhile since we have gone too...10+ yrs. Loved just walking the streets and interacting with the people all dressed and playing their parts in American history. I remember sugar cookies and hot tea...oh and the College of William and Mary. Wish I could recommend certain activities but sure alot has changed. I'm sure whatever you do, you will love! Someone mentioned the the Pottery factory...if you enjoy the shopping...great to stock up on Xmas gifts here...just unusual & huge.
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