The Continuing Story of the Adventures of a CM! - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Hello, all! I decided while I'm "off" to go ahead and start the next chapter in the story. As some of you may know, I participated in the WDW College Program from Jan-May of this year. I was a "Merchandise Hostess" at Dinoland in the Animal Kingdom. It was a once in a lifetime experience and although there were ups and downs and drama, I wouldn't trade it for the world.
A little background may be in order...I returned to grad school for a Master's in Management in Jan '08 with the express goal of obtaining a management internship at WDW. I understood that I may have to participate in the College Program first and was prepared to do so. My older 2 DDs were CPs and I was very familiar with the program. In the summer of 2008, the listings for the professional/management internships posted and, to my delight, some did NOT require prior CP participation, so I applied. I was called for an initial interview, then had a second which went very well. The interviewer put my application forward in all 5 areas where I'd applied. Next, it was up to the individual departments to decide whom they wanted to interview. It was a nerve-wracking wait, but finally, I got the email to schedule an interview for Retail Management.
The interview went well, although there were some things in hindsight that I was over (who says, "I adore Disney" in an interview??? ) and the waiting began. The initial few weeks passed with no word and the Facebook group was in full anxiety mode. More time passed and rumors were flying at the same time that the economy was taking a nose dive. Something told me I'd better have a backup plan and fast, so I decided to go ahead and apply for the CP. I was late in the season and very concerned about getting a spot, particulary since I did NOT check off quick service food or custodial. The wait for the Purple Folder was nerve-wracking while also waiting for the call about the internship. Just after Thanksgiving the news came that all of the management internships had been cancelled due to the economy. So many of us were shattered by the news, but I felt especially sorry for those for whom this semester was their last opportunity.
Several weeks after my CP interview, my Purple Folder finally arrived telling me I'd been accepted to the CP in merchandise and we began our new adventure. If you haven't read it and ever get bored, here's the original story: http://www.passporterboards.com/foru...cp-anyone.html
Out of the blue in mid-program, I received a call from the Professional Recruiting office asking me if I would still be interested in a Retail Management internship *IF* something became available. I gave a resounding YES. The professional internships started posting and I started applying for them. Conservation Education, Guest Relations, Learning Center, and Management were among them. I knew ConEd was a longshot as they preference undergrads, particularly in the sciences and my B.A. in English may once again prove useless. Once again, the Facebook Watch started and calls were going out, interviews scheduled, but I had nothing.
On Earth Day (AK's 11th anniversary), I took DDs in with me to play in the park while I worked. Here's the account from that day:
"I was walking in from the parking lot with DDs this morning when my phone rang. It said it was the College Program number so I answered. The lady asked me if I had a minute (um, YES!) and that they were extending me an offer of Retail Management Professional Intern for the June-Jan season. She asked if I was interested (um, YESSSSS!!!) and she laughed and finished the rest of the "spiel" (tattoos, body piercings, car, etc) She said something about their offering relocation assistance, but I told her since I was already here with a lease until January, I probably wouldn't need it (she laughed again, it was a fun conversation!). My only question was WHERE? but she didn't have an answer for me and told me they'd let me know the closer we get to the start date of June 19th.
I have been on Cloud 9 ever since. You can't even imagine the relief of knowing what is going on in my life at least for a little while. The current plan is to go back home for 3 weeks in May/June to collect some more of our stuff, including the dog. 13yo has an endocrinology appt and 10yo needs BFF time and Grandma time, so we'll be doing that.
DDs are SO happy for me and I am SO happy they were there when the call came in. DAK parking lot on Earth Day with my girls, couldn't have asked for a better memory! Oh, and then, I got another call this afternoon asking to set up an interview for the learning center internship, which I politely declined. It was a really great feeling knowing that I had gotten the attention of another department as well. Over. The. Moon."
We are currently back in Ohio for our 3 week break, which I'm regretting to a certain extent. I'm sure once I get back to work I'll be grateful for having had the time off, but for some reason, I have a tendency to not be my best here. It's hard to explain...
We leave again on 6/11 to give us some time to resettle in our townhouse before I have to report to work.
I still do not know my location. I've learned that it's up to the area managers to email their interns, so a few of my comarades do know where they are going, but I'm still waiting to hear.
I'm still trying to wrap my brain around the fact that I'm going to be a manager at Walt Disney World a month from now.
This is my personal branding statement:
Gray is a creative leader who inspires the passionate pursuit of dreams by engaging and encouraging people.
By leading with wisdom and teaching from her experience, she supports her team as, together, we reach for our goals.
an important note: Most people here know me as Dawn, but I have chosen to use Gray as my "professional" name. It has been a good call so far as it's memorable and usually a conversation starter, so if you ever come to visit me, ask/look for "Gray"!
I also wanted to add that while I'm not very happy here, DDs are enjoying being home. I have found that I miss my appliances. I know, weird. I miss my office and my kitchen. I am worried that leaving this time may be harder than the first for DDs, so please keep them in your thoughts and send pixies that it will be OK.
ok, i started reading all this before i met you. i can now say you are EXACTLY what your branding statement says. although i still don't know what a branding statement is or why YOU would need one..ha ha ha...you are a special friend...if anyone deserves this next step it is you, my friend! so looking forward to your return to orlando and a lunch date with the Manners Fairy! he he he....
You absolutely inspire me. I've been working in software so long and am so bored at this point. Your posts have been very inspiring and helping me find my motivation to move foreward beyond my "rut". Please keep us updated.
So happy to hear you are happy and heading back to your happy place...who needs appliances when you are working at Disney? Mmm priorities... I'm sure DD's will enjoy their home time but be happy again to be with you as you all go "home" to Disney. PS - I'm soooo jealous - Disney would be my dream job.
Best wishes Dawn - you deserve it!
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I was so looking forward to Part II of the Adventure!
Quote:
Originally Posted by graygables
I have found that I miss my appliances. I know, weird. I miss my office and my kitchen.
I don't think its weird at all, we all love our comforts.
Sending pixies to your girls! Isn't it generally the initial change that is difficult. Once the change becomes "normal" I'm sure the girls will be fine - besides kids are more resilient than we are!
Hang in there! I'm so excited to hear all about your next adventure!
I wasa so excited to see that you started your next chapter...! Looking forward to reading it. Enjoy your time at home and all the best as you start traveling back to Florida again.
"Too many people grow up. That's the real trouble with the world, too many people grow up. They forget. They don't remember what it's like to be 12 years old. They patronize, they treat children as inferiors. Well I won't do that." ~Walt Disney
What a dream come true! I can't wait to here more.... It is my dream to work in WDW and it is so exciting that you are on your way! We'll be in WDW in July... hope to here where we can find you by then! I would love to meet you!
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over (who says, "I adore Disney" in an interview??? 
) and the waiting began. The initial few weeks passed with no word and the Facebook group was in full anxiety mode. More time passed and rumors were flying at the same time that the economy was taking a nose dive. Something told me I'd better have a backup plan and fast, so I decided to go ahead and apply for the CP. I was late in the season and very concerned about getting a spot, particulary since I did NOT check off quick service food or custodial. The wait for the Purple Folder was nerve-wracking while also waiting for the call about the internship. Just after Thanksgiving the news came that all of the management internships had been cancelled due to the economy. So many of us were shattered by the news, but I felt especially sorry for those for whom this semester was their last opportunity. 
Cloud 9 ever since. You can't even imagine the relief of knowing what is going on in my life at least for a little while. The current plan is to go back home for 3 weeks in May/June to collect some more of our stuff, including the dog. 13yo has an endocrinology appt and 10yo needs BFF time and Grandma time, so we'll be doing that. 
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