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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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And lo it was written that the Wise Women must pack their bags and sojourn to the Happy Place. From five different directions they came, and there was room at the inn because they had thought to call ahead. Each wore a shimmering scarf, specially commissioned to mark the occasion and that each might know the others. Their consorts and offspring were packed with the baggage that they not hamper the journey
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It all started with the "Challenge" boards as we all were trying to lose weight and return to our previous svelt forms. We wanted/needed a support group, so despite coming from various parts of the country, we found friends and help on the Passporter boards.
As many here have found, other Passporters understand us better than the average non-Disneyphile. And so it came to pass that the five of us ended up posting frequently on each other's threads. As time passed, we began to want to meet in the flesh. Sheri lives close to Disney and has met several of us separately. But it will be a first for the whole group to assemble. And the world(s) tremble at our coming!
Shortly after Christmas and before C's February trip, the idea was batted around about how wonderful Disney is at Christmas and how wonderful it would be if the five of us could all be there at the same time during Mousefest! The idea took root. Actually, it took off like Kudzu. From talking about the idea to Bridget calling to find out about Grand Gatherings was just overnight. Bridget and I both talked to our travel agents right before the New Year, rooms were booked. Try having a serious talk with a travel agent about meeting four people named Skateycat, Tigger1221, Tinkerbelz, and Bitterchickey! "Do I KNow their real names?" "Well, their first names." Thank goodness my TA loves Disney. She thinks I'm crazy but still understands.
The name for our group comes from the Challenge. The weekend became known as the "Wise Women Weekend of Wildness". Elf (yes, her real name) worked on designs for shirts and other tangible memories (my job). B has gotten our GG number. My DD made special things for us to wear to set us apart. Ideas pop up daily with this talented group. There was the Jammies Jam at Whispering Canyon Cafe. MVMCP dates to chose from. Mousefest must fit in there. What about one of the special Grand Gathering activities? Should we try to schedule the HDD or the Luau? ADRs were planned, replanned, and planned again. Thank Goodness B made the handy spread sheet to keep us on track. Sept. 10 was the the big day for our ADRs, so much to do, so few days.
Sadly, Mousefest is not to be, but many PP are still planning to be there during this time period so there will be lots of meet-and-greets. So who are the Wise Women?
Tigger 1221 or B: traveling with DH or M, DD or little C, and an additional teen
Skateycat or S: traveling with DH or D
bitterchickey or C: traveling with DH or L, DD or A and DD's friend, J
Tinkerbelz or Y: traveling with DH or S, DD or K
oldmom or E: traveling with DBF or CD
(total alphabet soup, eh?) surely it will get easier.
As time passed the W5 (our shorthand name for the group) settled into resorts. E (me) settled in POFQ, my personal favorite. Y will be at BLT. C will be at OKW. B started out at POFQ and wound up at AKL. S wanted to be at her favorite YC but her DH prevailed and they will be at AKL also. But there are still 63 days and who knows where folks could wind up. I know Y is still wait listed for part of her visit.
Let’s start with those shimmering scarves. Last year my dd made us sparkly scarves so we would look festive and be able to spot each other. They worked incredibly well. So dd volunteered to create scarves for the group. If you see these during your visit, stop and say hi.
they sparkly much more than the photos show. some are solid red, some candy cane. the girls asked for sparkly black and black and silver.
Registered Message Board Members save 30% off PassPorter guidebooks! When you register you'll have access to a discount coupon good for 30% off the list price of PassPorter books in our online store.
Festive buttons were next on the list. I tried to make buttons for everyone with their favorite characters. Sadly, villians are the neglected Christmas spirits so I had to get more creative with them. Everyone already has their buttons so i'll have to count on them to post what they look like. For some reason, I can't get those files to save into Photoshop so I can post them here. I can put the few I remembered to scan before I sent. A "not bright" moment for certain.
I love the buttons of Capt Jack with the santa hat. too cute! You may have guessed that I love Christmas--love decorating, love wrapping presents, love buying presents (I do it year-round) and generally just love everything about it. So going again at Christmas is a special treat
I'll keep trying to convert the files to jpeg so they show up here.
Festive buttons were next on the list. I tried to make buttons for everyone with their favorite characters. Sadly, villians are the neglected Christmas spirits so I had to get more creative with them. Everyone already has their buttons so i'll have to count on them to post what they look like. For some reason, I can't get those files to save into Photoshop so I can post them here. I can put the few I remembered to scan before I sent. A "not bright" moment for certain.
I love the buttons of Capt Jack with the santa hat. too cute! You may have guessed that I love Christmas--love decorating, love wrapping presents, love buying presents (I do it year-round) and generally just love everything about it. So going again at Christmas is a special treat
I'll keep trying to convert the files to jpeg so they show up here.
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Tr's are not my strong suit, so I am so thankful to E for taking charge of this! I'll be sure to chime in from time to time and ramble incessantly. And may I officially throw out the first "Lawdy Lawdy Lawdy!!"
Registered Message Board Members save 30% off PassPorter guidebooks! When you register you'll have access to a discount coupon good for 30% off the list price of PassPorter books in our online store.