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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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 usually come here to discuss Disney, but a few yrs back, I had great success getting info from my fellow Passporters for a quickie trip to Boston. So I'm hoping that you'll help me once again.
We're unable to take a regular summer vacation this year as my husband is limited to taking just a day off here and there. We live in central NJ and we're not far from Philly at all so a day trip is totally do-able. The kids (and I) have gone to Philly for their class trips, but only having had time to see the Liberty Bell, the National Constitution Center; my oldest was able to visit the Franklin Institute (loved it!); my youngest will be going there on her class trip next year. The girls are 13 and 10-1/2.
They really enjoyed what little they saw of the city and I did too - I would love to explore it more but we only have 1 day. I've gone on their visitor's site and I'm intrigued by the tours that are available - walking, trolley, carriage, even the Duck Tours, which btw we loved in Boston, thanks to recommendations from this board Part of me just wants to walk around and see what we can on our own, but I'm afraid with so little time, we really won't see much at all. That has been the problem with the girls' class trips - they're usually given some free time to explore until we all meet up at the Constitution Center. However, unless you have a tix for Independence Hall or know where you're going to see some of the other sights, we spent more time walking in circles or shopping than anything else.
So if you have a day to spend in Philly with your family of 4 with two tween/teen girls who enjoy learning but also want to have some fun, what would you suggest? Thanks so much for any suggestions or advice
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We did the carriage tour and thoroughly enjoyed that, as we got to see a lot of the city in an hour or so - and it was a good chance to rest our feet! We also loved just walking through the city, as it's so walkable. There's so much to see on almost every street corner.
We also really enjoyed visiting City Hall, as well as all the things you've mentioned. To me, Philadelphia is all about the history, so the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall are must-dos, but it sounds as if you've done those before.
I *love* the carriage tours around Independance Mall, the Art Museum and the Zoo. There's a restuarant by the Art Museum called The Waterworks which is so amazingly fabulous. It's pricey, but worth it for the food and ambiance (gorgeous views of the museum and boathouse row in the evening). Here's the website: Water Works Restaurant and Lounge - Philadelphia's Landmark Dining Experience
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If you have done the Duck boats in Boston, I would skip the Philly one. We did it a few years ago. It definitely isn't as picturesque on the Delaware River and it is SUPER pricey for a family of four.
I would check out the Comcast Center. There is a HUGE video wall in the lobby with a show every 20 min (I think that is the timing)...and it is FREE!
Franklin Square is a cool park. We spent the day there a couple of months ago. They have a minature golf course (Philly themed), a food kiosk (run by Steven Starr...awesome Tastycake Shakes!), playground, carousel, and a pretty fountain. It is on the north end of the historic district.
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Spending a day in Philly
Part of me just wants to walk around and see what we can on our own, but I'm afraid with so little time, we really won't see much at all. That has been the problem with the girls' class trips - they're usually given some free time to explore until we all meet up at the Constitution Center. However, unless you have a tix for Independence Hall or know where you're going to see some of the other sights, we spent more time walking in circles or shopping than anything else. 
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Pixie Dust
PassPorter Guide Author
We also loved just walking through the city, as it's so walkable. There's so much to see on almost every street corner. 
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