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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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I have been told that I have outgrown the camera on my Blackberry phone and it is time to get a "real" camera. So, I have been looking for decent point and shoots. I have only succeeded in confusing myself. So many options and price ranges!
All of these seem fairly comparable and may just come down to hands-on trials. The prices are all around the $150 range. But... then I confused myself. My cell phone has withstood my lifestyle and the abuse heaped upon it admirably. Would a camera fair as well?
Do I need a rugged camera? The words "rugged" and "waterproof" seems to add about $100 to the price tag and drops the capabilities of the camera. I'm not into extreme sports but they don't make Otterboxes for cameras. Here are my thoughts:
I live in Western Washington, you know, Seattle-ish. It rains here sometimes.
I drive a truck and plan to toss the camera in my truck bag. My truck LOVES electronics (for a midnight snack).
I like to walk in the woods. Sometimes I find snow.
I am clumsy.
PassPorter's Free-Book to Walt Disney World It’s hard to believe anything is free at Walt Disney World; but there are actually a number of things you can get or do for little to no cost. This e-book documents over 200 free or cheap tips to do before you go and after you arrive. You could save a considerable amount of money following these tips. Perhaps more importantly; you can discover overlooked attractions and little-known details most people whiz by on their way to spend money. Click here to see free sample pages from the e-book! Get this popular e-book free of extra charges when you join the PassPorter's Club for as little as $4.95. A club pass includes access to all our other e-books; e-worksheets; super-size photos; and more! This e-book is also available for separate purchase in the PassPorter Online Store for just $5.95.
Unless you plan on taking pictures in the rain, stream, big water or are going to be dropping the camera off benches, tables, or standing on it, or using it in really cold weather, you probably won't need the rugged cameras...
The first 3 you mentioned will most likely suit your needs, but they won't be as accessible as your phone camera is. The newer phones have comparable cameras in them, and are accessible. I used my I phone 3GS and 4 all the time, capturing great photos, and now I use my I-Phone 5 a lot... I also have an Olympus Tough camera, which I usually give to my 7 year old granddaughter to use, as well as my more expensive interchangable lens and "prosumer" cameras.
It sounds like you might be best upgrading your phone, but if you really want to go ith a "real" camera any of the first 3 would be great starters...
And you should put your hands on them before you buy to make sure they fit for you, no sense in buying a camera you aren't comfortable with!
Thank you for the quick response. The rain is what I worry about the most around here. Walks with the dog happen, weather or not, and I've gotten some neat pictures in drippy conditions.
I will stick with the more economical set then. Off to the store for some hands-on before all last year's models disappear!
Thank you. I will update later, maybe with a picture.
Oh, forgot. The BB Torch isn't an iThing but doesn't have a bad camera. I've gotten good close-ups and nice bright light shots. I'm just hoping to expand my horizons, and knowledge, a bit without burning the wallet.
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Took photography class with Canon Rebel 35mm in high school, and I just became addicted to Canon. But go with Lizardcops advice...I went to him some time back and it was helpful info. And I agree, go and try the cameras first to see if you are comfortable with them.
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The Cannon is what Coop got,and used,for our quicky trip last month. It's a great camera,takes great pictures,and isn't terribly expensive. She got the idea from a PP member who has a ton of equipment,laid it out to show what the Cannon replaces. I was impressed.
Check out some of the picks on Coops thread "Are we crazy? A spur of the moment Disney trip". You'll see some shots of Boardwalk,and Hollywood Studios from our room at the "Swalphin"
__________________
"Life can be as easy as a fall,it's all so easy once you just let go."
I took everybody's advice and went to Best Buy last night. I laid hands on a few cameras and may have made my choice. And the choice is ... None of the above Of course.
Right now I am in a cooling off period as the Canon SX280 (Lauriep used a SX260 in Africa) is about twice as much as the ones previously listed. But. ZOOM! And some choices for making my own decisions.
ChukkerB, does Coop have the 160 or 260? Those were nice photos, either way.
I will have a camera by the end of the weekend so more later.
I have the SX 260. I LOVE it! Got it on Clearance at Target - it was $90 off - so it cost only around $200! I also took the advice of Laurie and Shazza (both use a Cannon SX260).
We also have a Fuji point and shoot waterproof camera that I used prior to this.
It was ok but not good for low light or high action. It isn't as versatile, IMO. And Chuck also has a larger digital camera by GE. http://www.amazon.com/GE-X500-BK-Opt...digital+camera
Very bulky but has a lot of versatility. But I've found the same versatility with my Cannon without all the bulk.
Someday - I will be able to invest in a DSLR. I just don't want to dole out that kind of cash for a hobby I'm just getting started at.
PassPorter's Free-Book to Walt Disney World It’s hard to believe anything is free at Walt Disney World; but there are actually a number of things you can get or do for little to no cost. This e-book documents over 200 free or cheap tips to do before you go and after you arrive. You could save a considerable amount of money following these tips. Perhaps more importantly; you can discover overlooked attractions and little-known details most people whiz by on their way to spend money. Click here to see free sample pages from the e-book! Get this popular e-book free of extra charges when you join the PassPorter's Club for as little as $4.95. A club pass includes access to all our other e-books; e-worksheets; super-size photos; and more! This e-book is also available for separate purchase in the PassPorter Online Store for just $5.95.
Picked up my Canon SX280 yesterday. Oh boy, I'm thinking this is going to be fun...
First impressions:
Zoom! They call this a "super zoom" point and shoot and super zoom is right. Have only played with this inside so far but already love the the close-ups. Let's just I know there is dog hair on the carpet ten feet from my couch
Auto focus is a little too "auto". Must learn to shut it off.
More batteries are needed!
Camera is smarter than I am. There are several preset modes and some manual adjustments as well. I should stay in a confused state for some time.
Thanks for the advice everybody! I think this will be a good choice for me. Now, back to waiting for the battery to charge...
I have used Canon for a long time and have been very happy. I tried a Nikon back in the film days. Both are good cameras, you just need to get used to their operating systems. Kind of like a computer.
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