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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Harry Potter fans: Heard from our bus driver, who has a cousin that works in security in Universal...They're tearing down Sinbad and putting in Harry Potter's Magical Kingdom (weird name, though, don't you think?). He thought it would open in 2010 or 2012...couldn't remember.
The rumor was that the Harry Potter folks took the idea to Disney, who said no, and so went right to Universal.
We've had a blast in Universal this week -- especially considering the cost when compared to the world!
Hi Manunson! I'm glad to hear you had a great time at Universal - and I agree with you on the costs - you can't beat their ticket deals right now! I hope you'll share all the info on your trip with us here - we love talking about Universal!
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is scheduled to open at IOA in late 2009/early 2010 from what we've heard. There was a lot of debate on who would get the theme park rights, Disney or Universal.
For more info on the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, you can check out the Universal press release and site here:
Screamscape.com has a lot of the "behind the scenes" rumors that have been floating around about this new HP area, so you might want to check them out too:
For a while there was a thread going in the Universal Studios forum.
I was rather afraid to admit my interest -- this is a Disney community after all and I hate to be branded a traitor -- but I think several of us are looking forward to seeing the Wizarding World for ourselves. If only we could get back to our WDW resorts using floo powder....
For a while there was a thread going in the Universal Studios forum.
I was rather afraid to admit my interest -- this is a Disney community after all and I hate to be branded a traitor -- but I think several of us are looking forward to seeing the Wizarding World for ourselves. If only we could get back to our WDW resorts using floo powder....
Don't be afraid to express interest in Universal, that's why we have this forum! There's nothing written in stone that says we can't love both Disney and Universal. I know lots of Disney lovers who are Universal fans as well.
Since this discussion turned toward the Universal theme parks, I moved it to this forum.
We went to Universal for the first time last year, my DD enjoyed it very much. We amy go back again this year, or maybe early next year. We want no part of the Harry Potter world.
Tearing down Sinbad? Hey, I like that show.
Why do the parks always get rid of attractions to add new ones?
I am excited about Harry Potter themed things in the park though.
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We usually plan 1 day for US and IOA and we are able to do everything. One great thing is the express plus. Duringour annual visit in SEPT it is only $20. We usually have no lines and have a great time!