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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Well, we have a new trip planned. No, we can't return to Disney with all of you lucky mousefesters, but hubbys best bud is getting married in Philly January 3rd, so we are making a family trip out of it. My son is studying american history and wants to see the liberty bell. So we are looking for good ideas of other things to do there that weekend! So all of you east coast passporters can help give me ideas we want to see lots of historical things, and we have from Thursday afternoon till Sunday morning Jan 4th. The wedding is saturday late morning to early afternoon. Thanks!!
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Congratulations on your trip...Philadelphia is a great place to visit. The Living Hisotry Center Archology Center is pretty cool - they have a bunch of artifacts that are interesting to see and when we were there they had some great archologiests that really were informative and excited to share, so the kids enjoyed.
Washington Squre is a beautiful park (also some beautiful historical buildings)- that is where the tomb of the unknown solider is, pretty moving.
My philosophy towards traveling is to try to experience a destination as a local. You are fortunate. You will be arriving in Philadelphia on a day during one of its oldest traditions. Every New Year's Day is the Mummer's Parade.
Reports of rowdy groups "parading" on New Years day in Philadelphia date back before the revolution. Prizes were offered by merchants in the late 1800's. January 1, 1901 was the first "official" parade offered about $1,725 in prize money from the city.
The Mummers parade is a celebration of the New Year but is serious business in Philadelphia. Clubs work on the costumes and practice all year for their one day in the sun (...wind, rain or snow). There are many lively discussions over the scoring by the judges and adherence to the complicated set of rules the marchers must follow when being judged. String Bands are judged on their musical presentation as well as the costumes. Seeing and hearing a String Band performing live in the parade is a one-of-a-kind experience.
This is one long parade lasting from morning till night. I recommend seeing a small portion to get a sample of a local tradition. See a portion of the String Bands. The kids will love the outlandish costumes with sequins and feathers galore.
Basically, I would recommend you see the parade and have a great meal and settle in to your hotel for your first day.
Day Two should start at the Visitors Center on Market Street between 5th and 6th Streets. There is a lot of great information and it is at the epicenter of Independence Mall - the ground zero for the historic areas of Philadelphia (Old City, Society Hill).
Dress warmly! Philadelphia is very cold in January ordinarily.
Visit:
National Constitution Center
Independence Hall
Liberty Bell
Betsy Ross House
Carriage ride through Society Hill
Franklin Institute with Planetarium
Philadelphia Museum of Art (cool exhibit of medieval suits of armour, an acutal Indian temple rebuilt inside, an actual Japanese tea house inside, tons of furnishings from the colonial period, and oh yes world class paintings) I recommend you do a sampling of things here. Kids won't have the stamina or patience to see the whole museum.
City Hall (you might be able to go up to get a bird's eye view of the city)
Night time Ghost tour of Philadelphia might be possible (I'm not sure if it's still running in the winter)
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Douglas gave you some wonderful tips. The only things I'd add to his list are:
- Visit Macy's at 13th and Market to see the Holiday Light Display in the grand hall.
- Visit Macy's at 8th and Market to walk through the "A Christmas Carol" display.
A wonderful organ is housed inside Macy's. It orginally was Wanamaker's Department Store one of the first department stores in the United States. They regularly have organ concerts that time of year, especially on Sundays. I have a several close friends who are professional organists and they absolutely love this organ.
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, but hubbys best bud is getting married in Philly January 3rd, so we are making a family trip out of it.
My son is studying american history and wants to see the liberty bell. So we are looking for good ideas of other things to do there that weekend! So all of you east coast passporters can help give me ideas we want to see lots of historical things, and we have from Thursday afternoon till Sunday morning Jan 4th. The wedding is saturday late morning to early afternoon. Thanks!!
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I love that movie!
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