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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Growing up, we always had standing rib roast for Christmas dinner.
And I have to admit that I've bought them in the past without even looking at the price tag. But this year, I asked before ordering one. And the butcher said $9 a pound. Yikes!
That sounds high, but is it?
Seems like a lot to pay for dinner, but it is Christmas. And I haven't a clue what to serve if I don't go the roast beast route.
I can't help you with that but I usually serve ham for dinner on Christmas. Not necessarily a tradition but that's what I end up picking.
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Gina Nov. 2000 - CBR
September 2003 - Fort Wilderness Cabins
August 2008 - Pop Century for Gracie's 7th b-day!
June 2009 - POP Century Family Vacation!
If you can afford it, go for it. I agree, Christmas comes once a year and if it is not something that you buy at other times of the year. Making one special meal a year is worth it.
If you can swing it than buy it but if you can't....I wouldn't stress about it.
Sometimes traditions need to be put on hold without feeling to bad about it.
You could ask your family if they might want something different this year.
Depending on how many people you are having, one other option might be to offer two meat selections. I know some people are big beef eaters. My three kids are not and would prefer a nice salmon meal (also $10./lb for Alaska varieties). That way you can keep tradition and try something new at the same time.
No help here. We always have pork spare rib. I've been eating pork spare ribs for Christmas Eve dinner my entire life except for my first Christmas since I was 4 days old. It's just not Christmas without pork spare ribs. They're yummy and easy since we just trim, salt and pepper, and bake. You could do a different type of beef roast that's cheaper. There's nothing wrong with a good pot roast. It's cheap easy, tastey, and I've never heard someone complain about having pot roast for dinner.
Our tradition is Honeybaked Ham. I shudder to think how much it's going to run me this year, but I put it in the Christmas budget. You don't mess with tradition at my house...
The views and opinions expressed on this post are mine and do not necessarily represent or reflect those of The Walt Disney Company and Affiliated Companies
I'm a big traditions kind-of-person. But, that being said, I would only do it if I could really enjoy it and not worry/feel guilty about the cost. No matter what you make, it will be yummy!
Thanks everyone! Rib roast it is!
Coming back to this thread was like thinking out loud. And as I read through your responses, I realized that the standing rib roast and Yorkshire pudding were non-negotiable.
I even remembered that the first Christmas my mom died, I wasn't worried about missing her (that was a given!) but I did worry that my mother-in-law would serve turkey!