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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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My Girl Scout Troop wants to take a trip in the next year or so. We're know to not get a lot done so I decided I would take the planning of the trip into my own hands. I am a huge fan of Disney World and think it would be so much fun to take a trip there. My troop is less convinced. So I have a few questions for you guys that I think will help me convince them that Disney is the place for them.
1. Why should we go to Disney World and not someplace like New York City? This is what they all keep asking me. So I was wondering if you guys had some out of the ordinary reasons of why we should go there. (nothing like, it's fun, rides, etc.)
2. Does Disney have anything special for Girls Scouts or something extra that would be educational so we could make it more of a girl scout trip?
3. Do you think it would be reasonable for 6 girls to be able to earn the money in about a year and like 3 months to pay for them and two adults to go to Disney World for 5?
4. Do you have any tips on making the trip as cheap as we can without staying off property?
If I think of any more questions I will make sure to edit this
UGH!!! Too bad you can't afford to go now with the current promotion!!!
I so wish my DD was in a troop that wanted to raise money to go to WDW! I think it would be such a good idea! Being that I live in NJ, I'd be completely turned off by the NYC trip since it's "down the block" from us.
Sorry, I really didn't offer any suggestions but I think it's a great idea because it's something out of the box and not a usual trip.
My dd's dance team dances at Disney every other summer. This summer was suppose to be the year to go again. (and my dd's first time going ) Someone had the bright idea to go to New York. Not that anything is wrong with New York, in fact I'd LOVE to go. But we all agreed the girls are just too young to truely enjoy and appreciate going there. So , we are going to Disney in June.
Stay in the values for the cheapest price. Go to this site for info on group discounts, etc: Home | Walt Disney Youth Groups . Def plan something in Epcot for them to do and that will be great for them.
I would not expect the girls to pay for the trip themselves. The adults/parents need to be prepared to pay for the trip. Let the girls earn money for meals/extra spending. If they do happen to earn a lot, then use some of it to help pay the costs.
What state would you be traveling from? You can save a lot of money if you’re driving and able to tent camp. I know Boy Scouts would be all over the camping bit but do Girl Scouts like camping
I think it would be a great opportunity for Girl Scouts to see the world at Epcot. They could see what other countries are like and learn American history in the show put on in America. Also they can go to the hall of Presidents and listen to the Presidents speak.
I think you can earn the money if the girls knuckle down and work hard. Also you will probably have a lot of people wanting to help chaperone the trip so they can also help plan.
One more note: If you drive your troop can visit the Kennedy Space Center and tour it who knows maybe you will get a chance to see a Shuttle on the pad.
Living 20 min outside manhattan, I can tell you I would rather be in Disney than NY. I think you'll have a better time not being worried that someone is going to get hit by a taxi crossing the street. There are lots of educational things to do in NY, that is true, but they aren't all condensed into one area, so you're going to have to do a bit of traveling from sight to sight.
I don't know if they do anything special for the GS but there is plenty of educational things at Disney. I am sure if you google it, you could even find lesson plans or something that would coincide with each park.
I think they can definately earn the money in 15 months if they work really hard.
If you stay at the all star, it will be just as cheap as staying off site and renting a car and having to pay for gas and parking. Plus I would consider getting the quick service dining plan, so they can pay for all that in advance and not have to carry cash around the park. You can also try to stay without a package, sign up for mousesavers newsletter and use the link they provide to undercover tourist to buy your park tickets at a discount, although I am not sure if you can do the dining plan without a package. Good luck trying to convince them to do Disney.
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When we were there last year, we ran into a Girl Scout Troop at dinner at O'Hana. I got chatting with the leader and she said that the troop was camping at Fort Wilderness. I don't remember many details from their itinerary, but I know they went to the parks. I would think that there would be plenty of educational experiences to be had, particularly at Epcot, and even Animal Kingdom!
With creative fundraising, I'm sure you could come up with the money, especially if you didn't need to fly. Spaghetti suppers, tagging, garage sale, etc..... You've probably done it all. Around here, many malls allow nonprofits to do gift wrapping at the Holidays and keep a percentage of the profits. Good luck!
For saving Money, I would try to go the All-Stars During Low Value Season, or even FWCamping (although, t might not be worth the extra money saved when you consider materials needed like tents, flashlights, etc.)
My Girl Scout Troop wants to take a trip in the next year or so. We're know to not get a lot done so I decided I would take the planning of the trip into my own hands. I am a huge fan of Disney World and think it would be so much fun to take a trip there. My troop is less convinced. So I have a few questions for you guys that I think will help me convince them that Disney is the place for them.
What program level is your troop? Regardless of the level, the girls should be involved in the planning process. It may take them an entire meeting to make a simple decision, but they won't learn those skills unless given the opportunity.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cinderellaluver
1. Why should we go to Disney World and not someplace like New York City? This is what they all keep asking me. So I was wondering if you guys had some out of the ordinary reasons of why we should go there. (nothing like, it's fun, rides, etc.)
Have them list the pros and cons of various places.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cinderellaluver
2. Does Disney have anything special for Girls Scouts or something extra that would be educational so we could make it more of a girl scout trip?
You need at least 10 girls to qualify for the youth programs, but there's plenty of educational stuff at Epcot, including international cast members, and, depending on your girls' ages, you might look into getting someone from the college program to speak with them. Pull out your badge book and look for program activities that could be incorporated into your trip--the Travel Try-It/Badge/IP is an obvious choice.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cinderellaluver
3. Do you think it would be reasonable for 6 girls to be able to earn the money in about a year and like 3 months to pay for them and two adults to go to Disney World for 5?
The girls would have to be very motivated to earn the money in one year. Keep in mind, council rules may limit when and how many money-earning events you can do in addition to cookie sales. (My troop has been saving for Disney for several years--we've held yard sales, wrapped gifts, applied for a council grant, collected money from parents, etc.)
I took 40 girls to disney. it is totally do-able for the girls to save all the money they need to pay for the trip. Most of the girls i took worked and earned all the money for the trip. Everyone has given you good advice. Councils have rules for fund raising. They also have rules for extended travel. check into all of that no matter which trip. I guess the biggest thing that i notice in your post is that the girls don't seem to be as excited about the disney option. the girls have to want to go there or its just not going to work out as well as it should. I did programs for 20+ years in GS and would say that the girls need to WANT to do there.
Funny you should make this post! I just read this article, and passed it on to our GS regional office!
Disney Youth Education Series (Y.E.S.)
Organized youth groups have the opportunity to turn the Disney Parks into their classroom. Disney Youth Education Series (Y.E.S) is open to Boy Scout, Girl Scout, community, religious, social organization, and school groups of 10 or more. Disney Y.E.S. offers two-to-three-hour programs taught by professional facilitators at the Walt Disney World® Resort. These facilitators use the vast resources of Disney to showcase the real life applications of science, language arts, leadership, and so much more. Disney Y.E.S. programs allow students to discover how the textbook principles they're learning in the classroom are making exciting things happen every-day at Disney.
Disney Y.E.S. offers 19 programs year round with curriculum covering Arts and Humanities, Leadership, Career Discovery, Culture, Natural Science, and Physical Science. Students can learn about physics while riding the world famous attractions at the Magic Kingdom® Park, meet citizens of the world at Epcot®, learn about the history of Disney Animation at Disney's Hollywood Studios, and get hands on experience preparing meals for the varied species at Disney's Animal Kingdom® Theme Park.
The latest additions to the programs at Walt Disney World® include "Everyday Chemistry" and "Showbiz Magic at La Nouba® by Cirque du Soleil™." The Chemistry program is a joint venture with the American Chemical Society. The program uncovers the mysterious world of chemical science and uses the resources of Epcot® to explore the role of chemistry in creating the millions of things people use everyday. The new Showbiz Magic program takes students inside the Grand Chapiteau of the Cirque du Soleil ® show, La Nouba™, and backstage to see how this modern-day circus comes to life.
When my troop was younger they always said they wanted to go to WDW and I'd tell them they had to sell a boat load of cookies! Now they are high schoolers and they aren't even motivated to money-earn a trip to Washington DC. If your girls are motivated and willing to put the work into money earning then I don't think they'd have a problem accomplishing their goal!! Good luck!!
We're cadettes and fort Wilderness would be a good idea but probaly only one girl in the troop would want to camp knowing theres hotels not even a mile away lol.
if you are in a hotel remember safety-wise and those council rules for extended trips (can you tell i'm a trainer). some councils require an adult per room, some acutally go with the one girl per bed rule. that why we wound up camping. one adult per campsite and we could get 10 people (2 tents) per site. however all these rules would also apply to NYC or any other place you go.
thanks for the tip, that's something I will defiantly have to check out.
Also I have another question, this one girl in my troop isn't a really big fan of roller coasters and other big rides because they make her sick. Is their any tips you have to make it a fun trip for her especially when all the other girls are on a ride she doesn't want to go on.
Last edited by Cinderellaluver; 03-03-2009 at 06:56 PM..
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