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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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So we're headed to New Jersey early on Friday morning. I see that Cape May and Ocean City require a beach tag. What is this? And where do you put it after you purchase it? Do the beach tag police patrol the beaches for your tags? Clearly, I don't have a clue here... can someone explain?? Thanks!!!!
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Tanya
Every click helps feed .6 bowls of food to rescued animals. Give a quick click every day and help animals in shelters! www.theanimalrescuesite.com
Beach tags are required at many beaches in New Jersey (Wildwood and Atlantic City are free). Generally, everyone ages 12 and up must have a valid tag to be on that section of beach (although each township sets its own rules). You can purchase a weekly tag for $10-15 or $5-8 for one day (depending on the township).
If you get to the beach early in the morning and no one is selling or checking tags, you can still enter the beach. At some point during the day, you can expect someone to approach and ask to see your beach tag. If you don't have one, you can buy them from the beach tag police (yes, they do exist!)
The tags are rigid plastic, about the size of a half dollar and they have a very thick 'safety pin' thru them. Because the pin is so thick, I usually attach the tag to my beach bag as I'd rather not ruin my bathing suit. Guys seem to have no problem attaching them to the waistband of their suits but use caution in the water as the tags have been known to come off.
Have fun!
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Lynn
Yes, I am a Disney Addict... and I'd rather be cruising!.
We usually put ours on our beach bag also. Have fun. I love the Jersey Shore. This is the first year in probably 25 years I have not gone Can't wait to hear how you like it.
In Cape May you can purchase the tags either as you enter the beach (there's normally someone selling/chicking tags at each entrance) or at the information gazebo in front of Convention Hall.
In Ocean City again there are people stationed at the entrances.
We always put our on either our bags or a hat or something, because yes, they do patrol the beaches and ask to see them.
I love Cape May, went every year as a kid and now go every summer with my mom so if you have any specific CM questions I would be happy to answer them, just drop me a PM Have fun!!
Thanks guys, that's exactly what I was wondering! We're definitely going to AC and Wildwood since it's free, but I hear so much about Ocean City being great for the kids, and Cape May as well. So I figured we may as well hit them all. Is that too much? Or are they all pretty much the same (I can hear my DH now....)
Our other plans include some lighthouses, Storybookland, the Cape May zoo, and some fun rides on the piers. Kids are 7, 5, and 2 1/2, so I'm trying to make it fun for them. We'll be staying at the Marriott Seaview Villas (timeshare exchange ) so it's a bit of a drive to get places. We're OK with that, I just don't want to miss anything especially in Cape May and Wildwood since it's a further drive.
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Tanya
Every click helps feed .6 bowls of food to rescued animals. Give a quick click every day and help animals in shelters! www.theanimalrescuesite.com
I don't think it's too much, you could try a new beach each day Wildwood is good for the boardwalk and the pier rides. I will warn you that during the summer it does get very crowded, and can be a little rowdy, with teenagers at night. Ocean City has a boardwalk for shopping (and Kohr Bros custard and Johnson's Caramel Corn). There is also a fun and cute waterpark on the boardwalk called Gillians Island (or something like that). Cape May Zoo is nice, though it's been many years since I've gone. The last time I was at Storybook land I was probably a bit too old for it, and I remember it being kind of run down (?) But, your kids may not notice. Cape May isn't really a "kids" town, though there are a couple arcades on the promanade (skee ball!). But on the whole it's more known for it's historic quaintness. Lighthouses: Cape May Point and Hertford Inlet (North Wildwood) are my favs.
I will let you know that parking is a HUGE issue down the shore, but more so in Ocean City and especially in Cape May. In OC there are several "pay for the day" lots as well as metered parking. In Cape May there is really only metered parking and it goes very quickly. But, the nice thing about Cape May is, once you do find a spot to park, everything is generally within walking distance (or you could rent bikes).
Storybookland will be great for your kids. We were just there last summer. I uploaded some pics on here in the photos section.
We like Ocean City better just because it is a MUCH shorter walk to the ocean than WildWood. When you are carrying kids, blankets and sand toys the WildWood beach seems like it is miles to the water.
There are 2 amusement parks on the Ocean City boarwalk one is in the middle and Wonderland is all the way at one end. The rides in Ocean City are geared more towards younger children.
Oh another thing we love to do is rent a surrey on the Ocean City boardwalk in the morning. It's a nice bike ride There is a basket in front for your 2 year old to sit in maybe even your 5 yr old if he/she is small
Thanks for the information everyone!! The car is almost packed and we're leaving soon. Thanks!
__________________
Tanya
Every click helps feed .6 bowls of food to rescued animals. Give a quick click every day and help animals in shelters! www.theanimalrescuesite.com
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) so it's a bit of a drive to get places. We're OK with that, I just don't want to miss anything especially in Cape May and Wildwood since it's a further drive.
There is a basket in front for your 2 year old to sit in maybe even your 5 yr old if he/she is small
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