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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!
Welcome! We're happy you've found the PassPorter Community -- the friendliest place to plan your vacation to Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland, and the world in general! You are now viewing the PassPorter Message Board Community as a guest, which gives you limited access. As our guest, feel free to browse our messages by selecting the forum you want to visit from the list below.
To post messages and ask questions, join our FREE community today and you'll get access to tools and resources not available to guests, such as our vacation countown timers, "living" avatars, private messaging system, database searches, downloads, and a special PassPorter discount code. Registration is fast, simple, and completely free. Just click the Join Our Community link.
If you think you've already joined, log in below now. If you don't remember your member name or password, please visit our Member Name and Password Recovery page. You are also welcome to contact us.
My mom is having elective surgery in a few weeks. The surgery is out of town, 2 hours from where I live. By her own accord she only has me and my brother to go with her. He has to work. So really that just leaves me. You know, because I do not work, I just have 3 kids 3, 5, 7. My 5 year old goes to preschool (8:30-noon), my 3 year old is home all day and I homeschool my 7 yr old. I do not really have anything to do ALL day long.
So here are my options:
1) Not go and be the scum of the earth. (by her account because she has no one else - as if that is my fault)
2) Ask my dad to take off 2 days from work to keep my kids.
3) Ask dh to take off 2 days from work to watch the kids.
4) Take my kids with me.
4 does not seem like much of an option to me. We would be sitting in either the hospital waiting room or her hotel room.
Oh, and I have to spend the night and go back to the hospital with her the next day.
I completely understand why she wants to have this surgery. I want her to have the surgery if it will make her happy.
There just needs to be someone else to go with her.
I am I wrong? Should I want to go with her?
BTW - if this were non elective, I would be there no question about it. I spent nights (in a chair) with my dad in the hospital when he had cancer along with my 4 month old nursing son.
I am not trying to be selfish or mean this just seems like ALOT to ask of me. It is really stressing me out. She can be very hurtful is she does not get her way. I guess that is what I fear - telling her no. Isn't that crazy?! A grown women feeling this way.
Thanks for the feedback!
__________________
WDW Oct . 2012
Since Minnie's chair is gone, I had to find a new place to have our photo taken this past Oct. Not sure this will be the permanent place.
Last edited by fairestofthemall; 04-13-2010 at 02:16 PM..
Reason: added
Since your dad taking your mom is not an option, I assume they are no longer together? If they were, seems like he should watch your kids in exchange for taking her to the surgery.
I am also a mom of 3 kids. There is a lot to balance at home as it is, and to be gone for 2 days would be incredibly stressful, especially for an obligatory reason, and not a "fun" reason or one of your choosing. It not only involves childcare, but handling all the other "balls" while you are out of the home. It would not be fair for your DH to take off work to stay home unless he has a job with lots of flexibility and time off.
I've had to ask my DH to take off of work to watch DD while I flew my DM up
for a funeral of my uncle. My DM has memory issues and can't fly by herself.
I felt bad asking my DH to do this, but he was able to work some from home.
There are 5 of us kids and we rotate mom duties since my DDad passed away
in January.
Not knowing a lot of your background with your mom, it almost sounds to me like you don't overly get along. If that's the case I'd go with number one as your kids are your priority now, not trying to make someone happy who may not be happy in the long run anyway even if you do go. Good luck though whatever you decide.
Registered Message Board Members save 30% off PassPorter guidebooks! When you register you'll have access to a discount coupon good for 30% off the list price of PassPorter books in our online store.
My only concern with not helping is that helping out is something families do. I guess it would depend on if your mother does things for you. Has she helped you out with your kids, your home or husband? If so, I think you need to suck it up and help. If not, you may be justified in turning her down.
Can you also talk to your brother about doing one day? Can you bring the kids and get a sitter at the hotel? You may not have to actually be at the hospital that much.
My mother was diagnosed with cancer when my boys were a new born and just over 2. They spent many hours in hospitals and doctors offices and I actually think they learned a lot about how to act in an unual situation as well as fun things like how to make a glove into a balloon.
My younger girls spent many, many hours in hospitals all over the midwest from the time they were newborns until just a few years ago, because of their older sister Samantha. Some of those times were voluntary (but needed) surgeries. They learned to walk in hospitals (both of them!).
I see nothing wrong with taking the kids with you, as long as your kids can understand they can't run about being loud.
Is there anyone you can find to keep the kids during the day? DO you belong to a home-school group? Someone from pre-school? Church? You might have to split the kids up, but they might like that. Then, your DH can pick them up (or have them delivered) and keep them for the evening and night. It's not easy - but it's doable.
You might just need to step back and think about this without the emotion of "She's my mom, but she did ............. when I was little".
Maybe it'll be a good time to work through anything that happened.
Registered Message Board Members save 30% off PassPorter guidebooks! When you register you'll have access to a discount coupon good for 30% off the list price of PassPorter books in our online store.
My only concern with not helping is that helping out is something families do.
I have three girls the same age as yours and if I were in your position I would probably take them all with me. Another option might be if your dad could take them one day and your DH the second day. That way they each only take one day off work.
__________________
My Happy Place
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"When you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way, implicitly and unquestionable." ~ Walt Disney
PassPorter Guide Community Rank: Legend Extraordinaire
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Southwestern Florida, USA
Concierge Level: 7
Posts: 39,153
Post Thanks / Like
Likes (Given): 39
Likes (Received): 114
Thanks (Given): 18
Thanks (Received): 46
Pixie Dust (Given): 1
Pixie Dust (Received): 8
I have to think back and think about what I would have done.
I would probably have gone, taken my 3 sons and done the best I could.
I hope you are able to make a decision that is best for everyone!
About This Page: 
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
Linear Mode
