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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Second cruise for us - family of 5 + mother-in-law. Originally on 9/26 4 day, but DH didn't want to spend the weekends at WDW. (Hate to say it, but he is probably right about crowd levels on the first weekend of F&W). So now we've got one less cruise day to relax.
Excellent! (Well, not excellent that you have one less night's cruise though!) LOL....
I am really so nervous about the cruise! I guess it's just because it seems like there's all this "insider" info and stuff, it's a bit overwhelming (kind of like going to WDW the first time and actually caring about getting the best out of your vaca, you know?)
So, what cruise have you done before? Was it also the 3nighter?
__________________
Lori
“I’m in a Disney state of mind……”
Authorized Disney Vacation Planner w/Fairy Godmother Travel For a Pixie Dust Sprinkled Trip!
Yep, we did the 3 night cruise in Dec 07. Stayed in Cat 4 on deck 8 since it sleeps 5. This time we have adjoining Cat 6 cabins on deck 6.
We loved Castaway Cay - got out to the beach early (they were blowing "snow" when we got off the ship), and had a great morning. The water was a little cold, but you got used to it. Cookies was a great lunch - fresh fruit, burgers and hot dogs and ribs (i think) with soft serve for dessert.
Nassau was ok. We decided at the last minute to do the Atlantis Resort tour. The bus ride over and back to Paradise Island was crowded. We sat behind the driver with 3year old in our laps. Looking out the rear view mirror was a little scary - I'm sure we were almost hit a half dozen times. We did some shopping when we got back to the port. The older girls stayed on the ship.
It's a quick trip, but lots of fun and way different than WDW. The food is excellent as are the shows. We had the early dinner seating b/c of the kids, but we felt rushed at the ports to get back on the ship and dress for dinner. We would drop the kids off and then head to the shows. This time we have the late dinner, mainly so we can disembark later on Sunday.
This Sept 30th will be me and DH first cruise too! We were going to wait until 2014 and take the whole family, but the inlaws will be watching the kids, so we're going for the tenth anniversary of our first date.
Hi kandl sutton! (LOL) We have the late seating too!!! I'm happy about it for sure as at home we eat pretty late anyway.
Lori (me too!) Hi! That's certainly something special to celebrate!!!
We're in a Cat. 7 room. That's all I know as of now. kandl-have you eaten at Palo? Lori, are you planning to?
I think I'm going to book it and see. (I posted in the main cruise thread about DH's clothes). They may turn us away as I'm not bringing his suit or dress shoes just for that one dinner...
I really can't wait! I just can't figure out why I'm like so nervous about the cruise! LOL
__________________
Lori
“I’m in a Disney state of mind……”
Authorized Disney Vacation Planner w/Fairy Godmother Travel For a Pixie Dust Sprinkled Trip!
Wow, I just noticed you're a Lorelei, too. Weird, not many of us, are there?
I hope to be able to book Palo, but i've still got another
month until I can. For now I'm getting really excited about door decorations, since I can actually do something with those now.
What about y'all?
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