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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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We always bring our own snorkel gear and go on our own. It is fun to see the hidden Mickey. I have been at times where the water hasn't been as clear, and that wasn't as fun.
Love CC!
We are hoping to try snorkeling for the st time while at CC. Our trip is in Feb., however, and I am wondering what the water temp will be like??? Anyone have some experiences to share??
I tried to snorkle at CC, but I was congested and couldn't keep my face in the water. Be aware that in order to see the cool things they have buried and the best fish you need to be able to swim quite a ways out from the beach.
Here's a climate and sea temperature chart for the Abaco Islands (Castaway Cay is part of the Abacos).
By way of comparison, the February water temperature at Castaway Cay (71 degrees), is in the same ballpark as Atlantic City, New Jersey has right now, on July 16 (73.2), and is a tetch higher than Montauk Point's, at the eastern tip of Long Island (70.5).
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Co-Author, PassPorter's Walt Disney World, PassPorter's Disney Cruise Line, and PassPorter's Disneyland and Southern California Attractions
We did the snorkling and it was our first time. It was alot of fun. I never saw the hidden Mickey but I enjoyed seeing all the fish. You are on top of the reef, and you just swim around. They don't tell you what to do, so I was kinda like..."oh, you just kinda lean over and plop your face in....hmmm" It was pretty cool and I want to do it again from that experience. If this is your first time I thought it was fun......
We always enjoy snorkeling on CC, if you are an avid snorkeler and have done it on shore excursions it won't be as impressive as those generally are, but the water is really clear and there are fun things in the water if you swim far enough out. It's very enjoyable. We do the 3 tier rental so you get a tube (or raft), Bike and snorkel gear. We use the bikes to ride over to Serenity Beach (the adults only beach) and grab our tubes and snorkel gear.
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DH and I tried snorkeling on our honeymoon. We were at Blue Lagoon, and the water was really choppy. It's the only time in my life that I've hyperventilated.
We didn't snorkel last time we were at CC, and we'd like to try it this time. I'd really like to just wade out in the calm water and ease into it. DH has done it successfully several times, and DD has never been. After reading these posts I think we'll be ok!
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Looking forward to another Christmas with The Mouse!!
Here's a climate and sea temperature chart for the Abaco Islands (Castaway Cay is part of the Abacos).
By way of comparison, the February water temperature at Castaway Cay (71 degrees), is in the same ballpark as Atlantic City, New Jersey has right now, on July 16 (73.2), and is a tetch higher than Montauk Point's, at the eastern tip of Long Island (70.5).
Thanks Dave...Great Link!! We are excited to give it a try!!