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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Forget about what bag/purse, what about the Camera bags
Ok so you see lots of post about what bag (purse) to carry around the park.
But what about camera bags (for any size camera's, don't want to leave anybody out.) I have a Canon EOS Rebel XS. I am looking for a more compact camera bag. Something mainly like a sleeve/snug or holster case. I get tired of carrying my big camera bag with the extra lenses that I don't seem to get out that often. I want something that will protect the camera but allow me to put it in the backpack/bag with the other stuff we take to the park.
This is the one I ordered today. I am really happy with it. Neoprene Protector Camera Cover Case Bag for Canon DSLR on eBay! My mother in law is going to make me a strap slipcover (one thing I wish I had money and time to get is a good sewing machine), for my camera strap. I will post a link to the fabric I found.
My wife and I swear by Crumpler bags... they can get a bit pricey, but are by far the nicest bags I've ever owned. I have one for my laptop, and my wife uses one for her Nikon baby DSLR camera. Check out the site for camera bags at: Camera Bags
Service is awesome, warranty can't be beat, they are made really REALY well... can't say enough great stuff about them. IIRC my wife has the 2 million dollar home for her camera, so depending on the size of your cam you might need to get a home that costs a couple million extra, but they are amazing bags.
The one feature my wife and I like is that the flap closes with a buckle and velcro, but it is possible to "hide" the velcro if you didn't want to use it...something we do often when we are in the wilderness and trying to capture animal shots...no annoying velcro sounds when they aren't wanted.
When going to WDW I like a bag that has a little extra room to carry things since its the only bag we take in the park. I would also recommend you get one that has a waterproof cover so you don't have to worry about getting your camera wet.
I've been quite happy; it's small, light, and comfortable to carry. I would agree that if you are trying to merge a purse/backpack with a camera bag, that one of hte larger ones might be worthwhile.
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.
If I'm carrying my SLR (a Canon T1I with an extra lens and a monopod, plus snacks etc) then I adore my sling bag -- it can be pulled forward to my chest and I access the camera body and lenses without having to put the bag down.
And if you go and look at reviews, ignore the comments of the few people who found it difficult to pullit around the body -- their videos and pictures show that they are not the brightest bulbs in the box. It's totally easy!
That said, I don't bother with my SLR at Disney unless I'm trying to capture something special, like fireworks or very special event. I find that the lighter I travel in the parks, the more I enjoy myself.