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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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What are the real differences in the different verions of PassPorter? (PassPorter's Walt Disney World 2013 Spiral Guide, PassPorter's Walt Disney World 2013 Deluxe Starter Kit, PassPorter's Walt Disney World 2013 Collector's Edition) The Deluxe starter kit implies one needs to keep adding to it - why?
Thanks for help figuring out which one to buy!
Last edited by Belle*; 01-22-2013 at 09:06 AM..
Reason: newsletter01242013
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With the deluxe edition, it comes in a binder, with a leather cover, which I love. Once you have it, then you order the deluxe refill every year, which is what I do. I've found it to be a great investment and I much prefer it to the spiral guide.
The fundamental difference between the Spiral Edition and Deluxe Edition is the binding style. The contents - the paper covers (which have maps and other info printed on the inside), guidebook text, plus 14 organizer pockets - are identical in both. The Spiral Edition has a plastic coil binding. The Deluxe Edition adds the benefits of a looseleaf binder.
The vast majority of our readers buy the Spiral Edition. I recommend it for first-time PassPorter readers. If you use the Spiral and start wishing, "If only I could customize this, like my File O Fax/Franklin Planner..." you're a candidate for the Deluxe.
The Deluxe Edition has all the advantages of a ring binder - you can add/remove pages, customize the way pages are organized, re-use the binder for subsequent editions, etc. The Deluxe binder is part of a system - you can buy additional sets of organizer pockets, guidebook cover and text.
The Spiral Edition is lighter and more compact than the Deluxe Edition
*The Spiral Edition has the complete guidebook text, covers, and 14 organizer pockets
*The Deluxe Starter Kit has the complete guidebook text, covers, and 14 organizer pockets, plus the 6-ring binder
*The Deluxe Refill Kit has the complete guidebook text, covers, and 14 organizer pockets in looseleaf format, with holes that fit in the 6-ring binder (assumes you already have the binder)
*Deluxe Looseleaf Text has the complete guidebook text and covers, but no organizer pockets, designed to fit the deluxe ring binder.
*14-pocket set is the same organizer pockets you get with the Deluxe Starter Kit and Deluxe Refill Kit, designed to fit the deluxe ring binder.
*5-pocket set is 5 generic organizer pockets for folks who take longer vacations or need a few special-purpose pockets.
*Collector's Edition combines a Deluxe Starter Kit, an additional 14 organizer pockets, a drawstring bag (the type some folks use as day packs), the special discount coupon, and personalized autograph.
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Co-Author, PassPorter's Walt Disney World, PassPorter's Disney Cruise Line, and PassPorter's Disneyland and Southern California Attractions
Another vote for the Deluxe! Some of my favorite things:
--You have all the normal content while you're planning, but then you can easily take out the pages you don't need once you are ready to go on your trip. For example, I typically remove the pages for any resorts other than the one we're staying at and any we plan to visit (for character meals, etc). I can always put them back in once we get home, but it's nice not to have all the extra content to drag around and flip past on the trip.
--I love the pockets inside the binder! Very handy for all sorts of stuff!
--I like to be able to add extra things, such as the custom worksheets you can get if you're a Passporter's Club member, but I don't want loose sheets that will get lost. The Deluxe binder lets me keep everything together and safe in its spot.
--The binder provides a little extra protection against sprinkles and splashes, versus the cardboard cover on the spiral book.
--Sometimes, I just want to pull out a few pages and/or an envelope and take them with me. For example, if I'm headed to a waterpark or mini-golf, I need my daily schedule and my envelope (for receipts, maps, etc.), but I really don't want to take the whole book. With the Deluxe, it's easy to pull out just what I need, then put those pages back later.
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DD and DS, May 2008
"I am purple today; Bright and happy like a butterfly in the air." -Kira Willey
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