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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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I'm thinkign about rescheduling next summer trip to Christmas week....I'll be working Christmas day, but we could go down the day after and stay until New Years. It sounds like some people love it an some hate it. Would love to hear some of your experiences?
It is CROWDED!!!!!!! We have gone three times for Christmas. The first time was at the start of the recession, and it was lovely, as I think a lot of folks weren't spending money then, so the parks were not as bad as we'd been expecting. But the last 2 times (2011 and 2014) were CROWDED!!! For us, it was a problem at times as my DH was using a wheelchair, and we found just how rude people can be. I think we would have found it easier if we didn't have that to deal with. But the decorations are amazing, and if you've never seen the Osborne Lights, then I'd say GO, since this is the last year for them.
Just go with the idea that you won't go on many rides, other than those you have FP+ for.
PassPorter Guide Community Rank: Legend Extraordinaire
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I've only been the week before thru 12/26 a couple of times. I have to say that you won't get a whole lot of rides in on any single day because of the amount of people in the parks starting 12/24 (before that it's not too bad). And also the costs of resorts are very expensive that week with no discounts to be had usually. Plan FPs for the rides you really want and be ready to stand in line a lot for the others.
PS. We went to MK on Christmas Eve one year. The streets (particually Main) were so crowded it was like standing in the Hub for Wishes. It was nearly impossible to move. My DH and DS gave up and went back to our resort, while DD and I stayed and shopped (didn't find any sweatshirts we wanted, it was cold) and rode two rides that night.
I haven't been but I've seen pictures. And to say it's crowded would be an understatement. Just google Disney World Christmas crowds. Lots of pictures.
I'd say if you really, really want to go, go for it. Just be mentally prepared for long lines and lots of people.
I've heard its one of the most crowded weeks of the year. All the crowd predictors predict a 10 out of 10 crowd level. I don't think I could do it. I feel crowded when its a 5.
Thanks....I knew it was crowded, but really wasn't thinking about how difficult it would be to get on a few rides every day. It wasn't for this year (we still would miss Osborne lights)--- it was for 2016. DVC we would need to book 11 months out, so we would need to really book in a few months , so was starting to think about it, but maybe I'll just stick with the end of August. Thanks!!
I haven't been but I've seen pictures. And to say it's crowded would be an understatement. Just google Disney World Christmas crowds. Lots of pictures.
I'd say if you really, really want to go, go for it. Just be mentally prepared for long lines and lots of people.
I did what you suggested out of curiosity. Unbelievable!
So did I......no way. Changed my mind real quick. Thanks for the heads up to do that, MayraLR!
You're welcome! I remember last December, people would be posting pictures of the crowds on Facebook and I was shocked. As much as I love Disney, I don't think I could brave those crowds.
So I was curious and googled the pictures as well, and I just might be crazy, but I didn't think it seemed all that bad. I cruise a lot, and when there are multi ships in one small port area...it's pretty crazy, so I think that is maybe why the pictures of WDW crowds don't really phase me much. Again, maybe I'm just that crazy!
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