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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!
Welcome! We're happy you've found the PassPorter Community -- the friendliest place to plan your vacation to Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland, and the world in general! You are now viewing the PassPorter Message Board Community as a guest, which gives you limited access. As our guest, feel free to browse our messages by selecting the forum you want to visit from the list below.
To post messages and ask questions, join our FREE community today and you'll get access to tools and resources not available to guests, such as our vacation countown timers, "living" avatars, private messaging system, database searches, downloads, and a special PassPorter discount code. Registration is fast, simple, and completely free. Just click the Join Our Community link.
If you think you've already joined, log in below now. If you don't remember your member name or password, please visit our Member Name and Password Recovery page. You are also welcome to contact us.
So we leave in a little over 8 days!! I'm so very excited, but I'm also feeling anxious. This is our first trip with two kids. I have 2 daughters, one is 3 (almost 4) and the other is 13 months.
We took my eldest daughter when she was just shy of 2 and it's like we had hit a sweet spot at that age. She was able to keep up physically, she was super well behaved and hadn't hit the sass that came when she turned 2 and a half. Needless to say the trip was amazing.
Now I feel like both my girls are going through some very typical growing pains. My 3 year old struggles with listening and is a very stubborn eater and our 13 month old is going through the normal...getting into everything phase. I'm just so worried that the mixture of their behaviors, that normally exhaust me by days end are going to kill me on this trip!
The one major benefit is that my husband's parents are coming as they did on our last trip. So it will be 4 on 2.
I'm a huge planner so the trip is very scheduled with daily nap time as well as 2 half park days and 1 day of no parks. However even with the breaks I'm stressed. I hope I can just go with the flow but at the same token I hope the girls do okay so we don't have to adapt plans too much!!
Oy, I suppose this was more of a vent session, but I imagine many of you have been there, done that and could send along advice!
Congrats on your upcoming trip! It sounds like there is much anticipation.
Advice?
Let the children's schedules/needs dictate the plans--even changing the plans if necessary.
Keep expectations in check.
Take care of yourself. Make sure you get rest/breaks, too. (You're not the only one who can do things--bath time for example--just because it doesn't get done "your way" if the kids are clean, then that was goal.)
This is Disney and sometimes our children surprise us in ways we hadn't imagined.
I'm sure the Disney magic will shine just as bright on this trip. I've found through the years each age is just as wonderful..just different.
When my son was younger (and more strong willed) he enjoyed having a small backpack with his snacks and drinks. I found several healthy snacks at his timing made for a much happier little boy.
I think you've gotten good advice and you are already planning to take breaks and stick to nap routines so all that will help keep everyone happy and rested. I took my girls on their first trip when they were 4 and 18 months. They were also going through typical stuff for their ages. They were having so much fun behavior was not an issue. We did things that interested them, kept them fed, hydrated and rested and it was great. I had also researched the attractions and shows ahead of time as one of my kids has sensory issues. We stayed away from anything I thought would be too loud or scary. Try to relax and not worry too much. Take it day by day.
I took my girls by myself when they were 2&3 years old(daddy had to work). Like others have said, make sure that they get plenty of rest, do not wake them up in the morning to get to the park early. We are big believers in letting everyone sleep in. Also, you are what you eat, especially the little ones. So I made sure that they had good meals and snack foods. You can really tell a difference in their behavior if they get hungry or eat more junk then good food. Although, dole whips count as good snacks at WDW . Take it slow. We would do a couple of rides then just take a break and have a snack and a drink. This was our pattern the whole trip. Plus do not underestimate the power of swimming. Kids need to burn off energy and the pool is a great place for that.
You've already gotten great advice. Just wanted to add, please don't feel bad if a meltdown happens. Kids are people not robots and you can't just control how they act all the time.
My dd is 4 and had a major meltdown after Dumbo because she didn't get the purple dumbo and was yelling at us we had to go again so she could get the purple one. Well yelling at Mom and Dad is not how you get what you want, Disney or not. She wouldn't stop and eventually had to sit in time out on the curb along the walkway in MK. Yes you might get some looks from people but the majority give you the 'We understand, we've been there too' looks of sympathy lol.
Just don't forget that even the best "huge planner" is at the mercy of her kids behavior / schedule / attitude. Have fun but be flexible, very flexible. LOL
About This Page: 
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
]Read all about our Disney Experiences on the Williams Family Blog: 
. Take it slow. We would do a couple of rides then just take a break and have a snack and a drink. This was our pattern the whole trip. Plus do not underestimate the power of swimming. Kids need to burn off energy and the pool is a great place for that.
Our last WDW trip as a family 
Linear Mode
