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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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 had our annual spring / "St. Pat's Day dinner (a week late due to snow storms) yesterday. This is when I would have Jack's siblings over to spend the day and visit with him.....I do it in the Fall, too.
Well..............we all had a wonderful time. His brothers and sisters....and their spouses and some of their "kids" came. We had a traditional corned beef dinner.....with a Shephard's pie.....and chicken salad for those "Irish among us" who don't care for the boiled dinner.
I made some "Skelly's " Irish Cream...... and we all "toasted" Jack. We shared stories and many pictures were exchanged. Lots of laughs and continued memories.
I didn't know if Jack's family would still want to come since his passing last month....but....they were happy that I still wanted to have them over. We all are still in need of comfort and support. It so difficult to lose a spouse, but they all lost their brother, and all of them are having a difficult time. Jack was the "middle child"...so a sister and brother lost their "little brother"...and...a sister and brother lost their "big brother".
We talked about getting together again in the fall.......they still want to and that made me happy.
I did have a good day.
Tough day especially for You! Everyone handles grief so differently! It is good that you were able to invite your husband's family over and enjoy St. Patrick's holiday with Irish food!
I got to give you kudos for doing that! How are you doing?
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Kate in PA All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them- Walt Disney
Though I know you are going through a very sad and difficult time what a lovely way to spend time with family and share thoughts, memories and I'm sure some emotions. I'm glad it was a good day for you.
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What a great tradition and hats off to you for continuing this despite Jack's passing. I'm sure while it was definitely very difficult that it was another great celebration of Jack's life. You all need one another so much now. I love the fact you are already planning for the fall. I am sure he would have been so touched by your strength and perseverance to go on with this tradition. I hope you & your children are doing well despite grieving. Those first few weeks are such a whirlwind of activity but after those it almost seems harder for some ad there is more down time to think and grieve.
Sounds like a great time, some fun, some bittersweet memories, and a tradition you can keep going--a really nice way to honor his memory.
I just hosted my DSisIL two weeks ago to work together on a memory album for her dear husband, whom she lost this past November. That was emotional, but we had some good times together, too. I think you scrapbook, too, right? This might be a project you would want to do in his memory, maybe a little further down the road.
Continued for dealing with your new reality; I wish you peace and comfort.
I'm so glad you were all able to get together. While I'm sure it was tough, I'm sure it equally brought everyone comfort that you were all able to spend some time together.
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It's so nice that you are able to still spend and enjoy time with Jack's family, and that you are looking forward to more. Thanks for sharing with us about your day. I wish you many more filled with all those happy memories. In the fall, as more time will have passed, the visit will be even better. Good for you!
I am so glad to hear you had a great get together. Nothing worse is when you lose a spouse you all end up losing the spouse's family (which has been yours too for many years).
You have a lovely tradition. I hope it continues for many years to come.