What brings you back to Walt Disney World everytime? - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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 brings you back to Walt Disney World everytime?
I was thinking about this question to myself...
We Disney lovers seem to keep going back... and with prices going up every year we find ways to keep going back. It isn't the rides or the attractions that brings me back... it is the feeling I feel when I am there. I am more Happier internally... I seem like a different person. I get to leave my life to enjoy a place that makes me feel very good. I make new plans for the next trips, whether a different resort or a few new places to eat. Or try new events.
Boredom is never there... but no one knows all this except others who love Disney as much as I do.
And if you are not a true lover of Disney World- you will never understand... that applies to my family! (my kids understand though).
What brings you back to Walt Disney World?
Thank you for answering.....
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Kate in PA All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them- Walt Disney
The magic. I get in that Disney bubble and everyday worries don't exist - no bills, no rude mothers, no annoying jobs (although I like and am very happy with my current job). It's all family fun time - we can and do all sorts of things together whereas at home, we all do our own things. I can be a kid again and ride rides I couldn't ride when I was a kid (all of Fantasyland). We can be pretty "unplugged" at Disney. We may use a device here and there but we're able to put the devices down and enjoy what's around us. The CM's that create magical moments whether it's giving us a lemonade slush because my MB wouldn't work or something as simple as recognizing that when kids get plush, they want the tags removed ASAP so they do it at the register.
I'm sure there's more but I can't think right now.
The magic. I get in that Disney bubble and everyday worries don't exist - no bills, no rude mothers, no annoying jobs (although I like and am very happy with my current job). It's all family fun time - we can and do all sorts of things together whereas at home, we all do our own things. I can be a kid again and ride rides I couldn't ride when I was a kid (all of Fantasyland). We can be pretty "unplugged" at Disney. We may use a device here and there but we're able to put the devices down and enjoy what's around us. The CM's that create magical moments whether it's giving us a lemonade slush because my MB wouldn't work or something as simple as recognizing that when kids get plush, they want the tags removed ASAP so they do it at the register.
I'm sure there's more but I can't think right now.
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Kate in PA All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them- Walt Disney
I feel basically the same as both of you. It’s just a feeling of calm and relaxation. I feel safe and secure. I don’t worry. Thanks to all the planning that goes into a WDW trip, once I’m there, it all just seems easy and natural and comforting.
I agree about feeling happier and also carefree. It's a place where magic can happen anywhere and you know that a lot of care and love has gone into the design of everything - you can see it everywhere you look. The restaurants are also a draw to us, as are the friends we've made over the years.
It's familiar yet different
A place where there is no judgement when adults wear cartoon shirts, mickey ears or eat ice cream for breakfast...
Like a warm hug really! Mmm!
When we think of a vacation we are looking for a nice resort in a beautiful location, great restaurants, things to do including new experiences. Disney offers this and an added layer of magic that it is hard to get elsewhere. The attention to detail that Disney puts into everything they do and included transportation once checked into the bubble are the icing on the cake!
For me a lot of the going back again is the memories of prior trips. Being with my family 24/7 and doing things together that we all like.
That said, the new higher prices have kept us away the last couple years (plus the kids are grown). Our next family trip will be after all the new lands are built and we have new things to do.
We are adults with no kids and try to visit every few years during holiday season and stay at a different resort each time. I agree with what everyone has said so far but want to add how wonderful they are with food allergies.
It's been awhile since I've been back. Excited to be going this November! I guess for me it's all the things that have been mentioned. I love the nostalgia of returning to my childhood somewhat. Also, I like finding new experiences and things each time I go. There is definitely a carefree feeling that comes once I'm there. Sure it's expensive and takes a lot of planning (even for a solo trip). But, there's just an air about the place that feels so safe and relaxing and just magical!!
We bought DVC over 10 years ago so that gets us back almost every year. We don't go to the parks every trip now but still enjoy sitting around the pool, visiting other resorts and going to different restaurants. Also the the weather in Florida is much better than Michigan.
It too, is my happy place. A place I can go and destress., relax and tune out what is going on outside the World. Now that I live so close, it becomes my after work place if I have a bad day or need a little lift. It also becomes an inspiration---go live your dreams.
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Michele
I'm living the dream 20 minutes from Disney! Next trip...tomorrow. Follow me on instagram at ShirtsByShell
memories of past vacations there, the excitement of making new family experiences , always something new to try yet you can revisit things and share many things of past visits, The service is always top notch and you know Disney tries to help you have the best experience