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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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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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We were having the same dilemma, MouseCrazy. We took a waist pack last time, but were thinking about a backpack this next trip. We still haven't ultimately decided, but I don't think we will use the backpack. I told my DH that we could rent a locker if we needed to. Plus we are planning on going back to the resort in the middle of the day, so if I have to carry around a sweatshirt it's no big deal for a couple of hours. Good luck planning!
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A dream is a wish your heart makes...
June 1991-stayed outside of Disney
Sept 1998-WL (honeymoon)
Dec 1-10, 2000-CBR
PassPorter Guide Community Rank: Legend Extraordinaire
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Chapel Hill, NC USA
Concierge Level: 6
Posts: 36,592
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Re: Backpack dilemma!
We carried both last trip. The backpack carried the video camera (inside a small crushable cooler bag) and accessories, our rain ponchos, and small snacks. We never took our mugs into the parks with us, our room was close to the food court, so we always took it back before catching the bus.
I use a waistpack every day of my life. I gave up purses after I had children, so I could have both hands free to deal with their needs and to hold their hands while walking (or carry them when they were babies). I keep my camera in it at all times as well as the usual assortment of stuff.
On vacation, I empty it of the everyday things and add what we will need during the
trip (camera, film, tiny address book for postcards/email, stamps, autograph books and pens, chapstick, gum or snacks, wallet (of course, park passes, moleskin and scissors, bandaids).
We rarely found the backpack to be in the way and we two adults took turns carrying it. The plan is to take it again.
First off, sometimes DH wears a waistpack and sometimes we take turns carrying a small backpack. Here is what we generally take to the parks:
2 Old Navy anoraks (the kind that fold up into a self-storage pouch)
camera (lots of film, extra batteries)
Swiss Army knife
annual passes
ID
no more than $20
quarters and pennies for pressed coin machines
sunscreen
breath mints
small notepad and pen
sunglasses
eyedrops (contact lens wearers)
Now, we generally take our mugs back to our room. More often than not, one of us fills them up while the other showers and we have our morning Coke and coffee before going somewhere for a sit-down breakfast or snack in the park, so it's easy to leave them in the room.
However, sometimes this just isn't convenient, and when we are carrying the backpack, we use the following trick:
We loop the tail end of one of the pack straps through the mug handle and knot so that the mug hangs out of the way and doesn't take up space.
However, I recently was inspired when packing up my laptop...I have several Case Logic velcro straps. They look like bracelets and are used to bind cords so they don't get tangled..it's just a strip of strong velcro. You could loop this through your mug handle and attach it to a backpack strap with no worries of it coming lose!
Thanks so much for all the great tips! Just to let ya'll know, I'm gonna try both the waist pack and a small backpack. I saw a great smaller (I assume a child's) backpack at the Disney Store - on sale. So, I'm gonna go swipe it this weekend!
I was never a fan of the waistpack due to lack of storage room. I found a great pack company though. I think these guys make some of the best backpacks and waistpacks around. http://www.mountainsmith.com/home/index.htm
Under "Products" the waistpacks are called "Lumbar Packs". They're the size of a small backpack, have 2 side water bottle holders, several outside pockets, very comfortable and water resistant. What I like most about the waist pack is, in the hot weather it's not stuck to your back.
Mountainsmith is a little pricier than some but the quality and design excellent. But I use these packs a lot so it's easier to justify the price.
I recomend the "Day pack" Lumbar pack. I can't wait to trek it around WDW.
[This message has been edited by mattjs (edited 08-25-2000).]
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