Forums Closed
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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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!
Best wishes for a wonderful and magical new year!
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03-01-2005, 08:30 AM
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#1
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Community Rank: Legend 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Edmonton, KY
Concierge Level: 7
Posts: 17,823
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Sweet changes! Updates on life in general!
Yesterday, Michael started calling me Mama all the time. It about broke my heart, yet made me feel good all the time.
We met with Social Security people last week and found out that once the kids start receiving either SSI(from Kristy) or Railroad Retirement(from Harry), we can start the adoption proceedings and they will not lose their benefits.
We've spoken to their grandparents and at first, Mike(Kristy's dad) was against it until he realized that they only thing that will change will be their last name. Debbie(Kristy's mom--Ben's sister)is all for the kids having our last name.
They both know that had the kids been fostered out or some one else adopted them, chances are they'd know nothing about their parents. Since we're family, the kids will know all about Kristy and with the help of Harry's mom, they'll know about him too.
Here's the newest picture I have of these two!! I Must admit, I'm not the shutterbug that I used to be!
Gabrielle, 4 months. Michael 22 months. |
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03-01-2005, 08:53 AM
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#2
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Community Rank: Legend
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Michigan's Upper Peninsula
Posts: 27,691
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Re: Sweet changes! Updates on life in general!
Oh, Wendy, that warms my heart to hear they will be with you guys. And they are SOOO cute  |
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03-01-2005, 08:56 AM
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#3
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Living Seas wannabe
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Jacksonville, FL
Concierge Level: 6
Posts: 31,940
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Re: Sweet changes! Updates on life in general!
Wendy - that is fabulous!!!
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03-01-2005, 08:59 AM
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#4
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Community Rank: Explorer 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: UK
Posts: 13,146
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Re: Sweet changes! Updates on life in general!
Oh Wendy that is the sweetest thing I have heard in a long time. I love the picture too, they are beautiful children and look very happy indeed.
Karen
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03-01-2005, 09:47 AM
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#5
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Community Rank: Trekker 
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Western Pa
Posts: 1,500
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Re: Sweet changes! Updates on life in general!
Somehow I missed this whole saga.
Let me get this straight, biologically these are Ben's neice's kids? It doesn't really matter, I guess. Family is as family does.
I am so happy these kids have a wonderful, loving family in you two. Our adoption experience with Serenity is one of the most profound events of our lives. I would have to say even more profound than the birth of our bio sons, and that was really profound!
Much Pixie Dust moving forward, Mama.
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03-01-2005, 09:57 AM
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#6
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Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Connecticut
Concierge Level: 6
Posts: 16,825
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Re: Sweet changes! Updates on life in general!
They look just adorable! Good luck with the adoption proceedings.  |
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03-01-2005, 10:18 AM
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#7
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Magic Happens!
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: E. Stroudsburg, PA
Concierge Level: 6
Posts: 29,184
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Re: Sweet changes! Updates on life in general!
This is wonderful news. You and Ben are such wonderful people ! And the picture is adorable!!! |
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03-01-2005, 10:19 AM
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#8
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Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Whitefield, NH
Concierge Level: 6
Posts: 13,599
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Re: Sweet changes! Updates on life in general!
What cuties - you guys are in for a great ride!
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03-01-2005, 10:21 AM
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#9
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Faith, Trust, Pixie Dust
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Connecticut
Concierge Level: 6
Posts: 34,171
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Re: Sweet changes! Updates on life in general!
I am so happy Wendy! They are both so beautiful!
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Sponsored links
Check out the many e-books by PassPorter. The e-books are free to download if you have a PassPorter's Club pass.
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03-01-2005, 10:24 AM
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#10
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Community Rank: Legend
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Edmonton, KY
Concierge Level: 7
Posts: 17,823
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Re: Sweet changes! Updates on life in general!
[ QUOTE ]
Somehow I missed this whole saga.
Let me get this straight, biologically these are Ben's neice's kids? It doesn't really matter, I guess. Family is as family does.
I am so happy these kids have a wonderful, loving family in you two. Our adoption experience with Serenity is one of the most profound events of our lives. I would have to say even more profound than the birth of our bio sons, and that was really profound!
Much Pixie Dust moving forward, Mama.
[/ QUOTE ]
Long story short, the nice version: On Election Day, Nov. 2 2004, Ben's oldest niece, Kristy,died and so did her husband. Gabrielle was 6 days old at the time, Michael was 18 months old.
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03-01-2005, 10:29 AM
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#11
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Community Rank: Trekker
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Harrisburg, PA
Posts: 1,410
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Re: Sweet changes! Updates on life in general!
What beautiful children - I am so happy for you and the kiddos!
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03-01-2005, 11:10 AM
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#12
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Community Rank: Explorer
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Atlanta, GA
Posts: 7,569
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Re: Sweet changes! Updates on life in general!
Wendy,
Gabrielle and Michael are so lucky to be part of your family. And how wonderful that they can stay part of their biological extended family. They are just adorable. Glad things are working out so well after just a horrible experience.
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03-01-2005, 11:37 AM
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#13
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Community Rank: Explorer
Join Date: May 2004
Location: northern california
Posts: 9,588
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Re: Sweet changes! Updates on life in general!
Wendy,
I'm so glad thing are working out well. You and Ben have been able to turn a tragedy into something wonderful.I'm sure Kristy would be happy that you love her babies as much as she did. You are a special person.
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03-01-2005, 11:43 AM
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#14
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Community Rank: Scout 
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Lafayette, LA & BCV
Concierge Level: 7
Posts: 4,751
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Re: Sweet changes! Updates on life in general!
[ QUOTE ]
Wendy,
Gabrielle and Michael are so lucky to be part of your family. And how wonderful that they can stay part of their biological extended family. They are just adorable. Glad things are working out so well after just a horrible experience.
[/ QUOTE ]  |
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03-01-2005, 12:44 PM
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#15
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Join Date: May 2004
Location: Missouri
Posts: 4,595
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Re: Sweet changes! Updates on life in general!
That is such wonderful news! The picture is so cute and I love the Mickey Ears in the background! I am so happy for that all is working out and that the children will know the best of their Mom and Dad!
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