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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Welcome to the boards! Everyone has given you great advice, so I can't really add much more. We drove down last summer (12 hrs.) with a 4 y/o. The best thing we ever did- purchase a portable DVD player and bring lots of Disney movies! It's amazing how fast time can fly when they're watching movies... Also, make sure you stop and take a break about every 2 hours... bring something your child can play with at the rest stop to run off some energy (like a ball or frisbee or bubbles!)
Hey, I noticed you didn't mention anything about dining - have you made your PS's? You're going to be there at the same time as us this summer - July will be busy!!! If you haven't already made some PS's - you might want to do that soon!
We have made reservations for Donald's Breakfastasaurus and the Polynesian Luau. Other than that, we have made no PS's. I guess I need to get to work on our itinerary so I can get that done! What if, for instance, you have made arrangements for PS at a certain place and then you don't make it...do you just not show up? Do you have to call and let them know you're not coming?
Yes, you should call to cancel your PS/ADR, if possible. If it's CRT, or something that you've given a credit card # for you will be charged a fee if you don't show up! You can dial "*88" from any pay phone in the parks or "55" from your resort phone to cancel or make new reservations. HTH!
Besides agreeing with everyone else, I'll also mention a few other things. Here are two web sites that have been mentioned here recently for things to do in the car:
The main thing is to have something for the trip that is a surprise - kids are more likely to spend time playing with something that is new to them, instead of something they play with every day. And have snacks and drinks handy, and wet wipes for cleanups.
If you look at the top of each forum on the message boards, you will find sticky-note topics (they have a red push-pin beside them). These posts have lots of great tips like what to pack, first-aid items, theme park tips and photo ops.
For your drive just make sure you have some type of stop every 2-3 hours. Not only for the child, but for everybody. Even if you have lots of leg room, it helps to get out and walk for a minute. So schedule things like the obvious gas stop and food stops, but also state welcome centers, or a roadside park just to get out and stretch.
About PS's (ADR's): if this is your first trip, you might not want to make too many dining arrangements as this will cut into your theme park time. Most first-time visitors tend to want to spend their time experiencing all the great attractions, not having a nice meal. So just keep that in mind. The counter-service food in the theme parks keeps improving, and eating fast food will help you save time. But definitely check out your options and see what you can fit in. You can always change your mind later.
We'll be there in July also, sounds like it's going to be pretty crowded!
Oh, and for the drive down, don't forget to get a Birnbaum's guide book for kids. It has great pictures in it and she will love it! We also have Disney music CD's that we like to listen & sing along to. Bring lots of stickers, paper/notebooks, & crayons (the Twistables type are awesome!) for the ride. I like to have several surprises for my dd's when we make a long road trip...I give them out when I sense an impending meltdown. If you have a DVD player, don't forget to bring your Disney planning DVD for her to watch over & over!
At the parks, I would definetly rent (or bring) a stroller! My oldest dd rode in one everyday on our last trip (she was 5).
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