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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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We are getting down to the wire on our first EVER WDW vacation! I am so excited! The kids keep watching the planning DVD, so they are psyched too! Any last minute advice? Should I take my video camera?
Thanks for all of your help in planning this trip
YEAH!!! ONLY 5 DAYS LEFT!!! I would take my video camera. When we were there in November, people had them everywhere (including on the rides with them). I think it is a great way to re-live your adventure. No real last minute advice, just HAVE FUN and when you get back tell us all about it!!! Have a safe trip!
Look at the maps of the parks. Find where your "Must See" things are so that you have an idea in your head BEFORE you hit the parks of what direction you are going in. I found that really helpful my first visit. I had a picture in my head of how the Magic Kingdom looked and an idea of where the big rides were.
Have a WONDERFUL time
and enjoy all of the excitement building up to finally going!!
Have a great time. I took my video camera on the first two trips. The first trip I forgot the charger and only got a little taped. The second trip we only videoed my dd's surfing lessons. I never watch the tapes I make (except surfing and we haven't watched that since the week after we got back in Oct 2004) so I won't be bringing it in 15 days. But I do take tons of pictures. Take your time and enjoy. Anything missed is a good reason to go back and you can't do everything anyway.
There's nothing quite as magical as your first trip to WDW. The best piece of advice I ever received before my first trip was to not try to do too much. Instead, go through your Passporter book and decide which attractions are going to be must dos for you and your family. Make sure to hit those and everything else is just gravy. Take the time to enjoy all the little details that make WDW so special. As for your camcorder, I'd bring it along on your vacation but I wouldn't necessarily take it to the parks every single day. Just take it when there's something you know you'll probably want to videotape, like character meals or some of the shows and fireworks.
I would say to definetly bring your camcorder. We always bring ours, and we complain the whole time that it's a hassle, but we love watching the videos. As a matter of fact, we never video enough! If you see that you don't want to use it, you can leave it in your room! Better to have it, than not.
My other advice is to eat everything in sight....the food is sooo yummy! Don't forget to try a Dole Whip in Adventureland at Aloha Isle, and a Mickey Bar, and some pastries in France, and a milkshake at WCC or Sci-Fi, and..........
I seem to be in the minority here, but we ALWAYS bring our video camera on vacations, and everywhere le we go, lol! From the time I was born until now (18) we have 27 video tapes of our vacations, birthdays, holidays, parties, shows, etc I LOVE them, and watch them often, and couldn't imagine not getting to re-live important times in my life. If you have a big camera it may be a hassle, but ours is a really small digital video camera and I know I'll be bringing it everywhere in our trip My dad already bought 5 extra hour-long memory cards for it! When you come home and are getting that depressed feeling of everything being over, there's nothing better than being able to go back and reminisce. I say bring it!
Have a great time I'd take the video camera. I was always one to say nah, just leave it at home. But we brought it one trip and it's so nice to sit back and watch the movies at home
What a great feeling getting so close to your first trip. We can all relate to that! So cherish every moment, it's your first only once. Take lots of little notes to remind you of your feelings, what the weather was like, your thoughts.
I agree bring your camera, better to have it than not!! Just lock it up in the room safe if you opt not to use it(but remember to take it home!!).
Definitely take the video camera - we've left it in the hotel room on a couple of occasions during our vacations and always regretted it. There's always something worth filming at Disney!
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Have a great vacation! Remember to just relax and go with the flow. That seems to be when the best, most magical moments happen 
Don't forget to try a Dole Whip in Adventureland at Aloha Isle, and a Mickey Bar, and some pastries in France, and a milkshake at WCC or Sci-Fi, and..........
Have a great trip!
I LOVE them, and watch them often, and couldn't imagine not getting to re-live important times in my life. If you have a big camera it may be a hassle, but ours is a really small digital video camera and I know I'll be bringing it everywhere in our trip 
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