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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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 were so happy you came to meet us - that was such a nice thought. We were so hot, we just couldn't believe the temperatures. I don't think it was out of three figures the whole time we were there.
I'm so happy to see you back on the Boards Sharon!!! You both covered a lot of ground even with those incredible temperatures outside! My DH and I are going to DL the same week as you this year so I'm hoping that we get a bit cooler temps but I'm not counting on it. I really enjoyed seeing the windows on Main Street! Can't wait for more.
PassPorter's Free-Book to Walt Disney World It’s hard to believe anything is free at Walt Disney World; but there are actually a number of things you can get or do for little to no cost. This e-book documents over 200 free or cheap tips to do before you go and after you arrive. You could save a considerable amount of money following these tips. Perhaps more importantly; you can discover overlooked attractions and little-known details most people whiz by on their way to spend money. Click here to see free sample pages from the e-book! Get this popular e-book free of extra charges when you join the PassPorter's Club for as little as $4.95. A club pass includes access to all our other e-books; e-worksheets; super-size photos; and more! This e-book is also available for separate purchase in the PassPorter Online Store for just $5.95.
So glad to see you back, Sharon!! You managed to do a lot! But those temps, ugh! Hoping for much cooler weather when we're there in February.
The shaving pumpkin is so cute!!
Yay - glad to see you back! Sounds like another fun day, although my goodness it was HOT out!!!
The heat was unrelenting!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Big Baloo
Welcome back! You certainly got a LOT done!
Thanks! And we did get a lot done, especially considering how hot it was!
Quote:
Originally Posted by HollyH
Glad you're back!
Thanks! It's good to be back.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SuperDave
Glad to see you back and I had forgotten that you hadn't completed this TR! You're certainly feast or famine with these! Great photos of your day and can't believe the temps, although, Cam and Chezp bot h mentioned in their TRs how crazily hot and humid it was! Not a Fall like day as you said except for maybe Death Valley or the Sahara!
Thanks! It was definitely a heat wave for sure, but we made the best of it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by chezp
We were so happy you came to meet us - that was such a nice thought. We were so hot, we just couldn't believe the temperatures. I don't think it was out of three figures the whole time we were there.
Karen and I were both excited to see you guys! And you're right about the temperatures. I remember having a discussion with Karen about what is officially a heat wave in California. In New York, it has to be over 90 degrees for at least 3 days in a row. Karen wasn't sure what the official mark was for California. I figured it might be higher because they have a warmer climate but she didn't know the official ruling.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lindawdw
I'm so happy to see you back on the Boards Sharon!!! You both covered a lot of ground even with those incredible temperatures outside! My DH and I are going to DL the same week as you this year so I'm hoping that we get a bit cooler temps but I'm not counting on it. I really enjoyed seeing the windows on Main Street! Can't wait for more.
It's good to be back! And I hope you don't have the heat we had!
Quote:
Originally Posted by benchley
Glad to see you back
Quote:
Originally Posted by cubfancolleen
So glad to see you back, Sharon!! You managed to do a lot! But those temps, ugh! Hoping for much cooler weather when we're there in February.
The shaving pumpkin is so cute!!
It was crazy hot, but we made it work! They come up with so many fun pumpkins. Mine always looks boring and a bit lopsided.
Another update comin' right up!
__________________
Mickey's so happy to see me back, he can barely contain himself!
Day Seven, Part Two A one-two punch (and no, I’m not talking about riding Buzz Lightyear with Karen again)
After our little break, Karen and I headed back to the park. I think we went over to Club 33 to try to say hello to Cheryl and Mark again and see Jeannie and her kids. We’d missed them, but Jeannie and her kids were still around, so we hung out with them a bit. If I remember (this was months ago now ), Jeannie, her kids and I went to ride BTMRR while Karen held a spot for the Paint the Night parade.
After our ride, I think Jeannie and her kids went to grab dinner? I should’ve taken better notes! Anyway, when I got back to Karen, we were able to get a Photopass photographer to get a picture of us, which came out pretty cute.
The Paint the Night parade is simply amazing. It starts out with Tinkerbell flying around on her float and continues to amaze for the entire parade. I was also quite pleased with how well my pictures turned out, because I am usually disappointed with the results of my nighttime parade pics.
I tell you, I was blown away from the instant the parade started – a genuine, flying, Tinker Bell
Once the parade ended, we discovered we were right at the spot where they’d put a rope up for fireworks viewing, effectively giving us front-row spots for the fireworks.
I took only a few photos and they didn’t turn out great, so after a while I just stopped to enjoy the show!
The effects on Main Street
It made me want to plan another visit (or two) back to DL and to see the fireworks from the different spots in the park, but I think the spot we had on Main Street was the optimal viewing spot! So great!
Once the fireworks were over, we made our way out of the park. I was able to get some better photos of the interactive windows on Main Street. The scenes change, but it’s really cool the way they do – it’s almost like they’re morphing into the next scene. Well done, Disney!
I said good night to Walt on the way out.
It was still early, so Karen and I decided we’d like to hang out at Trader Sam’s for a little while. On my last visit to DL, I’d only had a peek at the then-new place, so I was excited for the chance to stay longer this time.
It was fairly crowded, so we kind of hung out at the bar waiting for seats to open up somewhere. Karen had to step out for a phone call I think, and while I waited alone, I overheard the bartender telling the group sitting in front of me that they couldn’t be served because one of the people was underage. I figured they wouldn’t hang out after that, so I stayed put, and a few minutes later, they all left, so I was able to snag seats at the bar! Thanks, Junior!
After checking out the drinks menu, Karen and I both ordered the same cocktail, but I failed to write down the name of it. It was just as tasty as it looks.
It was fun to hang out there and watch all the special things they do when someone orders certain drinks (no spoilers!). It was a fun way to top of a great day!
Up Next: Breakfast with Goofy
__________________
Mickey's so happy to see me back, he can barely contain himself!
Oh wow, you got some amazing shots of Paint the Night! I so loved that parade - and we've still presumably got more of your photos to look forward to from when we saw it with you guys?
Oh I'm so happy you are back and posting again, especially for DL. I have a trip there in November so now I'm trying to read about everyone else's trips and see their photos and get lots of advice. How did you find the crowds? Were you pretty much able to do everything with just reasonable waits? I can't wait to see Carsland but DL will be super exciting too.
I'm definitely still interested in the adventures of Princess Sharon and Karen at DL. In fact reading the updates as made me wish we were going back sooner than 2 years from now. Alice became on my favorites, too. Such a classic! I also realize now I totally forgot to check out the interactive window displays. Thanks for the photos that helped me see them any way.
I just loved Paint the Night, but my pictures didn't come out well at all. Your pictures are fabulous! It was great to relive this parade with such good pix. I absolutely adored the Disneyland Forever fireworks. I might have cried
I never got to see the window displays on Main Street, or get to visit Trader Sam's. Guess I have to plan another trip to DLR.
PassPorter's Free-Book to Walt Disney World It’s hard to believe anything is free at Walt Disney World; but there are actually a number of things you can get or do for little to no cost. This e-book documents over 200 free or cheap tips to do before you go and after you arrive. You could save a considerable amount of money following these tips. Perhaps more importantly; you can discover overlooked attractions and little-known details most people whiz by on their way to spend money. Click here to see free sample pages from the e-book! Get this popular e-book free of extra charges when you join the PassPorter's Club for as little as $4.95. A club pass includes access to all our other e-books; e-worksheets; super-size photos; and more! This e-book is also available for separate purchase in the PassPorter Online Store for just $5.95.
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We were so hot, we just couldn't believe the temperatures. I don't think it was out of three figures the whole time we were there. 
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Pixie Dust
You both covered a lot of ground even with those incredible temperatures outside!
My DH and I are going to DL the same week as you this year so I'm hoping that we get a bit cooler temps but I'm not counting on it. I really enjoyed seeing the windows on Main Street! Can't wait for more.
The heat was unrelenting! 
Great photos of your day and can't believe the temps, although, Cam and Chezp bot h mentioned in their TRs how crazily hot and humid it was! 
), Jeannie, her kids and I went to ride BTMRR while Karen held a spot for the Paint the Night parade. 
I should’ve taken better notes! 
It was just as tasty as it looks.
Holly: 
Thanks for the photos that helped me see them any way. 
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