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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Sounds like things are really going well Dawn!!! How exciting for you!! By they way, I will certainly be thinking of you on Thurday when it will be in the SINGLE digits here weather-wise.
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One more thing, obviously there is "onstage" and "backstage", but so far, IMO, Disney does a really great job supporting the CMs backstage and still keeps it a special place to be. Maybe I'm still starry-eyed, but even the cafeteria seems a bit more magical than others I've been in. Every space I've been in has felt encouraging and has done an excellent job of reminding me of dreams and magic, esp when I start to get that nervous thing in the pit of my stomach.
The backstage areas at all parks for CM's are cool. I had to ride a bike to the parade building when I worked at DAK.
Sounds like you had a great day! When I was at WDW in December with my 6 year old neice and the 12 year daughter of a freind, they loved playing the games in Dinoland! Can't wait to read more about your adventures.
Dawn, I am so happy for you! Good luck moving into the new townhouse, and hope your mother either catches on to the homeschooling thing or gets out of the way with her dramatic episodes (or both!).
Dawn, it sounds so exciting, I am glad that things are going well both there and at the home front. Keep us posted and I can't wait to see the costume.
I've been running on 18 hour days w/ 6 hours of sleep (if I'm lucky, I'm still in that waking up at 5am, thinking I've missed my alarm stage ) I've been going after work to try to move my older DDs. Today, the younger DDs went to the Disney Homeschool Days and attended a production class this afternoon. I went after work to pick them up and hop over to Epcot for the evening. Although I was the worst person *EVER* for NOT going to help with the move this afternoon/evening, DDs and I still throughly enjoyed our time. I took them to Garden Grill for dinner as we had plenty to celebrate (What Will YOU Celebrate???). Time alone. Homeschool Days. Me passing my German language test. Yep, that's right! I'll have a new name tag in a few weeks with a German flag on it indicating that I can assist our German-speaking guests! I was a nervous wreck, but the lady said I did great. Whew!
I had to call for the test on my morning break during my training class, which made it that much more stressful, but what a relief that's over with! Today's training was back in professional attire and learning the POS system basics as well as safety type things. I'm back on the "dig site" tomorrow in Dinoland for more training and I finally get a day off on Wednesday. I'm ready for it, but I'll be moving all day, I'm sure.
The views and opinions expressed on this post are mine and do not necessarily represent or reflect those of The Walt Disney Company and Affiliated Companies
Just got all caught up....whew, you are putting in the time!!
Are you rubbing your eyes yet to make sure all this is real? I am! I can't believe this is finally, really happening for you and I am so excited for you.
Glad to hear you and younger DDs had some time to yourselves. And glad older DD is excited about Kim Possible.
Dawn, I recently found this thread & have been reading through it. How awesome! I'm so glad you're able to have this experience, and thanks so much for sharing it with us. I love hearing about what all you're going through (good & bad). I'd love to be able to work for the Mouse someday!
Congrats on passing your German test! You should be proud of yourself for learning a very difficult language! Enjoy your day off (even if you are moving)