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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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How fun!! I think I forgot that Yvonne was getting there so early! Now I remember I was jealous of the time she is getting to spend there!! Looks like you all are having a wonderful time!! And it was chilly enough for long sleeves. That's a good sign!!
__________________
Betty Sue
Affiliated with CruisingCo.Com/MouseEarVacations.com
Disney Destination Specialist/ BettySueS@cruisingco.com August '09 Trip
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now we were off to norway as yah-von and kassie wanted some school bread. i grabbed a pic of the mantle at the check out counter...and it was hard to not order one of those viking coffees, but as you will recall, i said i was on call and did not want to um "overdo" it.
we met up with some great kids who were really in the spirit of things...they even let me hold their dragon!
off to the maelstrom:
i think sam was showing his displeasure at the waterfall...
kassie and i were having a great time:
off to the rest of the world as we had ADR's for rose and crown...rather, the mitchell's had the ressies, i was gonna just horn in on 'em...
lo and behold...there is snow white! we just could not resist getting our photo with her....she was very sweet and wished us a happy visit!
we stopped in morocco, but i did not have any pics...yah-von has some and maybe she will post them here eventually...
Dinner was delicious and, again, she has pics. ha ha ha...guess i was more interested in eating than photographing at this point.
we stopped in france for another photo-op at the fountain:
oh, did i forget to tell you how cold 53 degrees can be in florida? yeah, it is cold for those of you who are journeying down. just keep that in mind...i wished i had brought my mittens and it was very breezy walking around world showcase. we opted to not stay for illuminations as we were all pretty tired by this time. we wandered over to the now-lit tree and grabbed the last photo of the evening.
i thought the spanish "feliz navidad" was appropriate for the day.
i think our favorite thing of the day was listening to d'vine, the gospel group singing at the epcot fountain several time each afternoon. they are great and for those of you coming for a visit, please do yourselves a favor and give them a listen. i was so enthralled (read: dancing my fool head off as those of you who know me know i love to do!) that i did not get any photos.
anyway, we parted ways, cold, happy and vowing for an even greater, more fun-filled weekend to come when the rest of the passporters arrive!
CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOU ALL!!!!!
Okay - I got home last night and let me just say - "WOW"!!!!!! That was so much fun!!! Elaine's BF took notes and pictures the whole time, so I just know this TR will be fantastic. I will wait until it is in progress to insert thoughts into it, but I would like to say that I met the most wonderful people, had the most fun, and (hardly) noticed I was traveling sans DH (sorry honey!).
So while we are waiting for The last of our crowd to make it back to reality - here are just a few of my pictures to wet your appetite!
Anyone for a picture of the castle?
My 1st night -
Note the dorky jacket!!! And the amazing scarf!!
I bit the bullet (or beignets as the case may be) just for you, Sheila!
Playing with my new camera on my walk over.
Wanna guess where some of us ate lunch?
In search of Gray!
My first Dole Whip and it's GREEN!!!!!
Did we ride it?
How did I end up on stage?!?!?!?
How did I get so lucky? Eating with these amazing men on either side of me!!!!
Just for Scott!!
Minnie is such a flirt!!
There you go - Just a tease. With the notes Danny took - This TR will be worth waiting for!!!
__________________
Betty Sue
Affiliated with CruisingCo.Com/MouseEarVacations.com
Disney Destination Specialist/ BettySueS@cruisingco.com August '09 Trip
Last edited by BettyBeBop; 12-17-2009 at 01:22 PM..
yep, i will also exercise restraint (yeah, i know...what is wrong with me??? he he he) and wait until elaine and danny gather their thoughts together. all in all a fun trip.