It Was 30 Years Ago Today...Now I'm Going to the AKL to Play! UPDATED 8/16 - Page 17 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.

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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.

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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!

Best wishes for a wonderful and magical new year!

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Old 07-21-2010, 01:19 AM   #241
Pinkyt177
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Thank you for posting this, I've been waiting, I am a total HP geek and was disappointed I won't be able to ride forbidden journey (size issues) anyway, knowing that the atmosphere is so rewarding will make it worth it when I go in December!

Thanks, can't wait for more please!
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Old 07-21-2010, 10:45 AM   #242
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Andy is definitely not the last person to read the HP books. Harry Potter World looks amazing, even to someone like me. Glad you enjoyed the experience! And don't tell me you didn't ride Spider-Man! That's my favorite ride at IOA.
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Old 07-21-2010, 11:39 AM   #243
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I am very jealous of you for getting to go to HPWW. I thought about it, but with our three year old it would not work well.
Maybe next year.

Thanks for sharing the great pictures and wonderful review.
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Old 07-21-2010, 11:57 AM   #244
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If you'd like a heads up on my sig pic, check out today's post on my photoblog. The link is in my sig
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Old 07-21-2010, 12:09 PM   #245
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I love how excited you are about WWoHP! I've seen pics before and heard about it on Inside the Magic, but only got the real gist of the whole thing by seeing your pics and reading how geeked you were about the place. DD11 is going to be thrilled beyond belief when I take her there! Thanks for the review.

Just curious...was the place not wheelchair friendly or did Pom just choose not to go?
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Last edited by mom to 3 princesses and 1 prince; 07-21-2010 at 12:11 PM..
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Old 07-21-2010, 12:42 PM   #246
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Great update, Melissa! I've been looking forward to hearing what you thought of it. Glad to hear it makes true HP fans happy! One of these days were going to have to go.
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Old 07-21-2010, 12:43 PM   #247
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Brandi wanted to get the lay of the land without Pom since it was the first time she'd been in the WWoHP as well. It would've been crazy with the crowds and him... he'll get to go later when it's not as crazy and Andy the Rock Star is there to push
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Old 07-21-2010, 12:58 PM   #248
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Oh wow, even though I've never read the books and some of it means very little to me, Harry Potter looks amazing - the theming looks just superb.
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Old 07-21-2010, 01:57 PM   #249
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So work unblocked your photo blog and I got to read about the sig pic!! SO COOL!! I can't wait to see and hear more!! That Andy sure is a keeper! He's always coming up with something - will you have him get with my DH before our trip?!
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Old 07-21-2010, 04:18 PM   #250
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It sounds AMAZING! We would have been nerdy about it too. Sounds like you had a great time. Can't wait to hear more!
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Old 07-21-2010, 05:32 PM   #251
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The pictures are so amazing! I can't wait to see it for myself. Sounds like you had an amazing time.
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Old 07-21-2010, 05:57 PM   #252
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Originally Posted by mestitch View Post
And yes, I paid $160 something bucks JUST to visit Harry Potter World and I'd do it again in a heartbeat!
For both of you I hope??

I can't believe those pictures. I started reading the books when the first one came out and have LOVED them ever since. I always thought it would make a great movie and then freaked out when they announced that...now I'm sitting here Freaking out over your pictures!! You were really in Hogwarts!!! Wow!!
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Old 07-21-2010, 07:11 PM   #253
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Wow! Amazing!
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Old 07-21-2010, 09:32 PM   #254
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Love the photoblog Melissa!
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Old 07-21-2010, 10:43 PM   #255
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Thank you, thank you for all the pictures and narration on WWoHP! I can't wait to go next year and it was just too to see if through your pictures. I'll probably be squealing over every little detail, too. this whole world!
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