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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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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.
I was getting ready to ask what was must-sees in NY. My brother's fiance is from Jersey about 40 miles from the city. They are getting married here in Ohio but are having a reception in May there. We plan to spend 1-2 days in the city. I've never been there either. These sights were the ones we thought of so far:
Ground Zero
Central Park
Statue of Liberty
Empire State Building
Times Square
And The Little Mermaid on Broadway!!
Hadn't thought about World of Disney but adding that to the list!
Any other must-sees for a short trip?
Thanks!
When I went to NY as a kid I absolutely LOVED the Cloisters in Central Park (a part of the Metroplitan Museum system). I can still remember the gorgeous view of a lake (or maybe the river) from the terrace of the Cloisters.
These are all available on Amazon.com and I've posted the links for your shopping convenience!
The first is an essential one that travels with me in Manhattan: Amazon.com: Not for Tourists 2008 Guide to New York City (Not for Tourists: New York City): Books: Not for Tourists
This has Manhattan and the outer boroughs broken up into managable sections and maps and included detailed maps of EVERYTHING, including subway and bus routes and stops, maps of commuter rail lines, diagrams of tourist destinations like Times Square, Yankee Stadium and Grand Central Station, etc. essentially everything you'd ever want to know about NYC including where the neareset ATM and Starbucks are located (hint: there's one on every corner). The best part is, it's compact, about 3"x 5", but the print is large enough to see. It's easy to carry with you but not conspicuous should you need to consult it in the middle of Rockefeller Center (which I have!). There are other NFT books for just Brooklyn and Queens, but the basic NYC edition should have everything the first time traveler would need, and then some. They also have their own website and there are other NFT books for other cities here: NFT - Not For Tourists - New York - City Guidebooks, Maps, Urban Neighborhoods, Travel They update the books yearly and the website is updated regularly.
My 2nd NYC must have guide book is: Amazon.com: AAA Spiral New York, 4th Edition (Aaa Spiral Guides): Books: Danny Mangin
This is another compact guidebook that is broken up into sections of Manhattan. Two nice features of it are that it is spiral so it will open flat and also it has lovely walking tours of different neighborhoods. They just updated this book in 2007 after about 5 years. I have the older edition. There's also some nice "general background" articles here i.e. the history of Times Square.
and finally, but no less important, Amazon.com: New York City For Dummies (Dummies Travel): Books: Brian Silverman
Great for the first time traveler to NYC. Good basics of how Manhattan is laid out, good advice for everything from how to hail a cab to finding the best bagel in town. It's not as portable as the other two and the maps are more of an approximation, but the basics are there and it's a great starting point.
Just my two cents. Hope that helps! Have a good trip!
__________________
-Lisa
The World is a book. Those who do not travel read only a page." - Augustine