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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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View Poll Results: Would you snorkel with Wild Belugas
Of course! Chance of a lifetime!!
19
55.88%
No way! Belugas have pointy teeth you know. And they're mighty big "fishies"
11
32.35%
I don't know. I'll get back to you after I see the size of them
On our honeymoon, DH and I went snorkeling with Minke Whales in the Coral Sea. Amazing. Astounding. Incredible!!! But DH and I are both certified divers, so we're used to A. cold water, and B. the sensation of breathing through a snorkel. Definitely buy a snorkel and practice it in a pool before you go. You'll need to get the hang of it before you get into deep water or you may panic. Breathing through a snorkel isn't a natural feeling, and in open water waves WILL get in your snorkel. Be prepared. Learn how to blow water from your snorkel. You'll need to wear a wet suit, too. Make sure one is provided or you'll feel like your lungs have stiffened up when you jump in the cold water. Make sure that the boat provides the swimmers with a safety line attached to a float. This way no one drifts off in current, it also keeps swimmers from chasing the whales and getting away from the boat. Safety lines also provide a means for swimmers who feel overwhelmed by the encounter to get back to the boat quickly and safely. That's my practical advice.
Lastly... and this is the animal-friendly side of me, so please forgive me if I sound pedantic... find out how the boat comes across the whales and how they get their swimmers to have an encounter with them. There shouldn't be any food provided for the animals - they should come to you out of curiosity, and never touch it. Although whales are much faster than humans and probably wouldn't allow contact, it is important for their health that the swimmers are instructed to keep their hands to themselves at all times.
You can not prepare yourself for the size of whales. No matter many you see in an aquarium, when you're out there in Big Blue and a curious whale is looking at you with an eye that is as big as your torso, you get goosebumps. Some people don't like it, while other live for it, but at least you get to do something that most people will never do or have the opportunity to do!!
Wow! Thanks for all that advice! The only answer I know for sure right now is that they take a Zodiak out and stop the motor. The whales hear the motor and they get curious "why was there noise and now there isn't?" They come over to investigate because they are very curious. No food is involved because the Northerners know you can't feed wild animals -- they have enough trouble with the Polar Bears that they don't want to get into that with any other animals. I will have the opportunity to either stay in the boat and observe them, or slip into the water and touch them. Dan tells me that they will not eat me. They have sharp teeth but they only eat small fish the size of your finger. So I won't be in jeopardy, supposedly. It might be tough to convince myself that once I actually get to that point though, so I'm still not entirely sure....... *buk, buk, buk - chicken!*
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Ok --- There are two sides of me here.... The Marine Biologist that has a master's degree in cetacean anatomy (WHALES) and the other girl - both who are screaming YESSSS!!! GOOOO!!! Can I come???? I've been in the water with many different species of dolphins and whales - and yu really can't prepare yourself - but (I assume) Hudson Bay, even in the summer is gonna be some COLD water -- anything colder than 75 degrees - and you are going to get hypothermia rather quickly (and you are so skinny - you have no natural thermal protection). Are you sure there are no wet (or even dry) suits??? According to the Canadian Ice Service - Hudson Bay in July has an average water temp of 10 Celsius - that is like 50 degrees F.... WAY too cold to get in for any length of time without some type of thermal protection. Water that cold can literally take your breath away (cause your chest cavity to constrict, forcing air out and making it very hard to get a deep breath). Please have Dan check that there will be thermal (sufficient) protection before you consider getting in the water.
If you do get a wetsuit (or even a dry suit) then I say GO FOR IT!!! Take pics (get one of the cheapy water proof cameras) and come back and tell us all about it!!! Color me
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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They have sharp teeth but they only eat small fish the size of your finger. So I won't be in jeopardy, supposedly. It might be tough to convince myself that once I actually get to that point though, so I'm still not entirely sure....... 
*buk, buk, buk - chicken!*
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