August and Everything After WDW - Trip Report - Day 1 complete **Updated 8/29** - Page 2 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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This really doesn't have anything to do with the TR... well it kind of does... it falls under the "Everything After" part
Backstory: I'm working on my Masters in Library Science with School Media certification. I have two semesters left before I graduate. I currently teach technology at my school. To keep my technology job I was going to have to take 6 more classes (meaning $3000 more loan money) after I graduated with my Masters. I have been SICK thinking about that b/c the last thing we needed was to fork out more cash for a position that wouldn't pay more than my master's allowed. So I have spent the past few weeks looking for open library positions so that I wouldn't have to take these technology classes, and by being in the library job for a year you can omit the practicum requirement for my degree! Well, I get a call from my principal a little while ago and my first thought is she's heard from these principals and she knows I'm trying to leave So I explain the whole thing and how I'm just trying to figure out what's best for me. So then the conversation goes like this:
My Principal: Well, I have a transfer for you here
Me: HUH?? What?
My Principal: How would you like to be the school media specialist here at N.B. Mills?
Me: HUH?? What? How are you going to do that?
My Principal: Alisha (current librarian) took a position at the district level so we're going to laterally move you into it.
Me: Are you kidding me?? <<<Breaks into hysterical crying and thank youing>>>
Me again: (in between sobs) I get to stay with my friends and the kids and I get to be in the library!!!!
Y'all have no idea how super excited and thankful I am about all of this!!! I told my principal I'd have to call my mama and tell her that she was right and I was wrong and that I just need to have some patience b/c things work out the way they are meant to. This must be the reason I didn't get the job I interviewed for a few months ago.... this is why I couldn't get anyone to respond about this current opening at the other school. It all fell into place in the best case scenario possible!
SO, I had to share!
And now we'll continue the Pre TR when Andy gets home from work
That's so exciting! I just finished your last TR and now you're starting a new one. I'll be in WDW August 12-19 at ASMu. Maybe we'll cross paths. Can't wait to hear about your trip!
__________________
Kristin - Future Imagineer
Intern for the Ride and Show Engineering Group starting in March!
Our new puppy! A normal homework night for me.
LOVE the format! Since I can only know a few Beatles tunes (ducks) and frequently musical references in your TRs sail over my head, I'm thrilled you finally chose one that I not only caught the reference (back when you posted the TR name to boot!), but I also own the CD
Hope you guys have a fabulous time. And CONGRATS! on your job offer. Sounds like it's perfect!
Congrats on the new position! That is great news and a wonderful way to kick off another Melissa and Andy PTR! I just your TRs! It would be so great to run into you guys at WDW some day - I know you would be a blast to hang out with!
Fantastic Melissa! I'm so glad you get to keep the job you love! I'm also psyched to read your pre trip report, but I'm bummed because we will miss you in WDW by a week!
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First of all Congratulations how amazing about your new position. ...sometimes our moms are right.
Second you guys are just sooo clever with your album liner notes idea...
Third of all you are right about that Counting Crows album...its awesome...i love the counting crows!
Fourth of all...I will think of you while I am at Bele Chere this weekend!
About This Page: 
So I explain the whole thing and how I'm just trying to figure out what's best for me. So then the conversation goes like this:
What?
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
PassPorter Guide Author
your TRs! It would be so great to run into you guys at WDW some day - I know you would be a blast to hang out with! 
MNSSHP 2008
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