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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!
Welcome! We're happy you've found the PassPorter Community -- the friendliest place to plan your vacation to Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland, and the world in general! You are now viewing the PassPorter Message Board Community as a guest, which gives you limited access. As our guest, feel free to browse our messages by selecting the forum you want to visit from the list below.
To post messages and ask questions, join our FREE community today and you'll get access to tools and resources not available to guests, such as our vacation countown timers, "living" avatars, private messaging system, database searches, downloads, and a special PassPorter discount code. Registration is fast, simple, and completely free. Just click the Join Our Community link.
If you think you've already joined, log in below now. If you don't remember your member name or password, please visit our Member Name and Password Recovery page. You are also welcome to contact us.
I see no reason for him to go to jail. If he didn't rape her, then he didn't do anything technically wrong. Now morally, thats a different story. I'm not saying I agree by no means, BUT he shouldn't be punished.
Actually he did do something wrong per the law. Statutory rape in Indiana
is if the boy is over 18, and the girl is younger than 16 according to the OP. The law
is the law and unless it gets changed people need to follow the law. Period.
No amount of love excuses that.
Now while I hope the boy (yes I think of him as a boy) will step up and take
care of his baby I'm not in this position for which I am VERY thankful. It is
really tough and maybe this will wake the parents up. Tough situation.
__________________
Last edited by eff051102; 06-29-2009 at 10:37 PM..
I'm not saying I want to be the "whistle blower" - it's really NOT my business what this girls' parents want to do. My SiL is NOT the boy's mom - she's a nice (certifiably crazy) lady who took him in when his own family kicked him out due to his "problems" (nope, no-one's ever enlightened me on what those were, just know his own family decided he needed to not live at home). She's happy about being able to claim a grand-child. This is the same SiL that is allowing her 19yr. DD and her boyfriend live with SiL, free of charge. Neither of the "Kids" works.
Back to the boy - he also doesn't work. I have no clue where he's living now.
I think this touched a spot with me: I was 15 the "first time" - and my BF was 18. We ended up with a daughter exactly one year later. I wouldn't change that for the world, but having a child that young is tough.
Because of my experience, I do not allow my children (all girls) to date "men". They may date boys who are 2 years older. We adjust the rule as they get older.
Of course - I'd have provided the birth control. I think abstinence is really best - but reality means that I'm buying "The Pill".
Since you asked what we would do, I think that I would not turn him in because there is now a baby in the picture that needs a father to provide for him. Having the boy arrested with a criminal record won't help him get or keep a job to raise this baby. Like someone else said, what's done is done.
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.
A quick response on KJ's comment about needing to follow the law. One of the biggest problems with statutory rape laws is that they are so unevenly applied. Most people who violate them never get investigated or charged. Think about how many secxually active 15 year olds there are. They end up being used for revenge and power. And I've seen many cases where the sole reason for prosecution is the grandparents have a fight over the baby and it's too easy to go to the police and get a one up in a custody battle.
In my state we have a level of statutory rape charges. Having these laws on the books do not stop teens from having sex and more than the smoking laws stop teen smoking. Some -like a 21 year old with a 13 year old, should be prosecuted by the police. But too many times it's done for spite.
The problems is too many parents stop parenting thier kids when they get to be teens. That's the time when they need more parenting rather than less.
Her parents gave permission for them to date. They obviously forgot what it was like to be young and in the throes of passion. Sometimes good judgment goes out the window. I wouldn't want the kid prosecuted. The girl's parents were naive and sending mixed messages. He doesn't deserve to be labeled a sex offender for the rest of his life for this one, IMO.
Registered Message Board Members Get Our Free Newsletter! When you register you'll have the option to sign up for our weekly PassPorter Newsletter. It's chock-full of feature articles; news; tips; contests; photos; and special offers in our online store.
I think if time could rewound, their dating should have either not been allowed or should have been more closely monitored. However, what is done is done. And putting him in jail now, is not going to help anything. They have a baby together and they are a family. And if the parents of the girl and boy aren't upset, I dont see why anyone else should be.
Funny how the focus is on the boy...it takes two to tango. Yes, young girls can be manipulated, but so can 30 year old women or 20 year old men. However, it is a regrettable fact in today's society, that our young people boys and girls, are growing up WAY too fast. Girls today are far more sexually aware at a younger age than I was when I got married. They know what they are doing, and are vaguely aware of the consequences, they're just too arrogant to believe it can happen to them. Much more so, probably, than any of us at their age. I believe these young people, by the age of 15, know and make decisions that are obviously boneheaded...but not uninformed. They know...
The problem I see with statutory rape laws is that it only takes into account the actions of one party...when there are two involved. As if, just by virtue of age, the male has all the responsibility to say "No." BS...it's her body...she has to respect it, no matter what!
Bottom line, now that the deed has been done, the only issue that matters is the welfare of that baby...and, law or no, having "daddy" in jail will not be conducive to the good welfare of the child.
Wow - I'm glad your SIL is happy about the baby. Hopefully she will give the new parents the support they need in a trying time. The biggest concern for all involved is the baby and it's well being.
As for the girl's parents condoning her dating this man - they must have been crazy. Not that I could necessarily stop my daughters from dating someone inappropriate but I'd sure do my best!
I think it is statutory and illegal. Would I say anything now, no, but I agree that it is/was not a good situation. If it were my family I would be supportive and helpful after the fact, but I would certainly not celebrate it. Just my 2 cents.
Funny how the focus is on the boy...it takes two to tango. Yes, young girls can be manipulated, but so can 30 year old women or 20 year old men. However, it is a regrettable fact in today's society, that our young people boys and girls, are growing up WAY too fast. Girls today are far more sexually aware at a younger age than I was when I got married. They know what they are doing, and are vaguely aware of the consequences, they're just too arrogant to believe it can happen to them. Much more so, probably, than any of us at their age. I believe these young people, by the age of 15, know and make decisions that are obviously boneheaded...but not uninformed. They know...
I agree wholeheartedly. The other comment that just makes me shake my head is the girl's mother comment that said she didn't have her on any birth control because she "wouldn't do that." In this day and age, from what I witnessed (and heard) through my now 17 yr old niece, I feel any girl dating should be protected. While it would be nice if they waited, reality is more likely they won't. My niece had 3 girls in her 8th grade class that were pregnant, 13-14 year olds. She said that there are about 8 girls now pregnant in her high school. And even when I was in school 20+ years ago, my good friend who was "Christian" had a baby at 17. She knew what she was doing could lead to pregnancy, she just didn't care-- until she was pregnant.
__________________
Michele
I'm living the dream 20 minutes from Disney! Next trip...tomorrow. Follow me on instagram at ShirtsByShell
My son was 18 and dating a younger girl years ago and her parents gave permission.... they loved him... he was very close to the dad.... The girl got mad about something and went off, attacked him. A neighbor called the cops... even though the parents were ok with the girl dating him, the cop pressed charges on him for stautory rape. So they best watch out... let the wrong person get involved in the situation, and permission, blessing or whatever won't do him any good... BTW, the judge looked at the pics we had from her biting his back in the fight, and dropped the charges on my son. He said the cop had no reason to charge him.. The cop did it because he had a daughter that age. He told that to the girls father! What a nutcase!
__________________
It's awfully hard to be brave when you're such a small animal..." Piglet Marsha
About This Page: 
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
Michelle - with my step sisters!
Danielle Harmon
NYC-Canada Cruise Sept 2012
Linear Mode
