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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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I have questions. We're traveling in December and I'm anticipating having to carry at least three sweatshirts or light jackets, just in case. I'm afraid a small backpack might not be enough. Should I get something bigger?
And, what's a baggalini and where can I check them out?
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I have questions. We're traveling in December and I'm anticipating having to carry at least three sweatshirts or light jackets, just in case. I'm afraid a small backpack might not be enough. Should I get something bigger?
And, what's a baggalini and where can I check them out?
I generally tie my sweatshirt or jacket around my waist. Can you do that? Are you going to be the only pack mule or can someone else help you too??
We typically have a waist pack each. In those are cameras, lip balm, ponchos, money, KTTW, credit card and cell phone. Everything in ziploc bags...with room to stow sunglasses. Attached to it is a water bottle carrier and a place to attach our baseball caps when we are on rides. DH usually has aspirin or tylenol in his too.
We also stow a mesh back pack in a locker. It has change of shoes & socks, a couple old beach towels and sunblock (continuous spray kind).
Danielle, good idea about the lockers. Do they fill up quickly? I am not anticipating being the only pack mule. The girls are old enough to carry their own stuff (17) and husband and I will take turns I guess. The boy will only be 6 at the time and will whine and carry on if he has to carry anything heavier than his small stuffed German Sheppard, Tiny! LOL!
Here's the style of the small Baggallini I have. Note that the one I got was a different fabric (rip-stop nylon) and doesn't seem to be selling on this site anymore - it was a lot cheaper than this one:
This one is similar, but with an extra pouch area on the front and another extra pouch area on one of the sides - but it is cheaper 'cause it is on clearance:
The one I have is so thin even with my PassPorter (spiral edition) and other items in it that I don't have to remove it when sitting down on a ride or such (except for safety reasons on the roller coasters and such, of course, but not on something like Pirates) and I barely feel it being different from a seat back (and with one of my conditions, I constantly feel everything, so that's saying something!).
As for sweatshirts/jackets, yes, just tie them around your waist. Last time I was at Disney (Feb.) the weather was cold a lot of the time, but some days would warm up enough to be jacketless. I wore a fleecey zip-up sweatshirt/jacket type thing and whenever I got too warm, just tied it around my waist. (But don't forget to apply sunscreen when you do that - oops for me!)
Last year I bought an insulated slingback bag. I was able to fit my digital camera, my Passporter, my wallet, and was able shove other stuff in it. All my stuff stayed dried when it poured. One zipper to open, so when being searched at the parks it was so easy for them to look through. I plan on using it again this year.
Thanks to whomever it was that posted the link to eBags for the baggalini. I bought one. I picked it up for great price too; $33.97. They were having a back to school sale!
I usually carry one of my Vera Bradley backpacks or the mini-hipster. When my DH and I went the mini-hipster was fine, but I need to carry the backpack when our son goes with us.
sounds like you already made your choice, but if anyone else is interested, I use a hikers hip pouch. It is larger than most, so it holds EVERYTHING I need in a days time, and it has a place to hold two large mouth bottles. I fill one with things I don't want getting wet on rides, and leave the other bottle home. I then carry a recyclable bottle with spring water in (Disney still doesn't sell spring water on property yet). I would love to go totally bag free, but can't seem to give up the hip bag. I also filled out an app for a Disney credit card and got the great cooler back pack they offered. It was nice to hold any purchases we made throughout the day.
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My 19 year old hero! Hurry home! (A.K.A. D_Stitch)
Which "model" baggalini do you all hace? I found one on ebags.com and got it. It's the small one shoulder backpack style. I LOVE it! It's got a small zipper pouch in the strap that will hole my KTTW and cellphone!
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I have a small purse that clips to the belt loops of my jeans when DH and I go for rides on the motorcycle and I was planning on using that along with my passporter pouch thingy. However, I don't have enough room in that to carry my passporter. I do have a Vera Bradley Cargo Sling that is very comfortable worn sling style. Would this be too large and cause issues? Is there a problem with finding a place to put purses/bags when you go on a ride?
Even though each of my kids (even the 3 year old!) will have their own fanny pack, but I know there will be things that mom (me! ) will have to carry. That's why I'm considering the Cargo Sling. Any suggestions?
There isn't usually a problem finding a place to store your bag while on any given ride. Disney has conveniently placed "storage" room in all rides. The amount of "storage" varies, but it there. It's just that most of us don't want to chance loosing our bag. If you put it down, you chance walking away and forgetting it. Experience tells us that the smaller the bag, the easier it can be to carry all day in the heat. Also, we tend to choose a cross body style bag to make it easier on the back and shoulders. Some of us prefer the "hip pouch" bag as these don't pull on shoulders, don't often need to come off to ride a ride and are usually small.
Your choice will be affected most by your own touring style as well as your own sense of fashion. For me, the hip pouch is the best. For someone in an ECV or pushing a stroller, a back pack may be the only choice. What ever you choose I sincerely hope it works out great. Just remember that all bags are meant to come off the body when you go through baggage check. The more you have in a bag, the longer it can take to make it through baggage check. And yes, they check inside every bag. Even the camera bag inside your ___ (insert name of bag here)___.
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My 19 year old hero! Hurry home! (A.K.A. D_Stitch)
Great! Thanks for the info. It's good to know about the storage space and that bags are checked. I need to sit down and figure out what I absolutely NEED to carry with me and what I can do without. Maybe that will help to better determine what size bag I can get away with. I'm normally one of those mommies that has everything in her purse "just in case" which is great when something is needed but not so good when needing to lighten the load.
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) will have to carry. That's why I'm considering the Cargo Sling. Any suggestions?
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