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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Great trip, and more than your fair share of...characters. And not the official Disney ones!
Thanks for sharing your TR. (dare I ask if this means we'll soon see a F&WF TR? )
A squeaky mouse. In his pocket. I suppose stranger things can happen.... At least you both thoroughly enjoyed your breakfast and your last waking moments within the Disney bubble.
__________________
Tanya
Every click helps feed .6 bowls of food to rescued animals. Give a quick click every day and help animals in shelters! www.theanimalrescuesite.com
Great trip!!!! Love Mary Devall's top 10....I could never be that courageous to ride TOT.
I have always wanted to do a mother daughter trip....maybe I will get one in my future.
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Since this entire trip report was built around Mary Devall’s Top Ten Reasons for turning 10 at Disney, I’ll finish with my own Top Ten (in no particular order):
1) Staying at the VWL. Despite being in the last room at the end of a very long hall, we still loved staying there. The lodge and the villas just wrap me in a warm blanket (figuratively since this is still Florida ) and make me feel as if I truly belong there.
2) Savoring the Food! My little girl made some excellent selections for her birthday meals. From the lasagna at Tutto Italia to my big plate of country cooking at 50’s PTC to my Polynesian feast at Kona, I had one delicious meal after the next. The most exciting finds of the trip were the waffle bar at Roaring Forks and the raisin bread French toast at WCC. Those alone will keep me coming back to WL!
3) Seeing Meg again and meeting Jasmine, Angel and Caleigh. Meg and I picked up right where we left off from our first meeting in April and the girls were all fast friends just as we had imagined. When we weren’t physically with them, Mary Devall was asking me if Meg had sent me a text. We left them with hugs and promises of more fun next year.
4) Riding ToT 9 times in a row. This may be my favorite ride at Disney, so riding it over and over and over again with three giggly girls made for one of my most memorable moments of the trip.
5) Riding Splash Mountain. This has also become one of my favorites, so I love that Mary Devall finally it too. She’s the only person in the family who will ride it with me!
6) Sitting on a bench on Sunset Blvd eating ice cream with my little girl. The memory still brings a to my face.
7) Touring World Showcase. We completely immersed ourselves in a few countries where we seldom spend much time: China, USA and Japan. Who knew that Mary Devall would look so cute in a kimono?
8) Watching my little girl take control of a situation. When she questioned the CM at Sci Fi about the availability of a table for two, I just stepped back and let her do the talking. By next year, she may be planning all of our trips!
9) Interacting with so many great CM’s on this trip. We were greeted with smiles, engaged in conversation and even entertained by an overwhelming number of CM’s (with many being college interns who had just come on board). The overall positive attitude was simply refreshing.
10) Spending one-on-one time with Mary Devall. My little girl is a talker, so we had many, many hours of conversation on this trip. I heard all about elementary school drama, afterschool care drama and everything in between. For once, I felt fully caught up on Mary Devall’s little world. There’ll come a day when I’m not her first choice for a traveling companion, so I relish every one of these opportunities that I have. Beyond loving her to pieces, I truly just enjoy being with her . . . being with her at Disney is just icing on the cake.
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Sometimes words aren't needed . . .
Last edited by Jillybean; 11-11-2011 at 08:15 PM..
Your wrap up brought a tear to my eye - especially the part about not always being our kids' first choice for companion. You are so right to enjoy it while you can!!
Great wrap up!! And I completely understand what you mean about cherishing this time. My oldest DS will be 10 next month (we too are celebrating at Disney, but with the whole family). Right now he's still pretty innocent and kid-like and loves to spend one-on-one time with me. But I can see a time in the not too distant future when that won't necessarily be the case.
So sad it is over! Great final thoughts! I really love #6, I have a great memory of doing the same thing with my son. Good times! Love your top ten, love MD's top ten! What a great way to celebrate a birthday! Looking forward to next year's TR!
I've just loved all of this TR!! Especially your number 10 reason - one on one time. With 3 little ones at home myself, that time is hard to come by. With your inspiration, I'm now looking forward to a 10th birthday trip with my own little girl. Thanks for sharing!!!
__________________
Tanya
Every click helps feed .6 bowls of food to rescued animals. Give a quick click every day and help animals in shelters! www.theanimalrescuesite.com
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.
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I suppose stranger things can happen.... At least you both thoroughly enjoyed your breakfast and your last waking moments within the Disney bubble.
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Katie's graduation
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) and make me feel as if I truly belong there.
The most exciting finds of the trip were the waffle bar at Roaring Forks and the raisin bread French toast at WCC. Those alone will keep me coming back to WL!
it too. She’s the only person in the family who will ride it with me! 
to my face.
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