The Life of a VIP - Adventures By Disney Backstage Magic - Page 24 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!
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.
Ok, now that I got to read about the end of your day (yes I was just so excited from reading your TR that I did not have the pateince to wait to read the final entry of the day before I posted) I have concluded I NEED TO TAKE THIS TOUR You dinner from In n Out Burger looked delish...and glad to hear that you were not lost in the "unsavory"part of town. Hope that you get some sleep (well at least past 4 am) because it sounds like you will need it....tomorrow sounds even more filling then your first day.
I kind of feel bad now that I've ruined the "butt crack..." and "crack of..." comments for those on here who know me. I gave Melissa (Mestitch) some grief once too.
What a great day!!! The pic you took of your shrimp lunch almost looks like some artsy menu photo. And "old barn paint"...is that Benjamin Moore?? What a cool train ride. And I would have ridden it as many times as they would let me. I won tickets on PLJ to see Nickelodeon Jr. Live at Radio City and we saw some busted up Mickeys and 3 or 4 Elmos looking for some cash for photos too. Jason was a bit confused by that.
Love all your photos and report! We had the option of Jimmy Kimmel or Toy Story & Toy Story double feature at the El Capitan on our tour. I picked Jimmy Kimmel, but Jamie Fox was the main guest and he was great (also some country singer I'm not familiar with, but my cousin was going nuts over). It was really cool to watch the taping (even though I've never seen the show), and they sat us where we were prominantly featured when they showed the audience.
I'm glad you liked In n Out. It is yummy, and pretty cheap as burger places go! I am so jealous that you got to ride Walt's train. It was raining when we were there, and they couldn't bring it out. It was such a cool place, and you could really feel Walt's presence. Keep it comin'! I know my favorite day is coming up!
Love the update. It looks like a fantastic day! I love the picture of you with Kermit. My DH had a stroll down memory lane seeing your picture with him. How wonderful you got to see Walt's Train. Too bad we didn't know about it when my DBro was a huge train fanatic or else that would have been so worth taking him to see for himself. How cool you got to ride it. More please Sharon.
This is proving to be a fantabulous tour!!! What an amazing first day!! So many things done and such specail treatments. That burger looked OMG, so good!!! Love the pin for the day too, so cute!! Looking forward to the next update!!
__________________
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
Oh wow, your intro to your next segment says it gets better - it can't do, after Walt's barn, surely? That's the most amazing experience and looking at those photos was just fascinating.
PassPorter's Free-Book to Walt Disney World Its 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.
Great update!! Next time I am in Cali...I am going to the El Capitan Theatre...I can't wait to see a movie/show there! Thanx now I have so many things on my to do list that I missed my first time out there!
Me thinks you've got another trip coming up soon since you are rocking out on the updates! I just loved, loved, loved the pictures and stories by Walt's barn. And I loved seeing you on that train! What a great trip (and that cheeseburger looked yummy)!
Oh wow! You're doing a superb job sharing your trip with us. So wishing that I could sign up for the ABD with the Dis in July.
__________________
šOš ~*~
Oct '99: CSR ~ May '02: CR ~ Nov '04: SOG ~ May '06: SOG ~ Dec '07: Solo @ Pop ~ May '08: Pop w/friends ~ Oct '08: SOG ~ Dec '09: Pop w/LeAnn ~ Sept '10: Solo @ Pop ~ Spring '11: AKL ~ Jan '12: Pop for 1/2 Marathon ~ Sept '12: 1st trip for DL 1/2 Marathon? ~ Feb '13: Pop w/pals? ~ Mar '13: Tokyo Disney w/PP's?
I'm relieving my adventure in Nov 08 through all of your pictures, Jaime was one of my guides as well and he was great. I know you had an amazing time. Hurry back with your next update!
__________________
Mary
DVC Member since 1999
Many trips, many more memories!