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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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 love checking in on your thread every few days! You've been so busy getting used to the new job, new classes, moving twice within a month! Hopefully we'll run into you soon.
BTW, DH & I were hanging out at Epcot and noticed a soft opening for Kim Possible. How's your DD like that so far?
PassPorter Guide Community Rank: Legend Extraordinaire
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Ballston Lake, NY
Concierge Level: 6
Posts: 46,162
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It really is a small world! How great that you got to see some old friends. Sorry T-Rex wasn't the best. Like a few others have said, I've read lots of complaints about it being loud in there.
Dawn,
I am really enjoying your posts! I feel like I am getting a sneak peak into the world of a CM. I will be in Disney in 11 days (Feb 8-16) and now that you've posted your picture, if you see someone gawking at you like they know you, you'll know it's a fellow passporter, LOL!
__________________
Melissa F.
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Anniversary dinner at California Grill - Aug 2008
Boy I'll sure agree with you on the loudness of T-Rex. That was my only real complaint about the place. We had a pretty good server - especially when you consider that we had a very large party for her to attend to. We knew the food was going to be pricey and large portions so some of us shared. So those weren't factors for us. But the noise... You had to lean right up to the person sitting beside you to talk to them. Heaven help you if you want to speak with the person across the table - lean forward, yell and lip read. Seriously.
I got my THIRD GSF card! Part of my Rafiki job is keeping up with the CP bulletin boards, so I started on them. One of the things I did was to put up a locker mirror with, "The most important face guests will see today" around it. The managers went nuts over it, including the VP of merch in AK! I'm trying very hard to be an encourager to my fellow CMs and bring back some of the pixie dust that some of them have lost (or never had).
The day I have dreaded has arrived. We have to move out of AKV in the morning over to the townhouse (which is still not settled w/ older DDs' stuff). I did not at all get to enjoy the Lodge as I'd hoped to be able to with all of the moving and mother-drama. I am grateful that I had a very short commute for the first few weeks of my program, however, and that DDs got to have a safe haven during the transition. They are sad, but are excited about our new digs, esp 12yo who gets to do a whole new beach theme with her bedroom.
10yo DD became very ill yesterday (they were at Blizzard Beach) and spiked a 103 temp last night, so I was up with her, trying to get the fever to break and control the cough/headache. It finally calmed down about 6am, so I was exhausted heading into work. 20yo came over to watch her today and she's feeling much better, but still has a cough/mild headache.
It was a strange day, I was supposed to stock carts, but wound up only making one trip as I was covering breaks for other people and doing some "odd jobs" that managers were asking me to do. It also rained cats and dogs this afternoon, so I had to help close the carts in a hurry, which is hard to do when people want to buy ponchos, ponchos, ponchos!
I'm sure part of it is fatigue from last night and depression about leaving AKV, but I am VERY sore and tired this evening. I'm no stranger to manual labor, but what I've done for the last few years has been short bursts, a weekend here and there type thing, so it's taking me some time to get used to being on my feet and walking all day. I honestly thought I'd drop a few pounds (or more!) by now, but my clothes aren't fitting any differently, despite my efforts to drink lots of water, eat better, and I've been getting PLENTY of exercise.
I'm off tomorrow for our move, but I'm hoping to have my computer settled in by the evening.
Dawn, I've finally caught up with your last three or so weeks -- amazing! Congrats on the GSF cards and on the "Rafiki" thing. I'm so glad you're mostly enjoying what you're doing. Lots of pixies for smooth sailing in the new place.
Congrat's on 3 GSF cards!! You are really making Magic for all. Hope everyone is feeling better soon, and moving again must really be hard WoW>> Thing's will get a little better now once your all settled. I will look for more from you later this week as I understand how busy you will be LouigiAnne
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Your DD's illness sounds like the flu that is going around here right now. One second you are fine then BOOM it hits you like a Mack Truck. that she feels even better today and you too!!
PassPorter Guide Community Rank: Legend Extraordinaire
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Chapel Hill, NC USA
Concierge Level: 6
Posts: 36,592
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That 28 days went really fast. I know you feel that way too.
I hope the move today goes well and that once the condo is full, everyone gets along swimmingly.
Congrats on all your accolades! Keep up the good work. I'm sure your attitude it rubbing off on your coworkers!
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You had to lean right up to the person sitting beside you to talk to them. Heaven help you if you want to speak with the person across the table - lean forward, yell and lip read. Seriously.
Part of my Rafiki job is keeping up with the CP bulletin boards, so I started on them. One of the things I did was to put up a locker mirror with, "The most important face guests will see today" around it. The managers went nuts over it, including the VP of merch in AK! I'm trying very hard to be an encourager to my fellow CMs and bring back some of the pixie dust that some of them have lost (or never had).
We have to move out of AKV in the morning over to the townhouse (which is still not settled w/ older DDs' stuff). I did not at all get to enjoy the Lodge as I'd hoped to be able to with all of the moving and mother-drama. I am grateful that I had a very short commute for the first few weeks of my program, however, and that DDs got to have a safe haven during the transition. They are sad, but are excited about our new digs, esp 12yo who gets to do a whole new beach theme with her bedroom. 
PassPorter Guide Author
How awesome to get so many so quickly. 
for DD.
WoW>> Thing's will get a little better now once your all settled. I will look for more from you later this week as I understand how busy you will be
as you get settled in your new home.
Michelle - with my step sisters!
Claytrgtshooter (Minnie Lor's Hubbie)
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