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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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 live 40 minutes from Frontier city and have never gone. I simply cant get over the ticket prices. I could have six flags or silver dollar city for that price!!!!
Also, a family friend loaned them antiques for a special production 30 years ago and NEVER recd them back.
I have the hardest time shelling out money for Thomas, or thinking about other theme parks b/c I KNOW what it buys me at WDW! Now that we are DVC and can get AP's are ya kiddin me? Why would I go anywhere else.....
Luckily, we got a really good sale on them (like buy one get one free or something of that nature!). So, since we really didn't pay much, it was all good! There were some fun rides (not like Disney, but still fun), but the biggest complaint we had was the cm's. The norm was for them to open the gate while you got on the ride and never smile, not say a single word. I was really annoyed with that aspect. At least smile and ACT like you like your job! On the up side, it made the few cm's who DID smile and speak and such look extra great! But you know there's a big difference when even my dh, who isn't a big Disney person, notices it!!
I'm the same. I start getting sad about it being over the day we get there! I try to tell myself to live in the moment, but it's hard for me not to dwell on how much or how little time I have left after allll that planning. I almost think that the planning and excitement of the countdown is the best part. It goes by so fast.
I'm the sad soul who actually sat and cried on the ME bus headed back to the airport! Yes, I am pitiful.......
I do not compare what I consider "real vacations" I have been on like going to Hawaii, D.C., New York City, etc. There are so many things to enjoy and discover in these places. However, when we go to the beach - I compare. I am not a beach lover, I only care for it for a few days at the most. I have been to the beach more times than I care to have been. We live about 6 hours from the beach. Of course, our last 2 beach trips were completely rained out!!! We went to Disney for the day on one of those trips and it rained there too but it was not an issue. We were at Disney and any day at Disney is a great day!
My thought is this - my kids are young and going anywhere other than Disney is a pain. I do not care where it is. No one caters to you like Disney. They will be older someday and then we will visit lots of other places other than Disney. Right now, all I want to give them is the World!
BTW Jim you listed several places and things I would love to see and do!
Danielle
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WDW Oct . 2012
Since Minnie's chair is gone, I had to find a new place to have our photo taken this past Oct. Not sure this will be the permanent place.
OK, I'll take one more run at this and then let it go, I love WDW - I've been there more times than I can remember and will continue to go. Mission: Space is my favorite Disney ride (Space Mountain in DL is pretty cool too) but it doesn't have the visceral effect that seeing one of God's masterpieces (Grand Canyon for example) or man made does. The first time I saw the Sistine Chapel it literally took my breath away. It makes you think that if Michelangelo wasn't on a first name basis with God they at least had cocktails together pretty often. WDW doesn't give me that sense of wonder
Jim, as I mentioned before, I haven't had the opportunity to experience most of the things you have. But that doesn't mean I don't WANT to! Well, I really don't have an interest in Alaska, but that's ok! The other places I would absolutely LOVE to visit and hope to be able to some day. When I do get to visit those places, I am sure I will be in awe. Especially since I am a MAJOR history buff! I can't say that those places will necessarily TOP Disney b/c it is like comparing apples and oranges. Disney brings out the child and magic in me. It makes me feel good and happy and giddy inside. I have loved it as long as I can remember and will always feel that way no matter what. No matter where I go or what I do, I will always hanker to go back and visit Disney. But that doesn't mean that I won't also aspire to visit new places and see new things. Life is such an adventure and our world is such a beautiful and amazing place that it would be a shame not to take every opportunity that comes along to see more of it and learn more about it. And will I love seeing the new things (I mentioned my deep down desire to see the British countryside) with every ounce of my being. Will they REPLACE Disney for me? No. Absolutely NOT. Will I love them in an entirely different way and allow those memories to be as precious as my disney ones? Very possibly. They probably won't be better, but they will very likely be equal. My mind and heart and soul are always open to new adventures! We are planning a new adventure for 2012, in fact! I've always dreamed of visiting Costa Rica and taking a zip line tour! Talk about seeing the majesty that God created!! I can't wait! It may not be on the same page as Disney, but I am sure it will be magical in its own right and I can't wait!
Sorry for the ramble! I just wanted to clarify that while I do agree that nothing compares to Disney, you have to put that phrase into perspective. It's all the apples vs oranges thing!! BTW, do you have pics you would share of some of your adventures? I would absolutely LOVE to see them! Thanks!
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But you know there's a big difference when even my dh, who isn't a big Disney person, notices it!!
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