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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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.

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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!

Best wishes for a wonderful and magical new year!

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Old 02-08-2015, 07:38 PM   #31
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Glad you got to stop and visit with your parents and grandmother!
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Old 02-08-2015, 07:39 PM   #32
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Glad you got to stop and visit with your parents and grandmother!
Me too.
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Old 02-08-2015, 08:17 PM   #33
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Canada here we come, ready or not.

I forgot to add in the last post that when we got back to parents from grandma's, I parked the car, grabbed the red journal from grandma and when I did some $green slipped to where I could see it. I opened the front cover to find 5 $20's, which started the tears and DD to advise me " Let's go inside, away from the mosquitoes and you can cry there"

Monday, June 17th 8:05AM
After loading cats, hugging mom and dad, we climbed into the truck and pulled out. Now my DH and DD (adult) had been taking bets about when I'd cry because I hate goodbyes. My DD (adult) was right, once we were on the road I cried and cried but not all the the to the border like she had predicted.
After things settled a bit Beth had eaten popcorn and me a left over enchalida from the night before for breakfast. Our notes say it was sunny with a good breeze as you can see from this picture. This river is actually only about 10 minutes or so from my parents house.




My aunt drives the first 40 miles of this road to work everyday and had warned us of the frost heaves and that the road was torn up and really rough. She was right! Although in some places we managed close to 50mph.
From our journal
9:28AM past Neboss road where liquor store had a big sign stating free coffee! This struck me as funny, maybe owners thought if people sobered up would buy more. Now this road in not famous just some place in the middle of Alaska wilderness but a marker for journal.
9:52AM Passing Mabel Creek (Grandma's name is Mabel )
Here's some pics




Patches wanted to look out window.


Clouds moving in.


clouds moving out

Up next: Tok, the only bigger town on the way out of Alaska.
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Old 02-09-2015, 12:40 AM   #34
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Such a difficult good-bye to your family! I bet they were crying, too. The only bad thing about all that beauty in Alaska is the ferocious mosquitos! I guess you can't get all that lush greenery for the short summer without the accompanying wildlife!
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Old 02-09-2015, 01:42 AM   #35
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I can understand al the tears. Goodbyes are never easy.
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Old 02-09-2015, 01:53 PM   #36
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Goodbyes are always hard! Great pictures from your drive!
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Old 02-09-2015, 07:18 PM   #37
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Goodbyes are never easy, and tears are a sign that you love folks and places you are leaving behind. I admire you for relocating and going on this adventure.
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Old 02-09-2015, 08:32 PM   #38
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That had to be hard, saying goodbye. So glad you were able to though.
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Old 02-09-2015, 11:27 PM   #39
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Originally Posted by lauriep View Post
Such a difficult good-bye to your family! I bet they were crying, too. The only bad thing about all that beauty in Alaska is the ferocious mosquitos! I guess you can't get all that lush greenery for the short summer without the accompanying wildlife!
I'm sure they were sad but they also understood. The mosquitos are really bad in the bush some years. Very true.

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I can understand al the tears. Goodbyes are never easy.
I remember when I was 5 or 6 and my aunt and uncle had visited and the day they left I hid in my closet so I wouldn't have to say good bye.

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Goodbyes are always hard! Great pictures from your drive!
Very true, thanks - it's hard to get pics while driving but we tried.

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Goodbyes are never easy, and tears are a sign that you love folks and places you are leaving behind. I admire you for relocating and going on this adventure.
This move was the hardest thing I think I've ever done, but feel brave too.

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That had to be hard, saying goodbye. So glad you were able to though.
New adventures await, I miss my Alaska family but am enjoying my grandkids so much here in WA.
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Old 02-13-2015, 02:05 PM   #40
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I'm loving your TR! The pics are gorgeous!!

I'm sorry about your grandma though.
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Old 02-14-2015, 12:10 PM   #41
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I'm loving your TR! The pics are gorgeous!!

I'm sorry about your grandma though.
Thanks, yes Alaska is beautiful, so is Canada.
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Old 02-14-2015, 12:25 PM   #42
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Tok, Alaska

This first section is pics of on our way into Tok.












Up next: arriving in Tok
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Old 02-14-2015, 01:08 PM   #43
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Arriving in Tok, AK

10:44 AM we pulled into the gas station in Tok, filled the tank. As I pulled out I saw a gift shop across the street so went and checked it out. I found a beautiful Alaskan Christmas ornament, a shirt, a couple of cute knick nacs - a moose and bear, and fudge (my weakness). Went back to the truck to find a place for lunch that we could take with us since we were 93 miles from the border and I wanted to keep rolling.



The big city of Tok.

We found a place to eat on the way out of town, I ordered a burger and DD got chicken tenders. The coolest thing was the painting behind the salad bar.





UP next, the Canadian border.
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Old 02-14-2015, 02:39 PM   #44
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Oh wow, what beautiful scenery!
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Old 02-14-2015, 05:00 PM   #45
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What a bittersweet adventure!
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My Previous TripsWDW/Pop Century June 2008-- WDW/AS Movies Thanksgiving 2009-- WDW/Pop Century March 2010-- DCL/Wonder to Alaska May 2011-- WDW/Vaca Home off property Christmas 2012-- WDW/AS Music Christmas 2014
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