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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Before I get to FP selections, I just have to share a change that we made last night.
The back story is that I have wanted to do the Happily Ever After dessert party, but Jeff says it's too much money.
Then last night DD Katie brought over an early Christmas gift...really a thank you gift for watching Matthew two days a week so she could go back to work. I was totally shocked when I pulled $200 in gift cards out of the bag! so...I suggested we check to see if there was any availability for the dessert party. And there was! I was not able to make the reservation online though, so I called member services and got it. We, of course, had to cancel our dinner at 1900 Park Fare, but that's ok. We'll get back there another time.
So, needless to say, I'm very excited about being able to see Happily Ever After from the garden viewing area!
Great plans! I just returned from a stay at Old Key West and we loved it! Such a pretty resort, and the room was huge! We ate at three of the places you plan on eating (breakfast at Olivia's, Yak and Yeti, and Chef Art Smith's Homecomin'), and they were all great! Homecomin' was my favorite meal of the trip!
Great idea to book the dessert party! It was absolutely packed when I saw Happily Ever After for the first time last weekend, and we didn't have the best view, and I soooo wished that I had booked a dessert party. I'd never had that much trouble finding a spot to watch fireworks before.
Registered Message Board Members save 30% off PassPorter guidebooks! When you register you'll have access to a discount coupon good for 30% off the list price of PassPorter books in our online store.
I was so excited, and actually surprised to find availability at almost 30 days out!
Quote:
Originally Posted by purplegal
What a thoughtful gift and so nice you were able to book the dessert party.
It was very thoughtful of her! She's a sweetie!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tara O'Hara
Oh my gosh, Donna!!!! You are going to love the Dessert Party!!!! How nice of Katie!!
I can't wait! Been hearing such good things about it!
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Originally Posted by disneydreamer33
WooHoo! Love unexpected surprises!
Yes, this definitely was unexpected!
Quote:
Originally Posted by pamcarey
Great plans! I just returned from a stay at Old Key West and we loved it! Such a pretty resort, and the room was huge! We ate at three of the places you plan on eating (breakfast at Olivia's, Yak and Yeti, and Chef Art Smith's Homecomin'), and they were all great! Homecomin' was my favorite meal of the trip!
Great idea to book the dessert party! It was absolutely packed when I saw Happily Ever After for the first time last weekend, and we didn't have the best view, and I soooo wished that I had booked a dessert party. I'd never had that much trouble finding a spot to watch fireworks before.
Thanks for the feedback! We are so looking forward to all the firsts of this trip! And it sounds like we will not be disappointed!
Disney Mail today!! We got our Magical Express luggage tags. Woohoo!
In other news...DS Tom was out of town in Burlington, WI for work this week. He was supposed to fly out of Chicago this evening, but his flight was cancelled.
The only thing he could get through American was a flight for tomorrow that had a 3 hour layover in Charlotte. After much back and forth discussion he ended up cancelling the American flight and booking through United which had a non-stop to Buffalo. I'm just hoping he gets on the road early enough tomorrow morning as the flight leaves at 7:20. He has an 75 min drive, and has to return his rental car. What a pain!
ok, back to the PTR... Fastpass+ - Our 60 day FP+ day was Thanksgiving Day! So, I was up early and ready to sign on at 7:00. I got most of what I was hoping for. Unfortunately, the only one I could not get was Flights of Passage.
So, we’ll just wait until our September trip for that one, I guess.
Here’s what we did get: AK day – Kilimanjaro Safari, Expedition Everest, and Rivers of Light
DHS day – Tower of Terror, Star Tours, and Toy Story Mania
We’re going to head for Rock N Roller Coaster first thing to ride that stand by.
Epcot day – Mission Space, Test Track and Character Spot
We’ll head for Soarin’ when we get to the park to ride that stand by.
The FP for Character Spot, I purposely got for during our lunch time. (And I was only able to do that because the ADRs were made by Cheryl.)
I just wanted a 3rd FP and then when it expires, we will see what else is available for a 4th.
MK day – Pirates, split up for Space Mountain and Buzz Lightyear, and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
Great FP's, except bummer that you didn't get Flight of Passage . Maybe try getting there before rope drop and doing standby? It's such a fantastic ride.
Glad I was able to help out with the Fastpasses with that lunch booking. Sorry about Flight of Passage. I feel very fortunate I was able to snag a Fastpass+ for it...
Great FP's, except bummer that you didn't get Flight of Passage . Maybe try getting there before rope drop and doing standby? It's such a fantastic ride.
Unfortunately we are going to Animal Kingdom on our arrival day, so we'll just be spending the afternoon and evening there, so no rope drop.
It will just have to be one of those things we look forward to doing next time!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cam22
Congrats on booking the HEA dessert party! Great FP+ choices, but sorry you couldn't get FoP!
I know! I'm so excited about the dessert party! Even though, being gluten free, I really can't eat the desserts, but I'm just happy to have the garden viewing of Happily Ever After. I know there are some things I'll be able to eat...cheese and fruit, ice cream chocolate covered strawberries, and I have to find out if the macarons are GF. Normally they are made with almond flour, so they should be.
Glad I was able to help out with the Fastpasses with that lunch booking. Sorry about Flight of Passage. I feel very fortunate I was able to snag a Fastpass+ for it...
Yes! Tom made it back ok. He got in around 10:00 this morning.
You were lucky to get the FoP! We'll get to do it in September, I hope!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tara O'Hara
for a safe journey home for your son!! Great FP+ choices!!
Yes, luckily the flight was early enough that the airport wasn't too crazy. He was there about 6:00am, returned the rental and said he only waited about 10 minutes for security.
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so...I suggested we check to see if there was any availability for the dessert party. And there was! I was not able to make the reservation online though, so I called member services and got it. We, of course, had to cancel our dinner at 1900 Park Fare, but that's ok. We'll get back there another time.
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Pixie Dust
How nice of Katie!! 
Liz 
PassPorter Guide Author
Sorry about Flight of Passage. I feel very fortunate I was able to snag a Fastpass+ for it...
He got in around 10:00 this morning. 
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