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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful family cruise with us. I truly enjoyed reading it. I want to do a cruise with my two (DD is 3 and DS is 5) some day but I keep thinking that maybe they would get bored. From reading your TR, it doesn't sound like they would (get bored). Thanks again for sharing!!
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Great report! I am truly sorry it's over. Other than the un-happy Happy Limo ride, it sounds like a WONDERful, memorable cruise! I hope I will be able to write as well as you have when it's my turn to do a TR. I felt like I was right there!
Thanks
Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful family cruise with us. I truly enjoyed reading it. I want to do a cruise with my two (DD is 3 and DS is 5) some day but I keep thinking that maybe they would get bored. From reading your TR, it doesn't sound like they would (get bored). Thanks again for sharing!!
You will have a wonderful time. With kids that age you can be as busy or as relaxed as you want to be! Even if you never do any of the activities and just hit the pools and shows it will be wonderful! Plus Castaway Cay is so great for the little ones.
I hope you have a fantastic voyage!
Great report! I am truly sorry it's over. Other than the un-happy Happy Limo ride, it sounds like a WONDERful, memorable cruise! I hope I will be able to write as well as you have when it's my turn to do a TR. I felt like I was right there!
Thanks
Thanks Kenny!!!
Can't wait to hear all about your trip!!!!
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Wow what a wonderful trip, so sorry it had to end, thanks for sharing the magic with us. I will add Palo brunch to my list for our 1st cruise next Feb on the Magic, again thanks for sharing.
We're saving for a 7-nighter ourselves and after reading your TR, I'm more motivated than ever to get that money in the bank! Thank you so much for taking the time to write your TR--Loved it!
I just read your entire tr and enjoyed it SO much! Your girls are just precious and how wonderful that you took both moms with you.
I was especially interested because my family will be sailing almost a year to the day from your cruise in the Walt Disney Suite also. We did a category 2 a couple of years ago, but really wanted to try the category 1. I really enjoyed reading your take on it!
WDW - August 1997 Off Property
WDW - January 2005 AKL
WDW - May 2006 Pop Century
WDW- november-dec 2007 pop century
WDW- dec/jan 2009/2010 pop century
WDW- oct/nov 2012 art of animation
WDW- sept 2013 port Orleans riverside
WDW- july 2015 beach club
I just read your entire tr and enjoyed it SO much! Your girls are just precious and how wonderful that you took both moms with you.
I was especially interested because my family will be sailing almost a year to the day from your cruise in the Walt Disney Suite also. We did a category 2 a couple of years ago, but really wanted to try the category 1. I really enjoyed reading your take on it!
Can't wait for your next cruise! Great tr!
Jill
Looking forward to hearing about your adventure in the Walt. You will love it...especially with the little ones! Take advantage of full room service breakfast! That time of the year was wonderful too...nice mild weather, only one little rainstorm....you all will have a blast!