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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!
Welcome! We're happy you've found the PassPorter Community -- the friendliest place to plan your vacation to Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland, and the world in general! You are now viewing the PassPorter Message Board Community as a guest, which gives you limited access. As our guest, feel free to browse our messages by selecting the forum you want to visit from the list below.
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PassPorter's Free-Book to Walt Disney World It’s hard to believe anything is free at Walt Disney World; but there are actually a number of things you can get or do for little to no cost. This e-book documents over 200 free or cheap tips to do before you go and after you arrive. You could save a considerable amount of money following these tips. Perhaps more importantly; you can discover overlooked attractions and little-known details most people whiz by on their way to spend money. Click here to see free sample pages from the e-book! Get this popular e-book free of extra charges when you join the PassPorter's Club for as little as $4.95. A club pass includes access to all our other e-books; e-worksheets; super-size photos; and more! This e-book is also available for separate purchase in the PassPorter Online Store for just $5.95.
I just thought I'd chime in and say that having a dog for my panic disorder has been a lifesaver and he's still in training. I do hate the fact that people question my disability though because my little guy, Wash, is a smaller breed dog. I was able to navigate a crowded grocery store with only a minor attack (that he noticed and started distracting me from immediately) and I was so proud of myself. To an extent, yes he is emotional support, but the reminder for meds and the ability to head off or at least warn me of the impending attack is just amazing. He picked the second part on his own. I can't imagine life without him now and can't praise enough the use of a psychiatric service dog!
I can't imagine life without him now and can't praise enough the use of a psychiatric service dog!
This is fascinating! I'd never heard of a psychiatric service dog. Where was he trained? So he senses when you are having an attack and distracts you? How does he distract you?
What tasks do psychiatric service dogs perform? | Service Dog Central
That explains some of the things a psychiatric service dog can do. I cannot explain in full but that does give good examples that I could not imagine. These are not lap dogs to hug during a bad time or a therapy dog that goes to nursing homes. The dogs are given tasks to learn so that they can be tailor trained to the person's needs.
YouTube - My Dedicated Psychiatric Service Dog Winston
This video shows a dog interrupting its owner. The owner may have a nervous habit such as picking skin until it bleeds. An owner might be depressed like in the video. The dog steps in and stops that behavior through some sort of distraction.
Mom calls to check on me and reminded me to pay the gardener. I love her so much.
Disneyland was fun with flag retreat and pickles. I have a home here, thank you. GAC is NOT a "front of the line pass".
She is gone but keeping signature. Laundry is getting done. My purpose in life is to help poor people in FL. Farewell, will miss you.
PassPorter's Free-Book to Walt Disney World It’s hard to believe anything is free at Walt Disney World; but there are actually a number of things you can get or do for little to no cost. This e-book documents over 200 free or cheap tips to do before you go and after you arrive. You could save a considerable amount of money following these tips. Perhaps more importantly; you can discover overlooked attractions and little-known details most people whiz by on their way to spend money. Click here to see free sample pages from the e-book! Get this popular e-book free of extra charges when you join the PassPorter's Club for as little as $4.95. A club pass includes access to all our other e-books; e-worksheets; super-size photos; and more! This e-book is also available for separate purchase in the PassPorter Online Store for just $5.95.
Thanks for explaining it Laurie For some reason Passporter would not load for me all day. It's hard to explain everything he does, like I said, he picked up on the attacks himself, which made training slightly easier. He now knows to annoy me until I focus completely on him and I calm down. He's really just amazing and I cannot praise him enough. It's going to make Disney extra fabulous for me and I won't spend a huge chunk of the time worrying about attacks etc.
Humans and animals have instincts and the ability to read other animals or people. For dogs it is a matter of training the dog to do a task. I am sure most of us at one time have had an animal read us and be there for us in depression, sadness, or other needs. Katie was the best service dog without the training or title. Speckles Bruce would go with my father for walks. As the cancer got worse my father would lean on Speckles. Friend to the end, always there even when times were tight.
Humans can do interrupting. I stress interrupting for person with psychological issues as well as spectrum children. An autistic child can be interrupted by a parent with toys, treats, or games. My mother needs a lot of interrupting because she runs out of patience on things like lines and dinner service. I use talk, planning the trip, and other distractions but it is easier with a kid who will munch candy and play with toys. Even with out a dog you can do some of them interrupting tactics.
I wish I had a nice home then we could have a dog even if not called a service dog. I would train it to get things and help Mom.
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Mom calls to check on me and reminded me to pay the gardener. I love her so much.
Disneyland was fun with flag retreat and pickles. I have a home here, thank you. GAC is NOT a "front of the line pass".
She is gone but keeping signature. Laundry is getting done. My purpose in life is to help poor people in FL. Farewell, will miss you.
Humans can do interrupting. I stress interrupting for person with psychological issues as well as spectrum children. An autistic child can be interrupted by a parent with toys, treats, or games. My mother needs a lot of interrupting because she runs out of patience on things like lines and dinner service. I use talk, planning the trip, and other distractions but it is easier with a kid who will munch candy and play with toys. Even with out a dog you can do some of them interrupting tactics.
I agree that humans can do interrupting, however, going through a divorce and now being on my own for the most part, my psychiatrist thought that a service dog would be immensely helpful to my situation. Especially since I cannot for the life of me, remember to take my pills (even with an alarm) or some days even wake up/get out of bed. I'm slowly working with him and a friend who trains dogs to teach him to wake me up when he hears my alarm and that he gets a special treat when I take my medicine, after he reminds me to take it. I'm absolutely amazed by how much my quality of life has improved since I got him!
I agree that humans can do interrupting, however, going through a divorce and now being on my own for the most part, my psychiatrist thought that a service dog would be immensely helpful to my situation. Especially since I cannot for the life of me, remember to take my pills (even with an alarm) or some days even wake up/get out of bed. I'm slowly working with him and a friend who trains dogs to teach him to wake me up when he hears my alarm and that he gets a special treat when I take my medicine, after he reminds me to take it. I'm absolutely amazed by how much my quality of life has improved since I got him!
Can you clone him and send me a copy? He sounds like a wonderful friend for you, dogs do make the best friends.
__________________
Mom calls to check on me and reminded me to pay the gardener. I love her so much.
Disneyland was fun with flag retreat and pickles. I have a home here, thank you. GAC is NOT a "front of the line pass".
She is gone but keeping signature. Laundry is getting done. My purpose in life is to help poor people in FL. Farewell, will miss you.
Registered Message Board Members Get Our Free Newsletter! When you register you'll have the option to sign up for our weekly PassPorter Newsletter. It's chock-full of feature articles; news; tips; contests; photos; and special offers in our online store.
Your dog sounds wonderful. I had a dog once (not a service dog) who reminded me to give him his heartworm pill every day. He'd sit by the cabinet and stare at me until he got it (and it didn't even taste good!)
Your dog sounds wonderful. I had a dog once (not a service dog) who reminded me to give him his heartworm pill every day. He'd sit by the cabinet and stare at me until he got it (and it didn't even taste good!)
My dog hates the heartworm pills my vet has him on. LOL. Thankfully, I found a monthly one that my vet said would be fine to use instead. I was tired of fighting him to take it (even wrapped in cheese or other yummy things)
I do love my dog. He's been the best I really wish I could clone him, but since I can't, he's a Bugge (Boston Terrier/Pug) and I know of other people who have them and they are very loyal, loving and friendly
I do love my dog. He's been the best I really wish I could clone him, but since I can't, he's a Bugge (Boston Terrier/Pug) and I know of other people who have them and they are very loyal, loving and friendly
I'm so glad he's such a great friend to you. Sounds like he really helps you in public areas.
We looked into getting a service dog for DD Samantha years ago, but at that time, we were told that she didn't need one since she had a little sister!! So, we just got a pet dog instead. (Samantha is a quadriplegic with full mental capacities, she just wanted/needed a dog for helping with independence).
What we found may help others here: at least in Indiana, trained dogs who help a person operate in public and live their lives to the fullest are service dogs, whether it's a dog that helps with emotional disorders, panic issues, seizure detection, or physical assistance (doors, etc.).
Samantha now lives on her own, with her DH and 2 pet dogs. The youngest, a Shiloh Shepherd named "Claire" is a smart cookie and picks dropped things up off the floor (sometimes she'll give it to Samantha!) and she opens doors (although keeping her in the house when she wants to get out is sometimes hard!) When Samantha was bed-bound for a few days, Claire let herself and the other dog, Jake out to "go", came in, and shut the door!!
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