88 Miles of Magic-updated 02/04/2014 - Page 4 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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The new waterslides on the Magic look great! You had Brent as your cruise director... I LOVE Brent!! We had him on our Fantasy cruise. Your potato appetizer did look weird... the yellow part kind of looked like pineapple. Glad to hear it was the only stinker of the cruise.
Love all your shots of the Port of Miami. You have a great stateroom. Dinner looked yummy, well except for the weird potato thing. Love Mahi, Mahi! Fabulous with Lobster and Shrimp! Looking forward to more terrific and yummy photos!
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.
Great update! The kids rec areas look so it makes me want to play in them! Especially check out that IronMan... Your first night's dinner looked - Can't wait for more! You're my first Disney Cruise TR! (and I've never been on one either!)
So happy to see my buddy, Brent. We've had him as our CD multiple times, including the 12 night Baltic. He really is my favorite. And after now cruising the Fantasy and being able to compare all 4 ships, the Magic is still my favorite.
You need to cruise again as they recently changed the gift!
Too bad we don't have a better sense of the Miami skyline, though...
Wow - just read from the first post of your WDW stay right through to the end of the cruise - so many laughs, thanks!
I love your Miami photos, we cruised out of Miami a couple of years ago and are doing it again in March so you're makin' me excited! Can you remember the name of the walking tour or anything that might distinguish it from others? We'll be there 2 nights before our cruise (I'm paranoid about missing the boat and always go early!) and that looks like a fun way to spend some time. The Loews Miami looks really lovely. Our son is off to do a stint at WDW as part of a international college exchange and then wants to work on DCL for a few years and then settle into a hotel chain so he can enjoy the perks - I should have him check out your TRs to see how nice it is.
Your dress for dinner is lovely and your stateroom looks divine - looking forward to the rest of your TR.
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What a great first day on board. I loved all your photos of Miami, especially the beach, which is just beautiful. Interesting to see the photos of the ship and what's changed. It's giving me an idea ahead of our Med cruise in July.
I don't know HOW I missed this portion of your TR, but I'm glad I finally found it!
Miami is gorgeous! I just love the architecture down there. The Loew's is a stunning hotel
I really need to cruise! Every time I see someone's cruise pics I know more & more it would be a great time. I just worry about being seasick. If the sea isn't rough, do you notice the ship moving?
Your hotel looks amazing!!!!
I love all your pics from the ship, you have me so excited for our cruise now.
Something about these 2 pics had me giggle just a bit too much ( yes, I am that immature).........shocked you didn't catch it
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Pixie Dust
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it makes me want to play in them! Especially check out that IronMan... Your first night's dinner looked 
- Can't wait for more! You're my first Disney Cruise TR! (and I've never been on one either!)
*Melissa
Guess where we were headed??
Deb
PassPorter Guide Author
I loved all your photos of Miami, especially the beach, which is just beautiful. Interesting to see the photos of the ship and what's changed. It's giving me an idea ahead of our Med cruise in July. 
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