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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Be careful! Once you get the bathroom and the kitchen of a one-bedroom villa you might never want to go back to a studio Love how the plans are working out for 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.
Sounds like a great plan. If you would end up losing the points, better to go ahead and use them since you've paid for them rather than pay out of pocket for a hotel room.
Hi!!! finally getting caught up here!!! So glad that things are starting to look better for both of you! Many Pixies still for future good health!!! Don't even get me started on all the doctors BS!!! Uugggggh - I am currently searching for new one as well. What ever happened to good doctors that listened to their patients??? Oh - and you will LOVE SSR!!!! That is our home resort and we love it there - especially how close it is to DTD and the quick service there is actually pretty decent. Request the Grand Stand area if you want to be in a quiet area but still close to the Main Building.
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Lisa Co-Guide to Sharing the Adventure: Disney World Trip Reports
Hi!!! finally getting caught up here!!! So glad that things are starting to look better for both of you! Many Pixies still for future good health!!! Don't even get me started on all the doctors BS!!! Uugggggh - I am currently searching for new one as well. What ever happened to good doctors that listened to their patients??? Oh - and you will LOVE SSR!!!! That is our home resort and we love it there - especially how close it is to DTD and the quick service there is actually pretty decent. Request the Grand Stand area if you want to be in a quiet area but still close to the Main Building.
I really like how the Disney math worked out for you. My DS loves SSR. She practically lives in the real Saratoga Springs, so I am always amused that she chose that as her home resort.
Pixies to both of you on the health front. I hope you are able to find a GP as wonderful as mine. My family all use her, and she fully understands my life. I, too, need to lose weight. She encourages my small victories (14 pounds in 6 months ) & never makes me feel bad about myself. I had a GI guy tell me to try bariatric surgery, without ever asking me about my life. I'm in the same not for me camp.
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.
Hope everything went well with Chuck's appointment. I think you're making the right decision to switch doctors. I wouldn't be a fan if my doctor keep pushing surgery.
Sounds like you've definitely making the right decision with the decision you've made. I hope you enjoy staying at Saratoga Springs!
Of course you're not insane with that tweak to your plans - they make perfect sense to me!
Thanks-I'm glad I'm not the only one!
Quote:
Originally Posted by xwewhisper
Be careful! Once you get the bathroom and the kitchen of a one-bedroom villa you might never want to go back to a studio Love how the plans are working out for you!
I'm really looking forward to the jaccuzi tub!
Quote:
Originally Posted by SharonK0527
Sounds like a great plan. If you would end up losing the points, better to go ahead and use them since you've paid for them rather than pay out of pocket for a hotel room.
That was what I thought too!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Colexis Mom
Sorry about the doctor! : pixie: Congrats on the switch to CBR!
Thanks!
Quote:
Originally Posted by lfredsbo
Hi!!! finally getting caught up here!!! So glad that things are starting to look better for both of you! Many Pixies still for future good health!!! Don't even get me started on all the doctors BS!!! Uugggggh - I am currently searching for new one as well. What ever happened to good doctors that listened to their patients??? Oh - and you will LOVE SSR!!!! That is our home resort and we love it there - especially how close it is to DTD and the quick service there is actually pretty decent. Request the Grand Stand area if you want to be in a quiet area but still close to the Main Building.
Thanks!
Quote:
Originally Posted by NanaTink
PLUS....first on - first off the buses!
That would be cool. I think last time we stayed there we were in The Springs - and that wasn't bad either.
Quote:
Originally Posted by tcmary
I really like how the Disney math worked out for you. My DS loves SSR. She practically lives in the real Saratoga Springs, so I am always amused that she chose that as her home resort.
Pixies to both of you on the health front. I hope you are able to find a GP as wonderful as mine. My family all use her, and she fully understands my life. I, too, need to lose weight. She encourages my small victories (14 pounds in 6 months ) & never makes me feel bad about myself. I had a GI guy tell me to try bariatric surgery, without ever asking me about my life. I'm in the same not for me camp.
I hope both of you have better days ahead!
THat's great that you have a doc that will encourage and listen! That's what I'm looking for! Yay for Disney Math!
Quote:
Originally Posted by KMB733
Hope everything went well with Chuck's appointment. I think you're making the right decision to switch doctors. I wouldn't be a fan if my doctor keep pushing surgery.
Sounds like you've definitely making the right decision with the decision you've made. I hope you enjoy staying at Saratoga Springs!
Update coming up. I think we made the right decision with our hotel change.
When I last left you, I had just had my visit to my MD and we were waiting for Chuck's second opinion.
My labs came back and everything came down nicely. I'm still a little bit elevated on my A1C (which is a bigger picture for diabetics) but it is significantly lower than a year ago. My liver functions have improved and my cholesterol is down. So can I just say "neener neener" to my "physician" who had no confidence that I would improve? I'm still looking for a new one.
Chuck had his second opinion and I must say, we really liked this Cardiologist. He was more concerned with Chuck's symptoms. (Chest pain, short of breath, swelling in his feet) He agreed with me that his EKG was not "normal" (Chuck was having some extra beats and dropping beats) - so they started him on a medication that would slow his heart rate down so that the pacemaker would take over and work correctly. Then they said that they are concerned with the 3rd lesion in his heart that wasn't corrected earlier (he had one blockage that they didn't think was a problem so they weren't going to correct it - but apparently it is a problem) and they were also concerned with the possibility that the stents they had already placed may have closed. There's an increased risk of re-stenosis within the first 6 months. They also said he has pulmonary hypertension - which means high pressure in the vessels of his lungs - which is usually from a back up in the heart. So they set Chuck up for ANOTHER Cardiac Cath procedure next week! (July 1)
After we got this news - I am trying to keep a brave face but my body is betraying me. I started breaking out in hives - everywhere! Scalp, face, ears, mouth, neck, arms, legs, feet and hands. I've been treating it symptomatically with Benadryl, Cortisone cream, and Aveeno wash and lotion. I'm also trying not to freak out. Chuck is just numb but anxious. He has no more Short Term Disability and I'm trying to save my vacation time but we will just do what we have to.
I'll keep you all posted as to how it goes. Now it's just waiting game. I'm glad we got travel insurance. (We will never travel without it now).
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.
Good news that all your important numbers went down, but the news on Chuck is not as positive. So glad though that you had this second opinion and that he is catching some things that need to be changed. Hopefully in time that there won't be anymore health scares. Here's prayers and pixies for both your health to improve and that you will still be able to take your wonderful vacation.
I am in tears for you all. I am praying that all goes well for Chuck on July 1, and so thankful that you all like this cardiologist. Sending more and more to you both.
I'm so glad you felt more comfortable with the second cardiologist, even if the news he gave you wasn't that positive. At least you feel someone shares your concerns.