Let's Start at the very beginning - PTR:August 17-31 2014 - Page 6 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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So sorry about Wrigley but glad to hear he is doing better! How lucky you had the savings ready to get him the tests and meds he needed. Fingers crossed for smooth sailing and lots of savings until the trip!
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Poor Wrigley! I'm glad he's feeling better and hope your Disney account starts to recover now, too. As I was reading about Wrigley's expenses I was thinking to myself-- boy, all she needs now is dental work or car trouble!! All at once. As you said, it's good that the money was there when you needed it, but what a way to have to spend it!
Poor Wrigley! I'm glad he's feeling better and hope your Disney account starts to recover now, too. As I was reading about Wrigley's expenses I was thinking to myself-- boy, all she needs now is dental work or car trouble!! All at once. As you said, it's good that the money was there when you needed it, but what a way to have to spend it!
Don't get me started. My check engine light has been on for like a month. Last time this happened it was a quick fix so I'm hoping this time too. I don't have a Saturday free until the 22nd so it will have to wait until then.
However, I did get my tax refund so now I'm able to pay myself back and have cash on hand for the car. Plus Mom put the plane tickets on her credit card so I still have a few weeks until that bill comes in. But if I know my mom, she will refuse my money anyway.
When it rains it pours right?! for everything!!! I'm sure this storm will pass soon and you'll still get to Disney.
Congrats to Evan on his orange belt!!
A surprise update – wasn’t planning this one, it just happened.
PTR Part 6
I know I've been a "Debby Downer" lately but I just needed to vent it all out. I know 7 snow days is a lot for Jersey but oh my goodness 22 days near Kelly, Yikes!!
I got my tax refund and was able to pay myself back so I feel a little better about finances. Plus I have my "free" pay which I can use.
I get paid every 2 weeks. My household budget is calculated with 2 pays per month but then 2 times a year I get 3 pays in the month. I call those my free pays, since they are not included in my annual budget. I usually use them to either catch up on some bills, do something around the house (last year was a new front door), save for upcoming things like Evan's birthday party or Christmas. So in all honesty I can use it for Disney if need be. So barring any really huge unforeseen expenses, I should be OK. Plus I always know Mom will be there to help out in the bubble if the budget is a little too tight.
(OK SIDE NOTE – Cam perhaps you can help, I never remember when you capitalize Mom or not – what is the rule on that?)
I'm more nervous about my time. I just checked and I have about 40 hours in my bank now. Evan had a snow day on Monday so now I'm at 32 and there are 11 more pays between now and the trip at an accumulation of 12 hours per pay that is 132hours. 132 + the 32 I already have is 164 hours
164 minus 8hrs for Memorial Day, 8hrs for July 4th and 8hrs for Labor Day leaves me with 140 hours
140 hours minus 80hrs for the 2 week trip gives me 60 hours.
I would like to be able to return and have some hours in my bank so let me take 40 hours for the bank. That will leave 20 hours.
So at this point I have 20 hours of wiggle room. Not a huge amount but it is just wiggle room.
Again barring any unforeseen problems I should be OK on time. Of course Spring break is coming but Evan is down to only 2 days for that and Mom has already said she would watch him for me. I know I have a few dental appointments and I have his spring conference coming so I'll need some time for those but still 20 hours is giving me some breathing room.
And believe it or not SPRING IS ALMOST HERE!!! Really praying that there will be no more snow. Can’t wait for the time change this weekend so we can get some longer sunlight hours.
Wrigley update: This morning he looked really happy. He got all excited when the alarm went off because he knew it was breakfast time (I wish I could be that excited when the alarm went off). I scratched behind his ears a bit and got the look of “Oh Mommy that feels soooo good”. I’m sure it did because with his back he can’t reach his ears as easily. Then he even rolled over for a belly rub. He hasn’t done that in a month. – so that started my day off nicely.
OK ON ANOTHER SIDE NOTE and completely off topic…
Last year while we were at the shore I bought Evan a hermit crab. This is really the first time he asked for one and we go to the shore every year. Well as luck would have it this thing is still alive. I keep him in his cage near a window so he can get the natural light as much as possible. I keep just a regular light on as well for some heat. Most days he is pretty dormant. Each morning I wet his sponge. The other day, the day of the snow storm, I go to get his sponge and he is awake and hanging off the side of his cage. He looked like he was sunning himself and taking laps around the cage. Of course he gets scared when he sees me and stops but I’m thinking how kooky is my hermit crab to be “awake” during a snow storm?.. BTW Evan gave him his very creative name of Hermie. “Hermie doesn’t like to make toys”…Oh he hasn’t done a thing with him since we brought him home from the shore in September.
I was running low on food for Hermie so I went on to PetSmart.com to order a small jar and there was all this information about how to care for your Hermit crab. I’m telling you they must be nuts if they think I’m buying a giant terrarium for one little Hermit crab. The thing hasn’t even outgrown the shell he came in. I did tell Evan I would buy the next size cage if Hermie is still alive when we go down the shore in the spring. They are really funny when I take him out of the cage to roam around – usually put him in the tub to get some exercise.
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Glad the finances and time off work are looking doable! for no more unexpected expenses of either.
Your grammar question: If you are referring to a specific person as Mom or Dad, it is acting as a proper noun and should be capitalized. If you are referring to any mom or dad in general, it is acting as a common noun and is not capitalized.
Glad you can see the light with the budget issues at least. I'd be like you, not wanting to deplete my hours or savings completely. It makes me happy to hear that Wrigley was cheery this morning! You are a good pet owner to give such care not only to the pups, but also to Hermie!
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Disney Magic - Oct 2015
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Plus I have my "free" pay which I can use.
(I wish I could be that excited when the alarm went off). I scratched behind his ears a bit and got the look of “Oh Mommy that feels soooo good”. I’m sure it did because with his back he can’t reach his ears as easily. Then he even rolled over for a belly rub. He hasn’t done that in a month. – so that started my day off nicely.
this thing is still alive. I keep him in his cage near a window so he can get the natural light as much as possible. I keep just a regular light on as well for some heat. Most days he is pretty dormant
. Each morning I wet his sponge. The other day, the day of the snow storm, I go to get his sponge and he is awake and hanging off the side of his cage. He looked like he was sunning himself and taking laps around the cage. Of course he gets scared when he sees me and stops but I’m thinking how kooky is my hermit crab to be “awake” during a snow storm?
.. BTW Evan gave him his very creative name of Hermie. “Hermie doesn’t like to make toys”…Oh he hasn’t done a thing with him since we brought him home from the shore in September.
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