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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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I think Mary Ann is right, Dawn. Take whatever you can deal with just to have your foot in the door. Your personality and charm shines through so much, it won't be long until you are transferred/promoted to the position that is the perfect fit for you! You just have to STAY PUT until you can get there!!!
ETA-- Plus, I have been 'living' this adventure with you , and so I am excited to have the opportunity to meet you in December when DD and I are down there. Hopefully you have found your permanent position by then!
__________________
Saturday, October 9, 2014 - Kaitlyn and I before the Happy Haunted 5K at ESPN Wide World of Sports
I hope you get your paper done without more stress. Since I've been reading
this thread from the begining, it really sounds like you are happier, calmer
(ok sometimes there is stree but less than before), healthier and that your
DD's are less stressed than when you were home. I hope you are able to stay
on because it seems to be just what you need.
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I understand about the word count - I just got a paper back - it was supposed to be X number of pages (I forget how many), and I love 2 points out of 20 because it fell short of that by - wait for it - about 1/4 inch! (basically a sentence or two). I was done - I answered the question completely and conveyed my message well - but it wasn't as long as it "should have been".
Dawn, you need to stay at Disney. You are exactly the type of CM Disney needs. Sending you some magic pixie dust to use when you need it the most---------
Dawn.. I hope the power of pixies is with you in what ever you decide to do or what ever Disney can offer you. You have a lot to offer them..... I hope that they see that
__________________
Aug,1978- LBV;Apr,1987-Disneyland;March,1993-offsite;Jan,1997-offsite;Aug,1999- CBR;Sept,2000- ASMo;Aug,2001- ASSP;Aug,2002- ASMU/AKL;Jan & July 2003-POR;June,December 2004- PC;January 2005- ASMU; Aug 2005-PC;Dec 2005-AKL;Jan 2006-CBR ; July/Aug-Saratoga springs; Dec. PC;April 2007- Disneyland;Aug 2007-Disneyland & So Cal;Dec 2007-POFQ; Aug2008-POFQ & Nov 2008 PC,Y&B May 2009 ASmu, June 2009 PC ; Nov 2009 WL & POFQ;Jan 2010 BW & WL; June 2010 POFQ ; Aug 2010 Poly ;Oct 2010 WL; Jan 2011 PC
Dawn, can you show them this thread to let them see that you are IN DEMAND as a CM there? LOL
I may resort to that!!! That does remind me, however...if you ever encounter a phenomenal CM, please do take the time to email Guest Relations or write a letter and mention them by name. I can't remember if I mentioned it, so forgive me if I'm bragging a second time, but my 23yo got a letter from a guest and it came down from very high up in the company, along with a certificate and a pin. We also had a young lady at work who received a letter, so it is important and does make a difference for the Cast Members.
I put in my application to extend today. 1st choice was full service food and beverage, just b/c it would be good to have another line of business and I've been in retail for 32 years. 2nd was merch again, but I specifically requested Africa, Discovery Island, or AKL/AKV. 3rd was to stay put in Dinoland. They said we would hear starting April 13th, so I have to wait a month. I've heard NOTHING from the PIs I've applied for. The 2 conservation education ones, they have all my "stuff", but haven't called for any more information. The non-animal program ones (Sports Complex Management and Guest Relations), I haven't even had the screening interview, so I don't know what's going on with that. I'm planning to put in a call to the recruiting office this week, just to see if I can find anything out. My 3rd option is to just try to get hired at the end of the program. I have to wait 2 more weeks before I can start that process.
Something that is frustrating me is that my leaders can't *do* anything for me. They can't make a call, they can't write a letter or give a recommendation at all. I'm not sure I understand the concept of "networking" and what it's supposed to be doing for me. Yes, I'm building relationships with people, but to what end? That is a question I'm going to be asking at my next leadership class this week. If it all boils down to being at Casting at the right place at the right time with the right qualifications with no input from anyone in the company except maybe a record card that shows my attendance...that worries me. My instructor said last week that we should never let an opportunity pass us by, b/c WDW is so huge, it will never make it back around.
Working MR again today, it was craziness with the whole voucher thing. There are supposed to be some changes coming to make it better for the Guests and for us, so I'm looking forward to that. I was able to sprinkle some pixie dust while I was collecting vouchers today, so that's always fun.
I've never heard of a company that can't recommend an "employee" for a better position!
I've got my fingers crossed that you get something! You sound so happy with where you are now.
I've never heard of a company that can't recommend an "employee" for a better position!
I know, it's kind of strange. My coordinator (asst. mgr) told me today that the policy was put in place b/c if they were allowed to do recommendations or references, that's all they would be doing all day long. I sort of understand, but it all seems so hit and miss sometimes. Generally speaking, what's the point of doing a great job if not for some kind of being noticed or possible movement? Obviously, the basic point is to take pride in a job well done and in pleasing the Guests, but on the other hand, I can see why morale is sometimes off and people are discouraged.
Sending tons of that you hear soon about the PI's. If not I hope the extension comes through, first off Disney needs more CM's like you and as you said, it might not have been your first choice but you never know what might happen. I have a good feeling about you and Disney. I hope to hear good news soon.
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Dawn I'm also sending you WDW needs to get on the Ball and give you a call. I 'm keeping my finger's crossed you'll get one of the positions you really want in AK and not having to settle for second best. You deserve the Best. Keep sharing the Pixie Dust!! How's the DD's birthday plans coming?? Hope it all works out for you, I know you want to give her Lot's of Pixie Dust on her day too!! with finishing your paper. And Thank you for letting us experience your dream with you. LouigiAnne
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Take whatever you can deal with just to have your foot in the door. Your personality and charm shines through so much, it won't be long until you are transferred/promoted to the position that is the perfect fit for you! 
You just have to STAY PUT until you can get there!!! 
, and so I am excited to have the opportunity to meet you in December when DD and I are down there. Hopefully you have found your permanent position by then! 
I may resort to that!!! That does remind me, however...if you ever encounter a phenomenal CM, please do take the time to email Guest Relations or write a letter and mention them by name. I can't remember if I mentioned it, so forgive me if I'm bragging a second time, but my 23yo got a letter from a guest and it came down from very high up in the company, along with a certificate and a pin. We also had a young lady at work who received a letter, so it is important and does make a difference for the Cast Members.
They said we would hear starting April 13th, so I have to wait a month. I've heard NOTHING from the PIs I've applied for. The 2 conservation education ones, they have all my "stuff", but haven't called for any more information. The non-animal program ones (Sports Complex Management and Guest Relations), I haven't even had the screening interview, so I don't know what's going on with that. I'm planning to put in a call to the recruiting office this week, just to see if I can find anything out. My 3rd option is to just try to get hired at the end of the program. I have to wait 2 more weeks before I can start that process.
I 'm keeping my finger's crossed you'll get one of the positions you really want in AK and not having to settle for second best. You deserve the Best. Keep sharing the Pixie Dust!! How's the DD's birthday plans coming?? Hope it all works out for you, I know you want to give her Lot's of Pixie Dust on her day too!! 
with finishing your paper. And Thank you for letting us experience your dream with you. LouigiAnne
PassPorter Guide Author
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