Recruiting Fans for PassPorter Street Teams! - Page 9 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Too late to apply? I don't even know the date today, but since I've become the Disney person to go to around our area, I've shared Passporter as THE planner of choice. When I know a new one is coming out, I check BN to ensure it's on the shelf. Tell those planning a trip to WDW or DLR that THIS site is a must and a passporter will complete their trip. So, I'm already in there for you.
Grassroots marketing - I love this idea! I work at a non-profit theater and there are always brochures and flyers and posters in my car. In they go to the grocery store, the bagel shop, the library…I would be happy to add PassPorter paraphernalia to my stash. We live in a large rural are with a local library in every town and I know there are currently no PassPorters available; besides adding those to the library shelves I can also ask Matthew at the bookstore if he will carry PassPorters as well (yes, it’s the kind of small town where everyone knows everyone.) I think postcards in the informational racks at the Theater could be useful; there are tons of tourists and locals who come through every year. I already recommend PassPorter, as I am the Disney expert at work, but I think people might be more inclined to get their own if they had a postcard or flyer in hand.
Speaking of marketing…...If you are visiting the Berkshires, please check out Shakespeare & Company – the Wall Street Journal said: “No summer drama festival in America is more consistently satisfying than Shakespeare & Company”
Shakespeare.org
(please feel free to edit out this ”grassroots marketing” if it is inappropriate for the PassPorter boards)
I would love to be part of the Street Team. My favorite past time is reading these boards and planning my Disney itinerary. My family and coworkers know that I am the "Disney know it all" and come to me for advice.
I just bought my wife 2 copies of the Passporter for our upcoming 2010 vacations. She is an avid scrapbooker and often attends large scrapbooking conventions with 200+ people in attendance. She has found that the Passporter is an excellent scrapbooking companion and often shares this knowledge with others at the conventions (that is how she first heard about the Passporter).
We would enjoy spreading the word about this wonderful book. We live near Harrisburg, PA and have many networking capabilities.
Wow! I just read my Passporter Newsletter and am extremely excited about this idea. It seems that Walt Disney World and the other Disney parks are all I talk about sometimes. I have been asked before if I work for Disney. I don't, but I am very passionate about WDW. All of my guidebooks are well worn from my use and all the folks that I have lent them to. It has become my mission to make sure my friends, neighbors and family have the best trip possible when they travel to the world.
Unfortunately, our local libraries do not currently stock the Passporter guides. I would LOVE to change that! I am already thinking about all the places that I could post fliers and post cards.
I live in a small town just outside Raleigh, NC and am always amazed how many fellow Disney enthusiast there are here. It seems there is always someone willing to let me talk Disney to them.
We have taken my 6 year old daughter to WDW 14 times so far and I have logged approximately 35 trips to the World myself. In addition to WDW, I have enjoyed the Disney Cruise line and visited Disneyland Paris. I would be honored to promote the Passporter books and community all over the Raleigh area.
Hi! I am from Rhode Island. There are many Disney fans here in the Northeast! (many in my family-lol) I have been to WDW the following times (no where near as many as you, but I am trying!): POP-Dec '09, o/p- June '09(for Pin Trading Event), POP-Sept '07, o/p-Dec '06, ASM- Sept '06, POP-Sept '05, o/p- May '04, o/p Aug '86.
You may notice a VERY long gap between my first visit in '86 to my next visit in '04. Let me explain: In '86 my hubby & I took my then 5 yo son to FL to see one of my sisters that had moved there the year before. Well, she had been to the World before, so she felt like she could be a "tour guide". Her and her husband dragged us all over the parks (there were only 2 parks at that time)..."You've got to see this", etc. Well, we HATED it! I NEVER wanted to go back again.
My OTHER sister and her family went every year...one time she even made FOUR trips there! Every time she would ask, "Do you want to come?" .... NO WAY ... I would make up excuses-can't get time off work, can't afford it right now, anything to avoid that place.
Then late in 2003 my older sisters' husband passed away suddenly at the age of 58. A few months later she wanted to take her granddaughters to Disney World she asked me once again if I wanted to go. I decided I would. My son (by then age 23) and I went along.
We had the time of our lives! We meandered through the parks, if we wanted to check something out that wasn't planned, we did. It was great! I couldn't believe what a different experience it was. After that '04 trip I discovered PassPorter books. I have one for every year since.
On that first trip with my other sister, we were getting into line at one ride when I looked across the street and saw Mr Toad's Wild Ride. (rip) My sister and her husband didn't want to go on it because "it looks silly". Well, by that time I was hot and tired and there wasn't a very long line for it and I just wanted to sit down. Off we went. It was so much fun!! You could hear the laughter of my sister and brother-in-law in the car behind us. When their car emerged they were laughing so hard there were tears in their eyes! (this from the "experts") lol
Now I tell everyone the same thing. Don't try to see and do everything. If you come across something that looks interesting, check it out. Don't dismiss something as silly or childish until you check it for yourself.
I suggest PassPorter books to everyone I know. The in-depth descriptions of everything from resorts, to rides, to attractions or restaurants make it so helpful in deciding what to do and see and where. I spend a lot of time on Yahoo!Answers and am always suggesting the PassPorter books and website. I would really enjoy having more ideas and tools to help spread the word!
Thanks for reading about me! Keep up the awesome work!
Last edited by tweetymay; 01-15-2010 at 10:51 AM..
Reason: typo
Excited to have a new career as a stay at home mom, Disney World trip planner and writer!
I own several Passporter books that I found in a local bookstore. Prior to discovering Passporter I would frequently check out a variety of books about Disney World at my local library. I have read them all and Passporter is by far my favorite!! I have often wondered why Passporter was not available at my local library. Between work and raising my children I have just never taken time to pursue this with the library. However, I have recently made the wonderful decision to be a stay at home mom and work out of my home writing. I am super excited!! When I saw this opportunity to get the word out about Passporter I thought what a perfect fit!
I grew up going to WDW with family, church groups and school groups and even marched in a parade there with my high school band. I have been numerous times between 1976 to present and my extended family loves "the world!!" When I went with my family as a child we never stayed in a hotel on site and I often wished that we could. When my husband and I took our oldest child for the first time we stayed at the Contemporary and had the MOST MAGICAL time ever!! I planned character meals and structured the trip so that we got to do everything we wanted to do without being totally exhausted. My husband was so impressed!! He had also grown up going to WDW with family but had never had an experience like that one in 2003! I have told everyone I know about Passporter and what a great planning tool it is for trips to WDW and for cruises!! It really helps you get the most MAGIC for your money!! I have now become the official Disney planner and love to share my knowledge of all things Disney with family and friends! Between my family and my husband's family we are all scattered across the southeast. My children are 3 and 10 years old which means I have access to a variety of schools and churches, as well as libraries and bookstores across Alabama and into Florida, Mississippi, Georgia and Louisiana.
We are currently planning our next trip to Disney which has become a once a year tradition for us and we also hope to take a Disney cruise soon! Thank you for this opportunity and for the wonderful job you do with Passporter!!!!! (With my new job as a stay at home mom I plan to have a lot more time to spend on your website than I have had in the past!)
Hi, Passporter is the best guide book out there. Just received the 2010 edition and love the new color photos etc. I always spread the word - just recommended Passporter a few days ago to friends in So Cal. I would be happy to help out in my area.
I would LOVE to be part of this team in the New Orleans area! I ask everyone I know who is travelling to WDW if they've purchased their copy for the trip already.
This is exciting!!!
My hobby is researching everything new and fun about Disney. My husband and two young daughters and I just got back last week from a great, but cold, trip to Disneyworld with a wonderful stay at Bay Lake Tower, which by the way, I highly recommend. I'd love to be in on the ground floor of spreading the word about PassPorter. My friends and family are always referring people to me for advice on Disney trips! My extensive Disney knowledge paid off last week when I won two free upgrades to business class by playing a Disney trivia game during a delay at the gate at our airport! I am in Annapolis, MD.
I would really enjoy being a part of the Passporter Street Team! Disney is one of my favorite subjects, and I feel the Passporter familyof books is one of the best ways to get information to people. I have bought several Passporter books to give as gifts - all my friends here in Alpharetta, Ga (just north of Atlanta) love to be on my gift list. I often have friends over to discuss disney (especially impending trips) - using the apprpriate Passporter as our "discussion guide".
I think the Passporter Street Team is a great idea!
__________________
"I only hope that we don't lose sight of one thing - that it was all started by a mouse."
Wow, I would love to do this, I could advertise in my shop in Spain, where there are loads of expats living nearby along with the locals, I am sure I could really spread the word, and also by writing a little article for the local rag. Surprising my partner and my grandchildren this year, my partner doesnt know the grandkids are going and neither do they yet. cannot wait to see their faces at the airport.
Great Idea! I already pass all my old PPs to friends and family. T
hey think I am a little bit nuts when it comes to Disney but then again if they want information they ask me questions anyway!
I of course read a lot and haunt bookstores all the time and always check out the travel section to see if they have any PPs in stock!
I love your PPs and your newsletter and your website! And I would love to be a part of your team! Let's get the word out!!!!!!!!!
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Please choose me!
Excited to have a new career as a stay at home mom, Disney World trip planner and writer!
which has become a once a year tradition for us and we also hope to take a Disney cruise soon! Thank you for this opportunity and for the wonderful job you do with Passporter!!!!! (With my new job as a stay at home mom I plan to have a lot more time to spend on your website than I have had in the past!)
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