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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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 got the answer to a question I'd posted on another site, and thought I'd put it here for all of us Cricut users to utilize:
Mats should last a long time! Then, when I do need mats, I buy them with the 40% off coupons, or stock up while they're on sale at Mikes, Joanns or ACMoore.
After every use, scrape the shards off with the scraper. Wipe down with a baby wipe, and after the mat dries, put the clear cover over it. I clip it on with a couple clothes pins, because my mats stand on edge.
If the mat is totally dead, I take it outdoors (because there *will* be overspray) and spray it with quilters adhesive first in one direction, then the other. After it dries, the mat will be tacky.
To extend the useful life, it's important to get a good seal between the paper/cardstock and the mat. A small brayer or firm pressure from your hand on a flat surface will work for that. Paper sticks more easily than textured cardstock - so mats that won't hold the latter may still hold the former.
Also, don't always start cutting at the beginning of the mat. It is possible to use smaller pieces of paper and start the cutting at any point on the mat, which may also help extend it's useful life.
Thanks for the info...I have four mats that are just getting to the point they are not sticky. I have been using tape to keep the paper on for now, but will try the suggestions you found.
Clean your mat with wet wipes (rub hard) then let it dry. This will sometimes help make it a little sticky again. Also, I have sprayed my mat with a quilt basting spray from Wal-mart. It says it will not gum up needles so I figured it wouldn't hurt the blade. Other people use different types of sprays too. The cricut board has lots of ideas.
Just remember: MASK OFF THE EDGES OF YOUR MAT OR IT CAN DAMAGE YOUR MACHINE.
Thanks for posting these tips, Carol. I seem to blow through mats like crazy. I know it is my fault as I am bad about putting the clear cover back on them. Now I have some ideas on how to extend their life even if I abuse them.
MASK OFF THE EDGES OF YOUR MAT OR IT CAN DAMAGE YOUR MACHINE
Thanks for the tip, I hadnt heard that... What do you usually use to mask?
I have been using Krylons Easy Tack, but only 2x...anyone who has done this for a while...will we still reach a point the mat is unuseable? I have several brand new I bought with my new machine before I started using the spray and I am debating whether to take them back....
I have a wishblade and have used blue painters tape on the edges of my mats before I spray them with the Krylon spray.
I have sprayed my mats MANY times and they are hanging in there. I don't think it's quite like a new mat (I love a new mat ) but it works well and saves tons of money. I've never tried wiping with a baby wipe. I think I'll try that because my mats are getting a little gummy after so many resprays.
I use the blue painters tape too and then I spray Scrappers' Spray by Creative Imaginations. This has worked beautifully for me. I picked up this spray at my local scrapbook store.
You can also use regular soap and water, just don't scrub too hard, I have used this on my mats, and it works great! you just want to make sure you let the mats completely dry before trying to use them :-)
went to the scrapbook convention in michigan,,(was totally great!! had to hold back many times) and talked to Cricut Dan (kind of hokey right) but they say the same thing , wipe down the mats, and spray, but he had an adhesive that he sells, of course, I didnt buy it , but the cricut site, scrapbook corner has it and of course many deals on cartridges,,,,
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Now I have some ideas on how to extend their life even if I abuse them.
) but it works well and saves tons of money. I've never tried wiping with a baby wipe. I think I'll try that because my mats are getting a little gummy after so many resprays.
Michelle
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