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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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My sis (whom I haven't seen in a year) and I have a girls' weekend in Chicago scheduled , to celebrate our birthdays, which are only 12 days apart. We've decided to nix the Harry Potter exhibit, but are intrigued by the architectural tours on the river. Only problem is, there are so many river tour companies that I don't know where to start!
I leave a week from Friday (July 24) and would like some feedback as to which companies are good, which are "worth it" and such. Please help!
A few years ago I took a couple of walking tours with the Chicago Architecture Foundation (CAF) and they were excellent. I would choose the CAF river cruise. Of course, they will probably also be the most expensive. But I believe it will be one of those situations that's "you get what you pay for".
We took Shoreline Sightseeing's architectural river cruise during our visit last October, mainly because they were included in the Go Chicago card that we bought. We thought they were excellent. The guy, who was a young lad, really knew his stuff and was full of great information about everything we saw.
Thank you! It helps narrow down the field considerably.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DouglasE
A few years ago I took a couple of walking tours with the Chicago Architecture Foundation (CAF) and they were excellent. I would choose the CAF river cruise. Of course, they will probably also be the most expensive. But I believe it will be one of those situations that's "you get what you pay for".
Thank you for your input.
Quote:
Originally Posted by chezp
We took Shoreline Sightseeing's architectural river cruise during our visit last October, mainly because they were included in the Go Chicago card that we bought. We thought they were excellent. The guy, who was a young lad, really knew his stuff and was full of great information about everything we saw.
I was hoping you would post who you used, since I remember you enjoyed your cruise! Thanks!
We took Shoreline Sightseeing's architectural river cruise during our visit last October, mainly because they were included in the Go Chicago card that we bought. We thought they were excellent. The guy, who was a young lad, really knew his stuff and was full of great information about everything we saw.
I did this one and loved it - my mom has toured with several different companies and enjoys Shoreline the most.
Just something funny I thought I'd toss in here. I neglected to email my sis the links to the websites and I've been bugging her to make a decision. So, she typed "Chicago River Tours" into Google and one of the first things that pops up is this thread!
Well, at least she got the links, then....
Oh, and just so you know, we decided on Shoreline - mostly because we are at The Drake and a hop/skip/jump away from Navy Pier, which is where they depart, so it allows us a little more flexibility on time/schedule.
Oh, and just so you know, we decided on Shoreline - mostly because we are at The Drake and a hop/skip/jump away from Navy Pier, which is where they depart, so it allows us a little more flexibility on time/schedule.
Oooh..I love the Drake! It is my favorite Chicago hotel! You should seriously consider doing afternoon tea in the Palm Court, it is quite an experience.
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Chicago River Tours - Which one(s)???
, to celebrate our birthdays, which are only 12 days apart. We've decided to nix the Harry Potter exhibit, but are intrigued by the architectural tours on the river. Only problem is, there are so many river tour companies that I don't know where to start!
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