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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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'm frustrated with carry ons. I never had problems with them until I started carrying a laptop with me. Before the laptop it was easy good sized backpack and a nice roomy purse and I was good to go. Now with a laptop the backpack becomes heavy and awkward by the time the computer and it's stuff (powercords, mouse, wireless aircard etc.), camera and batteries, etc. are loaded in it. I have a small wheeled suitcase that meets carry on requirements however it holds less than the backpack does and I'm not sure I want to be trying to put in and take out an actual piece of luggage from the overhead bin on flights that seem to be getting more and more crowded. The laptop also forces me to put some of what would otherwise be in the backpack in to my purse which ends up leaving me trying to figure out what to do with my comfort items (inflatable neck & back pillows, eyemask etc.) and necessities such as my wallet. I have a nice photographer's style vest that I usually wear to theme parks so I don't have to carry a bag. I'm thinking I might start wearing the vest when I fly and load it with the things like my wallet, pen, iPod, etc. that normally go in my purs that would free up my purse for things such as my comfort items and reading material that I want quick and relatively easy access to during the flight as the stuff in my backpack is stuff such as medication, camera, laptop, etc. that I either want access to while waiting in the airport or don't want to risk putting in my checked luggage. Thanks for letting me vent. If anyone has fantastic bags they carry on when they fly I'd love to hear about and see them and know where you got them.
I can fully understand your frustration. Imagine the situation over here, where we've only been allowed one carry-on through security - no separate purse or handbag. I have no idea what I'm going to use for carry-on in May, as usually I take my own and DH takes the laptop and this time, that will be coming with me.
1 bag through security. Ouch. I really feel for you. If I were in your position I think I'd be going with a nice roomy backpack (no wheels) and a vest with alot of pockets such as a photographers vest and quite possibly cargo pants too. I think what I'm going to do is use the small suitcase, pack the backpack in my checked suitcase, use a small tote or large purse as my personal bag, and wear my vest loaded with my wallet etc. This way if necessary coming home I can pay to check the small suitcase and use the backpack as my carry-on bag.
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The only problem I see with the vest as means of tranporting things, is that you'll have to take it off to go through security, I think.
If I were you, I'd spend some time shopping for a new carry-on/laptop bag and new purse that will suit you better than what you currently have. There are so many different kinds that I'm sure you can find something.
Oh, and I ususally put my purse in some sort of tote bag to use as my second carryon bag....the tote can hold all the things I need on the plane and my purse can still hold my purse things as an item in the tote, and it's all in one nice package.
I'll probably end up looking for something after my trip. I leave on the 26th and have enough to do without adding in trying to find a new bag. Taking the vest off doesn't bother me as Sea-Tac security makes you remove sweaters/jackets anyway and I find taking the vest off easier than doing my own search to make sure there's nothing in my pockets. I think I'll make a list of the stuff that always goes in each bag that will at least give me something to go off of when looking at bags.
My laptop bag is a little unconventional - it was actually my diaper bag! It is a black Coach diaper bag so it looks like a laptop bag but has plenty of pockets, etc. One day I just happened to have my laptop near the bag and a little lightbulb went off. It's perfect! So you may want to consider some less traditional alternatives. I saw backpacks at Best Buy the other day that were specifically designed for laptops that had plenty of room for other things in them.
I use my wheeled carryon suitcase. I can fit my travel camera bag in it as well as my laptop and still have room for toilettries and other stuff. It's heavier than my checked bag (or so I'm told by those who have lifted both, but I think they exaggerate) and i've been lucky that I have never been forced to check it because the overhead has been full.
I personally feel it unfair if someone has to check their carryon because the overhead/carryons limit is abused by others as you have to PAY for that extra checked bag on most airlines. So not cool.
I HATE having to deal with all of the luggage restrictions these days. Ugh!
When we fly, I take a small wheeled carry-on and a tote bag "purse." My wheeled carry-on contains extra clothing/shoes, my hairdryer, and my flat iron. In the tote bag, I place my small Vera Bradley mini-hipster purse (which contains all of my normal purse-essentials), my toiletries, snacks/reading material for the plane, my camera bag, cell phone, etc.
I then check one medium-sized bag which contains everything else needed.
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Carry On Frustration - A Vent
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Pixie Dust
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I saw backpacks at Best Buy the other day that were specifically designed for laptops that had plenty of room for other things in them.
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