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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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'll be taking a road trip up the East Coast this coming summer.... I'll be looking to book accommodations next month.... In my past travels, I've found fellow passporters often have great suggestions on places to visit... So, before I start booking next month (which will finalize my plans)- I thought I'd make sure there aren't any other stops I should add into the trip...
So, here is my itinerary as it stands currently.... It is flexible (for now)...
South Carolina- Congaree National Park
Myrtle Beach North Carolina- Roanoke Rapids (stopping point/no plans/ideas anyone?) Virginia- Shenandoah National Park Washington D.C.- plan to hit up as many museums and monuments as possible!
also Mount Vernon
considering a Potomac River cruise (anyone done it/worth it?
daughter wants to check out DC Cupcakes.... anyone been? Maryland- Six Flags America Delaware- Fort McHenry National Monument
New Castle Courthouse
First State National Monument
***possible pit stop/considering/probably:: Philadelphia, PA- philly
cheese steaks and see the Liberty Bell New Jersey- Six Flags Great Adventure & Safari New York- Statue of Liberty a must!- seriously looking into a professional tour
that will cover all the "big" experiences
really want to see 9/11 Memorial, Ellis Island, China Town, Empire
State Building, Grand Central, Terminal, Central Park, Times
Square, and daughter must visit Carlos Bakery....
would love to see a Broadway show; any that appeal to kids??
***never been to NYC- would love suggestions/ideas*** Connecticut- Gillette Castle State Park
want to travel over the East Haddam swing Bridge Rhode Island- Rose Island Light House Massachusetts- Cape Cod National Sea Shore
Six Flags New England
Fenway Park, Boston Maine- Acadia National Park New Hampshire- Mount Washington Auto Road
Moose Alley Scenic Drive Vermont- Marsh-Billings- Rockefeller National History Park New York- Great Escape Six Flags
Niagara Falls
Maid of Mist Pennsylvania- Sight and Sounds Christian Theatres West Virginia- Fairmount North Carolina- Biltmore Estates
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
***WOULD LOVE SUGGESTIONS OF ANY KIND!!! Out of all of these places; the only two I've been to before is Washington, D.C. and West Virginia.... So, please... if I have something listed and you know it's a poor choice- tell me... or if you have suggestions on what else to see in these areas, let me know.... or if you've been to some of these places and know they are great- tell me that too.... ALL FEEDBACK APPRECIATED! Thanks!
Ok WOW! That sounds like one amazing road trip! And I am so jealous as you're going to tons of places I have on my bucket list Sorry I can't help with recommendations but I just wanted to post and tell you how awesome your plans sound!
Your plans do sound amazing - and I hope you'll be doing another of your wonderful trip reports?
I can't help much, although with South Carolina, we really enjoyed Charleston, especially Fort Sumter and the plantation houses. With New York, I'm assuming the Lion King is still showing on Broadway? If so, that would be a good choice for the whole family....
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I'd skip Six Flags in Maryland. It is a filthy park. Not worth the money. We had a company picnic there for DH's employer a few years ago and actually walked out quickly as I was convinced my kids would get sick. Try Kings Dominion in Virginia - between Richmond & DC - if you want an amusement park experience.
Be ready for a long line for Georegetown Cupcakes! Or, have them delivered to where you are staying if you're right in DC. I drive past every day on the way to work, as I'm at Georgetown University Hospital.
Ok WOW! That sounds like one amazing road trip! And I am so jealous as you're going to tons of places I have on my bucket list Sorry I can't help with recommendations but I just wanted to post and tell you how awesome your plans sound!
Thanks!
Quote:
Originally Posted by chezp
Your plans do sound amazing - and I hope you'll be doing another of your wonderful trip reports?
I can't help much, although with South Carolina, we really enjoyed Charleston, especially Fort Sumter and the plantation houses. With New York, I'm assuming the Lion King is still showing on Broadway? If so, that would be a good choice for the whole family....
Of course I'll be doing a trip report.
I'll check and see if Charleston is on the way or at least not too far off.... I have heard of Fort Sumter now that you mention it and it is someplace I'd like to check out....
Great advice for the Lion King! I know pretty much zero about Broadway productions, so I never would have thought of that (I wasn't even sure they had "kid" type productions). Lion King would truly be perfect! Definitely putting that on the itinerary!
Quote:
Originally Posted by cubfancolleen
I'd skip Six Flags in Maryland. It is a filthy park. Not worth the money. We had a company picnic there for DH's employer a few years ago and actually walked out quickly as I was convinced my kids would get sick. Try Kings Dominion in Virginia - between Richmond & DC - if you want an amusement park experience.
Be ready for a long line for Georegetown Cupcakes! Or, have them delivered to where you are staying if you're right in DC. I drive past every day on the way to work, as I'm at Georgetown University Hospital.
Thanks for the Six Flags info! In years past, we have occasionally purchased season passes to our local Six Flags park in GA. So, when we travel it is common for us to go to other Six Flags parks because our passes get us in for free. So, we will likely still visit the Maryland Six Flags because well, free is free. But I do appreciate the heads up.... I'll keep my expectations low and if we aren't having a good time, I'll try to have a plan B in mind in case we want to skip out of there early....
As for DC Cupcakes- I was worried it would be a long wait.... hmmm.... I had no idea they delivered though! I think I'll talk to my daughter about maybe just driving by or walking by their store to say we seen it and perhaps we can just get a few cupcakes delivered to us! Thanks for that info, it never would have occurred to me that they would offer delivery....
You need to order a dozen or more for delivery FYI.
Thanks for the heads up. I didn't really want that many... but there are six of us total, so it wouldn't be completely unreasonable to have two each....
Quote:
Originally Posted by Straitlover
Shenandoah National park is not in NC. It's in VA west of the DC area. Also, nothing really going on in Roanoke Rapids other than a bunch of hotels.
Thanks. I double checked my itinerary and I do have it listed in Virginia.... just wrote it wrong on here....
Oh MY...........unless you are a true theme park junkie, I would skip Six Flags in Jersey for sure!!! It might be a bit out of the way, but I would make a point of visiting Cape May NJ as this was the theming behind some great Disney Resorts. Of course I am partial to the beautiful AC Boardwalk and all it's history.
As for PA, I would check out Philly!! With out a doubt. The Constitution Museum. Betsy Ross house, Elfreth's Alley Deck the Alley 2013 | Elfreth's Alley : a national historic site
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I'd missed that Philly wasn't on your itinerary. You definitely need to go there - there's so much to see, Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell etc. You'd love it.
I always look forward to your family summer road trips and this one looks really great! I'm going to echo what everyone else says about the Six Flags New England-- unless the kids really nead a break from sightseeing, IMO it's a wasted day! Instead of that you could visit Sturbridge Village or Plimoth Plantation (historical recreations) which are fun and educational. I'm partial to Sturbridge myself.
Fort Mchenry is in Baltimore, not Delaware. Delaware has a fort on Pea Patch island, not too far off of 95 that's neat. And Philly is a must see. Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell are not far off the highway. If you want a cheesesteak you will never get a definitive answer on the best. Just avoid Pats and Genos as they are overpriced tourist traps
Also the Sight and Sound theater in Pa, is that the one in Lancaster? If so I would recommend a meal at Good and Plenty. It's not far and it's amazing. They sit you at a long table with strangers who become friends and they bring you food. No ordering, you eat what they decide to make. It's never a bad meal. And if you are out that way I would say Hershey Park for a fun day
Biltmore Estate: Make sure you get there early, as it will get crowded being in summer and all. They have a nice winery tour as well that might be included in the admission price, I can't remember now if it's a separate charge or not. It will take you most of the day to tour the house and grounds even without the winery tour. Ticket prices vary based on day of the week and time of year, so you'll probably want to check online a few weeks before you go to get the correct price for your dates (we've paid as little as $32, and as much as $60 pp in varying seasons). Biltmore is beautiful, I hope you enjoy your visit!
I didn't see Myrtle Beach on you itinerary until after I posted about Biltmore.
We always visit Brookgreen Gardens when we're in the area. It's an outdoor sculpture museum and gardens. It has a small zoo of animals native to the area that would have been used on the old rice plantation Brookgreen is built on, as well as boat rides on the river to the ruins of the plantation house. It has a very good cafe as well, so plan on eating lunch (specifically the shrimp and grits), though they welcome picnic lunches as well if you prefer that.
Across the highway from the entrance to Brookgreen Gardens is Huntington Beach State Park, which I think is the nicest in the area. Lovely views of the salt marsh, and lots of wildlife (we have seen many gators around there!). Both Brookgreen and Huntington Beach are the former property of Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington, who left both as their legacy (many pieces of Anna's art are in Brookgreen Gardens). Their summer home, Atalaya, is in the state park as well (in ruins).
There are several nice shopping centers in the area. One in particular, called Barefoot Landing, has a facility where a local big cat rescue brings tigers for visitors to view for an hour or two a day. They also occasionally bring cubs that you can hold and have your picture taken with. I've always wanted to do this, but haven't since our girls are still little and that makes me a bit nervous, lol.
Accomodations: We usually stay in North Myrtle Beach as it's quieter and a bit less tacky. I highly recommend Atlantic Breeze Resort if you're looking to stay oceanfront, or rentals through Grand Strand Rentals.
There is a lot to do around the area, and a lot depends on your tastes. The area is very inexpensive as well - it's one of our go-to "cheap getaways". Hope you enjoy!
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Sorry I can't help with recommendations but I just wanted to post and tell you how awesome your plans sound!
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