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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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PassPorter Guide Community Rank: Legend Extraordinaire
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Need Suggestions for a Welcome Gift
For Christmas last year my BFF's parents surprised the whole family with a trip to WDW this October. It has been a while since the family has been to WDW (and this will be a first trip for my BFF's little girl who is 3), I would love to have something waiting for them when they check in. There will be 6 adults and 5 kids (2 girls, ages 10 and 3 and 3 boys, ages 8,6 and 1) Any suggestions to help kick off their vacation?
Not sure if you are wanting to order it or make it yourself...But I think that a autograph book, pressed penny collector book (with pennies and quarters), and maybe a toy or towel for the pool. Another PP found some reusable Disney shopping bags at Dollar General for $1. It would be cute to put it all in that bag with a cute Disney Halloween name tag or something (since you are going in Oct).
I think doing it yourself would be more economical and personal as well. The Dollar tree here always has Disney themed items and snacks you could add to it as well.
PassPorter Guide Community Rank: Legend Extraordinaire
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Ballston Lake, NY
Concierge Level: 6
Posts: 46,162
Post Thanks / Like
Likes (Given): 94
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Kellymel
Not sure if you are wanting to order it or make it yourself...But I think that a autograph book, pressed penny collector book (with pennies and quarters), and maybe a toy or towel for the pool. Another PP found some reusable Disney shopping bags at Dollar General for $1. It would be cute to put it all in that bag with a cute Disney Halloween name tag or something (since you are going in Oct).
I think doing it yourself would be more economical and personal as well. The Dollar tree here always has Disney themed items and snacks you could add to it as well.
I am sure whatever you do, they will love it!
Thanks for the suggestions. I think autograph books would be great for the kids, and that is something I could make myself. I have to find out if they are going to MNSSHP, because I could also make something for that.
How about making matching shirts...even a onesie for the little one. Or even the travel/Disney smash book the Carswell Family posted about in "the spare room". You could personalize each one and then get stickers to make them different (princesses or Tink for the girls...pirates, Woody for the boys...etc.). These would be great journals and also could be used as autograph books......include pens, markers or crayons for the younger ones........even think about putting in coloring pages in books. You can find lots of coloring pages on the boards. I have used blank (not colored-in) papers as backgrounds in scrapbooks. I have had the characters sign the uncolored papers. You can do this and mail out the package to their resort that can be picked-up at check in.
It was pretty amazing to have a gift basket full of all of her favorite things, waitingn for her in the room when we checked in!
Thanks for the suggestion. I will have to look into her gift baskets!
Quote:
Originally Posted by rella
How about making matching shirts...even a onesie for the little one. Or even the travel/Disney smash book the Carswell Family posted about in "the spare room". You could personalize each one and then get stickers to make them different (princesses or Tink for the girls...pirates, Woody for the boys...etc.). These would be great journals and also could be used as autograph books......include pens, markers or crayons for the younger ones........even think about putting in coloring pages in books. You can find lots of coloring pages on the boards. I have used blank (not colored-in) papers as backgrounds in scrapbooks. I have had the characters sign the uncolored papers. You can do this and mail out the package to their resort that can be picked-up at check in.
I like these ideas! My sister actually made the kids all t-shirts, but I do like the smash book idea!
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