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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Since you're going to be there an entire day, most DEFINITELY ride into DC!
If it were me, I would probably go in Friday evening and go to the monuments as they are "open" after dark then start early on Saturday and do a quick tour of the museums on the Mall (it won't be possible in one day to see everything in every museum, but at least a quick tour is better than nothing! ). Smithsonian Institution
I would definitely do a quick tour of the Natural History and American History museums . . . maybe a bit of the Air and Space museum.
If you want to see the Archives, you may have a long wait as the line can get really long (people start lining up well before it opens )
I am sure one of the "locals" will have some more advice for you as well!
there is a LOT of new things to see... It depends on what you like.
You might also want to look at my Trip Reports as well as Sarah's from when they went to DC last year...
Speaking as a local who loves to explore the area (we live about 1/2 hr away) I would say DC. Just the National Memorials themselves are worth the trip. Smithsonian museums are great but expect to spend most of your time there if that is your goal. Lots of dining choices. If you decide to check out Baltimore go to the inner harbor. There is the Aquarium, shops and tasty food. Have fun!!!!
If you decide to check out Baltimore go to the inner harbor. There is the Aquarium, shops and tasty food. Have fun!!!!
I love to visit the monuments in DC. I especially love the Lincoln, Jefferson and FDR. Even though I have been there too many times to count, I still love to go. The museums are amazing too. I love the Natural History Museum. Also, Arlington National Cemetery is something you might enjoy.
I think that I would buck the trend here and suggest that you explore the Inner Harbor instead of DC. It's not that I don't love our nation's capitol, but I don't think you have enough time to do it justice. To me, D.C. needs 3-4 days just to scratch the surface.
In a day and a half you could explore much of the Inner Harbor. Ft. McHenry is a wonderful National Park and the Maritime Museum consists of a number of ships from different eras, plus a lighthouse. The aquarium is world class, and the shopping and restaurants of the Inner Harbor are fabulous.
You really can't go wrong either way, but I would save D.C. for another trip.
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I just returned from three weeks in DC - and as someone that used to also live up there - another vote for the DC area! The memorials are wonderful and the cherry blossoms are just starting to open!! As you can see from my sig pic - DC means something special to me!
Can you take the White Rail from BWI-DC?We took it to Camden Yards and got off to walk to our hotel.I'm just wondering if we could take it right into DC and do you think it's safe for a 50 year old couple?
Can you take the White Rail from BWI-DC?We took it to Camden Yards and got off to walk to our hotel.I'm just wondering if we could take it right into DC and do you think it's safe for a 50 year old couple?
I think you mean light rail?
There is a regional (MARC) train from BWI / Thurgood Marshall Airport to Union Station in DC. From there you can take busses, taxis, metro rail and even a Duck Ride! Title
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There is a regional (MARC) train from BWI / Thurgood Marshall Airport to Union Station in DC. From there you can take busses, taxis, metro rail and even a Duck Ride! Title
Keep in mind, the MARC train is a commuter train so it only runs Monday - Friday. You could probably take an Amtrak train from BWI into Union Station in DC. I live between Baltimore & DC (live closer to Baltimore but work in DC). Both cities have things to offer. Do you think you would have an opportunity sometime in the future to come back and visit DC for a few days? If so, with such a short trip, I would recommend going into Baltimore and heading to the Inner Harbor. However, if this is your only chance to see DC, I say go for it. Walk around the monuments. Maybe pick one of the Smithsonian Museums to go through.
... and as someone that used to also live up there - another vote for the DC area! The memorials are wonderful and the cherry blossoms are just starting to open!! - DC means something special to me!
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We are flying into BWI for a family function. We will be free to do what we want Friday night and Saturday all day. We leave Sunday midday. 
Dreams, Wishes, Hopes... these are the parts of childhood we should never lose.
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