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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!
Welcome! We're happy you've found the PassPorter Community -- the friendliest place to plan your vacation to Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland, and the world in general! You are now viewing the PassPorter Message Board Community as a guest, which gives you limited access. As our guest, feel free to browse our messages by selecting the forum you want to visit from the list below.
To post messages and ask questions, join our FREE community today and you'll get access to tools and resources not available to guests, such as our vacation countown timers, "living" avatars, private messaging system, database searches, downloads, and a special PassPorter discount code. Registration is fast, simple, and completely free. Just click the Join Our Community link.
If you think you've already joined, log in below now. If you don't remember your member name or password, please visit our Member Name and Password Recovery page. You are also welcome to contact us.
In previous trips, DH and DD were the thrill ride lovers while DS and I were very happy to be spectators. The next trip will be just me and the kids. How do those of you who travel as the sole adult do it? I can't go on the rides with her 1. Because they terrify me but more importantly 2. I can't leave DS as he won't do anything scary.
Registered Message Board Members Get Our Free Newsletter! When you register you'll have the option to sign up for our weekly PassPorter Newsletter. It's chock-full of feature articles; news; tips; contests; photos; and special offers in our online store.
Having not entirely thought it out, the first thing that comes to mind is to perhaps take a friend for your DD. Would that work for you?
If not, what about all standing in the line, then you and DD ride and your son waits at the exit. Generally, the unloading area is just across the track. There might be a way to transfer him to that area where the CMs unloading are stationed. I'm not sure, but it might be worth investigating. As for you being afraid, if it were me, I'd ride with her on a few things anyway. I mean, unless you have some sort of panic disorder, then I would ride if I could work out something for DS.
A final suggestion would be to invite a friend of your own. That way, you could ride, or she could ride, with DD while the other waits with DS. I don't know if it matters, but an adult friend could also help with cost.
Your kids are older, correct? I agree with Susan about all of you waiting in line and staying together but if you don't want to ride and your DD is okay with riding by herself, I'd let her go and then just stay as close to the exit as possible or set up a specific spot you will be for when she exits the ride. These are new family dynamics for all of you and come trip time, it may be a non issue as she may not be ready to ride the thrill rides without her dad. I'm much older than your daughter and I can tell you it was very difficult for me to ride my dad's favorite ride - Peter Pan - without him. I sat there and tried not to cry on the ride. I don't cry when I'm on it now but I still think of him when I'm on it.
I'm thinking your daughter is old enough to ride alone.... If so, on some rides- she could ride and you could meet her at the exit... on other rides, you could just walk with her and when she gets on, you and your son take the chicken exit...
I am usually the only adult traveling with my children, we have done variations of what I just mentioned.... My children are getting older now, and the older they get- the easier it is since the older ones are able to be alone in line as needed....
Without knowing how old your kids are, but based on the picture, your DD looks old enough to ride alone. I would suggest either everyone stands in line together and then you exit out without riding, or just meeting her at the exit.
As I recall from other posts, your daughter is a rather strong, independent young lady. Going through the line together and then letting her ride alone would work fine if she is ok with that. I also like the idea of taking one of her or your friends along. Changing the dynamics of the group could make it just a little easier being there without your DH the first time as well.
Sorry, I should have included the kids ages - DD will turn 14 3 weeks before our trip and DS is 11. I have talked to DD about riding solo and she is okay with it but she did just tell me that she's not sure she wants to ride the rides without her dad. At least not yet. Thank you for the suggestions. I think if she does decide to ride any of them solo, we will wait on line with her until she boards. I wanted this first trip in our "new life" to be just the 3 of us - we are going on what would've been my DH's 50th birthday - so bringing anyone along this time is out. I know on future trips my Dsis and her DBF will join us and her BF loves the thrill rides and will do anything for my DD.
Quote:
As for you being afraid, if it were me, I'd ride with her on a few things anyway. I mean, unless you have some sort of panic disorder, then I would ride if I could work out something for DS.
no panic disorder, just a fradey cat. This big issue is leaving DS alone. I wouldn't be comfortable leaving him by himself.
Thank you all for the advice, I will try it out
she did just tell me that she's not sure she wants to ride the rides without her dad.
I was wondering about this. She must have some wonderful memories riding those rides with just her dad. I am sure those rides will be difficult for her. I hope you all have a wonderful time and make some special memories together as well as remember those happy times you had before.
Registered Message Board Members save 30% off PassPorter guidebooks! When you register you'll have access to a discount coupon good for 30% off the list price of PassPorter books in our online store.
I only want to say that I think you all are very brave to return to WDW so soon. I'm not at all sure I could do so.
. Thank you. I don't see it as brave, to me it's my survival instincts. I knew I didn't want to be home for DH's birthday, especially since he and I were planning an adults only getaway. For me, WDW was one of the places that I could take the kids by myself. I'm really in self preservation mode at this point.
The year my mother passed away in June, we went to WDW for Christmas. We had no memories with her there, but it would have been way too difficult to be home without her. I can't say it was the best trip ever for many reasons, but I can say that when I returned home and to work, the healing was well underway. I hope that the joys of WDW bring happy memories, not without some tears, I am sure, and that the magic helps bring some degree of healing.
We encountered this a few trips ago. We were on line for Haunted Mansion, and a family in front of us had quite a few members (extended/large family). We told one of the kids "hey, your family went on without you" and found she was not with them! She was 9 and wanted to ride HM, but it was just her, her mother, and her sister. Her sister was 10 and was autistic. No way was her sister riding the ride, so mom did the only thing she could; she escorted the girl to the ride entrance and then waited at the exit for her (she knew her autistic daughter couldn't possibly handle the queue).
So, the little girl rode with us (she squeezed in to a ride vehicle with DDs). And her mom was waiting right there, waiting for her when the ride was over.
My point being: Maybe your DD could find a family who could/would let her ride with them.
Another thought: If you can swing the cost, have a VIP tour guide for a few hours. They're a walking/talking/breathing fast pass -and can get your DD onto all the big rides in very little time. The tour guide will ride with her.
Or, look into having your son spend some time at the kids' clubs or have an in-room 'babysitter' for an evening. Then, you and your DD can go to the big rides, and maybe enjoy a couple.
I came with my 3 kiddos to Disney World Actually we are still here I let my daughter pick a few rides that she really wanted to ride and we have all rode those rides. My 6 year old cried on a few but for the most part she ended up liking all of them with the exception of 1 (Mission Space) I think because it is closed in. However, we did not ride anything to wild (most rollercoaster were out!
Quote:
Originally Posted by notjustamom
Sorry, I should have included the kids ages - DD will turn 14 3 weeks before our trip and DS is 11. I have talked to DD about riding solo and she is okay with it but she did just tell me that she's not sure she wants to ride the rides without her dad. At least not yet. Thank you for the suggestions. I think if she does decide to ride any of them solo, we will wait on line with her until she boards. I wanted this first trip in our "new life" to be just the 3 of us - we are going on what would've been my DH's 50th birthday - so bringing anyone along this time is out. I know on future trips my Dsis and her DBF will join us and her BF loves the thrill rides and will do anything for my DD. no panic disorder, just a fradey cat. This big issue is leaving DS alone. I wouldn't be comfortable leaving him by himself.
Thank you all for the advice, I will try it out
PassPorter's Free-Book to Walt Disney World It’s hard to believe anything is free at Walt Disney World; but there are actually a number of things you can get or do for little to no cost. This e-book documents over 200 free or cheap tips to do before you go and after you arrive. You could save a considerable amount of money following these tips. Perhaps more importantly; you can discover overlooked attractions and little-known details most people whiz by on their way to spend money. Click here to see free sample pages from the e-book! Get this popular e-book free of extra charges when you join the PassPorter's Club for as little as $4.95. A club pass includes access to all our other e-books; e-worksheets; super-size photos; and more! This e-book is also available for separate purchase in the PassPorter Online Store for just $5.95.
About This Page: 
Our last WDW trip as a family 
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
Jackie
Actually we are still here 
Linear Mode
