Forums Closed
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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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!
Best wishes for a wonderful and magical new year!
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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.
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01-24-2007, 04:25 PM
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#1
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PassPorter Guide
 Community Rank: Globetrotter 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 3,041
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The Poconos: Not Just For Honeymooners
by Sue Kulick, Guest Contributor and PassPorter Message Board Guide
Surely you've heard of the Pocono Mountains, nestled in the heart of Northeast Pennsylvania? A beautiful and scenic area, the Poconos gained a reputation in the 50s and 60s as the "Honeymoon Capital of the World." And the resorts that peppered the green and tranquil landscape bore out that identity; from heart-shaped hot tubs to champagne glass-shaped spas, from signs proclaiming "Dears Crossing" to the entrance proclaiming, "Welcome to the Land of Love." As the years went by, the honeymoon glow faded, and the resorts that were once the heartbeat of the Poconos' tourist industry took on a faded and slightly antiquated look. The resorts needed to adapt and change with the times. Some became family resorts, like Caesar's Brookdale, others became housing developments, like Penn Estates, and some, like Echo Lake Farms and Birchwood Resort, closed their doors forever.
continued in next post...
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01-24-2007, 04:25 PM
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#2
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PassPorter Guide
Community Rank: Globetrotter
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 3,041
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The Poconos were in serious need of a makeover. The 80s brought a multitude of changes, including the sale of large chunks of land to be turned into housing developments. The Poconos of the 80s and 90s became little more than a suburb of larger cities like New York and Philadelphia. It was time for the Poconos, much like Orlando in the 70s, to reinvent itself in order to survive!
As with any change, it brought, and still brings, challenges and resistance. But what started out as pure destruction of the landscape for the reason of profit has slowly evolved into a thriving and growing community.
The Poconos still has a lot of scenic, natural beauty. In addition to the beautiful open spaces, many protected by legislation and history, we offer Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. This is a National Park, offering hiking, boating, biking, camping and relaxing, all along the beautiful Delaware River. Spend a lovely afternoon at Kettle Creek Environmental Education Center, or enjoying the trails at Bushkill Falls. You can pack a picnic lunch and go to any of these places for a look at nature's beauty!
How about a little history? Take a step back in time at Quiet Valley Living Historical Farm. This living, working farm depicts life as it was in the early 19th century in Pennsylvania. Or take a trip to The Pocono Indian Museum and learn how it all got started in the Poconos! Take a relaxing drive up Route 191 into beautiful Barrett Township, where small town life is still abundant!
Maybe you're looking for something a little more urbane? Do you like shopping? Well, the Poconos has come a long way from the little Mom and Pop stores that sold a little of everything. Oh don't worry, we still have those! Try East Stroudsburg Hardware Store for a slice of Americana, or Gary's Meat Market for the freshest cuts of meat. For a really local shopping experience, you can't beat our candle shops, Pocono Candle Shop and American Candle Company. These stores provide rooms and rooms full of ... no, not just candles! Pocono Candle has a huge selection of decorations for every room in your house, as well as a large variety of collectibles. And American Candle has a whole room devoted to ... CANDY! You can buy it by the bag, by the pound or just a few pieces to eat right there.
Still want more to do? How about the ever- growing Stroud Mall? You can shop at Sears, Bon Ton, JC Penney, New York and Company, Deb Shop, Foot Locker...;in fact there are over 50 stores to choose from. And you'll notice that small town hospitality in a big town mall. If outlet shopping is your thing, you've got to try The Crossings Premium Outlets. Set against the backdrop of Camelback Mountain, you can get anything from shoes to clothes to china to chocolate. Bring your walking shoes and prepare for a day of fun!
So, maybe you're the adventurous type? In the late 60s, the Pocono's began to evolve in yet another direction -- as a ski area. It started when a group of businessmen purchased a mountain, and a dream was born. Now Camelback Ski Area is one of the biggest ski resorts in the area, followed closely by Shawnee Mountain Ski Area. You can play, stay and have winter fun and in the summer, Camelback is open as Camelbeach Waterpark, a fun filled family water park.
So, is all of this activity making you hungry? There is no shortage of good restaurants here, catering to every taste and palate. Italian? Try Peppe's. Irish? Try Siamsa Irish Pub. Good old-fashioned cooking? Try Mollie's! Best diner food in the area? Try the LandMark Restaurant! Steak? Try Bailey's Steakhouse! Of course, there are several of the usual chains - Friendly's, Garfield's, Ruby Tuesdays, Perkins and KFC, to name a few. You will never go hungry in the Poconos!
The change from a sleepy little honeymoon resort area to a full-scale vacation destination and year round thriving community is still a work in progress. But with each new chapter, progress and the environment are learning to work side by side, and the result is a new and wonderful Poconos. Drop by and see us... we'd love to have you!
About the Author: </SPAN> Sue Kulick is a resident of the Pocono Mountains and an avid Disney fan. She and her husband, Steve, live in a log home with their Golden Retrievers, Cody and Belle and their cat Tigger. |
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