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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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We're heading to VT in a couple of weeks. We had a timeshare to use up and wanted to stay in New England to save some money. We have two 4 1/2 year old girls and a 1 1/2 year old boy coming on this vacation. I have no idea about what to do with the children to keep them entertained. Where should we go, what should we do, where should I shop ? I have never been to VT before except for a trip to a concert in Sugarbush. HELP!! Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks so much!
Where in Vermont are you going?? I grew up in Burlington.
Northern Vermont (East)
Great beaches on Lake Champlain (Burlington, Mallets Bay, Shelburne) http://www.shelburnemuseum.org/ Not just your run-of-the-mill museum. It is an open air museum...that even included a very large steamboat that use to run up and down Lake Champlain. Kids LOVE this place...and so do I. Shelburne Farms - Cultivating a Conservation Ethic This is one of my favorite places in Vermont. They give tours of the farms. There is a petting zoo and you can even buy some farmhouse cheese. The views of the Lake from Shelburn Museum are outstanding...lots of photo ops! Tour and Store Information I use to work for Vermont Teddy Bear! Their bears are nice (but a bit pricey) but kids can actually make their own bear and they are priced pretty reasonable. Burlington, Vermont - Lake Champlain - Cruise Ship - The Spirit of Ethan Allen III (I go on one just about every trip "home" they give a nice view of Burlington and the bruches are OUTSTANDING) Vermont Lake Monsters (short season single A Farm league baseball team for the Nationals. Even if you don't like baseball Champ the mascot will keep the kids entertained...make sure you tell CJ (the GM) Robin from Michigan Sent you. ) ECHO at the Leahy Center for Lake Champlain | DESTINATION BURLINGTON very educational for kids and alot of fun for adults too
Burlington herself is a beautiful city. Make sure you get a chance to watch the sunset over Lake Champlain...just breath taking Vermont Maple Syrup, Cheese, Gift Baskets, Smoked Ham, & Specialty Foods at Dakin Farm Umm...just cause they are yummy!
Central Vermont: Ben & Jerry's Factory Tour You even get a free sample at the end. My mom's name is in the credits...she donated a photo to the tour year ago. Mountain Activities :: Stowe Mountain Resort The Alpine Slide is kind of expensive but LOADS of fun.
You can also rent bikes in Stowe and bike around the walking/bike trails. Make sure you bring your swimsuites there are several places to stop and take a drip in the Mad River. There are alot a ton of places to hike. Stop at any rest area on 89 and you can find maps. UVM Morgan Horse Farm : University of Vermont If you like horses this is the place to be. In the summer the fields are full of foals. You can even enter a drawing to win one! My mom enters me every year...so far no luck.
One of the nice things about going to Vermont, is being able to just kick back and relax. I would plan some time to just hang out by the pool, especially with young children. There are also tons of quick hikes you can do in the area. You can get trail guides from the AMC and I also believe there's at least one book about hiking in New England with kids.
I don't know how your kids would be with a quiet canoe trip on a lake.
I think all of Northern New England is wonderful and it's always nice to have a more relaxing family vacation.