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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Just made my Blue Bayou seatings, but do I need more? It is the only one so far. We are only going to be there 3 full days and I don't want to spend all of our time at table service. Is there something we just should not miss? I grew up with DL as my home park and always wanted to go to BB. Just couldn't pass it up since I don't know when/if I'll ever go back. WDW is now our home park and we spent 11 days there last May. Planning on going back May/June 2009. We did 9 table service (Gotta love the old dining plan) but felt it just took too much time. My boys are teens and don't really care about the autographs. I love the pictures with the characters but we are Disney Visa cardholders and want to do the meet & greet so that should do me with pics. Also, how do we schedule the seating for the parade? I think we get special seating for one of the parades. Which one should we pick? I love the Electric Parade but want to take advantage of the hardest to see parade. Any advice would be great. Thanks in advance!!
Have a Disney Day!!
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I think you will be fine. I am planning one character meal. My kids are 7 and 4, so they LOVE the characters. I am thinking one other sit down but only b/c DS has food allergies and sit downs are easier to do than counter service.
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My family
Me, DH, DD 4, and DS 21 mos
Trips:
7/77- Fort Wilderness, 1/79 Best Western, 7/85 Camping in Kissimee, 5/95- Offsite at Sleep Inn(never again),12/96-1/97 CBR, 1/2000-CR Honeymoon
8/2002- CBR,11/2004-12/2004- WL
12/2006- 7 day trip staying at AKL, Deluxe Savannah View, with my family and a good friend, who has never been.
The two restaurants we always make sure we are at are:
Goofy's Kitchen - character meal (buffet) in DLH. We take our Saturday night, when the park is too crazy to do anything, and go there. We meet lots of characters, eliminating the need for photo time in the park. DH has said he'd want to go even if we didn't have the kids with us! Food isn't all that (we're from Vegas, so we KNOW buffets), but decent and lots of it!
Wine Country Trattoria (DCA) - a casual meal (with prices to match) with sit-down service. There is an expensive Vinyard Room upstairs, but we really like the quality of this food for the price. Depending on the timing, it's a good place to sit and enjoy parades, since it's right on the route.
Blue Bayou is from my childhood, and while we don't go as often anymore, I think I'd feel physically compelled to order a Mint Julep, just like I always did then! (Even though I no longer like them....) You'll love watching the Pirates ride go through as you eat...