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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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DS2 was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when he was 4. We finally got him on an insulin pump in April. Because of this, I was "elected" classroom mom, a job which I have enjoyed (mostly).
One of the things that was impressed upon us room moms was the whole healthy eating thing. It was almost dictated what kind of snacks we could bring in for special events. Fortunately, it is stuff that I would have chosen anyway. I was able to get special treats in because they were sugar free and low carb.
One of the PTA sponsored treats was Rita's Italian Ice for the class who had the most parents sign up for the PTA. Of course Sam's class won of course. I looked up the nutritional info online and found out there are 70 carbs in a small ice. About 3/4 of that is sugar. I made sure the school nurse (who I was in talks with. She feels the same way) knew the info and she passed it along to whoever it should be. In the end, he was the only one who got a sugar free ice.
I get an email today, that the last day of school is a pizza and italian ice party. For the whole school. I know for a fact that he is not the only diabetic in school. I also know there are kids with gluten and dairy issues. It doesn't seem like the best choice, last day of school or not.
Here are my thoughts (the "talking" part). I totally disagree with the choice, not that there is one. I can a) go along with this like a good girl, not make any waves since it is the last day of school and give him the largest bolus of insulin known to man and hope for the best. As his mom, not a fan of this plan. B) Make my feelings known to "the powers that be", make a request for a sugar free italian ice, hope we get it, and let him have a slice of pizza. I'm just eh on this plan. C) Make my feelings about their choice, and what kind of position they are putting kids with dietary issues and their parents (all though I can't really speak for the other parents) in. Not into this plan but I am the woman for the job. D) Not send him to school that day and leave for upstate NY early. He would love this (as would the rest of us). I'm not concerned about how the staff feels about this as he is attending a different school next year. And yes, I would tell them why he wouldn't be there.
Any suggestions I may have missed? What would you do, she asks realizing that not everyone can relate to the situation, but still appreciates GREATLY the input from the wise fellow PPs.
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Can you just send an alternate lunch and treat for him? That's what I'd do. I have food allergies and a lactose intolerant kid, and we're used to it. Or just leave early if your son wouldn't be upset about missing the last day (my kids would freak out).
What's with the Italian Ice? Is is a local product? My kids school always had Hoodsies (ice cream cups) for special treats, which at least had more than just sugar and water.
If it's not too late, I would talk to the powers that be and even offer to coordinate the last day of school party. Maybe a cook out? My kids would also have hamburgers and hot dogs on field day.
If everything is set in stone, I would send a lunch for him, made up of his favorite healthy foods.
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The girls' school has vegans, vegetarians (there is a HUGE difference), diabetics, Jewish children, Muslim children, children with Celiac disease, lactose intolerance, allergies, etc.
It is not the school's job to patrol what every child eats! It is the responsibility of the parents. Those parents who don't want their kids eating what is offered are free to send alternatives.
Now, the other parents try to be aware of these things, and when we do our annual pitch-in breakfast for all of the kids, we make vegetarian sausages (and, certain parents now realize that they CANNOT be cooked with the regular ones!!), vegan eggs, vegan breads, etc.
I'd send him, with alternative lunch and let him have the icee. Or, ask the school nurse to be sure that every child who is diabetic has a sugar free ice.
Truthfully, I wouldn't make waves or talk to anyone about this. As Teresa pointed out, it's up to parents to police what their kids eat, not the school. I work in a school cafeteria and unfortunately we cater to the masses, not the special few. Secondly, it's the last day at a school your son won't be returning to so again, the school won't care - it'll go in one ear and out the other. Or even worse case scenario, if they do listen to you, you could end up being known as the person who ruins the pizza party for everyone in the future (even though your son's not there). I've BTDT too - one parent complained about our strawberry milk and one kid complained about 1 type of ice cream (we have 7 types) that had nuts (but all the rest have the disclosure about nuts too) so now the rest of the 700 and something kids can't have either the strawberry milk or the ice cream (both of which were good sellers for the cafeteria). And the really sad part about these complaints - I'm in the middle school - the age where kids should be able to say to themselves "No, I can't have that, I'll just pick this other thing instead." If I were in your shoes, I would just have him miss the last day of school and take him out for a special lunch (or whatever) that he CAN have, without any kinds of problems or extra shots (I'm sorry, I'm not very knowledgable about Diabetes) that the school lunch would obviously cause.
Good luck and I hope your son enjoys whatever happens that day.
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Since I work in an elementary school, I see this type of thing all of the time. Our school nurse is very good about helping our kids with food issues and diabetic issues. If you don't think he can be guaranteed a sugar free italian ice, perhaps you can send his lunch with him that day? If that is not an option.....I would just not send him that last day of school. I know that our last day of school is never filled with must do educational lessons!
Over on the Children With Diabetes forum a dad talked about going to a school-sponsored ballgame that included bagged lunches. Well, the food was ALL junk and, after adding it all up, contained something in the range of 2,500 calories.
Personally, I'd probably keep my head down and just bring along more reasonable items that my son (who says hi to your guys!!) could eat.
However, the prevalence of total junk food in our schools is really alarming. I know they want the kids to have fun and feel "free," but how free will they feel when they develop lifelong poor eating habits, wind up obese and on medications for Type 2 diabetes, hypertension and acid reflux.
Okay... okay... It's not *that* dire, but I think schools need to set a good example rather than add to the problem of non-nutritional foods that kids are bombarded with all the time.
I think it would be worth a mention to the principal and school nurse.
A vote for skipping the last day and heading out early - so long as your son is OK with missing the party.
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