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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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.

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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.

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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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Old 07-28-2010, 09:17 AM   #1
mfirst
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How much magic can one vacation include?

The vacationeers:
Me - (turned 37 on our arrival day), English teacher - turned Stay-at-Home mom of three boys
Hubby, Brian - 37, English teacher, coach of football, basketball and track (so I'm a "school year widow")
Nolan - 5, entering Kindergarten in the fall
Patrick - 2 1/2 (he's our allergy boy - milk protein and cinnamon)
Cullen - turned 11 months during the trip

Surprise guests:
My Mom, "Lala" 60, just retired from education
My father,"Papa" 60 - they were celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary

Our original plans:
Contemporary, Garden Wing - check in on the 18th, check -out on the 24th. Six days of park tickets. My parents were to arrive on the 19th and check out on the 23rd (this was a HUGE surprise for the boys).

We left Ohio at 1 am on the 17th - driving with the little ones, we wanted to get as much distance covered before they woke up for breakfast. Brian took the first shift...we were fine until we hit Cincinnati - as he rounded a curve (we were in the center lane), a car in the left lane south bound lane was traveling NORTH!!!!!!! Very scary because Brian had just moved into the center lane.!!!!

Nolan, very excited that our vacation was finally here, stayed awake all the way through Ohio, Kentucky and most of Tennessee (finally fell asleep about 30 miles from the Georgia border).

We stopped for breakfast at a McDonald's in Tennesse - they had a playground that they opened so the boys could burn off some energy (didn't even give me grief about bringing in food for the boys so we knew Patrick had safe foods to eat).

We alternated driving - the boys were REALLY good - I'd packed the older two backpacks full of new surprise things - buzz and woody coloring books, stickers, silly bands, car bingo, etc.

We reached our hotel for the night in Valdosta, Georgia around 4:30 which gave us plenty of time to let the boys run around, play and swim We ate dinner in the room (we had a microwave and fridge so I'd packed stuff for us, and everyone was in bed, asleep by 9:30.

Next, our early wake-up!
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Old 07-28-2010, 09:25 AM   #2
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Sounds like a nice trip so far. Cant want to hear more of it. Which hotel in Valdosta did you stay at. I am leaving from NC next week and its just me and the 3 kids. I can make the trip in one day but I am thinking of stopping over night in Valdosta that way the kids can get a break.

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Old 07-28-2010, 09:27 AM   #3
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Great start. Yikes, that must have been so scary on the highway!
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Old 07-28-2010, 10:14 AM   #4
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Great start!
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Old 07-28-2010, 10:43 AM   #5
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Sounds like a good start.
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Old 07-28-2010, 12:39 PM   #6
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Great start minus the scary wrong way driver.
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Old 07-28-2010, 01:24 PM   #7
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Great start!! Very scary about the wrong-way car, glad no one was hurt. Can't wait to read more
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Old 07-28-2010, 02:11 PM   #8
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Good start, looking forward to more.
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Old 07-28-2010, 03:51 PM   #9
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Great start! Can't wait to hear more!
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Old 07-28-2010, 06:04 PM   #10
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Great Start!!
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Old 07-28-2010, 07:15 PM   #11
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Great and scary start to your trip. Glad no accidents occured, and that the kids were good. Looking forward to reading more.
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Old 07-28-2010, 07:16 PM   #12
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Good start!!! Nothing better than a well stocked backpack.
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Old 07-28-2010, 10:29 PM   #13
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Great start! So glad you all didn't have wreck!
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Old 07-28-2010, 10:39 PM   #14
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Wow, what a scare with that driver! Can't wait to read more.
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Old 07-28-2010, 11:13 PM   #15
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more please
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