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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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For a new camera. I'm tech -illiterate (meaning I hate to read manuals) , but I take pretty good pics. Here is what I need in a camera
simple to use
great /good zoom
Prefer something under or around the $400 mark.
Debating going beyond the point and shoot cameras.
Any recommendations?
Oh... another question... Is there a camera that takes good film as well as good pics?
For Christmas I got a Nikon P100, so far I love it! It's a little better than your standard point and shoot, but it's not a digital SLR that you need multiple lenses for. It has awesome zoom capabilities, it has a 26x optical zoom! It also takes great HD videos. It has manual options for photo taking, if you want to get really technical or really know what you are doing photography wise (I do not ), but there are also many "auto" settings that you can choose based on your environment, i.e. indoors, outdoors, backlight, snow, nightshot, etc. I would highly recommend this camera! It is normally $399, but I found it on Amazon.com for $305 with free shipping.
The Canon Rebel is a very nice camera. Last I looked they were just under $400. If you stick with Canon or Nikon you pretty much can't go wrong on a new camera.
The Canon Rebel is a very nice camera. Last I looked they were just under $400. If you stick with Canon or Nikon you pretty much can't go wrong on a new camera.
I don't know that I would recommend an SLR if the mannual is going to be ignored. That's a whole lot of camera to be used as a point and shoot. JMO.
My mantra or whatever you'd call it for anyone purchasing a new camera without a lot of knowledge about they want etc. is to head to a camera shop. Talk with the salespeople, they know the cameras; hold the camera, play around with it; go back a couple of times before making the final choice as there are many choices out there. I agree with the post recommending Canon or Nikon. They're the best, you couldn't go wrong with either of them.
The Canon Rebel is a very nice camera. Last I looked they were just under $400. If you stick with Canon or Nikon you pretty much can't go wrong on a new camera.
I love my rebel ( although i never saw one for under$ 500 with a lens) but i agree with tonichelle. I used it as first as a p$ s and helped myself leaen about manual and practice. It,s a great entry slr.
If you have no interest in manual you can look into the cAnon g series ( again i think this may be in the 400-500 range) but this is a nice advanced point and shoot and takes very nice pics for a camera in this range imo. Agsin, this sill effort to learn the camera.
Sorry for all the typos i am typing from my ipad lol
I really do not think there is a camera out there, which will take really good pics, thst you can whip out of the box, press a botton an go. Thst being siad, with a little effort you can get a great cAmera....dont,t be scared it,s just a camera. Nothing can happen but a bad pic. Then you try a new setting and try again. Good luck!
The best thing I ever did was go beyond a point and shoot. There are times when I'm forced to use one and it's so hard as they are so slow. Press the button and having to wait for the picture to snap is now so painful.
If you go with a DSLR, know that they are much bulkier and can't slip in a pocket or purse, but you'll get much better pictures and can have much better control. I started with a Nikon D40 and have upgraded to a D300. The D40's are no longer in production, but the new entry level Nikon is fabulous.
I like the PP's advice to go to a camera store and browse. Get the feel and the weight of the cameras and learn what they can do.
I just bought a Canon S95. Their target market is SLR users who don't always want to lug their camera around. Its tiny and has lots and lots of functions! I love it!
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The best thing I ever did was go beyond a point and shoot. There are times when I'm forced to use one and it's so hard as they are so slow. Press the button and having to wait for the picture to snap is now so painful.
If you go with a DSLR, know that they are much bulkier and can't slip in a pocket or purse, but you'll get much better pictures and can have much better control. I started with a Nikon D40 and have upgraded to a D300. The D40's are no longer in production, but the new entry level Nikon is fabulous.
I like the PP's advice to go to a camera store and browse. Get the feel and the weight of the cameras and learn what they can do.
Have fun shopping!!
I have heard good things about the new entry level Nikon!
I have a Canon Rebel xi and a Canon Powershot SD770IS Elph
Both are 10. pixels and are now replaced by newer models.
The elph gives me pics that are amazing and ridiculously close to how the Rebel performs in my hands and in WDW/every day.
The flash advantage goes to Rebel and it can make a difference, shutter speed as well of course (delay between puching button getting pic).
The elph fits in my pocket!!
When I switched from 35mm to digital I bought a Kodak Easyshare bc at the time that seemed the easiest way to transition. It taught me what I wanted in a camera and I never regretted the purchase (just that I didnt replace it sooner..as baby was coming) and it will be DS 1st camera.
I recommend you go play around with them, look at Pop Photography mags they have helped me tremendously. Ask your friends what they used and ask what they like, dont like and wish they had different. Its a big purchase that you want to last for a few years even in the tech upgrade world... I mean 18 MP now
My next purchase will be to upgrade the canon elph. I looked at the new Rebel, but they are moving to SD instead of compact flash and I have a good deal of CF to use (Adorama has great sales!) I drool over the Tamron lens that is like 35 to 300mm or some nonsense, they advertise in the mags all the time.
Pick what you feel comfortable with but dont be afraid of a little learning curve either. Digital is forgiving.
Good luck and let us know what you choose!
I agree with those that have posted to go and test out the cameras. Some people have found the DSLR's too big and bulky, while others think the pocket sized cameras are too hard to find the operating buttons. I've acquired a collection of digital cameras and the 2 I use most often arethe CoolPix that I keep in my handbag for the just in case moments, and a Nikon D-80 for the must have shots. I have a Fujica film camera with built in zoom lens that gave me the most amazing quality pictures, so I'm looking for the comparable digital camera as my newest camera.
DH just gave me a Canon Powershot SD1400 for my birthday this week. It's bright orange (reminds me of Tigger!) and fits in my palm. I haven't had a chance to look through the manual and fool around with it yet, but I love my old Canon Powershot A610. I'm hoping the pics I take are as good and better!
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), but there are also many "auto" settings that you can choose based on your environment, i.e. indoors, outdoors, backlight, snow, nightshot, etc. I would highly recommend this camera! It is normally $399, but I found it on Amazon.com for $305 with free shipping.
Linear Mode
