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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Well I'm normally so much more involved and into the planning of our trips. But we leave in ONE MONTH and I'm still not into it this time.
First I'll explain how this trip came to be...
Some of you might remember last Summer I posted about our airfare for our October trip on Southwest dropping drastically so we had over $440 in credit to use before this June. We typically go every October so I convinced DH that we could stay in a studio villa for our trip Oct 2011 and we could go again before then to use up this credit. So I was able to book 6 nights in a studio at Bay Lake Tower for February. So, with MY rationale our airfare only cost us $150 for ALL 3 of us and our hotel is basically free, LOL. I told him we can take DME and save money on the rental car. We also bought annual passes in October since we planned one week then, one in February, and moved up our Oct 2011 trip a week earlier than usual so we can use the passes them as well. We also bought Tables in Wonderland since we enjoy table service meals often when on vacation.
So, I SHOULD be ecstatic! But financially we are hurting right now. Last October's trip stretched us too thin, add the holidays and a trip to see my mom to the mix and it's rough. Yes, the hotel, airfare, and DME are covered but dining will be rough and we usually like to buy the photopass as well. I'm wishy washy on dining. We can do more counter service and save money but we did already pay for TiW. So, I'm thinking we keep the less expensive or a few favorite places then go with table service otherwise.
I'm also hoping our tax paperwork comes in on time and maybe I can file and get returns REALLY fast, LOL
Anyhow, on a happier note... Lots of Disney Mail yesterday! We got our luggage slips and tickets for DME, Got our welcome letter for being annual passholders with the mickey monitor (although it was the old issue, lol), and we got our newest DVC book. I think it helped put me in the right spirit to start getting excited.
I knew if I came back here for a bit, you all will help me get in the right mood too
I hear you on the wanting to be excited, but having some trouble.
We leave in a little over 3 weeks, and while I am excited to be heading to the World, I'm also stressed having just found out my job will be disappearing some time in February. But, airline tickets were non-refundable, we're staying on points, and already have our tickets from a long time ago (we buy 10 day no expiration hoppers every couple years). So, only expense is the meals. Not a small expense at Disney. I'm using my Disney rewards to pay for most of the DDP, so that helps.
I just keep telling myself that being there will be so great for all of us, and give my mood a big boost!
Fingers crossed for you on your tax refund!!
Have a great trip!! You must be arriving just after we leave.
I hear you on the wanting to be excited, but having some trouble.
We leave in a little over 3 weeks, and while I am excited to be heading to the World, I'm also stressed having just found out my job will be disappearing some time in February. But, airline tickets were non-refundable, we're staying on points, and already have our tickets from a long time ago (we buy 10 day no expiration hoppers every couple years). So, only expense is the meals. Not a small expense at Disney. I'm using my Disney rewards to pay for most of the DDP, so that helps.
I just keep telling myself that being there will be so great for all of us, and give my mood a big boost!
Fingers crossed for you on your tax refund!!
Have a great trip!! You must be arriving just after we leave.
I'm sorry to hear about your job but yes you're right being there will be a great lift for the spirit and a good escape from all our stresses right?
It looks like we are about two weeks behind you, we check in on the 6th of February.
Since our DD is nearing her terrible two's I am leaning more towards more counter service but we will see, LOL
Thanks all, am already getting into the disney spirit
Started working on our Garden Grocer order. If we have things delivered we can stick with not getting a rental car.
We are staying in a studio this time though so I'm not sure about space in the fridge. Has anyone stayed in a studio at BLT? I'm curious if the fridge will fit two half gallons of milk. I figured those would fit better than a gallon.
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Deb
but yes you're right being there will be a great lift for the spirit and a good escape from all our stresses right?
PassPorter Guide Author
You know, no matter how you feel now, you're going to have a ball once you get to Disney... 
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