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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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So currently I have only one visit to my happy place under my belt but all of that is going to change!
Before I go much further I need to introduce the cast of characters on this excursion:
Me: Amanda~31 years old, house wife and Disney Lover! I have the Disney Bug so bad that on our first trip my Sister said "I think she was having more fun then the girls."
DH: Marc~ Currently deployed to Afghanistan, has been to The World ONCE in his life and the trip was not very memorable for him
DD: Meghan~Didn't share my love of Disney until I took her last summer, now she's excited to go! Loves Tigger and chilling in the pool.
DD: Hailey~ Will not know of said trip until we are on the road. Loves Everything Disney especially The Princesses!
DD:Gillian~ 2 years old and has bugged me for the past 4 months with "Momma! Go Back Walt Disney World!" with the most adorable smile on her face. Not very picky when it comes to rides but loves to play in the water.
The Plan: After DH arrives in VA, have one day of downtime before we load up the van and drive the 13 hours down to Orlando for one week of laughter and Mouse Emersion! While we are there we will celebrate our 11th Wedding Anniversary as well as DH's Birthday as he will be back in Afghanistan on that day.
It hit me tonight, sitting here at my desk thinking about those looked forward to weeks in July when my DH get's to come home to spend time with his family....Busch Gardens. I seriously didnt want to go there this year. I had been neglecting the commercials on my TV showing kiddo's screaming as their parents tell them that they are going to Disney World in about 20 minutes because it broke my heart to see them. Then it hit me....TAX SEASON! I started to do some investigating and YES WDW was still offering the reduced rate on rooms for Military Families as well as reduced cost on the DDP! Dare I hope? Dare I dream?
I called the reservation hotline to get a price quote (because honestly the bottom line is all in dollars and cents and I needed to let my DH know we could swing this!) and was quoted a reasonable price for a week at The Wilderness Lodge with the Deluxe Dining plan!
I immediately called DH in Afghanistan (I LOVE our Magic Jack) and left a message for him to call me as soon as he got in... Then I waited and waited and waited, the whole time going over every bored I could think of with Disney information as well as the website to give me a ball park as to how much we would be spending on gas. It was midnight here before he called me back.
I didn't waste any time, I dove right in! "Honey, the girls and I dont really want to go to Busch Gardens for a week this year, we would like to go 13 hours south of Virginia instead!"
Him: "What's 13 hours south of Virginia?"
Me: "Florida!"
Him: "You want to go to Walt Disney World?"
Me:"YES!"
Him:"Honey, go ahead and book it, I just want to spend time with you and the girls."
Me:"So you dont mind the 13 hour drive?"
Him:"Not so long as I can sit in the back when I'm not driving to watch TV."
By now I was doing the happy dance of joy, turning around to my oldest and nodding that YES we were going back!
Now I have to get things in order! Summer clothes to buy for the kids, new swimsuits, lists for snacks and things to keep them busy in the car, and above all else keeping this a secret from Hailey and Gillian!
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I am excited for you, but has your husband been in combat? Taking him right off the plane into a crowd, and exploding fireworks might not be a smart thing to do. Maybe you should wait for a little while.
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Thanks! Myself and my oldest daughter are to excited for words!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lillybug
Aww, your story made me I hope you guys have a magical trip!!
Lilly, Were hoping for a great trip as well! He missed our Anniversary trip last year due to training in Colorado so I have to work on making this special for him right down to the last ride!
Tara
Quote:
Originally Posted by Principessa_di_Fata
So exciting! What a wonderful way to spend time with your husband and your family. I hope this trip is more memorable / magical for him!
Principessa, I hope it's more memorable for him as well. All he remembers from his last trip is doing Epcot and his mom complaining How can you complain at the Happiest Place on EARTH?
Quote:
Originally Posted by mzozzietj
Awww It made me teary too... I'm so excited for you all! So glad the numbers worked for you!
Mzozziet~ Thank You so much!
Quote:
Originally Posted by fluffcake
I am excited for you, but has your husband been in combat? Taking him right off the plane into a crowd, and exploding fireworks might not be a smart thing to do. Maybe you should wait for a little while.
Fluffcake, he hasnt really seen much combat at all, he stays behind the lines working on aircraft. At most he hears an occasional moarter (sp?) fall but nothing that would make him freak in a crowd of people.
Quote:
Originally Posted by buzzspal2
Good Luck keeping the secret. Tell your Husband I said Thankyou for his service to our country. I hope you have the best trip ever.
Buzzspal2, I will tell him thank you. I hope I can keep the secret as well but I think I came close to blowing it this morning (will tell more in update after this post.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lonereb
plans sound great. Have a wonderful time.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cam22
What a wonderful way to celebrate your DH being home and your anniversary and his b-day!
Quote:
Originally Posted by mojjo
What a great idea!! No one will deserve it more.
Think the oldest one will have trouble keeping the secret?
Thanks Guys! I dont think it will be my oldest that has trouble keeping the secret though, I think it will be me!
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I hope you guys have a magical trip!! 
How can you complain at the Happiest Place on EARTH?
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