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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Magic Kingdom: If you are going in mid-November through the first couple of weeks of December --- Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party! The party is a separately ticketed event and they happen on select nights (dates and prices here: http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/par...ristmas-party/ ) You will be able to see special stage shows, special holiday fireworks and the Christmas Parade as well as have near (if not total) walk ons to the rides! And then there's free hot chocolate and cookies.
You will be able to see the holiday decorations up around the park but will NOT be able to see the parade or special fireworks and shows outside of the MVMCParties until after the last party date of December 18th. :
Epcot: Candlelight Processional. Definitely. It starts the day after Thanksgiving and goes through December 30th each year. Narrators and dining package info hasn't been released yet, though.
Hollywood Studios: Osborne Lights! They are NOT to miss. Exact dates haven't been announced yet but they usually start in early November and go through to the first weekend in January.
I'm going with everything Sarah said. The holiday storytellers around World Showcase are very neat as well and, if they're doing the castle lighting again this year (and I can't see why not), that's a very neat show to see and an amazing effect during the evenings.
We are going for the first time this year - Cant wait!!! Also make sure you check out some of the hotels - GF has the gingerbread house, BWI usually has nice decotations as well - I plan on taking an afternoon to hotel hop!!
Thanks!! Which hotels have must see Christmas decor. I want to see the big gingerbread house.
Grand Floridian is where the Gingerbread house is, Board Walk Inn also has great decorations I have been told......people also suggested Animal Kingdom Lodge and Wilderness Lodge.
Thanks!! Which hotels have must see Christmas decor. I want to see the big gingerbread house.
All of the resorts have up decorations of some sort but the most impressive of them are at the Deluxes.
Grand Floridian: Gingerbread House (which doubles as a shop where they sell gingerbread goodies including smaller gingerbread houses
Polynesian: They usually don't do much more than have a big table covered in small gingerbread houses (with a Polynesian theme) made by the chefs at the restaurants there, but they are still cool to look at sometimes.
Contemporary: They put up a big (17 foot tall) gingerbread tree and a huge Mickey wreath. They used to have a large chocolate display of Pinocchio and Geppetto in the lobby but I believe they discountinued it.
Wilderness Lodge: They have a huge tree in the lobby decorated to the theme of the resort
Yacht Club: They typically have a "chocolate" village set up.
Beach Club: The big gingerbread and chocolate carousel is a must see, IMO.
Boardwalk: They also usually have up a chocolate/gingerbread village.
Animal Kingdom Lodge: Another HUGE tree covered in African themed ornaments and decorations
Fort Wilderness has sleigh rides through the campground, though they aren't free ($60/sleigh for a 25-30 minute ride)
Some other things back in the parks . . . . there is also another big gingerbread house in the American Adventure pavilion at Epcot and Animal Kingdom runs Mickey's Jingle Jungle Parade during the holidays.
GF lobby
AKL lobby
WL lobby
BC lobby
YC lobby
Osborne Lights
Candlelight Processional
WS at Epcot
Castle Lighting at MK
Illuminations
Mind you, none of these is what it was a few years ago (there's not a single Christmas decoration at MK outside of camera range of the Regis and Kelly Christmas show), but still worth seeing
Mind you, none of these is what it was a few years ago (there's not a single Christmas decoration at MK outside of camera range of the Regis and Kelly Christmas show), but still worth seeing
Are you serious?!?! That's not what I want to hear!
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It starts the day after Thanksgiving and goes through December 30th each year. Narrators and dining package info hasn't been released yet, though.
PassPorter Guide Author
That's not what I want to hear!
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