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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!
Welcome! We're happy you've found the PassPorter Community -- the friendliest place to plan your vacation to Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland, and the world in general! You are now viewing the PassPorter Message Board Community as a guest, which gives you limited access. As our guest, feel free to browse our messages by selecting the forum you want to visit from the list below.
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Planned this trip a year ago and somewhere in b/w we decided to invite DN to keep DD company.
We initally planned to do things in Florida other than Disney but since DN had never been, how could we not expose her to the Magic? So Disney it is.
1st of our first: Departure from Texas by car.
Destination: Margaritaville Beach Hotel, Gulf Breeze, FL.
This trip we decided to drive. Even with DH airline discounts, airfare was astronomical so we hit the road.
Headed out of Texas at 5:30 a.m. Loaded everyone up and I drove the 1st leg while everyone slept. Nice quite time, just my coffee and my 80's on 8 on satellite radio. Made good time before everyone awoke and potty breaks. Switched drivers and made good time to the Mississippi state line. Oh my goodness, the mighty Mississippi is Mighty. Never been to this part of the country and really are enjoying it so far. Next leg of our trip, Mobile, AL. The girls were pretty tickled to pass through the tunnel to pass through Mobile.
Next stop Gulf Breeze, FL. We managed to make our way through Pensacola to Gulf Breeze. Very exciting to see all the activity going on while we made our way to Margaritaville Beach Hotel and found it very easily. Very beautiful hotel and staff was wonderful!
DD and DN couldn't wait to hit the beach once we checked in. I don't know why our gulf coast beaches in Texas don't look like those of Florida. Our room was a gulf view and simply beautiful! All in all I would definitely recommend this hotel to anyone looking for a great get away.
We arrived on Thursday and left for WDW on Sunday, so we had some amazing sun and fun on the beaches of Gulf Breeze!
Next stop: Orlando and the Mouse!
OMG, i love 80s on 8 too! Blast from my past...so fun to be there with your DN on her first visit. I just came back with my DD who visited WDW for the first time. Great time. Can't wait to hear more!
PassPorter's Free-Book to Walt Disney World It’s hard to believe anything is free at Walt Disney World; but there are actually a number of things you can get or do for little to no cost. This e-book documents over 200 free or cheap tips to do before you go and after you arrive. You could save a considerable amount of money following these tips. Perhaps more importantly; you can discover overlooked attractions and little-known details most people whiz by on their way to spend money. Click here to see free sample pages from the e-book! Get this popular e-book free of extra charges when you join the PassPorter's Club for as little as $4.95. A club pass includes access to all our other e-books; e-worksheets; super-size photos; and more! This e-book is also available for separate purchase in the PassPorter Online Store for just $5.95.
Yeah, Margaritaville Beach Hotel was also a 1st. Gulf Breeze is just south of Pensacola. I think it's still considered a part of Pensacola (not for sure).
Trying to load pics but for some reason, having issues.
More to come!
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Headed out Sunday morning, packed and ready to go. Road trip consisted of 6 hours to Orlando. Once we made it to Orlando, we headed straight to Shades of Green, our next home for the next 6 days. Arrived in plenty of time to grab a quick bite at Evergreens, quick dip in the pool for the girls then headed over to the Poly to watch the fireworks from the beach.
Once we made our way to the Poly I was pleased to see they were offering a movie by the pool, nice added touch!
DN was very happy to be able to view the fireworks and excited to see them the next night from inside the park.
Once the fireworks ended we meandered around and DH got a bite to eat at Captain Cooks and I was very pleased to see they have Dole Whips.
We then decided to take the girls and ride around on the monorail so DN could see some of the sights. We even managed to catch a glimpse of the EWP. After making our rounds on the monorail, we made our way back to SOG to get a good nights sleep and be ready for our first day at MK.
In all honesty, I was a little concerned to go to MK on a Monday. I was utilizing TP's and by their indications, MK would be a neutral park on Monday. So, we shall see.
I'm still trying to get my photos to load but for some reason they are not so once I can figure what's happening I'll be happy to post pics.
PassPorter's Free-Book to Walt Disney World It’s hard to believe anything is free at Walt Disney World; but there are actually a number of things you can get or do for little to no cost. This e-book documents over 200 free or cheap tips to do before you go and after you arrive. You could save a considerable amount of money following these tips. Perhaps more importantly; you can discover overlooked attractions and little-known details most people whiz by on their way to spend money. Click here to see free sample pages from the e-book! Get this popular e-book free of extra charges when you join the PassPorter's Club for as little as $4.95. A club pass includes access to all our other e-books; e-worksheets; super-size photos; and more! This e-book is also available for separate purchase in the PassPorter Online Store for just $5.95.
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