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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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I am heading to Branson, MO at the end of the month. I am going and taking my dd18 and her boy friend and my ds16 and dd12. We are staying at the Grand Country Inn. I thought this would be fun for my 12 year old with the indoor/outdoor water park. We are going to hit some malls and go to Silver Dollar City for a day. Anyone have any idea where I can get some coupons for Silver Dollar City? Also, what are some great restaurants and which malls/outlet malls are the best.
Branson and Silver Dollar City are great fun. Be aware though that the hotel you've chosen is almost in the middle of what's known as "the strip" (hwy 76) and it can be congested!!!!! You'll be able to walk to some restaurants and souvenir type stores though. As for the malls, they do have some out let type malls but I don't feel that they're that big or special. Nothing like a Prime Outlet Mall. I'd see which one your hotel staff recommends but it seems as though the Tanger (sp?) Outlet Mall is pretty good. We like the Branson Landing area which has several nice shops (what you'd see in a typical mall), restaurants, a Belk and a Bass Pro Shop. That area flooded a bit in April of this year so I don't know what the status is there now. There are also some fun shops in the old downtown area and you have to stop into Dick's five and dime, it's a hoot! Silver Dollar City is great. Nicely shaded but it's very hilly so be prepared. Go on their website, sometimes they have deals if you by a package that includes their water park. I'd recommend buying/printing your tickets on line to save a bit of time at the entry. Also, there's for a premium you can pay to park close or vallet park your car. We always pay to park a bit closer, it's just easier than waiting on the tram to take you to your lot at the end of the day. On Table Rock Lake there's the Branson Showboat Bell (I think that's the name). they do lunch and dinner cruises on Table Rock Lake. Downtown you can do the Branson Scenic Railway Train ride. We've done that before and it's nice. If you want to do a show that might appeal to your family, I'd recommend the Kirby VanBurch Magic Show. He's got a website to check for showtimes. Haven't been yet but have friends who have taken their families and enjoyed it. There's always the Dixie Stampede dinner Show, Dolly Parton's gig. We've done that and it's a hoot. Bring some plastic silverware though as they don't give you any, don't know why. There's a "duck" vehicle type tour too. There are 2 Starbuck's. One is inside the one theater area attached to the LaQuinta Music City (I think that's what it's still called) and the other is downtown across from the tall Hilton. Oh, there's a cave, Marvel Cave, within Silver Dollar City that does tours. It's a good tour if you're into those things. The Shephard of the Hills complex I hear is nice to tour and there's a neat lookout tower there to go up into. All around Branson there are folks trying to sell discounted tickets to everything. I just choose to do everything before my arrival, it's just faster, easier and saves time. Have a fun time.
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We Luv WDW
Last edited by modisney; 07-03-2011 at 11:03 AM..
Reason: wanted to add something
We were just there in June for a family reunion and had a great time. I would get to Silver Dollar City early and get on the Powderkeg and Wildfire early if you are a coaster family. We ate at the mine restaurant in the park. The food was ok not great but the cool cavelike atmosphere was a welcome chane on a hot day. You can choose the full buffet or just the salad bar for a chaeper price and there was plenty to keep everyone happy.
The show we saw was a show called JEERK and everyone in our party enjoyed it from my kids to my 80 year old grandmother. It's a loud but entertaining percussion show with lots of tap dancing, some Stomp type elements some Blue Man type things and lots of goofy Scandinavian humor. Our family of four saw it for $60 total and I think it could be a hit with your teens.
Also if you decide to do Mini Golf the Lost Treasure Course and the Dinosaur one are very cool. If you play one you can play the other later in the day for $5.
If your kids are at all fans of American Idol the Hard Luck Diner has a few singing waitstaff that were finalists. We were served and serenaded buy a guy who made it into the top 24.
Thanks for the tips!! I had heard about the Hard Luck Diner and am going to try that one. I guess we will have to brave the busy strip with out hotel. I chose it for the water park. I think my 12 year old will enjoy it, and I won't have to pay for White Water!! I do remember SDC being very hilly. Of course the last time I was there the thrill ride was Fire in the Hole!! LOL!! (It's been about 25 years!!) Thanks for the tips though, I'm going to print this out.
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