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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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 was asked a silly question about my Fibromyalgia & was left almost speechless.
" Why is it that your fibro seems to make you hurt all the time & you don't want to do things like go shopping or out & about when I want to go? I know others with fibro & they do more than you do"
My answer that didn't get rave reviews, " Because fibro effects people differently, & over time it seems to get worse, Yes, I am in pain 24/7. I have been fighting Fibro for going on 18 years and I think I do pretty good for myself.I travel & enjoy live as much as possible. I also have CFS & that really slows me down. I don't feel in necessary to go out & about just to go out.I am not interested in shopping, I have never been a "shopping girl" I love my home & am happy to just hang out here"
Does that seem snarky? I feel I am being very honest..
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I think you're right-- just answer simply and honestly. Personally, I think it was a pretty selfish question! Even a "simple" headache affects each person differently. I don't mind any questions that come from a real desire to help me or to understand my limitations. But basically complaining about how you deal with your condition because it affects her desire to go shopping??
I always tempered my responses to rude questions by who was asking. It was common for people to ask "What happened? Was she in an accident?" about DD Samantha when she was younger (yes, it was an accident, no it didn't involve a car, and she was 6). Usually I just said "Oh, we just figured being hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt and living in hospitals for a few years sounded like fun!!"
One time, I told a little boy who asked "She got hurt because she wasn't being nice to her mother and didn't behave herself." (This was in a restaurant where the little boy had terrorized everyone for the last hour, had spit in his mother's face, and screamed curse words, all while "mom" was wishy-washy and sicky-sweet "Billy, please don't do that. Sweety, it just breaks mommy's heart when you say those words to me. Please stop."
I think, for you, for most people who don't really know you well, a simple "Fibro affects different people differently. I'm just glad I got out of bed today." (I have a friend with Fibro and MS, and sometimes this is a huge challenge for her)
For close friends/family, saying "I'd love to go do stuff, but then I'll be in pain for DAYS after and unable to even get out of bed at a decent hour. How about we just enjoy a phone conversation, or a visit at my home?"
Since she is well aware of your condition, I'm not sure I could have been so nice.
Lots of times, when I am well, I don't want to shop. I don't know why if I was in pain as you are, I would want to shop at all.
The funny thing is, This is my sister who knows exactly how my fibro effects me, But STILL DOESN'T GET IT !!!!!!!!!!
Well, that's just not right. If I had Fibro and my sister was like yours, I might tell her "I don't like you well enough to go out with you. Either that or MY FIBRO MAKES ME FEEL ILL AND I CAN'T GO WITH YOU! Take your pick, sis."
I think rude questions come from people not understand things. I have a bad back from a damaged disc which is totally different from someone who gets muscle spasms. People do not understand that two people with the same illness or disorder may be living their life differently. The do not know your life so they ask.
I try not to be rude to people and educate them. To a person who sees a disabled child they think of a car accident not a child falling out of a high chair or a child who was born damaged by an inept doctor's forceps.
Today was a bad day even though Mom gets a better brand new bed. She could not understand how sick she made me. She saw me gasping for breath and spitting and wheezing. She had me wake up twice and come to her 4 times in half an hour. THEY DO NOT UNDERSTAND. I am nice to strangers because they can be educated but family do not get it.
__________________
Mom calls to check on me and reminded me to pay the gardener. I love her so much.
Disneyland was fun with flag retreat and pickles. I have a home here, thank you. GAC is NOT a "front of the line pass".
She is gone but keeping signature. Laundry is getting done. My purpose in life is to help poor people in FL. Farewell, will miss you.
I am not interested in shopping, I have never been a "shopping girl" I love my home & am happy to just hang out here"
..
OK, I'm confused. Who was the lively imposter running around, shopping, and being full of all kinds of mischief in Disneyland?????????? I don't want to alarm the real Deb but I have plenty of photos to proove that a lookalike was causing all kinds of mayhem in the parks.
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Well, that's just not right. If I had Fibro and my sister was like yours, I might tell her "I don't like you well enough to go out with you. Either that or MY FIBRO MAKES ME FEEL ILL AND I CAN'T GO WITH YOU! Take your pick, sis."
I'll be honest it doesn't seem to me that the question comes from not understanding you disease as much as them feeling sorry for themselves because you don't spend time with. Your answer was honest and appropriate but it may go deeper.
I have multiple autoimmune issues and yes I do get silly questions. It's never fair to compare one persons fight with a disease to others. I want to say "I've seen healthy people who run marathons, how come your not?" but I keep my mouth shut.
The thing I do say is that I have limited energy sometimes and have to spend it wisely. If you had less money you wouldn't waste it on things you don't want, why do that with your time?
Are there things you can do together? Can you invite them over to watch a movie, or a cup of tea and a chat?
OK, I'm confused. Who was the lively imposter running around, shopping, and being full of all kinds of mischief in Disneyland?????????? I don't want to alarm the real Deb but I have plenty of photos to proove that a lookalike was causing all kinds of mayhem in the parks.
LOL, The same girl that went back to the room everyday for a 2 hour nap so I could keep up with you 2 young ladies! (And took lots of pain meds)
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Had a chat with my sister & she said she understands, But it upsets her that Fibro is messing up my life & she wishes I could do more. She said she misses her sister, the one that was more active. I agree! I have made a appointment with a Rheumatology doctor that deals with Fibro to see if there is something else I can do to feel better.
LOL, The same girl that went back to the room everyday for a 2 hour nap so I could keep up with you 2 young ladies! (And took lots of pain meds)
Yeah, you always crashed two hours before me. You were back in the parks when I went for my nap, but we were always back in synch to run around the parks in the evening.
Had a chat with my sister & she said she understands, But it upsets her that Fibro is messing up my life & she wishes I could do more. She said she misses her sister, the one that was more active. I agree! I have made a appointment with a Rheumatology doctor that deals with Fibro to see if there is something else I can do to feel better.
That's great, but remember that you can only be who you are. There are some things beyond your control.
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