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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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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.
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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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My birthday is Dec 30-the eve before New Years Eve. Every yr since I was born, I have never had a celebration other than cake and my grandparents coming over except for when I was 5. Even now, as I am married and have 2 kids, we don't do much for it because dh is working etc and we live out of town and no babysitters. This past birthday, I ran to town to pick up my own cake, and to get some chinese food early so I could come home and say goodbye to my brother in law and his family who were traveling home around 7 p.m. I get a call while I am at walmart that they are leaving at 11 am (it was 10 a.m when I got the call and I live 1/2 hr out of town and the roads were slippery and we are in the hills) because my sil who lives in the city wanted them to go to a movie with her at 1 p.m (yeah, I know, a city of 250,000 and there is only one movie at 1 pm-not). So I opted not to come in and say goodbye..it was a tough decision and I was heartbroken. I mean, I was mad, and very hurt that they couldn't have made this decision the night before or told me early before i left for town, knowing it was my birthday. I know I sound petty, but I was really really really hurt. I won't see them for another 5 yrs and their kids won't be up again.
After all these yrs and after a particularly bad one this yr. I am getting annoyed. I don't want to spend my birthday at home anymore. I want to travel next yr. Anyone else like this???
You have right to be annoyed.
My birthday is the 10th. We had cakes when we were little(I'm a twin). I have never had an adult party. I gave my Husband 2 (his birthday is January 14) .Once when he was 21 & once when he was 40. Everyone says it is too close to Christmas. When my friends do give me a gift, it is always"this is for your birthday & Christmas" & it is something for Christmas. Hello I gave you both. I really get annoyed when the present is wrapped in Christmas paper. I've learned to chuck it up. & learned to pick my battles.
Any Happy Belated Birthday
My husband never gets me a cake . A couple times I bought my own cake.
I'm sorry they didn't tell you about leaving earlier. My birthday is also in
December (16th) and we always had so much going on that it was easily
overlooked. I was asked if I wanted the "big" present on my birthday or
for Christmas. Well duh both please! This year I celebrated my 40th
and my DH helped my BFF plan a party for me. Very low key but it's what
I wanted. I promised myself if we had a child with a birthday like mine we
would celebrate a half birthday in the summer.
Oh and my DH also was unlucky. His birthday is Oct. 31 so every year he
spent it trick-or-treating and not having an actual birthday. A cake yes but
not a party.
Plan a trip or party for next year. Celebrate you! Happy Belated Birthday
__________________
Last edited by eff051102; 01-01-2012 at 04:57 PM..
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My birthday is December 31st so I totally understand where you are coming from. Hard to have a birthday celebration when the entire world is busy celebrating the new year . I end up not going out on my birthday due to the crazy drunk drivers and partiers.
Happy birthday to you though!! Maybe next year you can celebrate at Disney
My birthday is December 27 and DH's is the 31st! So, we're very familiar with the thing of "it's for Christmas and your birthday". Irritates the heck out of me. I used to get similar or even identical Christmas gifts as my sister (17 months older, born in July - lucky girl) and then nothing for my birthday because "It's a big gift, and we couldn't afford to buy you this and a birthday gift, so it's both." Yeah, but Dsis got gifts for both - even the year we both got very nice bicycles (identical except the color of the seat).
I don't blame you for being upset. I think it was very rude of them to suddenly change plans on you. Maybe you could go visit them some time to spend time?
I'd tell my DH we were going away for my b-day next year, even if it's just for a couple of days. Doesn't have to be anything huge, but a weekend away might be just the thing.
My sister's birthday is Dec 22 and my brother's is Dec 27..........My mother always made each day special for them. We always got to pick our birthday dinner and what kind of cake we wanted.....they did ,too. My mother also insisted that they not get one gift that was for both occasions (combined birthday and Christmas)...there would be a birthday present on their day and then a gift for Christmas. When my DS (the sailor) was born on Dec 18th, my mom said....Don't let ANYONE ever "rob" him of his day because he was born a week before Christmas. Since I am the oldest of the family, I know how my brother and sister were happy to be given their day and we always did the same with Mike..
I hear you as my birthday is 21 December, but in our house it was always a case of my birthday was more important than Christmas. My parents would never put up decorations until after my birthday - and they still stick to that today, even though I haven't lived at home for more than 20 years! As a result, I always put a lot of importance on the day and do what I want to do - perhaps selfishly - but that's meant spending a lot of birthdays at Disney, as that's what I like to do! By the time I turn 40 at the end of the year I'll have spent six of the last 12 years in WDW. This year, I took the day off work and did what I wanted to on my own, I went to Leeds Castle, as I love visiting the place, and then had a spa day.
I say be a little more selfish and do what you want to do - why not go away for it next year, the whole family, if you don't want to be at home? Going away for Christmas can be a huge amount of fun - and I should know!
Thanks everyone!!! you honestly "get" what I went through and that is so much appreciated!!! I
It still hurts alot at times, but I am trying to put it aside, learn from it, and start to think of next yr. I am putting distance for a bit between myself and dh family and hope that karma does the trick.
Both of my kids get a party. Even when they were 1 and 2, they always had a store bought "theme" birthday cake (I am not skilled enough to make one). And a special gift. It is easier with one being in Feb although her birthday is the day before Valentines Day and the other one is June 15, our buisiest time of the yr.
My kids are sad when they hear that I have only had the 1 party that I can remember. But my mom didn't like celebrating anything(no religious reasons either) and she doesn't put up a tree because she is by herself, whereas my 99 3/4 yr old grandma, decks out her place.
I am already looking at places to go to for next Christmas with my dh, and my kids. NOT telling the relatives so they don't follow
I am sooo glad that there are many of you, whose parents looked at you as a person, and made your day special. That has to touch your heart. As for everyone else, like myself, maybe we can make 2012 a special birthday for each of us-maybe that is a 2012 goal-put ourselves first for this next birthday.
Chiming in late, but I just wanted to say, "I hear ya." My birthday is December 31, and while my Mom tried with the parties when I was younger, unfortunately the time of year and weather conspired against many of them. Lots of times kids couldn't come because their family had other plans due to the holidays. I am very lucky now in that my hubby (and family) tries very hard to make it special. DH gets me roses and a cake every year, but again the time of year makes it tough. People have plans for that night, restaurants are busy or are hosting special events that are really crowded, you get the idea.
My DS's birthday is in the July - now you wouldn't think that was a big deal, but most years there weren't any kids to attend his party - everybody is on vacation or at camp or whatever. So instead we did his birthday in April where there were lots of kids around. So how about doing your 1/2 year birthday in May or June. It's warmer and the weather is usually better.
A friend of mine has a boy born on Christmas eve eve. She and her husband decided early on that they would do a "half birthday" party since they were already getting the whole "oh good we can save on gifts" from family. now they have his bday party in June or July so that he can be sure to celebrate with his family and friends and not share it with other festivities.
Both my parents have December birthdays and we always have a family party for each of them. We just want them to enjoy their special days like we do.
Liz
My son turned 17 on December 25th. Because he was born in the evening that Christmas of 1994, I have made a tradition of celebrating his birthday in the evening. Yes, we have Christmas dinner in the afternoon. But, around 5 or 6 pm, we have his birthday cake. His birthday gifts are always separate from the ones he opened under the tree that morning, and they are always wrapped in Birthday paper. This year, he got the xbox game he really wanted for his birthday. But, he had to wait until evening to open it! I hope I've done well with this. The good part is, that Christmas day I usually have extended family over, and most people aren't working. The silver lining is that people are around and in a festive mood on his birthday. He loves it. Says there is nobody else he'd like to share his day with...LOL
My son turned 17 on December 25th. Because he was born in the evening that Christmas of 1994, I have made a tradition of celebrating his birthday in the evening. Yes, we have Christmas dinner in the afternoon. But, around 5 or 6 pm, we have his birthday cake. His birthday gifts are always separate from the ones he opened under the tree that morning, and they are always wrapped in Birthday paper. This year, he got the xbox game he really wanted for his birthday. But, he had to wait until evening to open it! I hope I've done well with this. The good part is, that Christmas day I usually have extended family over, and most people aren't working. The silver lining is that people are around and in a festive mood on his birthday. He loves it. Says there is nobody else he'd like to share his day with...LOL
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). So I opted not to come in and say goodbye..it was a tough decision and I was heartbroken. I mean, I was mad, and very hurt that they couldn't have made this decision the night before or told me early before i left for town, knowing it was my birthday. I know I sound petty, but I was really really really hurt. I won't see them for another 5 yrs and their kids won't be up again. 
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[SIGPIC]Ricky, Sharon R, Richard
This year I celebrated my 40th
PassPorter Guide Author
I'll have spent six of the last 12 years in WDW. This year, I took the day off work and did what I wanted to on my own, I went to Leeds Castle, as I love visiting the place, and then had a spa day. 
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