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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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So my son and I are a little strange when it comes to eating. Although I don't think it is strange, but everyone else does.
Anyway, we don't like our food touching. I use different plates to make sure food juices don't spill into each other and I don't like mashed potatoes due to texture. DS is worse than me, he will not eat anything if it has touch the other item and uses several forks to ensure nothing has come into contact. (he has mild autism and will freak out) So two questions: 1. I noticed many items come with MP as the side, can you substitute for a steamed vege or salad? 2. will the restaurants be okay if I ask for 3 forks and each item to be on a separate plate for DS?
My only other option for DS is to bring a divided plate, which I would have to carry around all over the place. I have learned to deal with my issues and just use a napkin to sop up juice in order to stop it from running into my food.
I'm sure the TS restaurants can accomodate your DS's need for space between food choices. They may even put each item on a different plate if that's what he needs. Additional forks shouldn't be a problem either. I'm not sure about the CS restaurants, but you could ask. It might depend on what you order.
I've had side choices switched at TS restaurants without any problems.
Don't be embarrassed to ask for accomodations. Everyone is different and WDW is equipped to handle just about any need.
There is actually a pretty well known Disney podcaster who has the exact same issue! I don't think it's strange at all and I'm sure Disney will have no problem accommodating you!
I know you know your son best but I would like to share my sisters story. Her daughter Maddie has mild autism(she has just turned 5) and she had a bunch of quirks like that when she was younger. My sister treated her like any other child and would not let her throw a fit about things like that and she punished her if she misbehaved. Maddie is now in main stream preschool with her teachers and doctor saying how amazing it is that she behaves mostly like a healthy child without autism. She socializes with us now and makes eye contact and answers questions. All of this improvement started happening after my sister stopped treating her like she has autism. I know not every child is the same. but we believe her diet and the way she is treated helps retrain her brain. As to Disney, I am sure that they would get you whatever you needed as far as extra plates and silverware.
Don't worry, I'm somewhat like that too. I can have foods touuh but not mixed together or whatever. TS would most likely be able to accomodate you. Just ask your server. Most CS would probably do that too. Good luck!
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"Ladies do not start fights...but they can finish them" -Marie from Aristocats
WOW flash back, my Dson had the exact same issue when he was younger, I actually had to bring him to occupational therapy at his pediatricians suggestion and after his weeks of therapy they diagnosed him with OCD mind you he defiantly does something's even I find odd but at 14 1/2 we have all learned to live with it and keep in mind it may get better as he get's older, it has for my DS, I love my "odd/strange" DS...
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Separate dishes: table service restaurants will give you bowls of food separately and they will give you 3 of each utensil. Make up a business card or index card to give to CMs stating yours child's requests. This way quietly the staff can read everything and show the card to managers or chefs. No need to try to remember all of your dietary rules and on embarrassment over stating those rules.
Counter service can also provide the food separately. The exception would be items made backstage to be served onstage as you cannot undo what is done. That is very rare.
Substitutions: YES YES
Disney has many guests who will not eat what is on their plate for one reason or another. "May I substitute veggies for the mashed potatoes" Officially a restaurant may say it does not do substitutions but most will do substitutions or make something for you special off the menu.
I shove something under my plate and sop up liquids. I love steak rolled around in mash potatoes and have no qualms with food touching but HATE excess liquid in my plate. Juice, dressing, melted butter or salad water on a plate annoy me so much that I will sop up the juice or tilt the plate. You can ask for paper to sop up the juice on a plate. You can ask for dressing or sauce on the side if that helps. There are divided paper plates available that you could carry with you.
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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 know you know your son best but I would like to share my sisters story. Her daughter Maddie has mild autism(she has just turned 5) and she had a bunch of quirks like that when she was younger. My sister treated her like any other child and would not let her throw a fit about things like that and she punished her if she misbehaved. Maddie is now in main stream preschool with her teachers and doctor saying how amazing it is that she behaves mostly like a healthy child without autism. She socializes with us now and makes eye contact and answers questions. All of this improvement started happening after my sister stopped treating her like she has autism. I know not every child is the same. but we believe her diet and the way she is treated helps retrain her brain. As to Disney, I am sure that they would get you whatever you needed as far as extra plates and silverware.
I wonder about handling it that way too. If he had to deal with it, could he or would he just not eat? If the foods weren't touching, but on the same plate would it be something he could learn to do?
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I wonder about handling it that way too. If he had to deal with it, could he or would he just not eat? If the foods weren't touching, but on the same plate would it be something he could learn to do?
Eventually, he probably could. But who wants to try that while on vacation? Nothing like a meltdown to ruin a perfectly nice day/meal...
I had a talk with him today during dinner about this issue. Since he does not know about the trip we just discussed when he can have his food divided and when it is ok to have it all together. I agree i dont want to deal with it on vacation infront of a bunch of people, but if we start know, he should be a little better at coping.
I love the business card idea...will use it for sure.
Set goals for him. Reward him for dealing with his issues. Teach him how to cope. He also needs to find out why he reacts to food touching. Treating behavior is easier if you know why the kid over reacts to food touching. Try playing food games where you try two things together. Try to include Disney characters in this process. The trip can me something of a celebration of his progress. One thing about kids is that they tend to relax at WDW and DLR. They will try new things and do things that parents did not think is possible.
hugs and keep asking questions.
__________________
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.
Set goals for him. Reward him for dealing with his issues. Teach him how to cope. He also needs to find out why he reacts to food touching. Treating behavior is easier if you know why the kid over reacts to food touching. Try playing food games where you try two things together. Try to include Disney characters in this process. The trip can me something of a celebration of his progress. One thing about kids is that they tend to relax at WDW and DLR. They will try new things and do things that parents did not think is possible.
hugs and keep asking questions.
I agree that kids will amaze you at Disney. My son has Aspergers and he tried new things that I never dreamed he would. It is a magical place!!!!
My son has autism and would not accept his chicken and fries in a basket. I had no problem asking that they be served on a plate (most places will have either dessert plates or paper plates that they can use). Disney tends to be pretty accommodating with food issues. If you ask to have his food served on separate small plates or bowls, I am sure they would do this, especially if you explain that he has sensory issues (very common in autism). I have seen plenty of kids eating things like spaghetti with no sauce at CS places, so you may be pleasantly surprised at what they can do to help with this issue.
As others have said, most places can sub or leave off various sides and sauces so no worries about your own food.
And we have found that each trip to WDW results in more growth for our son, now 23, in terms of coping with the world: waiting in line, accepting differently prepared foods, dealing with crowds and noise.
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WOW flash back, my Dson had the exact same issue when he was younger, I actually had to bring him to occupational therapy at his pediatricians suggestion and after his weeks of therapy they diagnosed him with OCD mind you he defiantly does something's even I find odd but at 14 1/2 we have all learned to live with it and keep in mind it may get better as he get's older, it has for my DS, I love my "odd/strange" DS...
We saw amazing things too with our DD!
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