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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
To post messages and ask questions, join our FREE community today and you'll get access to tools and resources not available to guests, such as our vacation countown timers, "living" avatars, private messaging system, database searches, downloads, and a special PassPorter discount code. Registration is fast, simple, and completely free. Just click the Join Our Community link.
If you think you've already joined, log in below now. If you don't remember your member name or password, please visit our Member Name and Password Recovery page. You are also welcome to contact us.
Two weeks in a row I have gone grocery shopping and have bought the same ice cream bars that had a tag advertising them 2/7.00. I go to check out and notice that they ring up $5.97 so I tell the kid that they're on sale........and wait......and wait......and wait for the kid to figure out what the price should be for one! Come on!! It wasn't the same person checking me out either so neither one knew. I can't believe (or rather I can believe) that $3.50 didn't just pop up in their head. There shouldn't be any "figuring" involved! Both of them actually asked me what I should be charged! It's really scary that kids these days have been raised with so much technology to "think" for them that they can't even do simple math in their heads. I can't stand it!
I know it is scary sad how todays youth can not do math in their head. I work with a bunch of young people and they get thrown off if someone gives them a penny after the register tells them the change. Everyone needs to test their kids because the schools are doing a crappy job of teaching kids the basics now.
I remember years ago doing a DIY birthday party for one of my kids at the local beach and afterwards I bought them balloons. I think it came to £13.99 and I handed over a 20. If you had seen the look of sheer panic on the young girls face that was behind the till. For so e reason it didn't tell her how much change to give me and I didn't feel like letting her off the hook either because it should be something she could figure out. She basically started handing me coins and notes and eventually looked at me and said have I given you enough yet?
Tanya
Every click helps feed .6 bowls of food to rescued animals. Give a quick click every day and help animals in shelters! www.theanimalrescuesite.com
It's not just kids. I was in line at the supermarket today behind a women who could not count out $61.42 in cash for her groceries. I did not suggest she just use a debit card from now on. And this is in one of the wealthiest suburbs and it was clear from the woman's dress that she was quite well off.
Registered Message Board Members save 30% off PassPorter guidebooks! When you register you'll have access to a discount coupon good for 30% off the list price of PassPorter books in our online store.
We've always made our kids count out coins and learn to make change. It is scary sad how many teens and adults working retail that have lost the ability to count out change or even think for themselves!
Just because teachers cover something--repeatedly--doesn't mean all kids will or can learn it.
I'm horrible at simple math, and despite being a college grad can't figure in my head which of two products of different sizes, different prices is the better value.
I can, however, tell you whether you should say who or whom in a given sentence. As if much of anyone but us grammar geeks cares.
__________________
“People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.” —Winnie-the-Pooh
Scary! Not too long ago Luke and I went to the McDs drive through. I gave Luke a ten dollar bill and a dime as the food cost an amount ending in ten cents. The young girl at the window said they couldn't take the dime. Luke told her that way she'd just have to give us bills as change. She got flustered and called a manager over who also said they couldn't do that. The scariest part is the cash register would have taken the amount if she'd just put it in and told her what to give us back.
PassPorter Guide Community Rank: Legend Extraordinaire
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Chapel Hill, NC USA
Concierge Level: 6
Posts: 36,592
Post Thanks / Like
My first job where I handled money, my boss put me through a couple different scenarios to see what kind of change I'd need to give out. If you couldn't do it in your head, you weren't hired.
Registered Message Board Members Get Our Free Newsletter! When you register you'll have the option to sign up for our weekly PassPorter Newsletter. It's chock-full of feature articles; news; tips; contests; photos; and special offers in our online store.
I just had this EXACT conversation last night with my family. God forbid you hand a clerk loose change. They just stare at it like I handed them Yen and go into full panic mode. Although it isn't always an age issue, 95% of the time it happens with the 18-25 year olds.
Actually thinking about a conversation I just had with my daughter who is having a panic attack about registering for university tomorrow even though it is full of things she can do. Maybe the problem is more interaction with strangers makes them panic and act like deer in headlights more than that they actually can't do the maths.
Also I was thinking about this worse than making me mad this makes me sad. What future do these kids have?
Actually thinking about a conversation I just had with my daughter who is having a panic attack about registering for university tomorrow even though it is full of things she can do. Maybe the problem is more interaction with strangers makes them panic and act like deer in headlights more than that they actually can't do the maths.
Also I was thinking about this worse than making me mad this makes me sad. What future do these kids have?
No, they really can not do change in their heads. Working in food I have seen a lot of young kids come and go and a good 90% not only struggle with everyday things like make change they also have a nasty attitude and are very disrespectful of adults. And the employers let it go because if you say something to the kids the parents come down and yell at the boss. It is a totally different world from when I was that age. We can not keep any good adults to work because they do not want to deal with the nasty attitudes of the young people.
About This Page: 
It's really scary that kids these days have been raised with so much technology to "think" for them that they can't even do simple math in their heads. I can't stand it! 
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
I know it's not funny. But it is.
PassPorter Guide Author
Our last WDW trip as a family 
Linear Mode
