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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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its been over 35 years since I've been to Gatorland, I really wanted to take my kids there this year, I am very sure it has changed in 35yrs, so is it worth it or skip it?
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Just for the fun of it, I just googled Gatorland and I can tell you just from this line
Quote:
Welcome to Gatorland, the Alligator Capital of the World and Orlando's Best Half Day Attraction!
it's not something I want to go to. When someplace is a self proclaimed half day attraction (especially when they're open 10 to 6 - a full day IMO), how good could it possibly be?
ETA - according to what I found on the website, a single day adult ticket at the gate costs 26.99 - quite pricey for what you get considering there are several things that are additional costs (their train ride for example). I don't think I've ever spent that kind of money on a bigger zoo with lots more things to do.
You're money would probably be better spent here - although it's a lot further away but you'd get an airboat ride out of it and see gators in their natural habitat instead of in pens being fed dead chickens.
Gatorland has positioned itself as a half day park to induce people coming for Disney and Universal to visit GL without having to surrender a whole vacation day away from their main resort. It has been on our to-do list for a while. This is an Old Florida type attraction, the kind of thing people came for BD (before Disney). They suffered a devastating fire a few years ago that took out their main shop building and the gator jaws in front. After rebuilding, they developed some special programs like night viewing, which do cost extra. But my son has spent $23.99 on a single stuffed character or a few pins at WDW, so I don't think the price is a deterrent, especially since Disney offers special tours that for the most part cost much, much more.
I would look at their website and see if you feel this attraction would appeal to your kids. Depending upon the ages of your kids and how many you are, it could cost be less than the cost of a single day MK ticket for you all to revisit a fun place you remember with your kids.
Gatorland has positioned itself as a half day park to induce people coming for Disney and Universal to visit GL without having to surrender a whole vacation day away from their main resort. It has been on our to-do list for a while. This is an Old Florida type attraction, the kind of thing people came for BD (before Disney). They suffered a devastating fire a few years ago that took out their main shop building and the gator jaws in front. After rebuilding, they developed some special programs like night viewing, which do cost extra. But my son has spent $23.99 on a single stuffed character or a few pins at WDW, so I don't think the price is a deterrent, especially since Disney offers special tours that for the most part cost much, much more.
I would look at their website and see if you feel this attraction would appeal to your kids. Depending upon the ages of your kids and how many you are, it could cost be less than the cost of a single day MK ticket for you all to revisit a fun place you remember with your kids.
Gatorland is fun, but best if you splurge on a zipline tour for your family. We enjoyed touring the park and seeing a couple of shows, but the zipline was the jewel in the crown. I found a Groupon so it wasn't even that expensive, and we had a wonderful time. Definitely worth it!
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Proud Ed.D. holder, mom of 2, WDW AP holder, and returned Florida native!
PassPorter's Free-Book to Walt Disney World It’s hard to believe anything is free at Walt Disney World; but there are actually a number of things you can get or do for little to no cost. This e-book documents over 200 free or cheap tips to do before you go and after you arrive. You could save a considerable amount of money following these tips. Perhaps more importantly; you can discover overlooked attractions and little-known details most people whiz by on their way to spend money. Click here to see free sample pages from the e-book! Get this popular e-book free of extra charges when you join the PassPorter's Club for as little as $4.95. A club pass includes access to all our other e-books; e-worksheets; super-size photos; and more! This e-book is also available for separate purchase in the PassPorter Online Store for just $5.95.