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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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DD Lauren has a hard decision to make - where to go to university. When she decided where to apply, it was easy. She KNEW where she was going if they accepted her. She's been accepted to 4 schools (she applied to 4) - and there are other factors that are making it hard to decide. 2 universities are in SD, 1 in TN, and 1 in IN.
She knows her decision will determine the course of her life. Heavy stuff for an almost-18-year-old.
She also knows (partly because I told her), that every single decision adults make in their lives comes with a "What if?" - What if I'd taken x class and not y? What if I'd met that person and not this one? What if I'd accepted that instead of this one? What if I'd turned that person down? What if I'd adopted that white dog and not the black one (okay - maybe only I think that)?
Can you send some pixies? I know she's not the only kid facing this issue right now, but she's the only one I've got facing it.
Best wishes to Lauren on her decision! My son is about to face a similar choice. I keep telling him that although it has is true that college can change his life, it is also true that he could have a great life no matter which college he chooses.
I think occasionally about what would be different if I had chosen a different college or a different major or a different summer job or a different place to live after graduation. I keep coming back to the realization that I don't know, and I can't know, but as long as I am happy now, it does not matter.
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.
First, congratulations to your daughter on being accepted at all four schools. That's just terrific. As a resident of Tennessee, I highly recommend the Volunteer State . Seriously, many, many for Lauren. It really is a big decision for one still so young. Best wishes to her, whatever she decides.
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.
Best wishes to Lauren on her decision! My son is about to face a similar choice. I keep telling him that although it has is true that college can change his life, it is also true that he could have a great life no matter which college he chooses.
I think occasionally about what would be different if I had chosen a different college or a different major or a different summer job or a different place to live after graduation. I keep coming back to the realization that I don't know, and I can't know, but as long as I am happy now, it does not matter.
Many pixies!
Melissa
I think this says it so well. We all have those forks in the road and decisions around us, and choosing the college to attend is certainly a major one. I would assume that all offer the programs she wants and are good. In the long haul, it is not which one she attends, but what she does to make that decision the best one for her.
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As others have said, it's a big decision but maybe not as huge as she's thinking. She'll do well wherever she goes, and she can transfer if she just hates it.
Don't be paralyzed by how crucial this decision is; it's just one of many, and worrying about what-ifs is a good way to wish your life away and not appreciate what you have.
I would personally rule out SD as I hate, hate, hate cold weather and snow, but it must be okay for her, or she wouldn't have applied there. Also, it's VERY VERY expensive to fly to and from SD, so she won't be coming home very often.
I'd advise her, if she's really torn, and all are acceptable, to look at it this way:
--Which is a better financial deal? Years of debt after college are more life-changing (in a bad way) than the actual college you choose, regardless of how much you think you'll earn afterward. Be sure to consider how much it will cost to travel to the more distant schools. Scholarships and financial aid generally don't cover travel costs.
--Which is best respected for her major, as well as having other related or unrelated options in case she changes her mind, as many but not all college students do?
--Which is located near where she'd eventually want to live or work?
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One more suggestion:
When I was faced with a major choice (whether to go from active duty into the Reserves), I sat down with a legal pad and a pen and started writing down the pros and cons of each choice. Before too long, I saw that I already knew which was the right choice, as my responses kept getting longer and more detailed.
Just writing it all down can help you clarify both what makes sense and where your heart lies.
As others have said, it's a big decision but maybe not as huge as she's thinking. She'll do well wherever she goes, and she can transfer if she just hates it.
I went out to San Diego for my freshman year of college (from FL). I was so excited and thought that I was 100% sure that's where I wanted to be and would love it (shows what I knew at 17 ). (I had spent the previous five summer vacations spending 4+ weeks each summer with my aunt in the SD area, so it was not unfamiliar to me.) Well, let's just say I figured out real fast that I am NOT a California Girl, and after that first year I transferred back to USF in Tampa and graduated from there. It wasn't about "going home", because my parents had actually moved to Ohio during the year I was in CA. It's just about where I fit in and where I didn't. Very few things we do in our lives are absolute "this cannot be changed even if it makes you miserable" kind of things. Please make sure your daughter knows that and doesn't stress herself out too much over this decision.
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MNSSHP 2015: DH (Bane), Me (Batgirl), Genie, and our friends
Of course the decisions you make shape your life but I look at it differently. I see it as if you follow your gut then that's the way it was supposed to be. Everything happens for a reason even if you cant see it right away. I go more on what feels right to me. If you focus on all of the "what ifs" then you drive yourself crazy. As others have said, nothing is permanent. If your daughter doesn't "fit" where she goes then there are other schools. Good luck.
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Dreams, Wishes, Hopes... these are the parts of childhood we should never lose.
Also, it's VERY VERY expensive to fly to and from SD, so she won't be coming home very often.
). (I had spent the previous five summer vacations spending 4+ weeks each summer with my aunt in the SD area, so it was not unfamiliar to me.) Well, let's just say I figured out real fast that I am NOT a California Girl, and after that first year I transferred back to USF in Tampa and graduated from there. It wasn't about "going home", because my parents had actually moved to Ohio during the year I was in CA. It's just about where I fit in and where I didn't. Very few things we do in our lives are absolute "this cannot be changed even if it makes you miserable" kind of things. Please make sure your daughter knows that and doesn't stress herself out too much over this decision.
Jackie
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