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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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I am thinking of getting away for a short 4-5 night vacation over DD;s Christmas break. She is in med school so tends to be exhausted when Break starts. I also have a ton of points on Jet Blue so would like to use those. Coming from the NOrtheast so would like warm.
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Well there's always Universal, or for more relaxing try Busch Gardens. Busch is more laid back and has awesome coasters! You can go see the Manatees near the power station in Tampa. Way cool! And there's Good dining to be found in Ybor City too.
there is something nice about just hanging out on the beach and being waited on hand and foot. Kind of like a cruise but more relaxed and no motion sickness
We've done Florida so many times -Disney and non Disney, I would like to do something else.
Being cheap and not a drinker, I am not sure an all inclusive would be a great idea, although I think Jamaica may be worth looking in to. I also though Aruba might be nice. We did the Keys on year Christmas week and really loved it but I don't want a flight and a long drive.
Short 4-5 night...from Northeast...Non-Disney...(wait, why?!?!) JK....
New Orleans? Corpus Christi, St. Augustine? Los Angeles? (I hear they have a decent theme park there). Belize? Cancun?
I have always wanted to see Vera Cruz. I might chose that. But that said, I have almost NO experience with short vacations. How about a short carribean cruise? When it's short, it's way more about the amenities, I think.
Warmer than New England for sure although not Florida-warm--Santa Fe, NM.
You'll have to fly into Albuquerque and take the Shuttlejack (bus service) or rent a car for the hour's drive up to Santa Fe. I suggest renting a car as taxi service there is not fabulous, and unless you plan to stay and hang out around the Plaza, the city is more spread out than you'd think.
Christmas there is indescribably gorgeous, particularly driving through the upscale areas to see the farolitos on Christmas Eve (what most people call luminarias.) A luminaria is a huge bonfire atop a ridge, not the little brown paper bags with candles inside that line adobe walls and roof edges. Some homeowners set out hundreds of farolitos or hire a service to make, place and light them.
Definitely a unique holiday celebration.
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Last edited by Her Dotness; 03-14-2016 at 09:00 PM..
We have family members in Southern California so we've been quite a bit. A direct flight takes about 5 hours and an hour plus trip into Logan. I would like to keep the flight time on the shorter side given it would only be a five night trip at most.
In my mid I was thinking island in the Caribbean. I also thought Ireland.
And while the Disneys have their appeal, we been to both multiple times and I really don't want crowds. DD finishes exams the week before and probably would want more relaxing (and she will not do a parkless Disney)
Kimmyann, I have a son in Texas so we've done a lot of that. I do like the idea of New Orleans and have not been to St. Augustine. I don't need really hot but want to shed my winter coat for a few days. Also cruising has no appeal to me.
Now you can se why this is harder than it should be.
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Hilton Head Island/Savannah? We've been there when it's warm in Dec and when it's not, so it's a crapshoot on the actual weather (but warmer than NE). But the flight time would be short and there is plenty to do and see in both places for a few days.
St Augustine is a nice area to visit so I too would recommend that. Other considerations for quiet, relaxing few days would be the Outer Banks area in North Carolina. I absolutely loved the Wilmington, NC area.
I'd go with an island in the Bahamas or the Caribbean, hands down. Pick a nice resort you wouldn't mind spending most of your time at and just soak in the sunshine
Aruba is very relaxing, it is a long flight though. Palm Beach was super nice and relaxing and there are restaurants on the beach which was just super awesome. I'm not a fan of the Bahamas but it's an option. I did not enjoy the locals who are pushing their services and wares and I mean pushing....just really annoying. We didn't have that in Aruba. We stayed 9 days which was just too long, 4-5 days would be good there.
What about Charleston? If you want a quiet beach, try Folly beach. More locals but you do get some tourists. I believe it's 1-2 hours south of Charleston. My aunt loved folly beach when they lived in SC.
A cruise might be good as well. You don't have to get off the ship if you don't want to. You don't have to do a Disney cruise, carnival and Royal Caribbean have more affordable options.
I know you are wanting to avoid Florida- but I'll throw this out there anyways.... the National Parks at the southern end of Florida would be a consideration.... I've researched them for myself before and due to the intense heat of the summer, it is recommended to visit them in the winter.... I plan to visit them over one of our Christmas breaks at some point in time....
Thanks. BM we've done the everglades and Ding Darling so I am not sure of either of those. I might think about another Keys vacation or an island. DD is in medical school so I think her idea of a vacation is sitting on a beach with a book. She has enjoyed the hammocks here at the CSR.
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