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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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 actually cried this morning when I heard this on the news. What a horrible horrible thing to happen. I can't even imagine what the family is going through. How do you live with this? They said it was a family of 5, what must the other 2 children be going through? So sad.
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While I cannot imagine the horror the family is going through, I also read that the child was wading in the water despite no swimming signs. I hope lots of people who do not believe that caution signs apply to them, take a lesson from this.
The do not signs apply to everyone. This to me is an awful tragedy that should not have happened.
I've heard conflicting stories as well. The article just says they were relaxing on the beach but the news on tv said that the father and child were wading in foot deep water. The article also referenced no swimming signs but nothing about alligators. It's been a long time since I've been along the beach there, but didn't they use to have signs that actually said "No swimming" with a little diagram of an alligator on them? Seems I recall something like that.
While I cannot imagine the horror the family is going through, I also read that the child was wading in the water despite no swimming signs. I hope lots of people who do not believe that caution signs apply to them, take a lesson from this.
Who considers wading at the edge of a lake to be in violation of "No Swimming" signs? Swimming to me and to most people means immersing your body in water at least up to your neck if not fully submerged.
I certainly wouldn't consider wading to be swimming and suspect that many others wouldn't think that merely walking about in water a foot deep, getting little more than a child's feet wet, could be deadly.
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It's been a long time since I've been along the beach there, but didn't they use to have signs that actually said "No swimming" with a little diagram of an alligator on them? Seems I recall something like that.
You perhaps recall signs that include a swimmer graphic in addition to "No Swimming."
Who considers wading at the edge of a lake to be in violation of "No Swimming" signs? Swimming to me and to most people means immersing your body in water at least up to your neck if not fully submerged.
I certainly wouldn't consider wading to be swimming and suspect that many others wouldn't think that merely walking about in water a foot deep, getting little more than a child's feet wet, could be deadly.
Sadly, in Florida, I would consider that a child wading in the lagoon would be an invitation to danger. I guess I've just heard too many stories of alligator attacks. Some people think I'm overly cautious, but I prefer to be safe rather than sorry.
I am certainly shocked and saddened by this tragedy. Nobody can imagine what this family is experiencing. It's just a horrible thing. Many prayers and for them.
My heart goes out to the family. But I know there are 'no swimming" signs in the area. I don't really think its WDW's job to put up signs that spell out every possible thing that could go wrong if you do what they ask you not to do. Imagine, "Don't climb on this structure because you might fall and crack your head open" signs. Or in this case, "Don't even think about going in the water, it's dirty, germy, and filled with alligators that could eat you" signs.
In any case, it's a horrible, horrible tragedy. I can't imagine what the parents are going through.
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This is so sad...I can't imagine what those parents are going through! My heart is breaking for them!
But I have to say that I would not put a toe in any body of water in the state of Florida! There are alligators and snakes everywhere!
In fact I probably wouldn't get too close to the water on the beach at any of the resorts at WDW.
There are warning signs on all of the beaches at the WDW resorts.
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Unbelievably sad situation.
I'm pretty sure we waded our toes in the waters at GL and WL when we stayed there with the kids many years ago. (but never at dusk or night) And I was/am aware of alligators in the waters around the resorts. I just wouldn't suspect that would happen. Now I know.
Unfortunately wading and swimming are not the same thing, and the signs clearly say "no swimming please". I'm not a moderator here, and I'm sure so much could be debated on this tragedy, but I don't think putting the blame on the parents is the right thing to do now. I can't imagine what they must be going through.
That's so horrible. I've be going to Florida and Disney for over 40 years. The first thing my in-laws ever told us was to stay away from the lakes and canals in S. Florida. The alligators see cats, dogs and small children as food. I've seen many alligators at Disney World. Saying that, I can understand that people don't think that the water will be dangerous at Disney World. My nephew wanted to swim in the lake at CBR. My DML said no way no how. I've actually sen the snakes in that lake.
Liz
The news article I read said Disney is very good about relocating alligators but it is Florida and there are large areas of undeveloped land at Disney (which contributes to its beauty). I think it is also sad that this event has taken the focus off Disney's generous actions for the families of the shooting victims.
I am a lawyer who doesn't do torts in large part because the majority of the people are seeking compensation for their own stupidity and disregard for warnings and fail to use common sense. This is a case where I would hate to see Disney forced to build barriers to protect people from themselves.
I've be going to Florida and Disney for over 40 years. The first thing my in-laws ever told us was to stay away from the lakes and canals in S. Florida. The alligators see cats, dogs and small children as food. I've seen many alligators at Disney World.
A good example of what I'd call "native knowledge."
Those of us from less hazardous areas of the world are unlikely to think of lake water as dangerous in any sense other than germ-laden or possibly having an unexpected dropoff that might cause drowning.
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Saying that, I can understand that people don't think that the water will be dangerous at Disney World.
Another good point.
DH mentioned that the hosts of a radio show he enjoys mentioned playing golf on a Disney course once. A member of their party remarked about the "animatronic alligator" he saw in a water hazard. Someone quickly corrected him that that was a REAL one. This was an adult man who thought it must simply be one of those clever imitations of reality Disney does so well.
I agree it's very easy to feel more protected at Disney than one ought to.
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How awful. Lots of prayers and positive thoughts heading their way.
for them.
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