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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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 about doing a New Year's cruise Dec 2020 to celebrate my next big b-day. Has anyone taken a New Year's cruise? Was it mobbed? How was the pricing? What extra things did they do to celebrate New Year's? What itinerary did you do? Thanks.
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Waiting for our next adventure after enjoying our Alaska cruise. Jenn
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Well, I know how bad the pricing is, as we looked at Christmas or New Year for my last big birthday back in 2012 and the prices were eye watering, which is why we went for one just a bit earlier to cover my birthday.
The bonus is although no doubt it will be full and the ship would therefore be busy, it will be no worse than any other cruise that sails full - and a lot do. We've sailed on plenty of full cruises and, apart from the major events, like the sailing away and Pirates party that just about everyone wants to attend, it's not that bad. I don't know what they do for New Year though and if it's a big party, I can imagine that being mobbed....
Thanks for the information. I am still uncertain if we will do this, but, I know that I would not be able to handle the crowds in WDW at this time of year. So, this may be the only way to celebrate my next big b-day Disney style.
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Waiting for our next adventure after enjoying our Alaska cruise. Jenn
Thanks for the information. I am still uncertain if we will do this, but, I know that I would not be able to handle the crowds in WDW at this time of year. So, this may be the only way to celebrate my next big b-day Disney style.
I must admit that's the conclusion I've come to as well. My birthday's on 21 December and, while we can just about get away with a visit to WDW around then, the crowds usually build pretty soon after that. The last time we were there for Christmas was many years ago now (I think 2009?) and the crowds were insane even back then. I dread to think what they're like now.
I must admit that's the conclusion I've come to as well. My birthday's on 21 December and, while we can just about get away with a visit to WDW around then, the crowds usually build pretty soon after that. The last time we were there for Christmas was many years ago now (I think 2009?) and the crowds were insane even back then. I dread to think what they're like now.
Mine is December 30th and I would never be able to handle the crowds. If we were there during this time I would definitely spend it as a resort hopping day. However, that really wouldn't be what I would want to do. So, I think a cruise where I could enjoy the Disney environment would be better.
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Waiting for our next adventure after enjoying our Alaska cruise. Jenn
Mine is December 30th and I would never be able to handle the crowds. If we were there during this time I would definitely spend it as a resort hopping day. However, that really wouldn't be what I would want to do. So, I think a cruise where I could enjoy the Disney environment would be better.
Oh my goodness, yes that would be a horrendous time to be in Disney World!