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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Okay, so this trip that we are going on in less than 2 months is driving me crazy. I normally have our bags out at this point and put a few things in daily as I think about them. This trip is a secret to our boys, however. The two oldest started school today, so that helps a little. I can do some planning while they are away. My 4 yr. old is still at home with me and I don't want him to find out either. Any suggestions? We will be checking the 2 older boys out of school early on the day we leave and would like to keep the secret until we arrive at the airport. Is that possible? I'm so excited! I can't stand it!
You can do it! Maybe you could tell them you are going to visit a certain relative in a different state, or a friend you haven't seen in years. Trust me, only 2 months to go, you can definately do it, don't let the secret out!
I always pack the night before anyway!
What a nice surprise! Hopefully your boys will be in soooo much shock they will be as quiet as mice on the plane. and to the boards!
Your 4 year old won't understand you buying extra stuff at walmart or what not. Why not instead of putting things in your suitcases how about a few bags kept in your closet. Good luck keeping the secret! I can't wait for my dd to get older so that I can surprise her!
I packed for my surprise trip in January with DD (who was nearly 4) at home with me . . . I did most of the packing while she napped and then after she went to bed. I kept the suitcases in the closet with the door shut and closed my bedroom door.
The night before we left, I put most of the stuff in the car then got up the next morning and finished before she got up.
We were driving down, so I told her that we were just going for a drive once we got in the car . . . she didn't even figure it out until we drove under the big purple WDW signs!!! It worked so well in January that I am keeping our upcoming November/December secret as well!!!
I've done it and it is hard! I'm not telling DDs about the cruise part of our December trip until the morning we leave for WDW and it is tough! The best tip I can give you is whenever you start feeling the overwhelming desire to spill the beans, come to the Passporter boards and share your plans with us! It gets it out of your system
You can do it!! I just started planning and saving for a trip that is not until Dec. 2006. It is going to be a secret. I am going to pay for everything on my own except for the transportation down. I am not going to tell my DH until the trip is paid for and that won't be until Oct. 2006.
You can do it. I did for DS last year. Anytime you feel like telling, think of the looks on their faces when you get to the airport. My son was younger so he did not even ask where he was going, the look when we arrived at WDW was one that I will never ever forget. (He still talks about the surprise!!) Good luck, and welcome to the boards.
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