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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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 freaked out going to disney last year afraid I would not "fit" on the rides being a large woman but thanks to all the kind people on this board they eased my fears and my trip was great with no problems. Now I am in thinking mode about US & IoA. I have been to US in CA about nine years and some pounds ago and loved it. Now I'm worried I won't fit on rides or will be embarressed by staff members, I have read that larger folks are not treated as well there as they are by Disney. Anyone have a good or bad experience with this? Thanks Tami
There shouldn't be too much of a problem getting on most of the rides. To give you an example:
At Universal:
Twiser is a standing attraction
Jimmy Neutron has stationary seatin benches as well as rows for four.
Earthquake, Fear Factor, Animal Actor's Stage, & Beetlejuice all have straight rows Jaws has rows but you need to seat down into the boat
Terminator, Horror Makeup Show and Shrek have regular theater seats
The Mummy and Men in Black may be a problem because of the bucket seats
ET Adventure has individual bike seats
At Islands of Adventure:
Posideon's Fury is a standing attraction
Sinbad has straight rows, not individual seats
Spider-Man and Jurassic Park Rive Adventure have a row straight across
Cat in the Hat, One Fish Two Fish & Trolley Train are short rows for 2 or three straight across
All in all it should be much of a problem. I've traveled to both Disney and Universal with a person in a motorized cart and the layout of queues at Universal were easier to navigate. Plus (for us), they also treated our party nicer.
I'm not saying your handicapped, but Universal was very helpful towards someone with a certain need. I'm sure you will enjoy your time there.
Also at IOA, the Hulk and Dueling Dragons have a double-strap seat for larger-sized riders. They're in row 3 and 6. Dr. Doom's Fearfall may be a tight fit for larger-sized people, but I've seen large size people actually fit into the ride.
Thanks you guys that really helps I do need a evc, so all this info is helpful. I have a breathing disability that I have to take steriods for side effects arthritis and weight gain Yea! I love disney but I think it would be fun to do this park too. I remember the ET ride from US in CA and I loved it.
My aunt is in the same exact situation. Steriods for arthritis, causes a big weight gain. The EVC will make huge impact on your getting around. As I said they line queues are much more accommdating at Universal. Plus you'll get in to many of the ride ahead of time because of the EVC.
The only ride I had a problem getting in was the dueling dragons. I never seen anything that said "if your pooh sized go in this line." I was towards the middle and the employee had to walk me towards the front where I could fit. I didn't embarass me much, but those sort of things don't really bother me.
Otherwise, I don't remember having much trouble on anything else.
If you think you may have problems with the coasters, use the test seats outside. You can try a single strap or double strap seat. Usually, some kid will be sitting in the test seats, waiting for their party. Just ask the kid to move out of the seat, or (what I do) sit on the kid.
The cast members at Universal are not as nice as at Disney. My sister who is pooh sized (as am I) was embarrassed by a Universal cast member who told her she was 'far too big' to ride on The Mummy. Needless to say, this put a damper on our visit to Universal. On our way out of the park we were asked to do a survey about Universal. You can bet I put in my 2 cents about the way she was treated and how Universal could learn a thing or two from Disney about how to treat it's customers.
My DH quietly speaks to an employee while we are in line and tells them that he needs to ride in the bigger seats. They have always been helpful at the Hulk and Dueling Dragons. Seems like I remember an employee acting like he might not fit in the Mummy, but he had no problems.
I have seen the employees take a larger teenage boy off of the Mummy and wait for another car, so I'm wondering if some cars have bigger seats? I didn't think they were very sensitive with that boy in particular, I felt very bad for him at the time.
So I think if you address the situtation ahead of time instead of waiting until those hurried moments when you're loading, you can minimize any discomfort or embarrassment.
DH had no problems at MIB, Dr. Doom, or Spiderman, and I can't remember anything else where you need to be strapped in.
We were at IOA last week. My dd has worked her behind off - literally - to lose more than 50 pounds to fit on the Hogwarts ride. She fit into the test seat and got a green light. After running through the castle in the early morning rush - she seated herself in a row, the young (really skinny) girl was not able to get "three clicks" she told her - "you don't fit - get off!" then was going to refuse to let myself and my older daughter off. After a few words, we were left off. my daughter was mortified. She ran to the bathroom in hysterics - I went looking for a manager. I was told there was not one on the premises of the Hogwarts ride. Is this even legal?
After going to the front of the park and waiting more than 15 minutes, I was able to speak with a manager of sorts. She was a large woman who told me "unforunately not everyone is proportionally made to fit on that ride". I asked her if she was able to ride it, she told me that she didn't care to.
I let her know that my daughter was able to fit on the test seat without any issues - er answer - "they are not always accurate"
My dd would not leave the park, I really tried. She did look through the rest of the Potter stuff and then we left. I would not spend any more money at the park and will warn anyone considering a visit to this horrible place that they should think twice. It isn't Disney - it isn't even six flags - it is just rude!
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Oh dear, that is awful for her! Your poor daughter, particularly after working so hard to lose weight as well.
Anyone on the cuddly side who wants to go on the Hogwarts ride needs to ask for one of the two seats on the OUTSIDE of the row of 4 seats (not the middle two) - they are larger and have been installed deliberately to make sure that more people are able to ride. Myself and my DH are both Pooh sized (and he is 6'2" tall as well) and every time we went on it in 2010 we made sure we asked for two outer seats. It meant we didn't sit next to each other, but that was okay, and they sometimes put another couple of people inbetween us but again that was fine, I just screamed down their ears instead of DH's!
I am shocked that the cast member did not tell your daughter about the outer seats, that is really unfair of her.
Please don't let this incident colour your opinion of the HP area, it is really lovely and fun to visit, and it is just a shame that you had to experience this negative CM on this occasion.
__________________
Silvercat
(Enjoy reading trip reports? Why not try my books, "Tiggerific Travels Parts 1, 2, 3 & the new volume 4" - available now as e-books)
Awe what an awful ordeal for your daughter, but, as we all know, not everyone has compassion -- or common decency! -- to properly deal with different people/personalities.
However, on the flip side, I'm so glad your daughter did not let the incident ruin her excitement to finish checking out the rest of HP. Good for her!
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