Forums Closed
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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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!
Best wishes for a wonderful and magical new year!
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Welcome! We're happy you've found the PassPorter Community -- the friendliest place to plan your vacation to Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland, and the world in general! You are now viewing the PassPorter Message Board Community as a guest, which gives you limited access. As our guest, feel free to browse our messages by selecting the forum you want to visit from the list below.
To post messages and ask questions, join our FREE community today and you'll get access to tools and resources not available to guests, such as our vacation countown timers, "living" avatars, private messaging system, database searches, downloads, and a special PassPorter discount code. Registration is fast, simple, and completely free. Just click the Join Our Community link.
If you think you've already joined, log in below now. If you don't remember your member name or password, please visit our Member Name and Password Recovery page. You are also welcome to contact us.
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09-02-2006, 10:45 PM
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#16
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Community Rank: Scout 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Songtan, South Korea
Posts: 4,681
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Re: One Day in Boston: 8:00 \'till 11:00
Ok, I'm weird, but I never watched Lambchop. I think I may know the song you are referring to, though...vaguely. Anyway, I [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/love.gif[/img] Boston! I have been there and have always wanted to return. I'm looking forward to more!
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09-06-2006, 11:54 AM
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#17
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Community Rank: Trailblazer 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Maine
Posts: 5,893
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Re: One Day in Boston: Freedom Trail Tour
We traveled the Red Line to the Park Street station and then walked to the Information Center on the Tremont Street side of the Boston Common for our Freedom Trail Tour.
Background: The Freedom Trail Foundation
The Freedom Trail Foundation created the Freedom Trail years ago. They conduct the only non-profit tours of Boston. Their tour guides are costumed historic characters. They promote and help to preserve the sixteen nationally significant historic sites along the trail. So when I was looking for a tour, it was a no-brainer who to choose. Besides, I thought a costumed guide would make it more fun, and I was right!
I had called the day before to reserve our tickets. I was told to look for Nathaniel Balch in front of the Information Center, and to not be late as he leaves promptly at 11:00! He was not easy to miss!
Evie and Nathaniel Balch before the tour
While we waited for the tour to start, Lambchop made a friend. The cows will be auctioned off later this year to benefit the Jimmy Fund (children’s cancer research) this fall.
Lambchop on one of the many art cows throughout downtown Boston
When the clock on the Park Street Church chimed 11, Nathaniel began. There were 11 of us on the tour.
Summary of the tour
Nathaniel Balch was a fabulous, entertaining tour guide. He was a wealth of information, a great storyteller, an amazing actor, and an enthusiastic historian. Evie was thrilled with him, all of us were. I learned things I never knew, and I lived in Boston! If you go to Boston, you must take this tour! It is a steal at only $12 ($6 for children) for the 90-minute walking tour.
Next: more tour! |
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09-06-2006, 12:13 PM
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#18
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RED SOX NATION!!
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Connecticut
Concierge Level: 9
Posts: 136,854
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Re: One Day in Boston: Freedom Trail Tour
What a great time [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] More please [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]
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09-06-2006, 12:21 PM
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#19
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Community Rank: Explorer 
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Illinois
Concierge Level: 1
Posts: 9,564
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Re: One Day in Boston: Freedom Trail Tour
Great update, I'll put the tour on my to do list for a future trip to Boston. More please!
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09-06-2006, 12:56 PM
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#20
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Community Rank: Legend Extraordinaire 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Ohio Football Hall Of Fame
Posts: 42,304
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Re: One Day in Boston: Freedom Trail Tour
Great update!! Sounds like a fun tour!!
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09-06-2006, 03:55 PM
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#21
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PassPorter Message Board Manager
 PassPorter Guide Author
Community Rank: Legend VIP 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Maidstone, Kent, UK
Concierge Level: 3
Posts: 190,285
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Re: One Day in Boston: Freedom Trail Tour
That walking tour sounds like a lot of fun - I'm sorry we missed it when we were in Boston.
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09-06-2006, 08:11 PM
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#22
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Wannabe Snowbird
Join Date: May 2002
Concierge Level: 7
Posts: 34,137
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Re: One Day in Boston: Freedom Trail Tour
That tour with Nathaniel really sounds like my kind of thing. I love stuff where you learn through period actors.
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09-06-2006, 10:15 PM
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#23
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Community Rank: Scout
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Songtan, South Korea
Posts: 4,681
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Re: One Day in Boston: Freedom Trail Tour
How fun! The tour sounds great. More please...
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09-07-2006, 12:21 AM
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#24
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Living Seas wannabe
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Jacksonville, FL
Concierge Level: 6
Posts: 31,940
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Re: One Day in Boston: Freedom Trail Tour
The tour sounded like fun - a definate must do next time I am in Boston!
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09-07-2006, 06:52 AM
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#25
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Community Rank: Explorer
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Ottawa, Ontario
Posts: 13,817
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Re: One Day in Boston: Freedom Trail Tour
[img]/ubb/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif[/img]
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09-07-2006, 11:08 AM
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#26
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Community Rank: Scout
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Grand Blanc, MI
Concierge Level: 4
Posts: 4,238
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Re: One Day in Boston: Freedom Trail Tour
The tour sounds great! Thanks for the update.
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09-08-2006, 12:19 PM
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#27
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Community Rank: Trailblazer
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Maine
Posts: 5,893
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Re: One Day in Boston: Boston Common, State House, Park Street Church
Our Tour Stops
I don’t want to bore you with too many historical details . . . so here are some photos of the places we saw on the tour, and some things I remember from Nathaniel’s stories.
Boston Common and the State House
Nathaniel showed us an old map of Boston and explained how much of the city of Boston today is landfill. We learned how Beacon Hill got its name, where the word “ear-marked” came from, and heard stories of eccentric William Blackstone, the original owner of what is now the Boston Common.
The State House was built in 1798 on John Hancock’s cow pasture. In 1802, the wooden dome was covered with copper by Paul Revere to prevent leaks. In 1874 it was covered with gold leaf.
Looking up at the State House from Boston Common
Another view of the State House from the corner of Park and Tremont Streets
Park Street Church
This church was founded in 1809. Here William Lloyd Garrison delivered his first major public speech against slavery in 1829, and “America (My Country ‘Tis of Thee)” was first sung on July 4, 1831.
Park Street Church
Next: Granary Burying Ground
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*
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09-09-2006, 10:26 AM
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#28
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Community Rank: Scout
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Songtan, South Korea
Posts: 4,681
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Re: One Day in Boston: Boston Common, State House, Park Street Church
How [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]! I love history lessons. That is really neat that Paul Revere covered the dome first. More please!
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09-12-2006, 07:41 AM
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#29
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Community Rank: Trailblazer
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Maine
Posts: 5,893
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Re: One Day in Boston: Granary Burying Ground
Granary Burying Ground
Nathaniel spent a long time here and entertained us with great stories of his friends buried within. James Otis, Samuel Adams, Paul Revere, John Hancock, and the victims of the Boston Massacre were all discussed. Nathaniel also taught us how to date historic tombstones by the art on the top.
Nathaniel in front of James Otis' gravestone
Who is James Otis, you ask? A famous early orator, who would have been a key figure in the Revolution, but he suffered from what they now believe was schizophrenia. He would wander the streets of Boston screaming and speaking in tongues. He was an embarassment to the Sons of Liberty and to their cause-- so they moved him to the country and he is barely mentioned by most historians.
John Hancock's Final resting place
This gravestone is the biggest on the grounds
Nathaniel at Paul Revere's Tombstone
Bet you didn't know Paul Revere never said "The British are coming!"
He never would have, because he was British, and all colonists still considered themselves British. He most likely said "The Redcoats are coming!"
Also, Paul Revere did something very brave-- he snuck back into Lexington after his ride to retrieve papers John Hancock had left behind. Had the soldiers found the papers, John Hancock would have been arrested for treason.
Lambchop pays her respects to Paul Revere
Nathaniel at the gravestone of the victims of the Boston Massacre
Nathaniel explained there is an extra name on the stone of a small boy. Why it was included is a great story of public relations by Sam Adams and the Sons of Liberty.
Samuel Adams' gravestone
Nathaniel told us many stories of Sam and the Sons of Liberty. He was the key figure in the road to the Revolution. He was a brilliant orator. He was a master of public relations. He was fearless and brave. And the people loved him.
Next: King's Chapel
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09-12-2006, 08:55 AM
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#30
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Community Rank: Legend Extraordinaire
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Ohio Football Hall Of Fame
Posts: 42,304
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Re: One Day in Boston: Granary Burying Ground
Great updates!!! Very interesting and informative tour!! Can't wait for more!!
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