By the co-author of The easy Guide to Your Walt Disney World Visit 2020, the best-reviewed Disney World guidebook series ever.

Available on Amazon here.

(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.)





easyWDW Blog and Forum News



By Dave Shute

Per Micah, Josh’s family may the difficult decision to shut down the easyWDW site and forum in mid-July.

There’s much willingness to help recreate his community (see the comments), but we need a leader…

Follow yourfirstvisit.net on Facebook or Twitter or Pinterest!!

RELATED STUFF

60 comments

1 Lauren Malicki { 08.02.22 at 2:53 pm }

I was a long time lurker (migrated over from TGM), and infrequent poster (lizzygreen) on EasyWDW . I have been so saddened, like all of you- feeling a huge loss of someone I never met. And now the forums are down – and it hurts again. If you start up something, I would love to continue to be able to access the group and advice that you all can offer. My college age kids are asking when we’re going back to Disney, and I don’t feel like I know the ‘right way’ to do it any more. We had so many wonderful trips when they were younger, thanks to the advice found here.

2 Anne { 08.06.22 at 8:22 am }

If reviving the old forum is not an option I am happy to fund/help with a new one. Although I’m not sure how viable that would be given the attrition on the original site. Many may not find a new site or be aware of this page. I miss everyone on the forums, the more civil interaction there, and the reliable knowledge of participants.

3 Dave { 08.07.22 at 6:00 pm }

Anne, my “feel” is that reviving is not an option, and that if there is to be an alternative, then what we are missing is leadership. Someone needs to take on getting it done. I cannot offer anything more than moral support (and my server, if that is helpful)…

4 MBurdge { 08.08.22 at 8:40 am }

Seems the site and forum are gone forever. =(
From Micah’s site:
Update 8/04/2022: I received some more information from Josh’s family today. They let me know that in mid-July they had made the difficult decision to take down the blog and forums.

5 BoSoxGal { 08.08.22 at 4:38 pm }

I’d also be happy to donate/pay. It doesn’t help with our need for someone to run it, of course. 🙁

6 Jen (aka BSS) { 08.08.22 at 10:30 pm }

I had been traveling and not been to the site, then I recently saw that it was down and now official word that the end is permanent. I know we all knew it was coming, but I have that knot in my throat all over again. I hope that if anything does come together, we all find a way to it. Like others, I would be happy to chip in financially, but I know nothing about starting or running a forum.

7 Addie_Cat { 08.13.22 at 7:28 am }

I made a subreddit. It’s free and easy enough to moderate/host on. I don’t mind moderating if no one has any objections? How do we get in touch with Micah?

https://www.reddit.com/r/easywdw/

8 DisneyMagic1106 { 08.13.22 at 7:00 pm }

I was just reintroduced to this thread
Missing everyone from EasyWDW and would love a way to interact, read, post, lurk with all of you again. I agree with what someone ales said; the EasyWDW was a rare gem where even if people argued and/or disagree about a topic, it usually didn’t end in a heated way. Things would be talked out or their perspectives explained. People tend to forget that we don’t have to agree or have the same opinions, standpoints, religion, or political stance to get along. The forum participants seemed to understand this and although they may disagree, they still respect that is the others opinions.
All that being said, I miss reading trip reports, other questions, personal anecdotes, getting advice, and maybe even contributing once in a while. While I am not able to go to WDW any time soon, I still need that “fix” that I only got from the EasyWDW forum

9 ThemeParkCommando { 08.16.22 at 2:57 pm }

Just joined the subreddit. Thanks for setting that up, Addie_Cat

10 BoSoxGal { 08.20.22 at 8:52 pm }

I joined too!

11 Karin { 08.29.22 at 9:05 pm }

I am so heartbroken, I loved the community that Josh created and so sad to see it come to an end. I hope Josh’s family knows how much we all loved him.

12 Eric { 09.13.22 at 12:05 pm }

Just curious, was anyone interested in buying (or the family willing to sell) the rights to the website/forum for someone to take it on? I have no idea what it would cost to *maintain* the forum but would be willing to explore. Reddit is ok, and better than nothing, but the format etc of the forum itself was very easy (natch).

13 Andrea { 09.22.22 at 5:25 pm }

I think the subreddit idea is a good one because it is obscure enough not to be found. After TGM died it took me a few years to find Josh’s site, and longer still to find that he had forums with many of the same people who had been at TGM.

14 Strangeite { 04.13.23 at 3:23 pm }

Not sure who will see this but Micah suggested I mention it on this thread.

There is a new app called Wavelength that I have been trying out. Its pretty cool and seems perfect for medium sized groups. One of the first things I thought of was the community over on the EasyWDW forums. So I thought, why not, and created a EasyWDW refugee camp. There is currently only a handful of us but almost all faces you would recognize and were regulars.

Unfortunately right now the app is only available for iPhone, iPad and Macs, but they say they are working on an android app.

I am not posting the invite link publicly to avoid spam. There are a few ways to get it though. I have an email account at the handle I am using on this comment at gmail. I don’t check that often but will do so more often now. Micah has both the link and my primary email. Unfortunately he doesn’t own an Apple device, so he can’t join us. Also I believe Dave can see my primary email, so perhaps he would be willing to pass it along to you. Last but not least, if you already have the contact information for Brian, George, DopeyRunr, BoSoxGal, Grover’s Bathtub, AussieFan or RetroCOTfan, they all have my contact information and the ability to generate invite codes.

Not sure if anyone is still interested but it has been really nice chatting with these folks again. I hadn’t realized how much I missed them.

15 Dave { 04.16.23 at 11:55 am }

Thanks, Strangeite! I can indeed see your email, so will forward it on to anyone who requests. (ex-EasyWDWers: Use the comment form to request, including in the email line the email you want to send it to.)

16 Jenny { 07.30.23 at 3:16 pm }

Former EasyWDW forum user here. I would like Strangite’s email info please.

17 Alexis { 08.13.23 at 10:51 pm }

Another former EasyWDWer here. Would love to connect on Wavelength if you pass along my info. Thanks!!

18 Andi { 08.28.23 at 9:47 pm }

Another former EasyWDW reader here. Would love to connect on Wavelength. Thank you!

19 Nicole { 10.01.23 at 9:52 am }

I’d appreciate it if you could pass alone strangeite’s info please (or mine). thanks!

Leave a Comment | Ask a Question | Note a Problem

My response to questions and comments will be on the same page as the original comment, likely within 24-36 hours . . . I reserve the right to edit and delete comments as I choose . . . All rights reserved. Copyright 2008-2024 . . . Unless otherwise noted, all photos are by me--even the ones in focus--except for half a dozen from my niecelets . . . This site is entirely unofficial and not authorized by any organizations written about in it . . . All references to Disney and other copyrighted characters, trademarks, marks, etc., are made solely for editorial purposes. The author makes no commercial claim to their use . . . Nobody's perfect, so follow any advice here at your own risk.