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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!
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.
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I just found out my brother and his wife plan to take my neice to DL for her 4th birthday. I really want them to have a super great trip as my kids have always had great trips to WDW. I know that our trips have been great because I have planned planned and then planned some more. Is the same level of preparation needed for a trip to DL? If so, I will hook my sister-in-law up with this site and maybe even send some of my favorite books her way.
I didn't feel as prepared prior to our recent visit, but upon visiting I felt I was more than prepared. I don't think the same level of preparation is needed for DL as it is for WDW. She can make Priority Seating 'reservations' at 60 days out. AllEars has the menus posted on their site, which I find to be very helpful. They don't give you a reservation number; only take your name. I would also recommend a DL PassPorter. Other than that, I found that knowing the park times and times of the shows & such was good enough, whereas with WDW I feel like I need so much more in order to feel prepared.
Like Dyan mentioned, there are differences in things like when you can make Priority Seatings (they are still PS's at DL whereas WDW went to ADRs ).
If they've never been to the area, it too can be a little "different" . . . off site hotels there aren't all that off site, in fact some of the hotels are actually in closer proximity to the parks than the actual on site hotels AND you can get pretty good deals on them. Plus, if Disneyland is the only destination in the area, you really don't need transportation . . . pretty much everything is in walking distance and what is not, is easily accessible by taxi. (However, if they want to go to Universal Studios or anywhere outside of the general DL area, I'd definitely recommend a car.)
I do recommend the DL PassPorter . . . the first edition is out now and the second should be going up for pre-order before TOO long and should be coming out in late summer.
You may also want to mention Ariel's Grotto for Lunch or Dinner. The food is good and the Princesses are there. My girls really enjoyed it. We have yet to go to WDW and do CRT, but it falls along that line.
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Trish ,
Me and the family Magic Kingdom New Years Eve December 29, 2009-January 9th, 2010
You really don't need to do near the planning for a visit to DLR as you do for WDW. It's a much more laid-back environment. One little perk that I really enjoyed if you're staying at one of the on site hotels is the free service they offer to all of their hotel guests. With one simple phone call or e-mail in which you give them your list of restaurants and times that you want and any behind the scenes tours that you want to book, they then take over and book everything for you. When you check in, they will then give you a printed out itinerary with all of your meals and activities outlined on it. I found this service to be absolutely amazing.
Joy
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1968 - Disneyland
1976 - Offsite
1984 - Offsite
February, 2003 - All Star Music
August, 2003 - Animal Kingdom Lodge & Wilderness Lodge
December,2003 - Wilderness Lodge
December, 2004 - Beach Club Villas
August, 2005 - Port Orleans, French Quarter
November/December, 2005 - Old Key West
July/August, 2006 - Disneyland Hotel
January, 2007 - Boardwalk Villas
I am also planning our first trip to DL, after many trips to WDW; I booked 2 nights at the disneyland hotel for my conference there, at a good rate, and will plan to spend 3 days at the 2 parks and DLH pool. I am booking at least Blue Bayou and Napa Rose at the 60d out mark, will look into the tip above re hotel staffers doing that for me. Thanks! Also am awaiting my DL passporter to plan to hit especially the attractions Not at WDW so my kids can see something new. They are "over" character meals by now, what non character meals do kids 8-11 like?
BTW Danele Duffy; is that a 2008 Indianapolis minimarathon pic? I ran that too! Did you see the WDW Sports booth at the convention center? I spoke to the castmember about how I missed out on 2 years of WDW Marathon Weekends because they fill up so fast, so he told me about the new all women's half. I signed up for the First Inaugural Princess Half Marathon at disney world in March 09; you should come too! You get a tiara medal at the end. We could carpool I'm in Carmel. Unless you are very fast, then forget it, LOL.
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Michelle, mother of a princess and charming prince, and Queen of her little castle.
BTW Danele Duffy; is that a 2008 Indianapolis minimarathon pic? I ran that too! Did you see the WDW Sports booth at the convention center? I spoke to the castmember about how I missed out on 2 years of WDW Marathon Weekends because they fill up so fast, so he told me about the new all women's half. I signed up for the First Inaugural Princess Half Marathon at disney world in March 09; you should come too! You get a tiara medal at the end. We could carpool I'm in Carmel. Unless you are very fast, then forget it, LOL.
I didn't see it. DH and I didn't spend much time at the convention center. We were headed to the Milano Inn for dinner. It was the site of his proposal 19 years ago so it was kind of a trip down memory lane weekend for us. Plus, I graduated from the Law School so I wanted to see the new building which is pretty awesome!
I'm not quite ready for a full marathon but that Princess Half sounds great to me. I love tiaras. I'm going to check it this AM. I'm not fast now and I don't think I ever will be I'll be shooting for 2:10 - 2:15.
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I'm in Carmel. Unless you are very fast, then forget it, LOL.
I'm going to check it this AM. I'm not fast now and I don't think I ever will be I'll be shooting for 2:10 - 2:15.
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