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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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After reading several different things I am a little concerned about using my debit card as a credit card for my onboard account. I have read some things that indicate that this may be a problem. Whether things are cleared or denied by bank- one example was items clearing that were purchased prior to the cruise that were forgotten about and than the funds not clearing while on the cruise. Of course this can be avoided but, hey things happen. I do not have a credit card other than my debit card with the visa logo. Anyone use a debit card for their onboard account?
I am wondering if I would be better off putting cash on my account. At least that way i know exactly what is there instead of worrying that something may go wrong with my account when Disney tries to use it.
I would hate to have a problem with my account while on the cruise.
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I'm with you on this. Our family doesn't use credit cards, our stand is if it's not a huge purchase like a house or car then we pay with money that we actually have savings, checking etc.
I haven't been on a cruise yet, ours is scheduled for December 5, 2010, but I plan to use the debit card. I plan on moving money from my savings to my checking about a week before we leave and keeping to that budget. Plus I plan to prepay as much as possible for things like tips.
on our last trip we put cash down for the account right after we got aboard and still put a credit card down. It worked out great when we went to check out the small balance left I paid for on the card.
I think I may do the combination as far as make up my budget and put that down as cash but than have my debit card as well in case I go over that budget. I don't like the idea of carrying the cash until we get on the ship but I think it will give me the peace of mind that I will want with the debit card. Plus I am hoping it will help to keep me on the budget!!
On my cruise last Sep we neither put down a credit card, debit nor cash at the begining of the cruise!
When I signed on at the 75 day mark to get my Palo and excursions there was a note that I had a $400 credit limit on my account. I could charge up to $400 to my onboard account.
Now I know with a couple of kids and lots of excursions that can add up very quickly but if you don't mind dropping by the guest services desk occasionally through out your cruise to pay down the bill then you don't have to put a credit card, debit card or cash down at all. Guest services will gladly give you a printout at ANY TIME througout your cruise to see your record of charges, payment and current balance.
Plus that saves you the headache of the crowd all rushing to pay off their bill on the last 2 days of the cruise!
The problem with using a debit card is that when you check in, DCL will lock out a certain amount (not sure about the amount), then settle the balance AFTER you get back, not while you're on the boat. So, if you go into a port, or for a few days after you get back, if you're near your balance with the locked out amount, you could have problems charging expenses, even though you haven't actually spent the locked-out amount.
The problem with using a debit card is that when you check in, DCL will lock out a certain amount (not sure about the amount), then settle the balance AFTER you get back, not while you're on the boat. So, if you go into a port, or for a few days after you get back, if you're near your balance with the locked out amount, you could have problems charging expenses, even though you haven't actually spent the locked-out amount.
The problem with using a debit card is that when you check in, DCL will lock out a certain amount (not sure about the amount), then settle the balance AFTER you get back, not while you're on the boat. So, if you go into a port, or for a few days after you get back, if you're near your balance with the locked out amount, you could have problems charging expenses, even though you haven't actually spent the locked-out amount.
Unless the policy has changed in the last year and a half, Disney does not put any hold on the funds on a debit card. We used a debit card on our cruise and they simply charged it at the end of our cruise. It only took maybe a day to show up in my bank account . You can go to guest services and request they put the charges from that day through right away and start fresh the next day. You can also pay money towards your stateroom account before you go on your cruise. You will then have a stateroom credit before you even check in.
__________________
Love, April
Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass;
it's about learning to dance in the rain.
How do you do this if you are using a TA??? Do you just send your TA the extra money and they handle it??
You're better off doing it directly. You should be getting your reservation number from your TA so you can use online check-in, pre-book excursions and spa treatments, pre-pay gratuities, etc. That's all the extra info you need to have a payment applied to your account.
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Co-Author, PassPorter's Walt Disney World, PassPorter's Disney Cruise Line, and PassPorter's Disneyland and Southern California Attractions
Thanks, Bob, that confirms how I was feeling about the debit card- don't need any problems after the cruise trying to use my card- that would not be good.
For clarity:
There is no hold put on your debit card?
We have 7 people in two rooms.... Can I use my card for my KTTWC, cash on my kids KTTWC, and my dad is also on our ressie (the cruise is his bday gift)- I'm paying for the excursions and tips that will be paid for on board- but he will be paying for his own adult beverages, bingo, souvies, or any other things like that- can he put his own card or cash on his KTTWC? And I can make sure that even though he has his own card on his KTTWC that his excursions and tips are charged to my card? Hope that makes since....... TIA
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