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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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and asked if I wanted to go to Disney this November. Of course I said YES!! She got an e-mail for free quick dining plan and decided she wanted to go. This will my mom's 20th trip and my 17th. We are also traveling with my DS, who will be 2 in October, my sister and her DS, who will be 9 months in November and a family friend, who has never been.
Now I am trying to book ADR's which is proving to be a chore. My mom and I were discussing the Christmas Party. We did the Halloween in 2009 but never the Christmas one. Is it really worth the money?? We would either do the Christmas Party the night we get in or just buy an extra day on our park hoppers. It seems like it would be cheaper just to buy the extra park day but I don't know if the party is something we don't want to miss.
Hello fellow Buffalonian! Good luck on getting reservations..I second doing them online. You can see everything that's available. Very easy.
We weren't real fond of the Christmas party...the Halloween party is much better....more to do. We always get park passes for every day of our stay, no matter what...it's so cheap to add a day..especially once you get to 4 days..it's only $3 a day.
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We are going early Dec. This is my first trip in many years and our first trip as a married couple with kids. My kids are 5 and 3. The way I see it, soon enough I'm going to be stuck going according to when school breaks, and Disney during the Holiday week is not for us. (The price and the crowds!) I purchased the tickets for the party because I'm not sure we'll get to do this during the Holiday season for a long time. I love Christmas decorations, I'm one of those people who has my tree up by Thanksgiving It was an added cost, but for me it will be worth it. You also have to take a look at your travel plans. If you are going to do the party the night you get in it's from 7pm to Midnight. How early do you need to get up for your flight? Will being up so early and out so late at night throw the kids off for the rest of your stay?
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Originally Posted by ruca55
We are going early Dec. This is my first trip in many years and our first trip as a married couple with kids. My kids are 5 and 3. The way I see it, soon enough I'm going to be stuck going according to when school breaks, and Disney during the Holiday week is not for us. (The price and the crowds!) I purchased the tickets for the party because I'm not sure we'll get to do this during the Holiday season for a long time. I love Christmas decorations, I'm one of those people who has my tree up by Thanksgiving It was an added cost, but for me it will be worth it. You also have to take a look at your travel plans. If you are going to do the party the night you get in it's from 7pm to Midnight. How early do you need to get up for your flight? Will being up so early and out so late at night throw the kids off for the rest of your stay?
I would do the party for sure. I swish we could but DD is in Middle school and as they have done away with the early MNSSHP dates and the late Christmas party dates we will not be able to do either Have a great time planning and congrats on the trip!
Congratulations on your trip! Have fun making plans. We enjoy the Christmas Party, and Love MNSSHP.
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Disney Trips: BLT & Poly Bungalow 2016, VGF 2015, Fantasy 2015, Saratoga Springs Resort 2014, Grand Villa at VGF 2013, Fantasy 2013, BWV and Kidani Village 2011, BWV and Kidani Village 2010, BWV and Saratoga Springs Resort 2008,Beach Club Villas 2008,Villas at Wilderness Lodge 2006, BWV 2006, BCV 2005, HHI 2004,Polynesian 2003,Grand Floridian 2000/concierge, Honeymoon at Polynesian 1994,Polynesian 1980,Polynesian 1978
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I really enjoyed the party, I'm glad I went at least once. I don't think I would be able to justify the expense for my whole family to go though, that would add up to a LOT of money very quickly. When we went it was my mom and I, so only two tickets.
Looks like you are traveling with a couple of small children, do you think they would manage to be out for the late party hours? The extra day at the parks may be a better option, especially since you're taking a first timer. Good luck deciding! And congrats on the trip!
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The party is worth the money. It is a must do for our family especially my DH. One year we went in Oct instead of our usual Dec trip. I heard him whine about missing the xmas party until the following Dec when we went to the party. Let me tell you it was a long 14 moths of whining.
Congrats on the trip! I'm also gearing up for my 17th visit to WDW - cool!
As for the Christmas party, we did it in 2008 and we weren't blown away. I did like the parade and the night before Xmas show, but I found the lines for rides and some of the special character meets to be longer than I expected. Part of the problem was on our part -- we booked a 6:30 dinner at LTT and that ended up cutting into our party time too much. I'm glad we tried it once but I'm not sure we'd do it again. It was a short trip for us and that was our only MK time -- I think we would've been better to just go there for a regular park day.
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It was an added cost, but for me it will be worth it. You also have to take a look at your travel plans. If you are going to do the party the night you get in it's from 7pm to Midnight. How early do you need to get up for your flight? Will being up so early and out so late at night throw the kids off for the rest of your stay?
Have a great time planning and congrats on the trip!
-Amanda 
PassPorter Guide Author
We love the party, although I know a lot of people don't. Personally, it's a must-do for us whenever we go at Christmas time.
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