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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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One of things I miss the most about planning a trip outside of WDW is that there is not Passporter board for the rest of the world! I'm going in blind, but hoping that some of you have "been there-done that" and can offer advice.
9 of us are travelling from Ontario (probably flying out of Syracuse NY or Ottawa Ontario) to take a Carnival cruise leaving from Miami on Jan 2, 2011.
Seems like there are shuttles from either city to the port in Miami and depending on the airport we fly out of we can either land in Ft Lauderdale of Miami.
We'll have 3 teenage boys, 2 younger kids (9 and 11) and 4 adults. We may fly south as early as Dec 31st just to get there and enjoy New Years Eve on the beach, rather than at an airport motel, you know?
My question is - which place would you recommend?
We are considering cost of accomodation - we want nice and clean but our budget does not include the Ritz. Having suites would be a plus as one of our families is 5 ppl. (you already know that, if you did the math)
Proximity to the beach or other fun activities would be great - we're not necessarily big shoppers, but would love to hear about any activities that people have enjoyed and window shopping is an okay pass-time.
How is public transportation and airport/port shuttles in either city?
Anyone stay at a hotel that offered free hot breakfast like a Hampton? Maybe I didn't mention, but the three teenagers are all boys and they eat CONSTANTLY so filling them up on waffles and scrambled eggs saves us a bundle each day!
The only thing I can add is that we have the option on our return day from the cruise to do a tour that takes us from the ship to either airport (FT. L. or Miami) and includes a little tour of South Beach and the Art Deco areas of Miami, so that is covered briefly.
Thanks for any input. I cruised out of Ft Lauderdale 16 years ago and stayed at Pier 66 but we just stayed at the hotel and didn't really venture off-property so any guidance is welcome.
Thanks so much !!
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I travel to and from Miami and FLL all the time. I am familiar with both port areas. If you want a Hampton Inn type hotel close to the beach - you won't find it in Miami. However you will in FLL. I assume you are NOT planning on having a car? Public transport in both cities leaves MUCH to be desired. I am not familiar with the cruise shuttle situations - but I can tell you there is a wonderful Fl State park less than 1 mile from the FLL airport - John U Lloyd State Park - Welcome to Florida State Parks. You will need to have a car or take a cab (or private shuttle) to and from . I know that Broward county does have buses - but I know nothing about them. You might find info on Welcome to Broward County (the county's website).
With regard to hotels - there is a large cluster of hotels about 1 mile south of the airport on Stirling Road - right at the 95 exit. It includes two hotels in the hyatt family, a hampton inn, a hilton garden inn and a springhill suites by marriott. I often stay at the Hilton Garden Inn. I've included a few links to some hotels I've stayed in before that might meet your needs.
If you plan to head down early - you might consider flying into FLL - renting a van - touring the area beaches, etc - and returning the van to the FLL airport on the day your cruise is to leave and shuttling to the port of Miami.
Excellent, yes thank you very much. I made a few calls looking into renting a car just to toodle around and we would have to return it in FLL because we cruise out of Miami on a Sunday and the rental place near the port isn't open on Sundays so we can't drop the car off there.
It's been rainy and yucky here all day (I actually have a cardigan on at my desk) so I am loving the cruise plans. Come on sunny weather!
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