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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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I know the last edition just came out in Aug of this year I believe, but do you know when the edition for next year is due to come out?
We are cruising on the Fantasy in late Sept. of 2012.
Does the edition that was released in Aug have any info on the Fantasy? I know some of the Dream info relates and I'm sure that is all now included, correct?
I just thought I'd check here on possible release/pub. date before I buy the current edition.
Thanks!
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Lori
“I’m in a Disney state of mind……”
Authorized Disney Vacation Planner w/Fairy Godmother Travel For a Pixie Dust Sprinkled Trip!
We're hard at work on it now, with February 2012 as the target date. While we covered what we could know about the Fantasy (and, of course, lots of our info on the Dream will translate directly to the Fantasy), even this upcoming edition won't have everything, as we don't get a chance to see the ship until after we go to press. That really can't be helped. The late publication date for the 9th Edition (2011) is due to covering the Dream. However, the long delay meant folks who needed info to book shore excursions were short-changed, so we're moving back to an earlier publication date. The Fantasy will be sufficiently similar that a delay doesn't make sense this time around.
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Co-Author, PassPorter's Walt Disney World, PassPorter's Disney Cruise Line, and PassPorter's Disneyland and Southern California Attractions
It's not likely we'd update the book manuscript - the kind of changes expected aren't of that nature. We'll have eyewitness reports, of course, along the lines of what we did for the Dream (I can't say they'll be quite as extensive, but you never know). Necessary changes to the book manuscript will go into our online updates page, of course. The only time I recall revising a book manuscript mid-year for PassPorter's Walt Disney World or PassPorter's Disney Cruise Line was way back when Animal Kingdom Lodge opened - we knew so little when the book went to print that we put up a PDF of the revised AKL section after our stay (we were First Day guests - somewhere, there's a lanyard with a "First Guest" pin - been trying to find it for years). (We revise other titles, like the DVC Guide and Weddings and Honeymoons on an as-needs basis, because we don't have scheduled, annual editions.)
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Co-Author, PassPorter's Walt Disney World, PassPorter's Disney Cruise Line, and PassPorter's Disneyland and Southern California Attractions
We'll do pre-orders once the manuscript is ready to send to the printer - about a month before the book ships. Since we bundle the Online Edition when you buy the print edition from us, you can have access to the book as soon as the manuscript is finished.
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Co-Author, PassPorter's Walt Disney World, PassPorter's Disney Cruise Line, and PassPorter's Disneyland and Southern California Attractions
Will this book have info on the Canadian cruises? I know you won't have exact info unless DCL releases their excursions by then, but I know Dave said he was doing research up there.
Yes, it'll have Halifax and Saint John. And New York, Seattle, Galveston, San Juan, Costa Maya, special advice for those visiting WDW on the 8-night Bahamas cruise... Am I forgetting someplace? Oh, yeah, San Diego, San Francisco, Hawaii... Now, if only DCL would release the rest of the 2013 schedule!
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Co-Author, PassPorter's Walt Disney World, PassPorter's Disney Cruise Line, and PassPorter's Disneyland and Southern California Attractions
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I just bought the 9th edition at Barnes and Nobles thinking it was 2012. Darn! Should I return it and order next month? We sail April 7th.
Thanks
Stick with what you have. The only things missing from the 9th Edition (the one you have) that are specific to your itinerary, are the features of the Fantasy that are different than the Dream that have been announced, and port of call coverage for Costa Maya. You can get info about the new features of the Fantasy in the online book updates for your edition as well as our coverage of the Fantasy's inaugural here at the site.
The 9th Edition is barely 6 months old, and includes our in-depth coverage of the Dream. Using that edition now will be far more helpful than waiting for the new edition.
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Co-Author, PassPorter's Walt Disney World, PassPorter's Disney Cruise Line, and PassPorter's Disneyland and Southern California Attractions
Are pre-orders available for the new edition yet? When I checked the "Coming Editions" page, it looked like I could pre-order but when I clicked the link, it took me to the 9th edition ordering page. Just wondering if I'm missing something or if it's just not available yet. Thanks for any info (and sorry for pestering...) !
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Now that most of the 2013 schedules are out, what are the long range plans for new DCL Passporters? Since there's one planned for Feb 2012, should we expect another one around Feb 2013? Or will there not be enough changes to justify one? I'm specifically interested in the Panama Canal cruise ports (for May 2013 WBPC).