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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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 it's strange, but I'm interested in seeing (or reading about) the interior hallways of Art of Animation. Are they open to the elements on either end? Cement floors?
I guess I'm kind of concerned about the noise reverberations from excited families running, talking, and just generally being excited about being in Disney World if they're built like the other Value resorts (all out of cement) and they're completely enclosed.
Anyone been to share that info or provide pics? We're staying there in August and CANNOT WAIT! The resort looks awesome.
Interesting question, we have stayed many times at Pop and I have never been bothered by noise like that, now at SS that did seem to be the case, very noisy with the cement and echo's. Next time we go I think I will take the little white noise thing to turn on.
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Love the Magic of Disney Thanks Dad for our first 5 trips.
We visited AoA earlier this month while we were staying at Pop and that's the first thing I noticed - that there were windows overlooking the pool area (rather than walkways) and the hallways are in the middle of the buildings and enclosed. I think it's great. I peeked in and I'm pretty sure the hallways had carpet, but I can't say for sure. I spoke with a CM about the resort, and she said AoA was going to be in its own category known as "Value Plus" since it has interior corridors. Interestingly, though, the LM section will have exterior corridors like the other values.
Oh wow, interesting info! I'm kinda disappointed that the LM section doesn't get the interior hallways but I guess it makes sense as that's where the standard rooms are (easiest to just build the buildings exactely like the ones at the other values). Nonetheless, interior hallways always add something extra, feels less like a motel.
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Oh wow, interesting info! I'm kinda disappointed that the LM section doesn't get the interior hallways but I guess it makes sense as that's where the standard rooms are (easiest to just build the buildings exactely like the ones at the other values). Nonetheless, interior hallways always add something extra, feels less like a motel.
I was a little disappointed too when the CM told us that. As a family of 4, I'm not sure I can justify the extra expense of a suite if we stay at AoA, but I would definitely prefer interior hallways. It is a nice touch for the buildings with suites, though.
Edited to add: Another feature at AoA that the other values don't have - covered bus stops!
Oh wow, interesting info! I'm kinda disappointed that the LM section doesn't get the interior hallways but I guess it makes sense as that's where the standard rooms are (easiest to just build the buildings exactely like the ones at the other values). Nonetheless, interior hallways always add something extra, feels less like a motel.
....it's not like they had a choice regarding the hallway configuration for the LM buildings. They were already built when POP's 2nd phase (Nostalgic Years) went on hold. So...when AoA popped into the heads of the WDW exec's....they had a choice....tear down the existing buildings....or just build them as initially intended. I would imagine that if Disney could have its way...all the rooms would be family suites...because the room-rate is much higher.
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The picture above is from Disunplugged. It looks like it's just the entrance and elevator area. I wish we could see down the hallway further to see if there is carpet on the room portion.
I can't find it now but I could have sworn a read an article comparing AoA to the Deluxes because of the interior hallways. I truthfully can't see someone making that comparison if the hallways at AoA are cement or tile but I guess you never know until pictures are actually released.
Thanks, HiddenMickey! That's actually an encouraging picture. I do wish we could see farther down the hallway, but if there's carpet in the entranceway, then I'm hoping it's a good chance that there'll be carpet in the room hallway.
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We hope to stay in LM section next winter, so it's interesting to hear those buildings are set up like the other Values.
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