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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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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.
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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 checked to see if this had already been posted, but since I didn't find anything...
Just read the following article about new FP+ availability for certain characters in certain parks: FP+ Character Meet-n-Greets
Yes, they will be available to meet in other parks without FPs, but really, I think this is getting entirely out of control, and I hate to say this, but Disney is really starting to make me mad. How long before everything needs a FP, and to make them tier 1...that's ridiculous!
I noticed this this morning as well. Who in the world made that decision? And do they honestly expect people to use their Tier 1 FP to meet Pooh Bear, with no option for standby? Seems pretty silly to me!
That's just crazy! Oh, how I wish for the days when you'd just happen upon the characters out and about. I know that's not practical any more, but I agree-- out of control.
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That's just crazy! Oh, how I wish for the days when you'd just happen upon the characters out and about. I know that's not practical any more, but I agree-- out of control.
Spontaneity used to be a big part of the Magic . . .
That's just wrong! I understand the necessity of fastpasses but making some character meets FP+ exclusive and on top of that a tier 1 attraction. Come on!
I think I understand the reasoning behind this. This is just a guess, but...
I think perhaps they're testing the idea of no standby for character meets with characters that don't currently have the heaviest lines and longest wait times. They'll see how it plays out with these three test cases, and perhaps implement the policy at more locations based on the results.
Character encounters have become extremely popular. They often have long lines, but since Florida law restricts a character to 20 minutes onstage (I'm not sure whether there are different rules for indoor vs outdoor, or face vs plushy characters), a 60 minute line for a mouse who's only onstage 20 minutes at a time leads to a lot of frayed nerves and crying children.
Likewise, if you do wait for 60 minutes, you're either limited to a couple of quick photos and a hug, or you get angrier and angrier with the people in line ahead of you who are taking up WAY TOO MUCH TIME with the character you've been waiting so long to see. Which also leads to frayed nerves and heightened tempers.
With this in mind, I think Disney is about to begin experimenting with new ways to manage those lines. FP is one way, but as long as there is a standby line, there will be an unpredictable number of Guests waiting. Without a standby line, Disney can precisely control the exact number of Guests waiting to see a particular character throughout the park's operating hours. Fewer people will see the characters. But those who do will, theoretically, have shorter waits and longer interaction with the characters.
My fear is that this may be a test program for something even more controversial - eliminating stand-by lines at some of the really popular regular attractions. Can you imagine Soarin' or TSMM with no stand-by line, just increased FP capacity throughout the day? The same number of people would ride it each day, but nobody would ever ride without an appointment.
The precedent of locking out standby guests is disappointing. Line reservations, Private Lines? That's a big investment for what appears to be new queuing technology.
Hopefully this is a prototype for a new type of meet-n-greet. Disney needs to use the FP+ system to innovate and deliver new experiences.
Disney has to walk a tight-rope. How do they create a system that helps rookies and once-in-a-lifetime guests have their dream experience and also creates value for veteran, repeat visitors.
As it stands now the system devalued all the planning and research that I enjoy doing. Now they are shifting the playing field and taking away the benefit of all the experience I have piled up touring the parks.
I have yet to see any real benefits. Bring me something new and tailor the system to reward effort and I think it can be a success. Hopefully this is a first step to something new; but, I'm not holding my breath.
I'm with you Will. This sounds like some sort of testing programme to me as well. It'll be interesting to see what develops. I won't be using any of those as they're Tier 1 attractions. For my donkey, maybe... but that's another story....
Guest safety may be a concern Disney is attempting to address, too.
When I heard here that there actually are parents foolish enough to wait in line for five or more HOURS to meet Anna & Elsa, one of my thoughts was how ill-advised that is for kids' health even if parents can switch off for bathroom trips and getting food and drinks. That's an entire morning or afternoon of waiting in a line.
Someone has to set limits, and perhaps Disney feels compelled to now that it's evident so many parents are unable to say, "No, we are not doing that. I said no." And mean it.
__________________
“People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.” —Winnie-the-Pooh
I think I understand the reasoning behind this. This is just a guess, but...
I think perhaps they're testing the idea of no standby for character meets with characters that don't currently have the heaviest lines and longest wait times. They'll see how it plays out with these three test cases, and perhaps implement the policy at more locations based on the results.
Character encounters have become extremely popular. They often have long lines, but since Florida law restricts a character to 20 minutes onstage (I'm not sure whether there are different rules for indoor vs outdoor, or face vs plushy characters), a 60 minute line for a mouse who's only onstage 20 minutes at a time leads to a lot of frayed nerves and crying children.
Likewise, if you do wait for 60 minutes, you're either limited to a couple of quick photos and a hug, or you get angrier and angrier with the people in line ahead of you who are taking up WAY TOO MUCH TIME with the character you've been waiting so long to see. Which also leads to frayed nerves and heightened tempers.
With this in mind, I think Disney is about to begin experimenting with new ways to manage those lines. FP is one way, but as long as there is a standby line, there will be an unpredictable number of Guests waiting. Without a standby line, Disney can precisely control the exact number of Guests waiting to see a particular character throughout the park's operating hours. Fewer people will see the characters. But those who do will, theoretically, have shorter waits and longer interaction with the characters.
My fear is that this may be a test program for something even more controversial - eliminating stand-by lines at some of the really popular regular attractions. Can you imagine Soarin' or TSMM with no stand-by line, just increased FP capacity throughout the day? The same number of people would ride it each day, but nobody would ever ride without an appointment.
I shudder to imaging the backlash at that one.
I definitely agree with you on everything you just said. I've come to like the idea of standing in a line to see the characters because that way, I know we're guaranteed to see them, and the experience will be well worth the wait. I can't tell you how many times we've waited in line with our daughter to see a character, and once we're there, the intereraction makes every second of that wait worth it just so I can see the smile on her face because they treated her like she was the only little girl in the room.
I just have a problem with the whole tier 1 thing for a character.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Her Dotness
Guest safety may be a concern Disney is attempting to address, too.
When I heard here that there actually are parents foolish enough to wait in line for five or more HOURS to meet Anna & Elsa, one of my thoughts was how ill-advised that is for kids' health even if parents can switch off for bathroom trips and getting food and drinks. That's an entire morning or afternoon of waiting in a line.
Someone has to set limits, and perhaps Disney feels compelled to now that it's evident so many parents are unable to say, "No, we are not doing that. I said no." And mean it.
I think it's crazy that some people will wait that long to meet those characters. First of all, you're wasting your entire day's worth on one character meet-n-greet, and second, you are putting your children through an awful lot. If it weren't for those Anna & Elsa FPs now, there's no way I'd be standing in line to see them, especially if it was over 5 hours. Sorry, my daughter would just have to get over it.
That is suppose to start this Sunday - has Disney actually announced this? To me, it just doesn't sound right - and that's for two reasons. 1. I've been in the Magic of Disney Animation Building - those lines move alone pretty well (and the days we were there, they weren't long). Abby and I were able to see Sorcerer Mickey in about 20 minutes (and part of that was waiting for a "new" Mickey to show up). 2. I've never seen a line at the Character Landing at AK. Why take some M&G that move along really well (or have no lines) and turn it into FP only? I don't know, maybe I'm just stupid but it doesn't make sense. Especially when you consider, the Minnie Mouse M&G was just opened a couple of months ago - wouldn't they have put FP in then before it opened? Only time will tell but I'll believe it only when Disney announces it or someone actually sees/uses it.
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Stands to reason that a test would be done on not very popular character M&G's to start with and gradually adding more in-demand ones if there aren't too many complaints.
I just can't see many people sacrificing a Tier 1 FP that could have gotten them on Soarin' or Test Track. We sure wouldn't. You'd REALLY have to love Pooh a whole lot!
__________________
“People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.” —Winnie-the-Pooh
Theoretically, I can see the idea of the test on what I would call "B" level character greetings, but that doesn't explain using a tier 1 selection for them. I don't think many people will use a tier 1 choice for those particular greetings, so if this is indeed a test, I don't see how it will yield good data.
I guess we'll see how this works out, but (and I really was surprised to find myself thinking this) I was saying the other day that I've gotten to the point that I'd rather pay for something like the Universal Express pass and just get use of it on the posted attractions. It seems to me that, in trying to keep from charging a fee, WDW continues to convolute the system, and in the process frustrate and confuse a lot of people.
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How long before everything needs a FP, and to make them tier 1...that's ridiculous!
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Seems pretty silly to me!
Spontaneity used to be a big part of the Magic . . .
PassPorter Guide Author
but that's another story....
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