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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Anyone have an opinion whether the priority seating for Fantasmic ($56 per) is worth it? If you don't have priority seating, how many hours before Fantasmic do you have to stake out a viewing position? I'll wait an hour, but if it's much more than that, I'd rather have a reserved spot - unless the view isn't worth it.
And, related question, how do you find out whether or not 2 Fatasmics are scheduled for a particular night?
We waited about an 1 1/2 last time and while we did not have the best seats we saw everything...tofind out of there is one or two shows you can check out the calendar on WDW (they post up to six months) hit the day you arelooking for and all the parade and special events and nightime show hours are there....
If you go and nothing shows up just check the next day, sometimes when they are adding information you get a no information at this time message....
I just got all the times and such for our April trip.....
I should've said, we'll be there in early Jun '08, so should expect a longer wait than your 1.5 hours in April, I suppose. We were there this past June, and people were there waiting for at least 2.5 hours. We looked at the crowd, shrugged our shoulders, said we'll catch the show next time, and rode more rides. This time, we want to make sure to catch the show.
Once the June hours come out you can check for that second show. We've been able to walk right up and have a good or great spot just 20 min. or so before show time. I can't speak for the reserved seats. We've never wanted to fork over the dough! We do consider Fantasmic! at DLR a must do though!
Thanks for your advice, guys. I think what we'll plan on doing is just walking up to the second show, if there is one. If not, we'll do the priority seating at the Gallery (assuming closing the Gallery doesn't affect it).
i've only seen it from the balcony and once from the second balcony.
i thought as the gallery was closing and being converted over to an apartment (isn't it?) that there is no longer a dessert buffet there, that they may use the 2nd balcony?
in any case, my impression is lukewarm because i've only done the second showing. i wouldn't do the first because you're trapped there for the fireworks which is okay but only if you have another day to see the fireworks. i think it'd be a terrible viewing location for it.
it's pretty far from the show and it's not exactly center. you'll also have a lighting rig or two in your view. there's no real guarantee you'll have front row for it and when i have had front row center, i felt uncomfortable about weaseling my way back to the table during the performance.
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We did the dessert buffet at the Gallery balcony when they were still doing that. Was it worth it? Well, I'm a diabetic and couldn't partake in the sweets. They did have fruit, cheese and crakers though. I don't think it is worth the high price tag though. But, if it is a one time thing and you got the extra cash I say at least try it once
The seats aren't the best i the house (far right section as you face the sstage), but you can skip most of the wait. You enter down by the main entrance about 30-45 minutes before the show starts. Unfortunately, you have to exit with everyone else and that takes forever. But the show is great
Unlike MGM, DL does not have an ampitheater : You are watching from the sidewalks of frontierland, and new orleans square. That means you are sitting on the ground (for the most part ) Last time I watched it, I felt this wet sensation. I looked and someone's chocolate milkshake was running onto the back of my bermuda shorts
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Priority Seating for Fantasmic
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We do consider Fantasmic! at DLR a must do though!
: You are watching from the sidewalks of frontierland, and new orleans square. That means you are sitting on the ground (for the most part )
Last time I watched it, I felt this wet sensation. I looked and someone's chocolate milkshake was running onto the back of my bermuda shorts 
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