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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!
Welcome! We're happy you've found the PassPorter Community -- the friendliest place to plan your vacation to Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland, and the world in general! You are now viewing the PassPorter Message Board Community as a guest, which gives you limited access. As our guest, feel free to browse our messages by selecting the forum you want to visit from the list below.
To post messages and ask questions, join our FREE community today and you'll get access to tools and resources not available to guests, such as our vacation countown timers, "living" avatars, private messaging system, database searches, downloads, and a special PassPorter discount code. Registration is fast, simple, and completely free. Just click the Join Our Community link.
If you think you've already joined, log in below now. If you don't remember your member name or password, please visit our Member Name and Password Recovery page. You are also welcome to contact us.
My boss is taking his neices (their 2 years old) to WDW this week and he refuses to make any reservations or plans for food and touring. I told him to do this or he'll be sorry. I know I'm a disney nut, but this is really bothering me. I want him to have a great vacation, but he has not planned anything for this trip......I feel a little better getting this off my chest.
It's good that you tried...when he returns hopefully he doesn't have a bad opinion of WDW and realizes that planning is essential when going to WDW. If he's lucky you'll be there to graciously help without saying "I told you!". If so, you're better than me because that would be my first statement
You know what they say about leading a horse to water...........
So it is the same for some people who go to WDW. They refuse to plan and also refuse to take the advise of people who know you need to plan. You have done all you can. The sad thing is that he will probably come back and complain about things (that could have been avoided with a little planning) and blame it all on WDW.
Ahhh... the "non planner". One of my husband's coworkers decided to "pop" into the Magic Kingdom mid afternoon, during spring break this year. No reservations, no planning what so ever, nothing. Surprise, surprise; she came home and proclaimed "Disney isn't all that, you can't even get a beer!".
If she had done even a fraction of the planning and research that i do, she'd know that you can't get beer in MK and that you can't "pop" in at noon during spring break and expect to get a whole lot accomplished. They were there on a grad night to boot, so there were no fireworks, nothing!
Ahh yes, i love the non planner! Your boss will more than likely come home and ask what all the fuss is about.... he'll be missing out on some wonderful adventures!
__________________
Last edited by wendybell; 04-22-2008 at 07:41 PM..
Registered Message Board Members save 30% off PassPorter guidebooks! When you register you'll have access to a discount coupon good for 30% off the list price of PassPorter books in our online store.
Registered Message Board Members Get Our Free Newsletter! When you register you'll have the option to sign up for our weekly PassPorter Newsletter. It's chock-full of feature articles; news; tips; contests; photos; and special offers in our online store.
It will be okay, really. We leave in 10 days and I haven't made any plans or reservations either. We never do (unless we do Chef Mickey, then we make ADRs for that) and I've been to WDW every year since I was 3 years old. I hate pre-planning vacations. It makes it all too uptight and not "vacationey" enough.
They will still be able to have a good time, I promise.
PassPorter Guide Community Rank: Legend Extraordinaire
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Chapel Hill, NC USA
Concierge Level: 6
Posts: 36,592
Post Thanks / Like
Maybe he's not planning on TS restaurants?
My sister and her husband took their kids last month over Spring Break and didn't make any ADRs because they only planned on Counter Service. They had a great trip without any hassles...and even got Dream Fastpasses on their first day!
I feel your frustration! Some of my family just returned from a trip last week. I tried several times to offer suggestions, etc for planning and the trip and they were simply not receptive. They returned and said the parks were so crowded, blah, blah, blah. I asked if they got up and going in the mornings. Their response was, "no, we couldn't get going." They didn't even arrive until 8:00 at the PPP! All I could say was, "sorry it didn't work out like you were hoping."
I am an overplanner and am SO glad we did not end up going together! That's what I have to remind myself of!
And... when he comes back and complains about not getting to eat when/where he wanted to, you can smile smugly and nod politely! Just don't let him complain or say "I don't know why you like that place so much."
You like it because you make the most of your vacation -- and you PLAN!
Eileen
Registered Message Board Members Get Our Free Newsletter! When you register you'll have the option to sign up for our weekly PassPorter Newsletter. It's chock-full of feature articles; news; tips; contests; photos; and special offers in our online store.
About This Page: 
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
He'll come back miserable, probably saying he'll never go back!! One less person to have to stand behind in line 
Your boss will more than likely come home and ask what all the fuss is about.... he'll be missing out on some wonderful adventures!
PassPorter Guide Author
Hybrid Mode
