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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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A little background: DH and I will celebrate our 10 year wedding anniversary in May 2009. I've said for a few years now that I wanted to do an us-only trip for this anniversary. I'm leaning toward a WDW trip, and I almost have DH convinced!
So anyway, I was on a website with discounts on cruises. There were a few Disney cruises in May that are $500 or less per person, which seems to be a good price. Is it safe to go through outside companies to book a Disney cruise, or should I stick with going through the Disney folks? Is there any other reason I should book through Disney?
Second question: Back when I was planning our honeymoon, we looked at WDW, though we didn't go. At that point, there were some special land-and-sea type packages, with a short cruise and a stay in the parks. Does Disney still offer these types of packages? I don't see anything like that on their website.
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DD and DS, May 2008
"I am purple today; Bright and happy like a butterfly in the air." -Kira Willey
You may want to check that the price you found includes all of the port charges, taxes and fuel surcharge fees. Be sure you are comparing the cruises you are comparing on Disney's site and the other site include the same things. Disney tends to add transfers and insurance automatically and then you can opt to not include it with your cruise which lowers the price. I have seen some of the 3 night cruises for less than $600 including all of the extra charges but the 4 and 7 night cruises would be more. It's definitely safe to book a cruise through an online travel agency many of them book space on the cruises when the rates first come out and then are able to pass that savings on to you.
Disney does have land and sea packages available for 2009 even though the WDW packages aren't out yet. They are either 3 night land with a 4 night cruise or 4 night land with a 3 night cruise. You can also book the land and sea portions separately.
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I agree with what Elyse points out. Many times you will see "from $499". What this means is "$499 for the lowest category in the middle of hurricane season when no one wants to sail. Plus taxes and fees." Actually (sadly), the cruise lines practically require us to advertise this way. Unless you have a very specific date, an agency has to list it like this. And with teeny tiny print at the bottom that say "select dates. Taxes, governmental fees and fuel surcharge of $7/day per person extra. Ships registry The Bahamas". It's actually a little better than that. But most agencies try to hook you in with the $499 rate. I'll tell you that when I quote (I have to), but then immediately give you the breakdown and total. As will any good agent (I know, I've dealt with cruiseco before I became an agent).
I price compared Disney's website to AAA, Costco and a TA. Went with the TA b/c of the ability to ask her questions whenever I need/want to. The prices were all pretty close, it was the extras (ship credits, etc) that were the difference.
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Looking forward to another Christmas with The Mouse!!
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DD and DS, May 2008
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