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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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'm all concerned about my arrival and didn't give much though to departure. Do you take your bags to the lobby or do they come to your room and get them? How long before your flight should you plan on leaving the hotel? Anything else important I should know? We've only used Magical Express once and I really can't remember!
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Future Fairy Godmother-A girls gotta dream!
Por favor mantengase alejado de las puertas!!
**do you know how long it took us to learn that?? and then they put it on a t-shirt!! **
The night before you leave you will get a door tag on your door knob that tells you exactly when you're going to leave.
the last two trips we've taken our bags with us to the bus stop -- the first one was early morning, so we woke up and took them with us, second time the magical express left after checkout time so we left bags with bell services, and reclaimed them before we embarked. I am pretty sure the bags don't get picked up automatically. You have to get them there or arrange for Bell Services.
There are mixed opinions about Magical Express, some feel it is less convenient or takes too long, but we love it. As soon as we get on the bus - we're on vacation !
Last time we used ME,(CBR) bell services came and picked us & our luggage up to take us to the bus stop. I phoned bell services to ask for a pick up. So, depending on where you are staying, you can either get your luggage down yourself, or phone bell services. When we stay at WL in Aug, I don't think I'll need bell services as it's one bldg. But if I'm in a resort with multiple buildings, it's not so easy to get all your stuff to the lobby.
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We were just checking 2 bags, and brought them to the resort check in desk ourselves, but you can call bell service/luggage assistance for help with your luggage if so needed.
Thanks PP's! It's coming back to me know. Normally we just take a towncar to the hotel, which we love doing, but this time there are so many of us it was more cost effective to use the free service. I'm glad I have a go-to place for answers!
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Future Fairy Godmother-A girls gotta dream!
Por favor mantengase alejado de las puertas!!
**do you know how long it took us to learn that?? and then they put it on a t-shirt!! **
On our recent stay at the Beach Club, we were able to check in our bags directly with the airline at the front of the hotel, about 50 feet from the valet desk.
We didn't use Magical Express for our arrival, so I went to concierge to book the return. They called ME directly for me and gave me a pick up time of 4:10 pm for my 6:58pm departure. We took our bags to the airline check-in at around noon, and we never gave them a second thought until we landed at the airport and picked them up at baggage claim.
I don't know if the airline baggage check in is available at all the Disney resorts, but it sure was a pleasant surprise to find it at the BC.
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Huge Disney Fan...Always Have Been...Always Will Be!
Disneyland 60th Anniversary Celebration TR here!
2013 WDW trip here!
2011 trip to Hawaii here!
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Is Southwest by chance one of the participating airlines?
No, but you can still use DME with SW -- I flew SW in December 2005, when I stayed at CSR. I did have to pick up my luggage upon arrival at the Orlando airport, and then I carried it to the DME desk. Disney took it from there -- I was whisked away to CSR, checked in, and immediately went to the MK. When I returned to CSR that evening, I went to my room and voila! My luggage was waiting for me. For the trip home, I think I did something similar -- that morning, I took my luggage to the CSR luggage room and received a claim check. After visiting one of the parks, I came back and got my bag, and put it on the bus & then through Security at the airport.
I flew American this last trip (Feb. 2009), which is one of the participating airlines. So once I bid "adios" to my check-on bag at the St. Louis airport, I didn't see it again until that evening when I arrived at my room. On check-out day, I took my check-on bag and my carry-on bag to the CSR luggage room and got a claim check -- I made sure they realized I wanted to carry one of the bags on the plane. Then I went to AK and had a great time, then returned to CSR in time to catch the DME (3 hours before my plane's scheduled departure). I picked up my carry-on but didn't worry about the check-on bag. When I arrived at the St. Louis airport, my check-on appeared on the carrousel.
I LOVE DME. Yes, you probably have to leave for the airport slightly earlier than you would if you drove or took a cab. But it's FREE, it's a nice clean vehicle with a friendly driver, and you get to talk to other people who were just at WDW. Since my Feb. 2009 trip was my first solo experience, I'm an even bigger fan of DME than I was before. No muss, no fuss -- they get you there and back, and all you have to do is relax and have a great time.
No Southwest is not a participating airline unfortunately.
I have never found DME to be inconvenient. I've found I spend less time checking in and waiting for the bus than I typically do at baggage claim. Once on the bus it takes the same amount of time to arrive than driving in yourself or by towncar. The only time it may take a bit longer is if your bus is going to multiple resorts and you are the last one. Still, the drop-offs are very quick and efficient. And they group resorts by vicinity. A bus taking people to AKL won't also be taking people to the Poly. And I don't have to worry about my bags. Since it's been around for awhile you don't hear about baggage snafu's anymore. I'm sure it still happens on rare occasions, but I've never had a problem even when I wasn't able to use the yellow luggage tags. Departures are efficient too. You arrive at the airport in plenty of time to get through security and grab a bite, do a little last minute shopping, etc. And it's all free! It's a wonderful service. Okay. Sorry for rambling.
So, since SW isn't participating, we have to get our luggage from baggage claim ourselves? Is it a long walk from baggage claim to the check in desk for DME? If we have to get the bags ourselves can we then put them on the bus with us so we don't have to wait for luggage delivery?
__________________
Future Fairy Godmother-A girls gotta dream!
Por favor mantengase alejado de las puertas!!
**do you know how long it took us to learn that?? and then they put it on a t-shirt!! **
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