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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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DH and I have been to Universal only once, over 11 years ago. This will be over first visit with our kids, DS and DD (both 10) and DS (19 months).
We never venture outside the World BUT, this trip we are staying 13 nights (our longest trip ever!) because we purchased DVC and are using developer points combined with some of our own points to treat ourselves to a longer trip! We are traveling in late Aug. / early Sept.
Sooo, we want to go to Universal this time. Should we go with the 7 day pass (not sure how many days we would go - honestly I initially thought only 1 day, but since we are also traveling with a baby, not sure how efficient we will be and with the heat, we want to take a more relaxing pace - we prefer to do things in the morning). It looks like the best deals are on the parks webiste as opposed to AAA, etc. (since you can't get the 7 day pass there)?
Also, what is express pass - is it like a fast pass you buy? I saw a few posts - some say you can do without it, but not sure given our group
I think you'll enjoy Universal/IOA, I had never gone till I started dating DH and he introduced me to the parks. I like going, I have a couple favorite rides including ET and Men in Black (although don't try going 2-3 times in a row if you have motion sickness and it's like 90 degrees). At IOA you should definitely do the water rides but plan on getting WET!! SpiderMan is also an awesome ride too. DH likes the coasters but I just watch
We usually only do about 1 day in each park and can hit basically everything, but it can depend on the time of year that you are going. I don't think you'll need a 7 day pass but maybe a 3 or 4 day.
With regards to the express pass, again depends on the time of year and how long you have in each park. the first couple times we went to universal together we stayed on property so we had it included. I think we did buy it in October but didn't really need it. Where it looks like you are going this summer it might be crowded so you might want to get it more for IOA than Universal. I think if you go early enough in the AM you can hit Shrek/Jimmy Neutron and Mummy (if interested) before it gets too packed.
I hope that helps. I am a Disney freak and I really do enjoy going to Universal/IOA.
Yes, go with the 7 day pass. I believe it'as the same price as a 2 park pass. If you stay at one of the US hotels, you get what is called "front of the line" privileges - no wait at any of the rides. You can buy an express pass, which allows you front of the line privilege for each ride one time, but for 4 of you it will be pricey. If you can an orlando flexpass, you can also go to Seaworld and Busch Gardens
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Welcome to the Universal/Islands of Adventure forum! We love to talk about Universal parks here!
I think the 7 day pass is the best deal, even if you don't plan to visit 7 days. I don't know if the 7-day pass is currently offered through AAA, but we boughts ours on the AAA website in 2007. It saved us a few dollars off each ticket.
For more info on the Express Pass, check out this page:
I don't think you would really need the Express pass in late August/early September. We went during Labor Day weekend in 2007 and we had no problems with crowds at all. On Labor Day we walked on a lot of rides that morning. And if you do get the 7 day pass you can tour at a more leisurely pace and wouldn't need the Express Pass. You can buy it inside the park at a number of locations (most gift shops), so if you got there and felt it was necessary you could purchase it then.
Mornings are the best time to hit the Universal parks. You can get there early and get the most popular rides done before the crowds arrive.
I had never realized the 7 days were the same pricing. Our tickets were usually part of the package we had to stay and I think last time we got deal and now we got Annual passes cause it was the same as a two day rate.
Thanks for the responses I'm thinking it may be worth it for us to go for the 7 day pass, as it seems worth it to have the flexibility in case we don't get to see everything we want in a day, have to leave early for the kids, etc.
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BUT, this trip we are staying 13 nights (our longest trip ever!) because we purchased DVC and are using developer points combined with some of our own points to treat ourselves to a longer trip! We are traveling in late Aug. / early Sept. 
I saw a few posts - some say you can do without it, but not sure given our group 
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Pixie Dust
We love to talk about Universal parks here!
Michelle - with my step sisters!
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