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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
Dubailand has failed, or at least in the meantime. I read several articles in The Wall Street Journal about how Dubai didnt pay the interest payment on their loans. Dubai in general is facing economic problems as a result. So the project is suffering major life threatening set backs. It may all collapse.
My problem is that as attractive as it is the that there are major conflicts in the middle east, the discrimination of woman, and sky high prices much higher than a Disney vacation if this Dubailand project opens.
Lets not forget that Dubailand if it opens is still a dangerous place.
Maybe the corruption will be this projects undoing. It already has been.
__________________
A famous Passporter once said "couldn't we just sleep through every day that does not include visiting Florida?"
Dubailand certainly has its problems at the moment with financing, but I also recall several debt crises regarding EuroDisney/Disneyland Paris over the years. A major uptick in oil prices may re-float Dubai's boat.
I really don't think Dubailand is particularly intended for the U.S. tourism market, and whatever social customs are supported/not supported, they'll be comfortable for the folks likely to visit Dubai (Middle East, Africa, south Asia, Australia). The place can be a huge success (as Dubai already has been as a resort/business destination) without U.S. visitor dollars. Dubai has put huge effort into creating the image (and reality) of being a safe haven for that region of the world, and is welcoming to people with a fairly wide range of values.
As to the perception of safety, that's indeed a matter of perception. Anyplace in the Middle East may seem unsafe to someone watching American newscasts, but it's not unlike saying any visit to the U.S. would be unsafe because there are high-crime areas in the Western Hemisphere. I have a colleague who recently attended a major book trade convention in Dubai, and he had nothing but good things to say about the experience.
__________________
Co-Author, PassPorter's Walt Disney World, PassPorter's Disney Cruise Line, and PassPorter's Disneyland and Southern California Attractions
Dubailand certainly has its problems at the moment with financing, but I also recall several debt crises regarding EuroDisney/Disneyland Paris over the years. A major uptick in oil prices may re-float Dubai's boat.
I really don't think Dubailand is particularly intended for the U.S. tourism market, and whatever social customs are supported/not supported, they'll be comfortable for the folks likely to visit Dubai (Middle East, Africa, south Asia, Australia). The place can be a huge success (as Dubai already has been as a resort/business destination) without U.S. visitor dollars. Dubai has put huge effort into creating the image (and reality) of being a safe haven for that region of the world, and is welcoming to people with a fairly wide range of values.
As to the perception of safety, that's indeed a matter of perception. Anyplace in the Middle East may seem unsafe to someone watching American newscasts, but it's not unlike saying any visit to the U.S. would be unsafe because there are high-crime areas in the Western Hemisphere. I have a colleague who recently attended a major book trade convention in Dubai, and he had nothing but good things to say about the experience.
Very well said Dave - you made some good points. I've heard nothing but excellent comments from friends who've been to Dubai and I can't wait to go there one day. Equally, as you say you could make the same comment about anywhere in the world - I've had friends who still think New York has a high crime rate, after the reports of two decades ago and the reality couldn't be more different now.
It's a great shame the plan for Discovery Cove/Busch Gardens and I think SeaWorld and Aquatica are on ice, as I was hoping to wait for those to open before going there - we may have a few years longer to wait now before our visit to Dubai...
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.
About This Page: 
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
I've heard nothing but excellent comments from friends who've been to Dubai and I can't wait to go there one day. Equally, as you say you could make the same comment about anywhere in the world - I've had friends who still think New York has a high crime rate, after the reports of two decades ago and the reality couldn't be more different now. 
Hybrid Mode
