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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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when returning to ship from Nassau and castaway cay are you required to have your Passport or would photo ID ( drivers licence) be OK, I read that someone said a color copy of your Passport would work what about Kids 16,15,12 if they don't have photo ID would being with parents be OK or would they also need Passports or color photo copy with them one final question (for this post at least ) My daughter is bring her girlfriend on trip she is 15 we plan on doing the para sailing would there be any issues with consent since I am not her parent would we need to get something signed and notarized form her parents giving us permission to sign for any such activities either in Nassau or on Castaway Cay We will already have a medical release for any emergencies thanks again Powder
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No passports or photo required at Castaway Cay. Just Keys.
You will need all types of release/permission documentation for your 15 yr old non-daughter not just for activities but to also sail outside the US with you.
Many take minimal documentation into foreign countries. I err on the conservative side with passports (or now passport cards). Remember - you are not in the US anymore.
Here is the policy from the Personal Navigator on Castaway Day (Same as all other port stops).
"All guests (including children) who wish to disembark or embark the ship are required to preset their Key to the World card at the gangway. A photo ID is also required for those guests who are 18 years of age or older. Guests under the age of 18 are required to have a Parent, Guardian or other responsible adult sign an authorization form at the time it is given out if they wish to go ashore unaccompanied. Authorizations forms are available at the gangways.
Photos IDs are always required for adults (18 & over) to disembark and embark, regardless of port - this includes Castaway Cay. We were just there in October and had considered not bringing our ID. We decided to, just in case, and were thankful as we waited in line and saw a neighbor going back to her room for her photo ID!
Children don't need photo ID, just their Key card.
People talk about taking passports or birth certificates (or copies) with them when they disembark. We didn't worry about that. You won't need them - most do it simply for peace of mind, if anything were to happen while in port.
Regarding your DD's friend, as JEB13 wrote, there are papers and authorizations you will need. I believe DCL has them on their site, but if you're not seeing them, you should call them to find out what you need. I know you'll need an authorization for travel. I think you'll also need a medical authorization form (and you'll want all of her insurance and medical info) and it may not hurt to have a "permission slip" (notarized) once you've secured your excursions that specifically address those activities (certifying that the parents know their child is doing XXX and XYZ).