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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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've been looking at DVC lately and even spoke to a rep last week. She offered an additional 160 points (from 2009) so I could start off with 320 points in February. Unfortunately the incentive will end this month and I can't commit to DVC yet. I hope that everything will work out for me to be able to buy in the fall. Although I am also considering resale, BLT is very tempting as a home resort and AKL would be great if they had a good enough incentive.
So in general how often do you see incentives offered? Is there always just about something offered? Anyone have any guesses at what DVC may offer in the fall? I have searched this forum and other sites and can't see any pattern, and maybe there isn't one, but I was just wondering. Thanks for the help!
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As far back as I can remember there has always been some incentive offered. But there is absolutely no way to predict what it might be.
In the last year they've run incentives which included free Disney Cruises, free Annual Passes and steep cash discounts. Just depends on what's on the table when you decide to take the plunge. DVC does not negotiate.
As far back as I can remember there has always been some incentive offered. But there is absolutely no way to predict what it might be.
In the last year they've run incentives which included free Disney Cruises, free Annual Passes and steep cash discounts. Just depends on what's on the table when you decide to take the plunge. DVC does not negotiate.
You could also look at the resale market.
That was going to be my answer. As far as I recall, there's always been some type of incentive - it's just whether it's an incentive that works for you or not. Some will appeal to some people and others will appeal to others.
I agree, there is always some sort of incentive, and they often offer the extra points from a previous year. When we bought in in May 2008 (June Use Year), we got all points from 2007 without having to pay the annual dues for them. We also got a cash discount (don't know how much exactely), and a $500 gift card we could use at Disney.
In general, I'd definitely look at resale as well. While there are no "incentives" there, prices are lower.
Thanks everyone. There are a lot of variables at work and since they go into affect for so long, I am trying to consider everything. Right now resale looks to be a better deal for me in general, but we'll see.
We bought this past Oct. and we got matching down payment, the same number of points we were buying credited to us for 2008. So we had 2008 and 2009 points to start off with.
We did the tour on Saturday & they offered points from 2009 as well as cash discounts - more for AKL than BLT by quite a bit.
We are not able to do it right now but hopefully in the next year. Seems like we have spent nearly that much in the last 10-11 months going to WDW.
Hope we can buy in soon.
how many points minimum is that for and what is the cost per point? We have 400 points at BLT but we bought in after a webcast last summer where we got an EXCELLENT discount. We would love to eventually add on at some point.
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Teresa
Sammy 5 years and Peyton 15 months - September 2013
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As far as I recall, there's always been some type of incentive - it's just whether it's an incentive that works for you or not. Some will appeal to some people and others will appeal to others.
but hopefully in the next year. Seems like we have spent nearly that much in the last 10-11 months going to WDW. 
Teresa
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