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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Can someone tell me why you can book a concierge level at AKL villas and not the other villas? Is the AKL villas concierge level like other concierge levels? Are you served the normal offerings & alcohol like CR or GF Concierge?? Where is Kilimanjaro club level located and do they have good views, generally? As a DVC member, is this level hard to book? Any and all info on this type of accomodation would be very much appreciated:O)
I have never stayed at the Villas at Animal Kingdom Lodge Concierge Level, so I don't know what they offer. My best guess as to why only AKL offers concierge villas is that the Jambo House villas are the only DVC villas located in the same building wing as "regular" hotel rooms. At the other resorts with both hotel rooms and villas (Boardwalk, Beach Club, Wilderness Lodge, Contemporary) the DVC rooms are separated from the main hotel (like Kidani Village is at AKL, though not as far away). So, it wouldn't make sense for other DVC resorts to share concierge services with the rest of the resort.
We are staying at AKL concerige for the 1st time in May. I did book in the 11 month window for the 1 night and added another night about 1 month later. The rooms are mostly lock offs. You may or maynot get a savanna view. dvcnews.com has a map where you can plug in your info and gives you room locations. Concierge serives took care of all my dining needs, even the days we are not staying there. To my understanding, we will be able to get/use all the "perks" as other concierge guests. I'm not sure why these are the only offerings in the DVC network, but one is better than none!
We stayed in an AKV studio concierge. They are very limited and difficult to book. For the most part, you have to reserve exactly 11 months out -- or get very lucky. I tried to book a week's stay a few days after the 11 month mark and could only get 4 of the 7 days I wanted. The perks are wonderful. We loved the staff's help in booking our ADRs and special events, and really enjoyed the lounge. The views are not great for DVC units -- you get a pool view or a sub-par savannah view. If you really want the view, I would book a savannah room. If the perks are more important, I would try to book concierge.
We are staying at AKL concerige for the 1st time in May. I did book in the 11 month window for the 1 night and added another night about 1 month later. The rooms are mostly lock offs. You may or maynot get a savanna view. dvcnews.com has a map where you can plug in your info and gives you room locations. Concierge serives took care of all my dining needs, even the days we are not staying there. To my understanding, we will be able to get/use all the "perks" as other concierge guests. I'm not sure why these are the only offerings in the DVC network, but one is better than none!
~What does "lock off" mean? Thanks for the website info! I;ll check it out. I am not too concerned about the view. Can you rqst a certain view? the sub-savannah view sounds good. Just wouldnt want a parking lot, really, but somthing is better than nothing:O) One Conc. level is def. better than none!! I agree!
Quote:
Originally Posted by mousestruck
We stayed in an AKV studio concierge. They are very limited and difficult to book. For the most part, you have to reserve exactly 11 months out -- or get very lucky. I tried to book a week's stay a few days after the 11 month mark and could only get 4 of the 7 days I wanted.
lock off means that the room could be possible for a 2 bedroom villa. Some of the rooms have an inside connecting door to another villa. If that makes sense.
We booked for May 28th, May 29th studio. Yes you can request for a savanna view, but they will not promise the view. The other option is pool view, no parking lot view, that I'm aware of.
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Can someone tell me why you can book a concierge level at AKL villas and not the other villas?
Simply because DVC didn't build concierge villas at other resorts.
DVC was given the 5th and 6th floors of Jambo House. The concierge lounge was on the 6th floor. It's entirely possible that they were forced to take (and operate) the concierge lounge.
As others have said, only 5 of the 400+ villas at AKV are concierge. Barely 1% of the rooms. They are typically grabbed quickly by owners 11 months out.
Of the 5 villas, only 2 or 3 of them have a savanna view. The others overlook the pool. You can only request the savanna view--there is no guarantee.
Is the AKL villas concierge level like other concierge levels? Are you served the normal offerings & alcohol like CR or GF Concierge??
I've not stayed there, but had the privilege of visiting it last week later at night when I was the overnight manager. From what I saw, the offerings were very similar to what we had when we stayed at WL concierge, but certainly with an AKL twist. When I win the lottery I'd love to stay there and just hang out at the lodge the whole time. Never leave the 6th floor except to go to Boma. and maybe swim.
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I'd love to stay there and just hang out at the lodge the whole time. Never leave the 6th floor except to go to Boma. and maybe swim. 
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