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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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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
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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.
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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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A co-worker told me that she is planning a family trip to WDW next year, taking her 3 kids ages 12, 8 and 5 along with her husband. She plans on getting one room at ASMo
and not telling Disney about the 5 year old staying in the room. She wants the 5 year old to experience the theming as it will be his first visit. I suggested that she get 2 connecting rooms and let the 2 oldest kids sleep there with the door open. She tells me that her kids won't sleep in a different room than the parents and she refuses to pay for a room they will not use. I also suggested a different resort, but she doesn't want to pay more and she wants the giant themes. I then suggested the family suites, but she nixed that. She is hoping for free dining and paying for the 5 year old OOP or off the adult plates and buying a park ticket from a outside source for the child. I know that it is hard for a family of 5 to have the over the top resort experience, but I think it is wrong for her to do this.
I have decided to ask her not to discuss this with me anymore, as I was at first vocal about this not being right, and cheating, etc.
So, what would you do? One side of me says MYOB and stay out of it, while another side says do something (what, I don't know)
Well, the concern is that the 5 year old won't have a room key, therefore when they go to take part in Extra Magic Hours and they don't have a key they won't be allowed on rides or into the park without it (morning hours). So while they could lie and not let on that they have the 5 year old in the room she may find that she will miss out on things had she been up front and honest.
I would let her know that you have shared how you feel about what she plans to do, and that you can't support dishonesty so that you would prefer she not include you in any discussions about her trip. Then just let it go. Unless you know for sure she doesn't add the child and unless you know for sure what resort she stays at ahead there really isn't anything you can do to prevent it. Save your Sanity and let it go.
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I like the idea of asking her not to discuss it with you anymore. If it's only going to annoy you, then it might be better just to stay out of it. Your suggestions to her were perfectly reasonable, but if she chooses to do something illegal, better to not know about it. I believe the room limits have to do with firecode issues, but I could be wrong. And Disney would be in it's rights to ask her to leave for sneaking a fifth person into a four person room. It's amazing to me how many people think that rules don't apply to them.
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It sounds like you have already told her how you feel about it and it sounds like she is determined to go this route anyhow.
As a large family, I can sympathize- but we do get two connecting rooms at the values.
Personally- I would leave it alone at this point.....
I think your best bet would be in asking her not to speak to you about it anymore. You might want to add that she'll need to not plan on taking advantage of any EMH days because EVERY single person in the family has to show their room key/card to partake of them. I don't know what Disney does to people they find to be "cheating the system", but I'm sure it's worse than just springing for the extra room or the suite!
I've got to say, I find it odd that the kids won't sleep in a room without their parents. At 2 - maybe, but at 12 and 8, I'd think the kids would prefer to not be with mom and dad all day long and all night! Why not get two rooms and have a parent in each? Sounds like she's not really wanting to spend any extra money.
I can't imagine having 5 people stay in the smaller deluxe rooms, never mind a value. I would just drop the subject. I would guess that she will pay for her dishonesty in enough ways when she goes on vacation and has three kids all over one another in a confined space.
I think you've done all you can at this point. I'd sit back, and hope that karma runs its course.
Of course, you need to be ready to walk away and not say "I told you so" when she comes home griping that the mean folks at Disney wouldn't let her kid into the park for morning EMH.
I'd let it go.... if they want to cram 5pp into one small room.. let them. 5 pp sharing a bathroom and only 2 beds.... sounds like fun to me I suppose that if they don't stay in many hotel, the kids mught not understand or be a bit intimidated about what being in theri own rooms means at a hotel. Don't be too hard on her... there are worse things she can do.
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I don't think I'd really get into the ethics of the situation or even the Disney rules (if you haven't already), but really putting 5 people in that size of room - sounds cramped and uncomfortable and a whole lot of work to keep it a secret. Plus if there is free dining and they go to a sit down restaurant I'm sure there will be some questions, if not difficulty to get a check just for the child. It will be pretty obvious that something is up when everyone else is on the meal plan and the whole extra magic hours thing would come into play too.
However at this point you will probably need to let it go...she knows you think its a bad idea so anything you say will make her defensive at this point. Maybe someone else will be able to point out these issues so she'll listen.
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I find it odd that the kids won't sleep in a room without their parents. At 2 - maybe, but at 12 and 8, I'd think the kids would prefer to not be with mom and dad all day long and all night! Why not get two rooms and have a parent in each? Sounds like she's not really wanting to spend any extra money.
They all still sleep in the same bed with the parents most of the time, even though they all have their own rooms, been doing it all their lives and she doesn't think it is strange.
You've stated your peace on the matter and let your position be known. You've also ended the discussion of it further with you. If she stays on her current path, then you just need to let some people learn from their mistakes.
At first she was mad at me that Disney didn't have rooms like POR but value like POP for families of 5. (yea, there is a great Disney plot to keep you and your kids out of ASMo). Now she is asking me questions about dining and ADRs and I feel like a conspiriter by answering them.
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I suppose that if they don't stay in many hotel, the kids mught not understand or be a bit intimidated about what being in theri own rooms means at a hotel. Don't be too hard on her... there are worse things she can do.
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