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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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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
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.
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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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I have a reservation for the Concierge Level at Jambo House in September. I know they offer special services up there, but I've never used them. Does anyone know if they will book dining reservations ahead of time - at the 180 mark - if I get in touch with them now? I don't mind doing the reservations myself, but if I can use the services that are provided for the extra "cost" of those rooms, it would be a nice to use the perk.
Generally speaking, I think the concierge services are only available to you after you've checked in just as is the case in any major hotel. So, once you get there and want to cancel/change an ADR, they'll assist you in doing that, but before you arrive, it has to be do-it-yourself.
Besides, you'd have to spell out for the concierge how many in your party, where you want to eat and when just as you do when making ADR's to start with, so I can't see how it would be that much easier or spare you effort all in all.
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“People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.” —Winnie-the-Pooh
Yes, they will make your ADRs for you. You should be sent a Personal Itinery Planner to complete just ahead of your 180 day mark to fill in and then it's easy to email any additions/changes after that. Whilst we could have done it all ourselves it was nice to feel taken care of.
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Interesting. We received no such thing for our last trip and stayed at the Grand Floridian, CL.
Could this have been something offered by your travel agent rather than done by your resort's concierge? Or, maybe this is only done for DVC members, which we are not?
Just curious.
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“People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.” —Winnie-the-Pooh
Last edited by Her Dotness; 02-08-2013 at 04:15 PM..
Ooh, I don't know. We stayed Club Level at Animal Kingdom Lodge using DVC points and booked through Member Services. This was last June (2012), has anyone stayed more recently?
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This is the way Club Level has treated me at WL, AKL, and YC. Not sure why they didn't do this for you at GF of all places. And the first two were on a cash basis; AKV was with DVC points.
We stayed Concierge at Animal Kingdom Lodge in April 2011 and we got an email just before the 180 day mark, asking if there was anything they could do for us. I decided to make our own ADRs, but I did get them to book us on the Sunrise Safari - which you must do if you're staying concierge, as it's an amazing experience.
Definitely use the itinerary planning to book your ADR's!!!
We are staying at AKV Club level in April. I was very nervous about using the itinerary planning to book my ADR's because I am a bit of a control freak. But I decided I'm "paying" for the service I was going to use it. I did not get an email but called them about 2 weeks before our 180 day mark to find out what I needed to do. I got an email address from them and was ready to go. I sent them a list stating the number in our party (for part of the trip my we have 6 and part 5), and where we wanted to eat and when. We got everything we wanted all within 15 minutes of our desired times. We also got the Illuminations Cruise. I also called to modify a reservation and they told me about the new Night Vision Safari and we booked that.
I'm not saying this is a sure thing, but it also seems that they have the ability to book things not showing as available. I had to switch the days we were going to be at AK and HS and wanted to switch our Tusker House and Mama Melrose Fantasmic! meals accordingly. I checked online and there was nothing available near the times we wanted (we wanted 6pm TH and 5pm MM). So I called the itinerary planning to see if they could watch for any openings and they checked and were able to switch them right away.
I told my DH that we are going to have to buy more points because I haven't even left for our trip and I'm already feeling spoiled.
Definitely use the itinerary planning to book your ADR's!!!
We are staying at AKV Club level in April. I was very nervous about using the itinerary planning to book my ADR's because I am a bit of a control freak. But I decided I'm "paying" for the service I was going to use it. I did not get an email but called them about 2 weeks before our 180 day mark to find out what I needed to do. I got an email address from them and was ready to go. I sent them a list stating the number in our party (for part of the trip my we have 6 and part 5), and where we wanted to eat and when. We got everything we wanted all within 15 minutes of our desired times. We also got the Illuminations Cruise. I also called to modify a reservation and they told me about the new Night Vision Safari and we booked that.
I'm not saying this is a sure thing, but it also seems that they have the ability to book things not showing as available. I had to switch the days we were going to be at AK and HS and wanted to switch our Tusker House and Mama Melrose Fantasmic! meals accordingly. I checked online and there was nothing available near the times we wanted (we wanted 6pm TH and 5pm MM). So I called the itinerary planning to see if they could watch for any openings and they checked and were able to switch them right away.
I told my DH that we are going to have to buy more points because I haven't even left for our trip and I'm already feeling spoiled.
THANKS!! I'm going to call and make plans! I'm not set in stone for any days or parks, but there are a few restaurants DH enjoys, so those are a must. Plus I would love to do the sunrise safari! I'm sure they could also give me some other suggestions.
Absolutely use the Itinerary Planning service! We stayed AKV Concierge twice (on points) and they were fantastic both times. I believe I reached out to them first on one occasion, and they reached out to me via e-mail the other time. On both trips they successfully booked all of our requested reservations (within 15 minutes) -- and also made several changes as we needed them. They were truly wonderful. Enjoy your Concierge stay!!!
I love the IPO...they have been wonderful both times I have stayed Club level. They made all my ressies at the 180 day mark, helped me with getting my wedding cake, they made my Sunrise Safari reservation. They also purchased gifts for my daughter and had them in our room at check in, per my request. She had been wanting the Cinderella castle playset for a couple of years, and so I had them get it and have it ready for her! They were fabulous
I received an email from the IPO shortly after I booked and that is how I contacted them.
Oh, well, duh. Just asked DH if we'd gotten an email like this from them before our last stay, and he said we did.
I have no idea why we made all our ADR's ourselves. Maybe DH mentioned the email, and I simply didn't understand that it included such services. DUH, Dot!
Okay, so nevermind me. I obviously had no idea what I was talking about.
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“People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.” —Winnie-the-Pooh
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