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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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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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DH and I are thinking that it's high time we got to try Palo or Remy on our next cruise in March. Do you think folks would frown on our 2 teenage DDs going to dinner by themselves? We'd of course let the servers know ahead of time. They'll be 15 and 17 at the time.
If you're okay with it and the servers have no problem, who cares what others think? I personally see nothing wrong with 2 older teens eating without mom and dad.
I've read of younger children eating in the MDR alone without issues. I think you are fine. It wouldn't be an issue for me unless they weren't behaving appropriately.
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Kim
1984 WDW off-site, 2003 WDW ASS, Poly, Wonder, 2006 WDW PC, 2011 Wonder to Alaska,
2012 Wonder EBPC, 2014 Magic WBTA, 2016 WDW CSR
As long as it's not the first night, so you can mention your plans to your servers (and tablemates, if you have any) the previous night, having teens dine alone would be fine. We let our kids dine alone while we were at Palo when they were 13 and 9, and again at 14 and 10, with no problems. My son even walked my daughter to the Oceaneer's Lab after dinner -- normally, he tries to avoid her as much as possible, but he felt responsible.
Your kids are even older, so they should certainly know how to order and take care of themselves. If you're at all concerned, just telling them you intend to get a report from the servers the next day should remind them to behave appropriately, but they will probably be thrilled to be treated as "grown ups" and do fine.
Absolutely! You know your kids best, and it's not at all unusual. If you're confident about their (good) behavior, and lay the groundwork with kids, servers and table mates, nobody else will have an issue with it.
When they're old enough, I generally advocate a "kids night out" on the nights the adults do Palo and/or Remy. It may or may not be practical back home, but the ship is a great place for it. Regular dining room, quick service, room service… As long as you know their plans (they know where you're going, right?).
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Co-Author, PassPorter's Walt Disney World, PassPorter's Disney Cruise Line, and PassPorter's Disneyland and Southern California Attractions
Absolutely! We did this on our last cruise with kids 11, 15, 15, and 19 (I still think of him as a kid, even though technically he could have gone to Palo with us!). We let the servers know the night before and they assured us it would be no problem. I probably would have done this on previous cruises, except we always had other adults who weren't eating at Palo to go to dinner with them. But I wouldn't do it unless there were teens in the group. If all the kids were under 12, I think it would be too much to ask, although I am sure the servers would still say no problem. My teens have gone out to eat without us before, so I didn't see anything different about them doing that on the ship. In addition, it was formal night, so they are probably on their best behavior when they are all dressed up!
I agree, I've seen very young children dining "alone" (without parents) and it's pretty common actually. Your serving team will most likely mention it to you as well if they know you are going to Palo or Remy. They enjoy spoiling the kids when you're not around I would mention it as a courtesy to your table mates (if you have any) but given their ages and i'm sure their behavior you won't have any problems. There are phones onboard and the wave phones so they can contact you if they need you. They can also go the reception desk at the restaurant if they need something and the maitre'd will come get you. It really is the safest place for them to be "independent".
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On our cruise on the Magic, our sons (ages 12 & 20) decided they wanted to go to dinner by themselves. They had dinner at Topsiders. They were able to sit by themselves and go on their own timetable. We later found out that they had the same menu as we had in the MDR, and DS12 ordered Duck Confit and loved it. They'll have great memories of their dinner out together
I think it would be completely fine. The ship is such a safe environment- as long as you let the servers know ahead of time, I would be totally comfortable with it.
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I would mention it as a courtesy to your table mates (if you have any) but given their ages and i'm sure their behavior you won't have any problems. There are phones onboard and the wave phones so they can contact you if they need you. They can also go the reception desk at the restaurant if they need something and the maitre'd will come get you. It really is the safest place for them to be "independent".
Tinkerbell1012
travlnmom
The ship is such a safe environment- as long as you let the servers know ahead of time, I would be totally comfortable with it. 
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