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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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 just read about this new tour at the AK and not only was I like when I saw the price ($265 per person), it dropped even further when I read you still need park admission. What exactly does one get for that kind of money that can't be done just touring the park on your own? I know the "easy access" part would come in handy for those wanting Pandora but is it worth that kind of price tag?
I wouldn't do it. As for the price of admission not being included that's pretty standard with Disney tours. I don't think any of their tours include admission.
I wouldn't do it. As for the price of admission not being included that's pretty standard with Disney tours. I don't think any of their tours include admission.
That's true, but most of the other tours are also much less expensive making the "no park ticket included" easier to understand.
That's true, but most of the other tours are also much less expensive making the "no park ticket included" easier to understand.
True enough. I guess I just tend to assume that anything like a tour or special event tickets don't include admission to whatever theme park, zoo, aquarium planetarium etc. that they're in unless and until I learn otherwise. My assumption tends to be that I'm buying X and only X in this case X it's a tour. This assumption carries over to AP's as well. I assume that all I'm buying and the only thing Disney, the zoo or any other venue that sells AP's is required to give me is a year's admission and that any extras such as discounts, newsletters etc. are things that the venue has reserved the right to discontinue at any time without notice. This assuming I'm only getting a tour or an AP or whatever for my money means that I'm always happy with any "extras" provided because I don't expect or count on getting any "extras."
That was pretty much my response when I saw the price. I hope for that price they show you some truly amazing sights and have incredible information to share. If you think how much it costs to hire a VIP tour guide, how does this tour compare financially with that? I can't afford either one so I didn't bother doing the math but I wonder if this is the logic behind charging such a price for a four hour tour.
An "ordinary" VIP tour is $400-$600 per hour for up to 10 people with a 7-hour minimum, I just found out.
Comparatively, I suppose you could call this tour a pretty good deal since you haven't to pay at least $2800, possibly more.
I don't know if the hourly rate varies according to group size or what all you want to do, maybe both. As crazy popular as the Pandora stuff is now, wouldn't surprise me but what you'd pay the higher-end rate if you wanted what's included in this tour.
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hmmm. i just read a bunch of posts on this, including the official disney site. i can not for the life of me determine what makes this tour special. you can do all of these things on your own. i'm confused.
hmmm. i just read a bunch of posts on this, including the official disney site. i can not for the life of me determine what makes this tour special. you can do all of these things on your own. i'm confused.
You're not the only one - but they are advertising it as giving "easy access" to the rides. Other than Pandora, I didn't think getting to the rides was that difficult to begin with.
hmmm. i just read a bunch of posts on this, including the official disney site. i can not for the life of me determine what makes this tour special. you can do all of these things on your own. i'm confused.
I could see my husband and I doing this if we were only going to be there for 3 days. It would allow us to have a full day at EP & MK and then a split day at DHS & AK. We'd be able to schedule our 3 FPs for DHS and not have to worry about trying to get FPs at AK. It's overpriced, IMO, but I'd still consider it under certain conditions. I read a blog post about it where they tried to come up with line-item pricing for all of the elements and it basically comes out to paying ~$35/person per ride after backing out the food costs.
If we were there for a week and had all of of our kids with us....no way. I wouldn't even consider it. If I was going to spend $2500 for our entire family to do something extra at Disney, I'd be doing a VIP tour that would allow for more flexibility.
I think this VIP tour is tailored for the privileged who have money to burn and want to be escorted to the front of the line and not deal with the rest of us guests. Crazy to believe but I know there are people out there who have no problem paying for this. And as long as that is true, Disney will continue to offer these kind of high-end experiences.
I don't have as much of a problem with these high-priced luxury offerings as others seem to.
If you've got enough money to stay in high end, all-inclusive resorts elsewhere, these VIP tours would be the sort of thing you're accustomed to and expect to find at WDW.
I know lots of people complain about how many more such things Disney seems to be offering, but I'm betting it's pretty smart marketing to try drawing the truly wealthy who otherwise might go to the Caribbean or Mexico. Those people are likely to drop bunches of bucks at WDW if luxuries like this tour are available.
Seriously, if you won the lottery like that woman who just got a $338 million lump sum, wouldn't you do this kind of stuff? I darn sure would!
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oh, i definitely do not have a problem with it. if you can afford this and it benefits you, go for it. it's not affecting my enjoyment in any way. i just can't imagine doing it. but then i live in PA and have a ($700) annual pass, so i guess that's how i spend my money! ha.
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The cost doesn't include park admission??
when I saw the price ($265 per person), it dropped even further when I read you still need park admission. What exactly does one get for that kind of money that can't be done just touring the park on your own? I know the "easy access" part would come in handy for those wanting Pandora but is it worth that kind of price tag?
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I can only understand doing that at the busiest times of the year and only if you have the money....
I hope for that price they show you some truly amazing sights and have incredible information to share. If you think how much it costs to hire a VIP tour guide, how does this tour compare financially with that? 
I can't afford either one so I didn't bother doing the math but I wonder if this is the logic behind charging such a price for a four hour tour.
Dora
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