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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Okay, we think we're getting APs for our Disney trips this year because we'll be going for two weeks in August for a bunch of celebrations - as well as a shorter trip in June for my youngest son's theater group.
For the June trip, only 4 of us are going - and the youngest has to travel with the "performer" ticket and can't use his AP. But, my husband and middle son and I will be going and we will be using our APs. (although I imagine we could activate my youngest's AP if we needed to).
For the August trip, the "performer" from the June trip and our oldest son will also be going and using their APs for the first time.
How do MagicBands work because we would like to use them?? I'm so confused with what I'm reading.
Just like with a regular ticket - your AP is linked to your MyDisneyExperience account, and your MagicBands are linked to the account, and your MBs can then access any valid tickets you have linked to your account, including your AP.
The AP must be "activated" at a WDW Ticket Sales or Guest Services window to start its 365-day clock. Once the clock starts, your AP MagicBand will be mailed to you at home - so you don't get the AP MB in advance of the first trip. However, if you have any other MBs from previous trips, or if you buy any from DisneyStore.com, or if you buy any at WDW, they will all access your AP. Just put 'em on and go to the park, once your AP is active.
Our first AP was an upgrade of tickets that were part of the package. We already had our magic bands with the tickets linked, so the upgrade was easy--just paid the price difference between the tickets and the AP's. Memory Maker was added to our MDE account instantly and our FP's transferred as well as dining reservations.
When we got home, I logged into the Passholder portion of MDE and ordered our AP Magic Bands, which we then used for the rest of the trips until our AP's expired.
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Just like with a regular ticket - your AP is linked to your MyDisneyExperience account, and your MagicBands are linked to the account, and your MBs can then access any valid tickets you have linked to your account, including your AP.
The AP must be "activated" at a WDW Ticket Sales or Guest Services window to start its 365-day clock. Once the clock starts, your AP MagicBand will be mailed to you at home - so you don't get the AP MB in advance of the first trip. However, if you have any other MBs from previous trips, or if you buy any from DisneyStore.com, or if you buy any at WDW, they will all access your AP. Just put 'em on and go to the park, once your AP is active.
So, if we "activate" our APs on our first trip in June, we can then order MBs for our August trip? Or, we can purchase them the day we "activate" them and use them for the June trip as well?
Quote:
Originally Posted by toddjodybrent
Our first AP was an upgrade of tickets that were part of the package. We already had our magic bands with the tickets linked, so the upgrade was easy--just paid the price difference between the tickets and the AP's. Memory Maker was added to our MDE account instantly and our FP's transferred as well as dining reservations.
When we got home, I logged into the Passholder portion of MDE and ordered our AP Magic Bands, which we then used for the rest of the trips until our AP's expired.
Good luck!
Thank you. I think I have old ones...just not sure if they're too old that they may not work
While I'm at it...2 other AP questions. And Thank You!! This is so helpful. In all the times I've gone to WDW, we've never had APs before.
1 - Am I correct in assuming that the APs start to run the date you "activate" them and not the date you "purchase" them? I'd like to get them by the end of the year, but we wouldn't be going until June. Is that okay?
2 - Could we activate our oldest son's AP on the June trip if he wasn't there with us?
While I'm at it...2 other AP questions. And Thank You!! This is so helpful. In all the times I've gone to WDW, we've never had APs before.
1 - Am I correct in assuming that the APs start to run the date you "activate" them and not the date you "purchase" them? I'd like to get them by the end of the year, but we wouldn't be going until June. Is that okay?
2 - Could we activate our oldest son's AP on the June trip if he wasn't there with us?
Thank you again!!
1: The answer is yes unless you buy the AP while at DW in which case it starts the day you buy it.
2: No, the person must be present as adults must present photo id and they take your picture.
2: No, the person must be present as adults must present photo id and they take your picture.
I believe the rules states that the person must be present. However, they will activate the AP if a person is not there. You must have a photo id of that person available to show guest services (text of person's driver's license works). We have done that twice now - once for myself and once for my adult son.
So, if we "activate" our APs on our first trip in June, we can then order MBs for our August trip? Or, we can purchase them the day we "activate" them and use them for the June trip as well?
Thank you. I think I have old ones...just not sure if they're too old that they may not work
You can do both - your APs will each include a MagicBand, plus you can purchase as many more as you want. You can have up to ten MBs active per person in your MyDisneyExperience account, so you can wear whichever color matches your outfit or mood on a daily basis!
Pris is also correct, if you're staying at a WDW resort, MBs for each Guest will be included with your stay. So you may end up with multiple MBs after your June trip.
Quote:
Originally Posted by dsteiny23
While I'm at it...2 other AP questions. And Thank You!! This is so helpful. In all the times I've gone to WDW, we've never had APs before.
1 - Am I correct in assuming that the APs start to run the date you "activate" them and not the date you "purchase" them? I'd like to get them by the end of the year, but we wouldn't be going until June. Is that okay?
2 - Could we activate our oldest son's AP on the June trip if he wasn't there with us?
Thank you again!!
Yes, the 365-day clock doesn't start to run on the AP until you activate it at WDW. You can buy them in advance for your June trip.
You cannot activate your son's AP without him being present.
Don't forget that if you are staying on site you will get Magic Bands mailed to you as a result of the resort stay, whether or not you have AP's. Yes, AP's start when they are first used, not when they are purchased. I don't know if you can activate an AP if the holder is not present, but there really is no reason to do so. The only benefit to that is saving a few minutes to get it done on the trip when he joins you. HIs will just expire later than yours, but that's no big deal. Maybe he'll squeeze in another trip later, you never know.
I can't help with your AP questions but I just wanted to comment on your signature picture. My goodness, your boys have grown so much since the last time I saw them. Where has the time gone?
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