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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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DW and I are considering getting AP's while they're $100 off through DVC and getting a DDE "pass". What I understand about DDE is this;
- You have to be a Florida resident or AP holder.
- It takes several weeks to process the DDE "pass".
Here's my question though. If I buy the AP now and don't activate it until our next trip in October can I immediately purchase a DDE pass and start using it? The DVC and Disney Dining cast members I asked weren't sure. So I figured I'd ask the experts.
The DDE card is now available to all AP holders.
I'm pretty sure you do need an active AP to use the DDE. If I'm not mistaken, I've heard of some people that activated their AP and then got the DDE card right away at Epcot Guest Services.
I called DDE about this recently. We have MYW tickets and I will be upgrading them at Guest Services when I arrive. DDE told me I must have an activated AP (not voucher) -before- signing up for DDE. However, they did tell me to call them (M-F 8-5) as soon as I got my AP and they would allow me to sign up and send a temporary DDE card to the Guest Services office at Epcot and I could pick it up and start using it immediately. They would send the permanent cards in the mail later.
Yes, you can buy the DDE membership if you are an AP holder.
It is $50 which is a great deal. You get 20% off most table service meals.
It is valid when you purchase it. Unlike the AP which is valid when you activate it.
I would advise purchasing it about 2 weeks before your trip so that you get your confirmation letter prior to your trip. You will use the confirmation letter since your card most likely will not arrive anywhere from 6-10 weeks after you order it.
I don't think you can purchase it at WDW guest relations. DDE has it's own phone number and it takes at least a day or two for them to process it and make it available to you. I wouldn't take the chance. Order it a week or two ahead of time and if you have access to a fax, have them fax your letter. You can also pick up a temporary card at Epcot if you happen to lose your letter or it expires before your trip.
They no longer email confirmations because of abuse (changing the name on the email, etc.)
In response to RobDVC's response, I THINK you can purchase it even if you AP is not activated by giving them the number on your AP voucher. I could be mistaken, but I thought for sure some people had done this on this board.
I purchased my DDE card with an AP voucher; she just asked me when I going to activate the AP. When I initially called they wouldn't let me order the DDE with a voucher, I waited and called back (got a different CM) and was told "Not a problem". They did ask me for the AP voucher number, which is on the top of voucher. There seems to be A LOT of discrepancy lately with how well CM's are trained.
Keep calling - you can order with just the voucher - I did!!!!
Looks like there is a lot of discrepancy with this - when I called to order DDE I was told by the CM that they need the AP # on the activated AP - no vouchers. Sounds like some CM's are letting people do it. Keep calling back and asking different people - maybe you will find a CM who will let you purchase it with just the voucher.