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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Didn't there used to be a category 12? Am I imagining things? I went online Tuesday to book the 14-day eastbound transatlantic on the Magic and the 5-day Key West Caribbean on the Wonder and neither of them had category 12 listed. Did Disney re-categorize them as 11s (and if so I wonder why) or did they repurpose them for castmembers possibly? Does anyone have any ideas?
Since the prices are what they are for those cruises my guess that Category 12's were the first to sell out as people went with the most cost effective route for staterooms.
On the Transatlantic they will have more entertainers on board and I have heard that they use the Cat 12's sometimes to house the extra performers needed for such along cruise. But I don't know that for sure.
I would maybe contact DCL and keep checking maybe some will pop up as available now that deposits will have to be put down and sticker shock has worn off of those who booked.
I booked on Tuesday and cancelled my 5 day double dip last night due to cost. I transfered it to a sailing in January for a 7 night cruise, and then booked a 2nd 7 night for right after for a back to back cruise and it was the same price as the 5 day double dip cruise.
So I am sure as time goes on people will back out for many reasons and those lower category rooms will open up
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Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust! Studying Hard to Make a Difference!
Hi Amy
The transatlantic advertisement stated cabins started at $999, and when we booked the category 11 that was the price we got. I thought that maybe they were using the 12s for crew members, because like you said, it's a long trip.. But it was like that on all of the shorter ones too. I was on disney's website at 7am (CST) on Tuesday to make sure I got the room I wanted on the long one. I also checked every 5-day cruise and the 12's weren't listed on any of them. The advertised starting price was for the 11's. And since i've never been on a Disney cruise, I wasn't for sure where exactly the rooms would have been originally. I'll have to pull out my old dvd to find out.
That's a great idea to switch to January. I may have to follow your lead if I can get that kind of deal. The prices on the 5-day seem a bit high to me- in fact there was quite a bit of outrage on another discussion board regarding the prices.
Could be they for some reason decided to keep the rooms empty until they know for sure what entertainment will need or maybe chose not to sell those but I'd keep watching see if they come up available as the sailing date comes closer.
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Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust! Studying Hard to Make a Difference!
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I was checking Caribbean cruises for Summer 2010 at 8 am Tuesday. No cat 12s. So I don't think it has anything to do with longer cruises, European or transAtlantic. That's as much as I know/think!
I think, from what I have heard, they save the Cat 12 til closer to the sailings to sell at a Last Minute booking cheaper fare. BUt don't quote me on that one, that is just what I have heard!
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Jen (37) Ron (43) Lindsey (6) Sydney (3)
Married in Disney World Wedding Pavillion 10/99
DVC Member (VWL & SSR), Castaway Club Member
Passporter-aholic!
The "Magic Fares" (although I think they have a new name now) have always been for the 12s. But, I've been able to book them, as have others, months and months in advance. Why hold out a cabin for a $300 fare when you can sell it for $375 months earlier?