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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Just to start with I am beyond excited for our two days at Harry Potter World (better known as IOA . I read in a guide book that once you leave HP, you must stand in line if there is one just to get back into the gates? Is this true? And, even for die hard fans, does HP take two days, or can my DH count on getting to go to the rest of IOA and US? Thanks!
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There is a queue that regulates guests in Hogwarts that everybody must stand in. If you leave Hogwarts to visit another part of IoA, you'll have to get back into the Hogwarts line.
I think you can do all of the HP stuff in less than a day, even if you are obsessed with him.
Howdy and welcome! I would add that you should think of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter to be just one land inside of the park. If you have been to the Magic Kingdom before, think of it as one of those lands, say Tomorrowland as an example. You will have no problem doing it in one visit, maybe a few hours. Good luck and have fun!
If it is a busy time there will be a line but when we went in October there was no line to get in and the only lines we waited in for any significant time was Ollivanders and Forbidden Journey. I hope you have a great journey. We will be back to the "Wizarding World" in JUNE!!!!!!
I'm a huge HP fan, and I was really looking forward to visiting WWoHP when we went last October. The themeing is wonderful (almost up to Disney standards), and there's a decent amount to see, but you can definitely do HP in one day (or less). The worst lines were for Forbidden Journey (we waited about 45 minutes, but the queue is awesome and worth it). One tip - if anyone in your party is carrying a bag, you'll have to stow your stuff in a locker, so it takes longer to go through the queue. So do FJ before you do any shopping! The line was awful at Ollivander's, too, so we didn't bother. We also had to wait in line to get into Dervish and Banges as well as Honeydukes/Zonko's.
Definitely try the butterbeer (the frozen is the best!) - and you don't have to go into the Three Broomsticks to get it. There should be a cart right outside where you can get a mug (or two, or three....).
I've said this in another thread, but I think IoA missed the boat when they built WWoHP - it really should've been bigger (though I understand the desire to keep the "quaint little village" feel to Hogsmeade). FWIW, I hated the rest of IoA - once we got through HP, we left. I definitely wouldn't plan to have two days at HP, or even at IoA in general - we didn't even spend a whole day at Universal. Yet I can spend 16 hours at Magic Kingdom and go back again the next day ;0)
Please understand that I'm not trying to rain on your parade - HP really is awesome, and y'all might absolutely love IoA and US. But for me, it wasn't worth the money.
My husband and I are ride wimps. We don't go on roller coasters or any ride that has a hill/dip but we will go on the motion simulators at Disney. If anyone is willing to describe what the Forbidden Journey ride is like I'd greatly appreciate it. Thanks!
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I am glad I read this thread. We are going to WDW in Dec. the week before Christmas and I have alotted one day for IoA to see Harry Potter World and some of the other rides. There are only a few more we would even want to see. So now I think that one day will be perfect.
To get on the HP ride quickly, just hit the shop located past the ride (the exit). Cross through the locker room and go to the single rider line - just up the hall. The walk into the ride was fine, but not worth waiting forever.
You have to decide what you want to wait for. We were there when they opened and waited about 20 minutes for Forbidden Journey. By the time we were out there were long lines at all the shops and huge line for Forbidden Journey. So we went and ate at the pub. By the time we left the pub there were HUGE lines for all the shops.
If we went again I would do the shops first, then skip the castle tour and use the single rider line technique.
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We were in IOA at the end of January. It was amazing, and we had absolutely no lines at all!!! The only line we had was for Olivander's and it was only about 10 minutes, and honestly, not worth it in my opinion. But I must say that you wouldn't need more than one day at IOA, not matter how busy it is that day. It's absolutely worth it if you are HP fans! The Forbidden Journey is more than just a simulator. It's on a track and goes in odd ways and angles. I don't think I would recommend it if you don't like hills/dips, as there are quite a few of those. Have a wonderful time!!
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. I read in a guide book that once you leave HP, you must stand in line if there is one just to get back into the gates? Is this true? And, even for die hard fans, does HP take two days, or can my DH count on getting to go to the rest of IOA and US? Thanks!
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