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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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 got my new PassPorter, and noticed on page 75 it has Southwest listed as a participating airline for onboard check-in. Is that correct? I really hope so!
As of now, apparently it is not correct. At least, if we can trust DCL's list of participating airlines in their official FAQ.
There was some confusion back when Southwest was added to Walt Disney World's Resort Airline Check-in service, as to whether it also included the cruise line.
Further, in 2010 Southwest announced to its staff that it was starting to participate in cruise line on-board check-in services in both Orlando and Seattle, but they did not explicitly say they would be participating in DCL's service.
I'll check into this further.
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Co-Author, PassPorter's Walt Disney World, PassPorter's Disney Cruise Line, and PassPorter's Disneyland and Southern California Attractions
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Any news on this?? and for ground transfers on the way to the terminal...do you have to go to baggage claim at MCO as well? or is it only for returning after the cruise?
Please help
Im confused
and for ground transfers on the way to the terminal...do you have to go to baggage claim at MCO as well? or is it only for returning after the cruise?
If I understand this part of your question correctly, you're asking about flying TO ORLANDO on SWA.... I believe you will put the cruise line tag on your bag before you leave home so Disney will pull it when you arrive in Orlando; no need to go to baggage claim on arrival.
However, returning FROM the cruise ship TO THE AIRPORT, Southwest is not yet one of the airlines offering to get your bags from the ship to the airport; you would need to claim your bags in the port terminal and take them with you to the airport.
That's why we are flying SWA to Orlando but taking Airtran home, since they do participate in the onboard check-in.
Did that answer your question?
And if I'm wrong, someone please correct me and help another Passporter out!
According to my media contact at BAGS, SWA should be part of onboard airline check-in at Port Canaveral. Getting confirmation of the practice, as contrasted to the theory, however, is another matter.
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Co-Author, PassPorter's Walt Disney World, PassPorter's Disney Cruise Line, and PassPorter's Disneyland and Southern California Attractions
Thank you both so very much....Im seriously considering changing my flight back to a different carrier....as it will be only myself and my too little children (7 and 4) and luggage is the last thing I want to be worried about...as Im a bit nervous about this cruise already!
Keri
If you were me...would you pay a fee and swtich for convenience? My sailing is in May 2012
Thank you both so very much....Im seriously considering changing my flight back to a different carrier....as it will be only myself and my too little children (7 and 4) and luggage is the last thing I want to be worried about...as Im a bit nervous about this cruise already!
Keri
If you were me...would you pay a fee and swtich for convenience? My sailing is in May 2012
IMHO, I would NOT switch to a different carrier. Southwest rocks, and remember, you'll have bag fees with some other carriers.
How are you getting back from port to MCO? When you get off the ship, grab a porter and he will collect and handle your luggage for you. We generally tip about $10 (3 or 4 bags) and they bring your luggage where it needs to go. When you get to MCO, SWA has curbside check-in, so you literally drop your bags at the curb and they are taken care of. Again, we tip about $5 - $10, depending on the amount of bags.
You are gonna have an awesome cruise...your kids will LOVE it!!!
Thank you so very much!! Im trying to make my decision and I really dont think I want to go through customs with dragging my luggage and 2 little kids...
does everyone take their bags through customs? or with onboard airline checkin..is this done for you...Im more confused now as my TA stated that no matter what carrier...everyone has to take their own bags through customs...
Big hugs
Keri
Got off the Dream Thanksgiving cruise, this PDF is what we got about airline baggage, SWA is not on the list. Not sure if it was 100% accurate though as we did not use the service.
It looks like DCL's sheet needs a little revision. Ted hasn't been in operation since 2009. However, the same list (AirTran, Alaska, American, Continental, Delta, JetBlue, United, and US Air) is given by DCL reservations agents. They used to list the airlines in the FAQ at the DCL web site, but now they don't list the airlines, just describe the service (I guess they didn't want to be responsible for making timely revisions).
Meanwhile, AirTran is now part of Southwest, with planes and routes converting to the Southwest brand... Once the conversion is complete, will they continue participating in onboard airline check-in, or will Airtran simply be removed from the list?
Since BAGS media relations says they serve SWA out of Port Canaveral, but DCL doesn't include SWA in their list... I have to do a bit more digging. When I find out, I'll let you all know.
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Co-Author, PassPorter's Walt Disney World, PassPorter's Disney Cruise Line, and PassPorter's Disneyland and Southern California Attractions
I am going this month. I have flights on SW and I have DCL transfers. I will find out for sure. On my DCL docs it does not list SW and it is pretty up to date compared to the hand out. It does not list Ted.
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