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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!
Welcome! We're happy you've found the PassPorter Community -- the friendliest place to plan your vacation to Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland, and the world in general! You are now viewing the PassPorter Message Board Community as a guest, which gives you limited access. As our guest, feel free to browse our messages by selecting the forum you want to visit from the list below.
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PassPorter's Free-Book to Walt Disney World It’s hard to believe anything is free at Walt Disney World; but there are actually a number of things you can get or do for little to no cost. This e-book documents over 200 free or cheap tips to do before you go and after you arrive. You could save a considerable amount of money following these tips. Perhaps more importantly; you can discover overlooked attractions and little-known details most people whiz by on their way to spend money. Click here to see free sample pages from the e-book! Get this popular e-book free of extra charges when you join the PassPorter's Club for as little as $4.95. A club pass includes access to all our other e-books; e-worksheets; super-size photos; and more! This e-book is also available for separate purchase in the PassPorter Online Store for just $5.95.
Love, love, love the Beach Club! The best things are: proximity to EPCOT (out a side door and a few steps and you are there!), Stormalong Bay, the Marketplace where you can get quick snacks, sandwiches, treats, fresh pastries for breakfast and refill your mugs, the ambiance of a "beachy" theme, proximity to HS (quick boat ride or walk), Cape May Cafe (seafood buffet was awesome!)... I could go on and on. There are so many reasons I like this resort!
I've never stayed at the Beach Club but we visit every trip to eat at Beaches and
Cream. They have great burgers and delicious icecream. The Kitchen Sink Ice Cream is fun to try to tackle with a group. Loads of icecream comes in a kitchen sink with all the toppings and a whole can of whip cream. We are spending one night here on our next trip to surprise our girls as they want to swim in Stromalong Bay.
Stormalong Bay if you are a pool person, Beaches and Cream and the closeness to Epcot are our three favorite reasons. boardwalk is nice for well, the Boardwalk but the clown pool creeps me out. Although to be honest we like Yacht better than Beach it's quieter and calmer which suits us.
It's a great resort! I like the room decor, Stormalong Bay, and I think the Marketplace has better/more selections than Boardwalk Bakery. I also like that you can get there without venturing outside. It's a longer walk to DHS than from BWV. I don't like maneuvering around the pool area to get to Beaches & Cream on the scooter--now that I know which route to take it's not so bad, but I used to get stuck on dead-end routes that had no access. They've now built a ramp, but it used to be that when you pressed the button for the doors out to the "back" or lake area of the resort you ended up on a raised porch with only stairs to get to the walkway to Epcot. You had to go a roundabout route, pushing open doors that had no auto-open. It was very frustrating and made me mad for years! I wrote several letters about it because it was such an easy fix and I couldn't believe they hadn't seen the problem. The villas seem so close to Epcot, but really don't have great Epcot views. The best views are of the lake and pool, I guess. Boardwalk has the edge for me, but I'm always happy to stay at Beach Club!
My favourite and our real "home" resort. We just love the feel of it, we always feel relaxed here. We're only a few minutes' walk from Epcot and it's got some wonderful areas to just sit and people watch over at the Villas and in the main building. Beaches and Cream is one of our favourites and Stormalong Bay is just amazing. It really is just home for us.
We've had great stays at the Beach Club. The staff and restaurants are wonderful. Our kids loved Stormalong Bay pool area. It's very romantic in the evenings to walk along the beachfront.
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Disney Trips: BLT & Poly Bungalow 2016, VGF 2015, Fantasy 2015, Saratoga Springs Resort 2014, Grand Villa at VGF 2013, Fantasy 2013, BWV and Kidani Village 2011, BWV and Kidani Village 2010, BWV and Saratoga Springs Resort 2008,Beach Club Villas 2008,Villas at Wilderness Lodge 2006, BWV 2006, BCV 2005, HHI 2004,Polynesian 2003,Grand Floridian 2000/concierge, Honeymoon at Polynesian 1994,Polynesian 1980,Polynesian 1978
_______________
Sue
PassPorter's Free-Book to Walt Disney World It’s hard to believe anything is free at Walt Disney World; but there are actually a number of things you can get or do for little to no cost. This e-book documents over 200 free or cheap tips to do before you go and after you arrive. You could save a considerable amount of money following these tips. Perhaps more importantly; you can discover overlooked attractions and little-known details most people whiz by on their way to spend money. Click here to see free sample pages from the e-book! Get this popular e-book free of extra charges when you join the PassPorter's Club for as little as $4.95. A club pass includes access to all our other e-books; e-worksheets; super-size photos; and more! This e-book is also available for separate purchase in the PassPorter Online Store for just $5.95.
How about the best place to stay at the BCV? Last time we were there we asked for a view of Epcot which they said is no longer available.
Any suggestions so we can "request" a view would be appreciated!
They also have a nice selection of pastries as well plus fruits like Bananas. Definitely a good place for a quick breakfast and you can use a CS credit if you wanted. Yes Beaches and Cream is a TS credit but I don't recommend doing that. I would pay OOP there because you would get a much better value for your TS credit at a more expensive TS restaurant. Beaches and Cream serves burgers and such so it is a very reasonably priced restaurant.
It's a great resort! I like the room decor, Stormalong Bay, and I think the Marketplace has better/more selections than Boardwalk Bakery. I also like that you can get there without venturing outside. It's a longer walk to DHS than from BWV. I don't like maneuvering around the pool area to get to Beaches & Cream on the scooter--now that I know which route to take it's not so bad, but I used to get stuck on dead-end routes that had no access. They've now built a ramp, but it used to be that when you pressed the button for the doors out to the "back" or lake area of the resort you ended up on a raised porch with only stairs to get to the walkway to Epcot. You had to go a roundabout route, pushing open doors that had no auto-open. It was very frustrating and made me mad for years! I wrote several letters about it because it was such an easy fix and I couldn't believe they hadn't seen the problem. The villas seem so close to Epcot, but really don't have great Epcot views. The best views are of the lake and pool, I guess. Boardwalk has the edge for me, but I'm always happy to stay at Beach Club!
Did they get the problem completely fixed to your happiness? Or are you just saying you found a better route-and a longer way around? I have gotten frustrated just walking and hitting those dead ends. It is kind of convoluted-isn't it? Well I am sending you Pixies for bothering to write letters-you are a good customer
How about the best place to stay at the BCV? Last time we were there we asked for a view of Epcot which they said is no longer available.
Any suggestions so we can "request" a view would be appreciated!
I would thing for the thousands of dollars DVC people spend there should be EPCOT views, I wonder if they only meant you can't request a view..
Check out this page.. Disney Vacation Club - Beach Club Villas - ParkInfo2Go
Did they get the problem completely fixed to your happiness? Or are you just saying you found a better route-and a longer way around? I have gotten frustrated just walking and hitting those dead ends. It is kind of convoluted-isn't it? Well I am sending you Pixies for bothering to write letters-you are a good customer
That particular no-access problem was eventually fixed (a couple of years after I first noticed it), but I do find the dead-ends and narrow doorways frustrating. That's the big reason the BWV gets my vote for Epcot-area hotel over BCV.
Thanks so much for the info.!! DVC told us the previous views are now blocked by either the trees or something else forgot which. I am going to call the resort directly and find out today!
Thanks again!
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