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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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We want to go to SW for a day during our December Disney trip. We used Mears in the past but do not want to use them this trip and with car rental prices so high we are thinking of either taking a taxi or bus and are trying to figure out which is the best option. We are a party of 3 adults. Is there a taxi stand at SW where at park closing we could easily get a cab or would we have to call for one? If we take the bus from DTD are there certain times it comes to SW so at park closing we could easily catch the bus back? Any other info or feedback you can provide I highly appreciate. Thanks so much!
Registered Message Board Members save 30% off PassPorter guidebooks! When you register you'll have access to a discount coupon good for 30% off the list price of PassPorter books in our online store.
The city bus would be the cheapest but i've heard mixed reviews about the bus experience. The city bus is $1.75 each way (according to MouseSavers.com) and a cab will run you about $30 each way plus tip. The best way to get a taxi is to go to your resort's main building and ask the bell services/valet desk to call a cab for you. They can also confirm the approximate rate for where you are going so you know what to expect and won't get ripped off. Disney only uses Mears cabs but even a few of them will try to get a few extra bucks out of you sometimes if you aren't careful. Here is the info from MouseSavers.com about transportation to Sea World:
Getting to SeaWorld from Walt Disney World
City Bus
The cheapest way is to take the city bus to SeaWorld from Walt Disney World. The bus is #50 and the fare is $1.75 each way. Be sure to ask the driver to let you off at the front gate of SeaWorld, and ask where to pick up the return bus (also #50). For schedules and further details, visit GoLynx.com.
There are two places where you can catch the city bus at Disney World:Ticket and Transportation Center – The trip from here to SeaWorld takes about 37 minutes, stopping at Downtown Disney along the way.Downtown Disney – The trip from here to SeaWorld takes about 20 minutes. The stop for the Lynx buses is in the overflow parking lot on the far west side of Downtown Disney. If you are arriving at Downtown Disney on a Disney bus, get off at the Pleasure Island stop and walk through the West Side toward Cirque du Soleil, then around the right (north) side of the Cirque building.
MouseSavers.com reader Lois B reports in February 2012, “We took the Disney bus from the All Star Music Resort to Downtown Disney. Since Pleasure Island did not open until 11:00 that morning, the Disney bus dropped us at the only stop at 8:30 am at Downtown Disney which was at the Marketplace. The Disney bus driver was very helpful and showed us where to walk down the street and cross the road to get to the city (Lynx) bus stop for Bus 50. It was about a city block’s worth of walking. The bus was $2.00 per person. The meter took bills and coins but would not give any change back. So, for instance, there were 3 of us and it cost $6.00 so we put in a $5 and $1 bill. If we had only had a $10 bill or two $5 bills, we could have used that, but we would not have received $4 back. This may be common knowledge to most people, but since we live out in the country, we never ride city buses and had no idea about any of this — just glad we had made a point of carrying a lot of small bills for tips, etc.”
Rent a Car
Another option is to rent a car for one day. Click on the link to learn more about how to do this. You can get a one-day rental for as little as $30 plus tax and this option gives you tons more flexibility.
Shuttle
MouseSavers.com reader Lisa H reports in December 2007, “We wanted to go to SeaWorld and found Mears has a shuttle for $16 round trip per person. We were picked up right at [our Disney] resort.”
Taxi
You can take a taxi to SeaWorld from Disney World for around $30 each way, plus tip.
I was hoping for personal experience of anyone who has taken the bus or taxi to and from SW. Also, does anyone know if taxis are waiting at the exit at closing or do you have to call for one?
Registered Message Board Members save 30% off PassPorter guidebooks! When you register you'll have access to a discount coupon good for 30% off the list price of PassPorter books in our online store.
My son and I took the Lynx bus to SW from DTD and a cab back to CBR. There is a taxi stand right outside the gates and there was a line of them waiting when we left. It was very easy. I forget the exact cost, but I believe it was less than $30. Of course, that would vary based on which resort you return to.