Forums Closed
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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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!
Best wishes for a wonderful and magical new year!
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11-06-2000, 08:52 AM
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#1
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Faith, Trust, Pixie Dust
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Sasquatch Territory, Pacific Northwest
Concierge Level: 8
Posts: 17,166
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Other Attractions In Orlando Area
OK, I know I risk public flogging, but, we are venturing out (1 day only) to Island Of Adventure over at Universal Studios. Anybody else been there? Any suggestions? I have never been there, so any tips would be appriciated. :P
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DebiDebiDebi, Official card carrying member of the Mickey Mouse Club.
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11-06-2000, 09:24 AM
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#2
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Community Rank: Wayfarer 
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Massachusetts
Concierge Level: 6
Posts: 118
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Re: Other Attractions In Orlando Area
Dear Debix3
I also have been wondering about that. Thanks for being brave and asking the question.
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Connie
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11-06-2000, 10:19 AM
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#3
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Community Rank: Jetsetter 
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: York, PA , USA
Posts: 2,022
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Re: Other Attractions In Orlando Area
We just got back from Disney last night, and did spend a day at Islands of Adventure while we were there.
My advice....don't waste your money. 
My younger brothers(all in their late teens or early twenties) loved universal Studios, but NO ONE liked IOA, including my 6 year old son.
If you only had one day to spend outside of Disney, I would suggest something other than IOA. Maybe Sea World? |
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*
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 | | PassPorter's Free-Book to Walt Disney World
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11-06-2000, 11:20 AM
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#4
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Community Rank: Trailblazer 
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: Orlando area via Chicago
Posts: 5,424
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Re: Other Attractions In Orlando Area
We went in Aug. we had free tickets for the kids through our package.
I would only suggest IOA if you don't have any young children and like to ride roller coasters/thrill rides. There is really not much else there to do. We went with a 6 & 8 year old and left after 3 hours. The 6 yo could not go on many of the rides (he couldn't even go on the raft water ride). And the Dr. Suess (kids) section only had 3 rides, a carousel, a dumbo-like ride, and the Cat in the hat ride. Even my husband, who is a big comic book fan, didn't enjoy IOA. Even with the Spiderman ride (a very good ride), which is why we went there in the first place.
Also, compared to Disney it seemed a LOT more crowded. VERY long waits.
Michele
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 Take a frown, turn upside down, and you'll find yours I know!
CRB 1/93, DxL 2/94, DxL 4/96, DxL 9/97, ASSports 8/00 |
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11-06-2000, 08:58 PM
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#5
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Community Rank: Scout 
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: SE Texas!
Posts: 4,882
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Re: Other Attractions In Orlando Area
You are a brave one to suggest there is anything to do in Central FL besides the obvious (& preferred) choice -- Disney.  LOL
We went to the "other side" (Universal Studios that is, GASP!  ), once, and only once in 1995. With that being said, a return visit will NEVER occur. IOA was not open, so I cannot comment on that. But I can comment on the fact that Universal was crowded, dirty, and several of the rides seemed to be suffering from mechanical breakdowns. We had free tickets to this park, and even another free trip to this park would not lure us back.
Don't waste the time or effort. (Not to mention the $)
All Ears
[This message has been edited by All Ears (edited 11-06-2000).]
[This message has been edited by All Ears (edited 11-06-2000).] |
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11-07-2000, 12:59 AM
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#6
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Recovering VMK Addict!
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Thornton, CO
Concierge Level: 6
Posts: 13,087
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Re: Other Attractions In Orlando Area
How about venturing to Discovery Cove? You can snorkel, feed birds, and swim with a dolphin! It is very expensive, but very well worth twice what you pay!
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11-07-2000, 01:37 AM
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#7
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Community Rank: Adventurer 
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Murphy, OR, USA
Posts: 511
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Re: Other Attractions In Orlando Area
I've been wondering too. My DH & I want to go to IOA. (Yes, we are some of those who love thrill rides...) We are planning to go on New Year's Eve since we won't be staying onsite until the 1st, and I'm not sure we will be able to get into one of the WDW Parks. I am wondering just how much fun my DD (5 yrs) and DS (18 mos) will have.
Guess we will still go and try it, and if we don't like it, we can know and never plan to return.
Or, does anyone else have any suggestions?
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Michelle
6/88 - Off property
6/94 - Contemporary
9/98 - Port Orleans
1/01 - Beach Club
8/01 - ?? |
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11-07-2000, 05:26 AM
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#8
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Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Ann Arbor, MI USA
Concierge Level: 6
Posts: 14,427
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Re: Other Attractions In Orlando Area
IOA is not a good idea at any time for a 5-year-old and an 18-month-old, and I'd be very concerned about New Year's Eve. As has been noted, there are very few attractions at IOA suitable for that age, which means some adult will be sitting out a lot of fun, tending the little ones. The main Universal park is a somewhat better idea -- there are several great kid's areas, and other attractions more suitable for families. Sea World is probably an even better idea, though.
New Year's Eve at a thrill ride park (and Universal and IOA both fit that description) will tend to attract a young, rowdy, drinking crowd. Sea World should draw more of a family-oriented crowd.
We were at Magic Kingdom last New Year's Eve with my then 7-year-old daughter. It was the perfect park for the purpose - lots of attractions suitable for her age, no drinking, and lots of magic. I know I've already advised you that entry to a Disney park would be difficult-to-impossible unless you were staying on-property, but if there's a way to do it (last-minute room availabilities aren't unheard of) it may still be your best choice.
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Co-Author, PassPorter Walt Disney World 2000
http://www.passporter.com/wdw/ |
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11-07-2000, 09:00 AM
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#9
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Faith, Trust, Pixie Dust
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Sasquatch Territory, Pacific Northwest
Concierge Level: 8
Posts: 17,166
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Re: Other Attractions In Orlando Area
We will be four adults who like to ride the thrill rides, so, I guess we are safe there, thanks for all the info, everybody! 
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DebiDebiDebi, Official card carrying member of the Mickey Mouse Club. |
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11-08-2000, 02:05 PM
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#10
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Community Rank: Visitor
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Ft. Myers, FL, USA
Posts: 2
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Re: Other Attractions In Orlando Area
I'm probably in the minority here, but I love IOA! The Spider-Man ride is worth the admission price alone. The Hulk coaster is prehaps the best coaster in Florida. Ripsaw Falls log flume ride has a unique drop -- you fall 15 feet below the water level. The Popeye rapids ride is the fastest and wettest rapids ride I've been on.
I say go for it! You will enjoy yourself. Although this may be a cause for whipping, I know some Disney fans who converted to Universal fans after visitng Universal Orlando! |
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