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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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I am going on the 4night Disney wonder cruise in November with my daughter for her 8th birthday (she has no idea). I was wondering as she and I are doing the mommy and me thing, what types of things should I sign her up to do? I hope she makes lots of friends on board. I have some excursions at Castaway Cay that I am going to sign us up for. Any suggestions? Anyone goinge on the Nov. 25th cruise?
Welcome to the boards! You and your daughter should have a great time. We haven't done the 4-night cruise, but we've done two 3-nights and one 7-night cruise.
Activities that I did together with my son (who was 8 on our last cruise) included trivia contests (Mickey Mania in Studio Sea has adult-child pairs as contestants, and the trivia games in the Promenade Lounge are open to anyone), art auctions (just to look even if you don't want to buy anything), an "Introduction to the ship" tour on the first day, and of course the great nightly shows.
The kids' programs in the Oceaneer's Lab run all day. The activities will be listed in each day's Navigator so your daughter can drop in for the ones that look interesting and hang out for as long as she and you want.
Two years ago my husband and our then-7-year-old son had a great time on the Castaway Cay Stingray Adventure. This past year we did a scavenger hunt that took us all around Castaway Cay -- watch for the orientation session shortly before the ship docks.
Happy planning! Please don't hesitate to post any other questions you have.
Thanks, Melissa. I'm very excited about the cruise and absolutely afraid at the same time. I am terrified of open water and this is a huge step for me. I want my daughter to experience everything.
My travel agent recommened that I do the cat. 12 guarantee and get a room assignment at boarding time. She says that alot of seasoned cruisers do this be cause you can get a really great room. Have you ever heard of this?
Guarantees? Yes, of course. However, an upgrade is not a sure thing. What happens is, as your sail date approaches and if there's a surplus of vacant higher-category staterooms, they'll move folks with guarantees up to a better category so that they can sell another lower-category stateroom (which tend to sell better among last-minute travelers). Demand for staterooms of all categories is very high on DCL, so there may be no need to move you up. So, only take this inside stateroom if you'll really be satisfied with it. However, as you have a fear of open water and there are just two of you traveling, a Category 12 will suit you well.
If they do move you up, you may even learn of it before you sail. When your cruise documents arrive (usually about two weeks prior to sailing), check the stateroom assignment - while it may still say GTY, you may actually have a room assigned, and it may be better than you expected.
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Co-Author, PassPorter's Walt Disney World, PassPorter's Disney Cruise Line, and PassPorter's Disneyland and Southern California Attractions
Make sure, make sure, make sure that you have your birth certificates. You won't need a passport (hopefully) and it's really too late to get one under most circumstances. However I've heard that some states are having trouble keeping up with the demand for birth certificates.
Many thanx to dmpyron and Dave Marx. I appreciate it! I am so excited about the cruise, it's constantly on my mind. I believe we are going to have a great time. It's really nice to have a place like passporter where people can trade information!
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.
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