Where Would You Choose? Updated 1/1 in Reply, with an Unexpected Twist and - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
To post messages and ask questions, join our FREE community today and you'll get access to tools and resources not available to guests, such as our vacation countown timers, "living" avatars, private messaging system, database searches, downloads, and a special PassPorter discount code. Registration is fast, simple, and completely free. Just click the Join Our Community link.
If you think you've already joined, log in below now. If you don't remember your member name or password, please visit our Member Name and Password Recovery page. You are also welcome to contact us.
Where Would You Choose? Updated 1/1 in Reply, with an Unexpected Twist and
My friends and I take an all-girls trip every year. One of my friends has to turn in her requested vacay time for the summer soon, so we are starting to planning process for our 2008 trip. We decided to each come up with a list of five places we'd like to travel to, and then compare lists. I'm having a hard time coming up with a list. We're a pretty eclectic group - some of us married, some of single, some of us more outgoing than others, some of us with more strict budgets than others - but we're still pretty flexible and open to trying new places. Any ideas? Here are some things to consider:
Places we've visited together in the past: Cancun (x2), New York, Bahamas, Las Vegas. Also, we go to Myrtle Beach as a group a few times each summer, so that's not an option.
We try to alternate between a "city" and a "beachy/tropical" location. We did Las Vegas last year, so technically, this is sand 'n surf year, but that's not set in stone.
We're aiming for 4 nights, five days to minimize time off work...Wed - Sun or Sat - Wed.
As far as when we're going, we'll be traveling somewhere in the May - August range. The heat doesn't really bother us (can't get much more hot and humid than NC in July), so that doesn't matter too much.
It doesn't have to be in the US, but we do try to be budget-savvy, so considering the weak American dollar (and the time constraints), I think Paris and London are out of the question for this year.
The two places I've put on my list are Nashville and Key West, both of which I've been to before, but not in a while, and not with my girl friends.
Where else would you suggest? For some reason, right now all I can think of is ski getaways, which don't really work for summer , so I'm drawing a blank. Feel free to name five or more places! If I use one of your ideas, expect a PM from me on fun stuff to do there!
Have you thought of doing a cruise? We are awaiting our 5th cruise in April. Loads of fun, great for a group (lots of group activities, as well as plenty of options for individual time). Cruising is a great value, if you are willing to look. We took an 8 day NCL Mexican Riviera Cruise in February. We had an inside cabin (really feel no need for anything fancier, since all we do is sleep there) and we paid $359 each (that's $44.88 a day; try going anywhere else and spend that little per person per day). That is for FOOD, ACCOMMODATIONS, ACTIVITIES and ENTERTAINMENT onboard. Granted, alcohol, spa treatments, gambling, organized shore excursions, etc. will cost extra if you choose to participate, but really, you could board a ship and never pay another dime and still have the time of your life! I highly recommend cruising!!!!!!
We have been to the Bahamas (Disney Wonder, 2003) Alaska (NCL Spirit 2004), Texarbbean (NCL Dream 2005 to Cozumel, Belize, and Roatan Honduras), Mexican Riviera (NCL Star 2007).
__________________
Debbie
Last edited by DebiDebiDebi; 12-29-2007 at 01:36 PM..
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.
My Dh and I went to Sanibel Island, FL this past June. You can rent a house as a group which will be more budget concious on everyone and the beaches is wonderful, the sunset brilliant and the shelling is great. Watch the local paper for low tide it is an amazing event. Going out into the ocean that was over your head the day before. It is close to Ft Myers for shopping expeditions too. We had a wonderful time. The keys are great too.
Registered Message Board Members Get Our Free Newsletter! When you register you'll have the option to sign up for our weekly PassPorter Newsletter. It's chock-full of feature articles; news; tips; contests; photos; and special offers in our online store.
Location: Exported from Morgantown, WV to Shreveport, LA
Posts: 4,104
Post Thanks / Like
Likes (Given): 0
Likes (Received): 0
Thanks (Given): 0
Thanks (Received): 0
Pixie Dust (Given): 0
Pixie Dust (Received): 0
I've heard NYC in the summer is not as busy - everyone's out in the Hamptons. It'd be fun, and you could shop 'til you drop!
I know you're from NC, but before I went to college, every year, my parents would rent a house on Holden Beach. It's beautiful there; and the houses are absolutely fabulous, and they're not that expensive - especially since there's so many of you.
Charleston-very historical place. Lots of Antebellum homes to tour.
Cozumel (All Inclusive-all alcohol,food already paid for). May I suggest the Iberostar in Cozumel. It's a very nice place and not that expensive to stay for 5-7 days. We are planning on going back soon (I hope). They have a beautiful beach and the swimming pool is fantastic. There is snorkeling and scuba diving available (diving costs $$ though, snorkeling off the beach is fun though). There is a swim up bar. Be sure to try a drink called "Dirty Monkey". They are very tasty.
Registered Message Board Members Get Our Free Newsletter! When you register you'll have the option to sign up for our weekly PassPorter Newsletter. It's chock-full of feature articles; news; tips; contests; photos; and special offers in our online store.
Hi Scarlett!!! I've got a few destinations for you, but they come from the mind of a scuba diver, so bear that in mind! I think a great place for you to visit would be Puerto Rico (Welcome to Puerto Rico!) or the USVI's (America's Caribbean Paradise: U.S. Virgin Islands Guide) or the BVI's (Official Website of the BVI Tourist Board – British Virgin Islands). If you want a really great mix of fun, sun and nightlife Caribbean style, check out Belize: specifically Amergries Caye (Belize Vacations, Maps, Real Estate, Resorts, News, Hotels, Travels, Flights, Weather, Tours). The place had great drinks on the beach and some amazing snorkeling (not to mention lots of washboard ab's in swim suits). If you want a place on an island that is a little more low-key to really dig your toes in the sand and do little else, check out the Honduran Islands. Roatan is the most popular (Roatan Honduras Hotels, Scuba Diving, Real Estate, Restaurants and Island Life | Bay Islands Honduras, Central America) but Utila is the place to go for total relaxation (Utila Official Site - Utila, Bay Islands, Honduras - Tropical Island Paradise). Another thing you might want to look into are ecolodge in Honduras (if you do a google search you'll find all kinds of them.) There are some breathtaking spas located on the mainlands of the Caribbean and they shouldn't be overlooked! I don't know how expensive they are or when their off-seasons are (which I'm sure they have, being that they are located in rain forests... monsoons and all). We had a day trip once to one and I could have stayed there all day. They welcomed us with a coconut with a hole drilled in it, a straw stuck through the center and a little rum and pineapple juice added. OMG. Best drink EVER!
The place I have always wanted to visit, but didn't get to before the bun started bakin' in the oven is CURACAO!!! The pictures on their website pretty much say it all: The island of Curacao - A real, different Caribbean vacation | Bon Bini Curacao So while I can't recommend it personally, I can say that four years ago I did some massive research and fell in love with its liveliness, festivals and beaches (well, and the diving).
I hope that helps. Just make sure you do loads of research before you go! I really don't want to see your face on the news and hear that you've gone missing!!! You're too important to me! Have fun deciding and no matter where you go - have an awesome time!
__________________
Boogie down!!! __________________________________________________ ______ "Life's like a movie, write your own ending. Keep believing. Keep pretending." from The Muppet Movie
I too was going to suggest a cruise. We did one for our spring break senior year (4 of us) and had a great time
Otherwise, if you want something beachy, I'd vote for the Keys or somewhere else in FL! I'm guessing HHI or that area might be too close for comfort since you're in NC? (I wouldn't consider it really getting away, but that's me )!!
My suggestion is Myrtle Beach. I love it there and you can spend all your time on the beach, or go out and do something. It's nice and warm that time of year, though the water hasn't had a chance to warm up yet. I'm also a little bias as my family has been one of a group of anywhere from 4-6 families that vacation there together every year since the early 90's. I would also suggest Savannah, Georgia if you like history and and ghosts and all that.