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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
**I know that it does not cost any extra to use a TA, they get their commission from the agency, right?
**Is the deposits the same and the due dates (for the vacation) the same when using a TA as it would be without? Or is everything due at once with a TA?
**Do most agencies that specialize in Disney, also specialize in other things? For example, would a TA be able to give me quality info for a cruise comparing a Disney cruise with a non-Disney cruise (price wise and quality wise)? And would they be specialized to book which ever one I choose?
**Does a TA work with Disney packages only or also room only ressies?
- Thanks in advance; just trying to get an idea of how it would work compared to me doing it myself......
**I know that it does not cost any extra to use a TA, they get their commission from the agency, right?
**Is the deposits the same and the due dates (for the vacation) the same when using a TA as it would be without? Or is everything due at once with a TA?
**Do most agencies that specialize in Disney, also specialize in other things? For example, would a TA be able to give me quality info for a cruise comparing a Disney cruise with a non-Disney cruise (price wise and quality wise)? And would they be specialized to book which ever one I choose?
**Does a TA work with Disney packages only or also room only ressies?
- Thanks in advance; just trying to get an idea of how it would work compared to me doing it myself......
Using a TA shouldn't cost you any more than if you book the trip directly yourself - most agencies have no fees and are paid by the suppliers themselves.
The deposit policies are the same and you can make payments through the TA just as you would yourself. I've had clients pay weekly amounts, whenever they had extra to pay on the trip, or the full amount when the balance in full is due.
Some agencies only specialize in Disney destinations, some sell all kinds of travel. Many agents are educated in numerous destinations and some of us have traveled ourselves to many locations and cruised on several cruise lines and have the first-hand knowledge to share and help you compare.
**I know that it does not cost any extra to use a TA, they get their commission from the agency, right? Most TA's do not charge anything extra for their services, however there are a few who do charge extra fees for changes, cancellations, etc. in addition to any fees a supplier such as Disney may charge. Make sure you are using an agency who is Fee-Free.
**Is the deposits the same and the due dates (for the vacation) the same when using a TA as it would be without? Or is everything due at once with a TA? Again, this is true in most cases but there are exceptions. For example, when booking as part of a group i.e. the former MouseFest groups, there may be different cancellation penalties and payment dates than a traditional room only reservation.
**Do most agencies that specialize in Disney, also specialize in other things? For example, would a TA be able to give me quality info for a cruise comparing a Disney cruise with a non-Disney cruise (price wise and quality wise)? And would they be specialized to book which ever one I choose?
Different agents specialize in different things, even within agencies. And each agent may have different certifications i.e. College of Disney Knowledge, Cruise line designations, etc. Ideally you want to work with an agent that has first hand knowledge of your destination.
**Does a TA work with Disney packages only or also room only ressies?
As Judi said, TAs can do both package or room only reservations.
The same deposit and final payment rules apply with TA's or if you book yourself. A good TA does not charge any fees for their services. I have clients make multiple payments and change dining reservations all the time. I would not dream of charging a fee, even when they cancel the entire trip. That is just part of it. So find a good agent and have a great trip.
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