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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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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 would love some honest opinions on the whole travel insurance subject. I have been doing a lot of research on the different options available, and I am wondering what your opinion is on the subject. Do you ever cruise without it?
We are planning a 7 day cruise to the Mexican Riviera in Feb/March 2011. So, no hurricane concerns. We are driving to the San Pedro terminal, which means no missed flights, and HOPEFULLY no lost luggage! I know nobody can predict illness, so of course that is always a concern.
This whole topic is a little mind-boggling for me. I have been checking rates on InsureMyTrip.com, but there are so many different plans and such a wide variety of options, that I almost just want to skip it.
So, when you cruise, what do you do?
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Saturday, October 9, 2014 - Kaitlyn and I before the Happy Haunted 5K at ESPN Wide World of Sports
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We have and have not, obtained travel insurance in the past. The only time we have bought it was during hurricane season. Granted it is risky with a family of 5. Most of everyone will say yes it is worth your money. Do what you feel comfortable with.
I have never cruised but I think if/when we do, we would get it. So many people seem to get ill on cruise ships that I'd be scared of something happening while at sea or in port and needing to get home etc.
Since we are DVC and usually fly Southwest, I don't typically purchase travel insurance for our regular trips to the world. With DD now though, I'm considering... those germs in daycare seem to be powerful, lol
The only time I have purchased travel insurance was for our two international cruises with DCL: Mediterranean and Baltic. We had quite a bit of money invested in flights, private tours, deposits, etc. that I didn't want to lose if we had to cancel the cruise.
For the Mexican Riviera cruise I would probably skip the insurance.
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Margaret and I got to see the Cubs play in October. They won!
For our normal WDW vacations (fly SW down to Orlando, stay 5-10 days, return home) we don't but we have purchased trip insurance for our land/sea trip next year (2 wks - drive down, 2 nights at PC, 5 nights on the Dream, 5 nights at WL, drive home). The trip is too pricey for us to not get insurance.
Oh, and it isn't just for what can happen ON the trip but if something could happen to stop us from going on the trip!
I haven't cruised yet but I would get it just in case I mean something can happen and not to be out all that $. just to be on the safe side I would purchase it. I do when i go to the WDW.
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The only time I have purchased travel insurance was for our two international cruises with DCL: Mediterranean and Baltic. We had quite a bit of money invested in flights, private tours, deposits, etc. that I didn't want to lose if we had to cancel the cruise.
For the Mexican Riviera cruise I would probably skip the insurance.
Same here. We got it for the Baltic cruise, as first just being a 12 night cruise it was much more money than the "standard" DCL cruise. But then with private guides, flights, etc., we took out insurance in the amount of something like $15,000. It was about $200, and doing the math there - spending $200 and not needing it, versus losing $15,000, it was an easy decision.
The only time we've taken out insurance for a cruise in the Caribbean, was when my dad was still alive. He had stage IV cancer, and we never knew how long he had, and didn't want to either be on the cruise when something happened, or if something happened just prior to us leaving.
Thanks guys. I never buy insurance for my WDW or DLR trips, so this is a whole new deal for me.
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Originally Posted by cubfancolleen
But then with private guides, flights, etc., we took out insurance in the amount of something like $15,000. It was about $200, and doing the math there - spending $200 and not needing it, versus losing $15,000, it was an easy decision.
I am being a cheapo, but I am thinking $200 will pay for a shore excursion! Still, I am really considering it. So much to think about with this new experience we are about to embark upon! Thank you for all of your opinions, I am really weighing them in my decision.
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Saturday, October 9, 2014 - Kaitlyn and I before the Happy Haunted 5K at ESPN Wide World of Sports
I should add that the two times we've purchased travel insurance it was ALWAYS with a 3rd party...never w/ the cruise line's own insurance! The 3rd party insurance covers more and is less expensive!
We are similar in that we live close to where we cruise from so we drive to the port, but we always buy insurance because after the pay in full date any money we'd lose if we had to cancel after that is far to great for us to just lose it and walk away. Someone could get sick be denied boarding, be quarantined on the ship, with Trip Insurance you have the opportunity to recoup some of your costs or all of them depending on the situation itself. God Forbid someone gets hurt on board and has to be medivac off the ship without insurance will cost you out of pocket as most private insurances won't cover that and from what I have heard its over $10K to be airlifted off a ship. Trip Insurance would help with that. Most insurance and you have to read the fine print to just make sure but another thing they can cover is if you were to lose your job, and need to cancel because of that you can recoup the cost.
You get in an accident on the way to the port, you can't get there, you miss the cruise, it could cover that as well.
I know its a lot of information to sort out and can be time consuming but if you go to the insuremytrip.com website you can compare policies side by side and make the best decision for you possible. We were able to get a policy for both of us for a 4 night cruise that covers just what we need it to for under $100. To me shelling out $100 or even $150 is worth the peace of mind of knowing that if god forbid something happened and I missed the cruise, got sick , hurt etc I was covered.
On our Cruise in December we watched a family get denied boarding because one of them was sick and I hope they had insurance as Disney isn't required to compensate if they have to deny boarding because of risk of illness to the rest of the guests.
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Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust! Studying Hard to Make a Difference!
Yikes! They got denied boarding? Oh my gosh I don't even know what I would do! Ok, well, that is going to make me consider this whole trip insurance thing a little more seriously...
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Saturday, October 9, 2014 - Kaitlyn and I before the Happy Haunted 5K at ESPN Wide World of Sports
I should add that the two times we've purchased travel insurance it was ALWAYS with a 3rd party...never w/ the cruise line's own insurance! The 3rd party insurance covers more and is less expensive!
Yes - I should have said that as well. We used a travel insurance company - we did not buy it through Disney/DCL. That was a MUCH better deal!
I recently bought trip insurance for my Oct cruiseon insuremytrip.com, and it only cost me around $60 (like 56-57, don't remember the exact amt). We are driving, too, plus my sister won the trip, but we did have to pay port fees and taxes (a little over $300 total we had to pay out). I just put in $500 total cost per person, 2 people total.
I mainly got it for the medical evacuation coverage, trip interruption (my mother is getting up there, and my sister's huband just died unexpectedly in July, so I'm wary now) and lost/damaged luggage (what if the container fell overboard in loading/unloading???).
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I know nobody can predict illness, so of course that is always a concern.
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It was about $200, and doing the math there - spending $200 and not needing it, versus losing $15,000, it was an easy decision.
Ok, well, that is going to make me consider this whole trip insurance thing a little more seriously...
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