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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Seeing this is my 1st Trip to universal & islands of adventure, what would be a good idea of spending money to have? Also a good amount for 5 days worth of eating? I just need an idea. Thanks in advance. :]
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It would be similar to a WDW trip. I don't buy many souvenirs but noticed t-shirt prices and stuffed toys were close in prices. We only ate lunch at counter service in the parks ....about $25 for two people.
It would be similar to a WDW trip. I don't buy many souvenirs but noticed t-shirt prices and stuffed toys were close in prices. We only ate lunch at counter service in the parks ....about $25 for two people.
Never been to WDW either, 1st huge trip! :] thanks tho
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Tshirts will be $25-30. You'll find souvenirs that range from a few dollars to hundreds. When we first started trips to Orlando we used to figure $100 each for souvenirs. We hardly ever spent that much....as I said we aren't big on tsking home stuff.
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Check out the merchandise online if you can. Note that if you are looking at ebay the prices will be cheaper than that in the parks. Disney store online is the same price in the parks.
My dh and I both got t shirts at us and ioa for $10-15. There was a shop near the front of the park that had many clearance shirts. My dd's wanted dresses that ended up being $20 a piece. We prob spent $100 in souvenirs for all of us. As far as food went, we got the meal plan. Dont remember the price but it is on their website. We actually purchased it before we went. There was a deal at the time that was buy an adult meal plan and get child's plan free. Check the website. There are always new deals popping up on admission also.
Tshirts will be $25-30. You'll find souvenirs that range from a few dollars to hundreds. When we first started trips to Orlando we used to figure $100 each for souvenirs. We hardly ever spent that much....as I said we aren't big on tsking home stuff.
Have fun!
Thanks! I'm sure we will! I'll keep this in mind when shopping... I'm sure I'll bring alot home tho lol
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.
Check out the merchandise online if you can. Note that if you are looking at ebay the prices will be cheaper than that in the parks. Disney store online is the same price in the parks.
My dh and I both got t shirts at us and ioa for $10-15. There was a shop near the front of the park that had many clearance shirts. My dd's wanted dresses that ended up being $20 a piece. We prob spent $100 in souvenirs for all of us. As far as food went, we got the meal plan. Dont remember the price but it is on their website. We actually purchased it before we went. There was a deal at the time that was buy an adult meal plan and get child's plan free. Check the website. There are always new deals popping up on admission also.
I saw the meal deal I'm not sure that'll work for us, but thank you! Our tickets are bought it's just saving for the trip now. Thank you for the advice!
Do you belong to AAA? Universal gives a discount for most food and merchandise if you show your AAA card. It's not a lot -- 10% I think -- but saving is saving.
As to food, if you're HP fans you'll want to have at least one meal at the Three Broomsticks.
Mythos (in the Lost Continent, I believe) was great food and a nice environment -- we almost forgot we were in a theme park. It's a bit on the spendy side, so you won't want to eat there often.
Do you belong to AAA? Universal gives a discount for most food and merchandise if you show your AAA card. It's not a lot -- 10% I think -- but saving is saving.
I have a friend thats with AAA, I was gonna take her card but wasn't sure if I could still use it? Would they ID me or ask? Like you said savings is savings. We have a breakfast at 3 broomsticks and we will eat lunch/dinner there the 1st day we visit. Hopefully we can eat at the other. I've seen pics and read a lot of reviews. I wanna check it out. Thanks for your help.
Some of my favorites at each theme park are:
Disney Hollywood Studios, Sci-Fi Dine In (FS), 50's Prime Time Cafe (FS), Hollywood Brown Derby is an excellent full service, but it's a bit expensive. Disney's Animal Kingdom, Flame Tree Barbecue (CS) (probably my favorite counter service in any of the four parks.
Thanks Ian! I'm not going to Disney this year. I've never been there either. Hopefully I can go there next year I'll remember this tho
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