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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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 have to agree with you on the DDP as for us it has never been cost effect either. FABs are even included in the DDP, so those will be extra one way or the other. In fact, we have bought the TiW card for several years now because we do get a discount on FABs with it.
Yes - we have found that for us the DDP is a lot of waste - as you can see in my TR, we do a lot of sharing and snacking, and Scott and I enjoyed our FAB's, which are not included in the DDP, so we have been using the TIW for the last few years and we have saved each time!
__________________
Lisa Co-Guide to Sharing the Adventure: Disney World Trip Reports
We didn't use the DP on our last trip in April and instead used tables in wonderland. We really liked not having the plan. We ate at more TS restaurants than the plan would have accommodated and sometimes we had snacks for lunches. We were about $500 under the cost of the DP, but again, that was with I think 5 extra TS meals. We also shared meals, had appetizers, my DD loves soup as a meal etc. We just like to be able to eat what we wanted and not feel like we had to get the most expensive thing on the menu to "get our money's worth".
I do wish my DH would be excited about plans for a trip. We have an agreement, he will go and have fun, but he doesn't plan anything.
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DDP is a waste for us too. Also, the kids barely tolerate the time away from the parks that one table service meal takes. They would rather be on rides most times.
Wellll, at least Arben is interested in "helping" you plan the trip
Many people love the dining plan, but haven't crunched the numbers. And, as you say, the eating habits of the kids can make big difference.
I hope he's as interested in "helping" when it's time to pack.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cam22
I have to agree with you on the DDP as for us it has never been cost effect either. FABs are even included in the DDP, so those will be extra one way or the other. In fact, we have bought the TiW card for several years now because we do get a discount on FABs with it.
Unless I get it free, I think I will not be using the DDP for the time being. Maybe when the kids are older...
Quote:
Originally Posted by lfredsbo
Yes - we have found that for us the DDP is a lot of waste - as you can see in my TR, we do a lot of sharing and snacking, and Scott and I enjoyed our FAB's, which are not included in the DDP, so we have been using the TIW for the last few years and we have saved each time!
I know we'll do some sharing and plenty of snacking.
Quote:
Originally Posted by TuffyCO
We didn't use the DP on our last trip in April and instead used tables in wonderland. We really liked not having the plan. We ate at more TS restaurants than the plan would have accommodated and sometimes we had snacks for lunches. We were about $500 under the cost of the DP, but again, that was with I think 5 extra TS meals. We also shared meals, had appetizers, my DD loves soup as a meal etc. We just like to be able to eat what we wanted and not feel like we had to get the most expensive thing on the menu to "get our money's worth".
I do wish my DH would be excited about plans for a trip. We have an agreement, he will go and have fun, but he doesn't plan anything.
That's the point! When you're on the DDP, you're looking at the menu for the most expensive item and not really what you want. You wouldn't want to spend a TS credit on a burger.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mommapants
I agree about the DDP - not something for me - unless they bring it back for free - then sign me up.
I'm like 2 months behind you in my planning as my ADR time is coming up in like 2 weeks.
my niece and nephew have the same birthday but 2 years apart.
Exactly! Free is the only way I'll do it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by KMB733
I'm glad you crunched the numbers and convinced your DH that the DDP is not for your family!
Yes, I hope I don't have to crunch numbers again. I hope he understood this time around.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Colexis Mom
The DDP isn't for us either! DS also eats like a bird and is considered an adult! How I miss all those trips when he was free!
Tell me about it. I remember our first trip when Abniel was free. Oh, the good old days...
Quote:
Originally Posted by mojjo
DDP is a waste for us too. Also, the kids barely tolerate the time away from the parks that one table service meal takes. They would rather be on rides most times.
My kids enjoy the sit down meals. And are pretty excited to find out which ones I have planned this time. They do know a couple of them but not all.
The more I read about Spirit Airlines, the more I hate them. You do get cheap flights but you suffer in other areas.
First, if you want assigned seats, you pay for them. Not that big of a deal. I did it in order to sit with my family. It's no different from EBCI @ SW.
Then you have to pay $30 a bag. OK, still not the worse. I'm planning on taking only three large suitcases which I planned to stuff silly. Until I read on their site that the weight limit is 40lbs. Really, 40lbs? That's the weight of a 4 year old. Guess I'll be taking less clothes and doing more laundry.
Then I find out they don't participate in Disney's RAC. Why? Because they're cheap and don't want to pay Disney for this. This is not really a big problem. I'm still able to use DME. The only thing is I can't check in for my flight at the resort and I have to take my luggage with me to the airport. I sent Disney an email yesterday, asking them if I had to collect my own luggage when I arrive in Orlando or will DME do it for me and deliver it to my room. Well I got a nice and informative response, detailing all the facts about RAC. Yeah, not really what I was asking. So, if anyone knows the answer to this, please let me know. I wouldn't want to arrive at AKV and then realize I was supposed to get my own luggage.
But here comes the best one. The one that has me fuming. Spirit charges $10 for each boarding pass printed at the airport. What the heck! I really had no idea about this. Not sure if other airlines do this also. I can easily check in for my flight and print my boarding passes at home for my flight to Orlando. But for my flight back home... I read somewhere that Concierge will print out your boarding passes. Again, not sure about this. Can someone confirm?
Lesson learned... I'd rather pay a bit more and have more amenities and less headaches.
Sorry can't really help about the luggage question, but when we did the DME, our boarding passes were printed and put on our door overnight.......although again not sure if that works with this airline??? Sorry not much help
__________________
Lisa Co-Guide to Sharing the Adventure: Disney World Trip Reports
Sorry can't really help about the luggage question, but when we did the DME, our boarding passes were printed and put on our door overnight.......although again not sure if that works with this airline??? Sorry not much help
Since Spirit is not a RAC participating airline, I won't automatically get my boarding passes printed and on my door.
I hear you on all of the extra charges. I was surprised when booking a flight from California on American Airlines, and saw the extra fees to pick out an aisle seat, a window seat, etc.
My understanding is that you won't have to pick up your bags from Spirit on arrival (as long as they are tagged with DME) - it's only on the way back to the airport that you have to lug them. But, we haven't flown them - yet.
Sharon is correct. You will not have to collect your bags on arrival. The tags will be mailed to you if you are taking advantage of DME.
I would check with concierge because I think they can print your boarding passes for you at the desk.
The only thing you will not be able to do is check your bags at the resort the day of departure. You will have to take them with you and check them at the airport.
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Yes, you can ask the concierge to print your boarding passes for you. I think that is ridiculous that the airline charges you to pay if you print them at the airport. Are they also one of the airlines that charge you for carryons too?
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Holly: 
You do get cheap flights but you suffer in other areas.
This is not really a big problem. I'm still able to use DME. The only thing is I can't check in for my flight at the resort and I have to take my luggage with me to the airport. I sent Disney an email yesterday, asking them if I had to collect my own luggage when I arrive in Orlando or will DME do it for me and deliver it to my room. Well I got a nice and informative response, detailing all the facts about RAC. Yeah, not really what I was asking. So, if anyone knows the answer to this, please let me know. I wouldn't want to arrive at AKV and then realize I was supposed to get my own luggage. 
Spirit charges $10 for each boarding pass printed at the airport. 
What the heck! 
I really had no idea about this. Not sure if other airlines do this also. I can easily check in for my flight and print my boarding passes at home for my flight to Orlando. But for my flight back home... I read somewhere that Concierge will print out your boarding passes. Again, not sure about this. Can someone confirm?
Lesson learned... I'd rather pay a bit more and have more amenities and less headaches. 
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