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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Am looking to give my DD a trip for Christmas and found some unbelievably low fares on Discount airlines.
The two that come up most often are WOW and TAP. Both have reviews ranging from good to bad. I know nothing but the flight is free but it would be a short trip so luggage shouldn't be a huge issue and if we fly the red eye, who needs food or entertainment?
I am aware of what isn't included. The difference is about $200.00 flight. It would be a short -4 night trip. I will of course, crunch the numbers before clicking.
Interestingly, I just listened to part of an NPR program on "budget economy", which United, Delta, and American will all be offering.
I am a huge fan of SWA and Jet Blue but according this program, they are not super budget.
I just flew Portland OR to LAX and back for under 80 total on Spirit. It was a completely fine experience. We didn't book a carry-on bag, and were allowed a "personal item" with specific dementions, basically a large purse.
We wore the same outfit all 3 days, and just took the bare essentials, and I had no complaints. Yes, flying the super-budgets come with their inconveniences (like having to wait on the tarmack for a gate to deplane, for example) but the staff were still great, and the experience was completely fine.
If you know what you are getting, I think they are a great option. If you are trying to make tight connections or are traveling with luggage, probably would do better elsewhere.
It is a short trip but the budget airline is half the price of the non budget one. I could save several hundred dollars even if I paid for one suitcase.
When I read reviews, the main complaints were what extras were not included. I fly regularly and seldom use the 'extras". I prefer a good book to watching anything and never find a snack that fits in with my eating preferences. ONe leg would be an overnight flight so hopefully will sleep and not need anything.
Still looking at options.
KimmyAnn-you are the person the airlines are looking for-someone who puts price over getting a meal or a movie.
On short flights (anything 2 hrs or under) I really don't care what airline I fly with (as long as it is safe, of course). Seriously, I'd sit on the floor if I had to
For longer flights, though, we choose the airline carefully and usually spring for premium economy.
One thing to consider is how many flights they have and how important your trip is. Some of those airlines only have one flight a day or maybe not even that often. What happens if yours gets cancelled? Will you have to wait for another of their flights, or will they try to book you on another airline?
I've never hear do the two airlines you listed; guess they don't fly in my area. I might fly Allegiant or Spirit or similar if it was a time of year where you don't have to worry about weather issues or it was not imperative I get to my destination that day or the next, like for a cruise.
I've pretty much decided to spring for the full service airline. If it were only me, I would go with the super economy, but it is a gift for DD, so I will pay the extra.
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I'm not familiar with WOW and TAP, but we flew Norwegian in Sept of this year and were able to get just under $500 round trip, direct from Orlando to Oslo. That price even included their "premium service" which was choosing your seat in advance, checking a bag, and being served 2 meals in flight. It was honestly one of the best flights I've ever been on. New, gorgeous Dreamliner planes, extremely friendly staff, and actually good food! Idk if Norwegian is considered "budget" (compared to other airlines we priced it was less than half as much, so I definitely consider it budget), but I would be thrilled to fly with them again any time it is possible.
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MNSSHP 2015: DH (Bane), Me (Batgirl), Genie, and our friends
Thanks Ashli. I think when you go in knowing what you are going to get, you will be satisfied. This would be an overnight flight so I am not really concerned with meals, entertainment etc.
Thanks Ashli. I think when you go in knowing what you are going to get, you will be satisfied. This would be an overnight flight so I am not really concerned with meals, entertainment etc.
Maybe we should go to Norway instead.
Ours was an overnight flight too, but it was much longer so we were given dinner shortly after take off and breakfast shortly before landing.
I haven't been to Iceland, but I will say that Norway is one of the most beautiful countries I have ever seen. If you go though, definitely get out of Oslo & head for the fjord areas. You don't even have to go very far (we drove to a small fjord village about 4.5 hrs from Oslo, but the scenery was absolutely gorgeous starting less than an hour out of the city), but it makes a world of difference. With this trip, Norway definitely jumped to my #1 Euro country to recommend visiting. (Although it is a VERY expensive country. Oslo is often considered the most expensive city in Europe.)
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MNSSHP 2015: DH (Bane), Me (Batgirl), Genie, and our friends
I haven't been to Iceland, but I will say that Norway is one of the most beautiful countries I have ever seen. If you go though, definitely get out of Oslo & head for the fjord areas. You don't even have to go very far (we drove to a small fjord village about 4.5 hrs from Oslo, but the scenery was absolutely gorgeous starting less than an hour out of the city), but it makes a world of difference. With this trip, Norway definitely jumped to my #1 Euro country to recommend visiting. (Although it is a VERY expensive country. Oslo is often considered the most expensive city in Europe.)
I'm glad you posted this, as I was wondering how you liked Norway. It is just a stunning country. We were fortunate to do a Norwegian fjords cruise and wow, the scenery!
Norway is hideously expensive. I remember how much food cost in Oslo and we visited there over 10 years ago. Mind you, Iceland isn't cheap either.
I'm glad you posted this, as I was wondering how you liked Norway. It is just a stunning country. We were fortunate to do a Norwegian fjords cruise and wow, the scenery!
)
We had a wonderful time in Norway, Denmark, & Sweden, but my absolute favorite part of the trip was our time in Undredal (small fjord village near Flåm). It was just breathtaking, similar in a way to how I feel at the Grand Canyon. (Obviously very different scenery, but both so incredibly gorgeous and uninfluenced by man.)
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MNSSHP 2015: DH (Bane), Me (Batgirl), Genie, and our friends
I'm not familiar with WOW and TAP, but we flew Norwegian in Sept of this year and were able to get just under $500 round trip, direct from Orlando to Oslo. That price even included their "premium service" which was choosing your seat in advance, checking a bag, and being served 2 meals in flight. It was honestly one of the best flights I've ever been on. New, gorgeous Dreamliner planes, extremely friendly staff, and actually good food! Idk if Norwegian is considered "budget" (compared to other airlines we priced it was less than half as much, so I definitely consider it budget), but I would be thrilled to fly with them again any time it is possible.
I'm so happy to read this! I've been seeing some amazing fares on Norwegian to Europe. Time to start planning a trip!
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