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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
Going to DL for the first time July 2017. I am used to the WDW meal plans, but I know that DL doesn't have that. I have heard people talking about meal vouchers. What exactly are they and how do you get them?
__________________
Next Trip: Christmas 2025
High School Teacher
Scentsy Independent Consultant
Registered Message Board Members save 30% off PassPorter guidebooks! When you register you'll have access to a discount coupon good for 30% off the list price of PassPorter books in our online store.
PassPorter Guide Author PassPorter Guide Community Rank: Navigator
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Ohio & Florida
Concierge Level: 6
Posts: 6,129
Post Thanks / Like
Likes (Given): 73
Likes (Received): 284
Thanks (Given): 7
Thanks (Received): 146
Pixie Dust (Given): 25
Pixie Dust (Received): 18
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rebracer
Going to DL for the first time July 2017. I am used to the WDW meal plans, but I know that DL doesn't have that. I have heard people talking about meal vouchers. What exactly are they and how do you get them?
It sounds as if they come with packages through travel agents, but I've never had one.
Dining's a lot easier at DLR, btw, though of course with somewhat fewer choices with just two parks and three hotels. On the flip side, though, the parks, hotels, and Downtown Disney are so close that you barely have to budget in travel time to the restaurants!
The vouchers are DL's equivalent of a dining plan and unless they've changed it it's not worth it. You get vouchers for set amounts, you don't get change if you don't spend as much as the voucher is worth and they can't be used in Downtown Disney which is where most of the restaurants are.
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.
The only vouchers you can get with the DL vacation packages are for the character meals. You can get a voucher that is good for use at Storytellers (Grand Californian), Minnie's Breakfast (Plaza Inn), Mickey's Surf's Up Breakfast (PCH Grill at Paradise Pier) or a voucher that is good for Ariel's Grotto or Goofy's Kitchen. Basically all you are doing is pre-paying for the meal in advance and you can only purchase one voucher for every member in your party.
I am already missing Dining Plans and Magic Bands.
Honestly, the only time I miss either of those is at the end of the night when my hands are full and I'm having to dig out my hotel room key. Otherwise, I don't miss them at all. I used to be a die hard WDW girl. Went 2 - 3 times a year. Now, I'll take 1 trip to California and Disneyland over 3 trips to WDW a year anyday.
Right. I find the food prices in DL very reasonable, considering it's Disney. Easy to find a filling meal that can even be shared for under $15.
If you post your meal preferences, I'm sure folks here could make some recommendations.
It's also much easier to get ADRs to almost any table service place, as compared to WDW. Don't have to plan so far in advance, and ADRs for all but the most popular places can be secured a day or two in advance if you have a change of plans.
You can also pretty much get a walk up to almost any restaurant at DL, even during busier times as long as you don't mind waiting. They may not be able to seat you right away but they should be able to seat you.
They also have much healthier options than WDW. It was so nice when WDW had salads at their quick services and I don't just mean caesar salad either (I can't eat caesar salad cause of the cheese - dairy allergy). That's the only salad WDW seems to serve these days but at one point they used to have these amazing salads that you could get but now, all they want to sell is hot dogs and hamburgers. Not at Disneyland. They have so many healthy options as well as variety! And at decent prices too.
We also like the fact that you can still get a decent meal late at night.
As someone who has done both I would skip the vouchers! They were more of a hassle than a help. The only way I would consider doing them again was if I was setting my teens free and wanted to make sure they ate. We really enjoy the QS options in DL. The variety and quality outshine the QS options in WDW and considering it is such an easy walk to the DTD area it's easy to step out and grab lunch there too. Some favorites are the Chowder Bowls in DCA, Bengal BBQ skewers, Soup & Sandwich at Jolly Holiday, Fish & Chips at the Golden Horseshoe, French Toast at Flo's, and Mediterranean Skewers at Paradise Garden. Have a look at the websites but if this is a first trip I think you are going to be pleasantly surprised at how well you can eat without a reservation!
About This Page: 
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
Linear Mode
