Forums Closed
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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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!
Best wishes for a wonderful and magical new year!
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02-20-2011, 03:40 PM
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#1
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PassPorter Guide
 Community Rank: Globetrotter 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 3,041
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Feature Article: Free Disney Dining Plan Deal - Will It Be Offered for 2011?
Free Disney Dining Plan Deal - Will It Be Offered for 2011?
by Jennifer Marx
The big question we hear this time of the year is, "Will Disney have a free Disney Dining Plan promotion?"
The simple answer is that right now, we do not know.
But fear not -- there is a longer answer to the "will there be a free dining plan this year?" question! First, rest assured that if and when Disney does offer a free dining promotion, they tell the world about it! Free Disney Dining is not going to be a secret. Travel agents are often the first to know, and it quickly spreads across the Internet and by word of mouth. If you're listening and watching, you'll know. Here are the ways to keep your Mickey ears to the ground:
Check Disney's Special Offers page at http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/special-offers/ (and while you're there, register on their site for e-mail announcements and snail mail, which may include a special PIN code for deals).
Check PassPorter's Feasting & Snacking forum at http://www.passporterboards.com/foru...-disney-world/ (and sign up for our newsletter)
Check MouseSavers.com at http://www.mousesavers.com/disneyresorts.html#codes (and sign up for their newsletter)
The most recent free Disney Dining Plan offer was for 2011 dates, but had to be booked by December 20, 2010.
Historically speaking, the free Disney Dining Plan was first offered in summer 2005 as a means of drawing in guests during the typically low-crowd season of mid-August through September. Free Disney Dining was first offered as part of a package (requiring at least a 3-night stay) and included the "regular" Disney Dining Plan -- with 1 table service (TS), 1 counter service (CS) and 1 snack per person per night of the reservation.
The notice of this promotion has often been released first to Disney Visa Cardholders a few days prior to it being released to the general public -- typically, the announcement has come in the spring and had to be booked by early summer. Additionally, it was offered to UK travelers and became an indicator if it would be offered to everyone.
Then came the global economic downturn and Disney began offering all sorts of promotions to increase bookings -- Free Dining being one of their offerings. Disney began offering the promotion according to different levels of resorts. If you stayed in a Disney value resort, you got the Quick Service Dining Plan (QSDP) for free -- with 2 QS meals and 2 snacks per person, per night of the reservation. Guests could pay to "upgrade" from the QSDP to the regular DDP or the Deluxe DDP -- all they had to do was pay the difference in price between the QSDP and the plan they wanted.
However, note that these free Disney Dining promotions seem to be slowing and Disney has said they will be reducing them significantly this year.
In terms of booking, you can book your reservation now and then hope for Free Disney Dining to be offered during your timeframe. When it's announced, quickly try to add the promotion to your reservation. (Promotions are first-come/first-served, so act fast.) Hopefully, there will be available promotions for your resort during your timeframe, but you may need to try different dates or a different resort to get the promotion.
Here are the dates when free Disney Dining plan deals became available, and the dates the deals were applicable, in the past:
Booking Period | Vacation Dates | Intended For
6/2-7/3/05 & 7/21-8/20/05 | 8/21-10/4/05 | General public
4/1-6/4/06 & 6/2/-6/25/06 | 8/13-9/30/06 | General public
11/8-12/31/06 | 8/5-9/29/07 | "Bounceback" Package Discount only for guests staying at WDW Nov-Dec 2006
4/9-6/24/07 | 8/26-9/22/07 | Disney Visa cardholders offer
4/12-6/24/07 | 8/26-9/22/07 | General public
8/31-10/12/07 | 8/30-9/27/08 | "Bounceback" Package Discount only for guests staying at WDW Aug-Oct 2007
4/7-6/22/08 | 8/24-9/20/08 | Disney Visa cardholders offer
4/10-6/22/08 | 8/24-9/20/08 | General public
8/24-10/24/08 | 8/30-10/8/09 | "Bounceback" Package Discount only for guests staying at WDW Aug-Oct 2008
3/26-6/21/09 | 8/16-10/3/09 | Disney Visa cardholders offer
3/30-7/26/09 | 8/16-10/3/09 | General public
7/24-9/26/09 | 9/27-12/17/09 | Disney Visa cardholders offer
7/27-9/26/09 | 9/27-12/17/09 | General public
8/16-10/24/09 | 8/15-9/30/10 | "Bounceback" Package Discount only for guests staying at WDW Aug-Oct 2009
4/29-8/14/10 | 8/15-12/21/10 | Disney Visa cardholders offer
5/3-8/14/10 & 8/16-12/20/10 | 8/15-12/21/10 | General public
8/6-12/20/10 | 1/1-3/3/11, 5/27-6/2/11, & 8/19-9/29/11 | General public
Data thanks to MouseSavers.com (Historical Data)
Finally, if you're searching for news about availability this year, check the comments at the bottom of this article -- if and when free dining is made available again, no doubt someone will note it here!
Thank you to PassPorter Guide Caldercup (Eileen) for inspiring and contributing to this article!
Read the full article at http://www.passporter.com/articles/f...deal-2011.html
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