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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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OK, I need alittle adivce here. My DH and I have decided to do a two week vacation in June of 2009. We both want to do the Medditerrainen (if avail) but I am alittle worried with my son being only 6 at the time. Would we be better off to do the Mexican Re. and spend time at Disneyland instead prior to our cruise? Any advice would be greatly appreiciated. Thanks
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The Itineraries for 2009 haven't been annoucned yet so no one is sure of any special Itineraries there may be. There are plenty of speculations, rumors, and wishful hoping for many destinations but nothing has been announced.
In 2005 DCL sent the Magic through the Panama Canal and spent the summer doing Mexican Riviera Cruises then brought it back through the Canal at the end of August.
In 2007 Disney spent the Summer in the Mediterranean with the Disney Magic while the Wonder did its normal 3/4 day sailings to the Bahamas for the summer.
In 2008 they are bringing the Magic back to the West Coast for the Mexican Riviera Cruises.
Now for 2009 it is anyones guess as to what DCL has planned for itineraries but hopefully we will hear soon what those itineraries will be.
If it was a choice of the Mediterranean or the Mexican Riviera myself I would choose the Mediterranean because of my family heritage and how I have wanted to explore Europe more. But with Kids that age then I would go with the Mexican Cruises.
But since if they do a special Itinerary the likely hood would be one or the other not the choice of both. So its a wait and see kind of thing until the Official Itineraries are announced. For all we know they could take a year off from moving the ship somewhere and stay in the Caribbean for the Summer. But I'd take that as I love cruising and DCL so I will gladly go where they go!
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Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust! Studying Hard to Make a Difference!
While Med cruises are still a bargain compared to European land vacations, the prices have gone up significantly. I haven't checked today, but last Friday the Euro was almost $1.50. Ouch!
The Mediterranean shore activities are mostly sightseeing tours, while the Mexican shore activities tend towards beach/recreation. Any guesses which a six-year-old would be more likely to prefer?
Now, the kids club will be open on days when you're in port, but since most of the good European shore excursions are six hours or longer, that's a pretty long time to leave a six-year-old behind.
The Med itineraries (if they return) were 10-11 night, while the Mexican itineraries have been 7-night. So, that's going to have an impact on cost (along with that pesky dollar/euro exchange rate). Airfares to Europe are also much higher than most domestic airfares.
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Co-Author, PassPorter's Walt Disney World, PassPorter's Disney Cruise Line, and PassPorter's Disneyland and Southern California Attractions
I believe the Mexican Riviera/Disneyland would be much more enjoyable for your six-year-old ... and even your eleven-year-old. As Dave and others mentioned, it will be much less expensive than anything in Europe right now.