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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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My dear friend, whom we travelled with last year, emailed me last night. We'd decided on a fall 2010 trip together (they live in Alaska, we in IL...Disney is the perfect middle ground, right?) when we left last Christmas.
Last night she emailed me and said she cannot wait to get back...could we swing October 09 instead of October 10? The "grownup" in me says no...we need to pay off some credit card bills first. The Disney addict in me (who misses my friend and her family!) says HECK YEAH! If you're there, I'm there!
But, that puts a damper on finances....it will be a little more of a "budget" vacation. So, that's where you all come in. Here's my initial questions...
I never imagined I'd stay offsite, but I'm wondering if that might not make this more feasable...perhaps a condo we can all share?
*Do you have any experience with any area condos?
*How much is parking per day at the parks...and if we hop, is it per park?
*Will we really save money?
*Is there a week in October that's better than the others as far as crowds go? We want to do MNSSHP.
*Is the dining plan still the bargain it was a year ago, or have the changes to it made it not the best way to go anymore?
*And, if I can't convince myself to stay offsite, what is the best option for a family of 5 (why can't Dis realize that there are people with more than 2 children???)?
We had some friends recently rent a home and saved a ton. That being said, there were like 8 of them. They all split it. If you are not concerned with closeness how about a Ft Wilderness cabin? You can do all your own meals and save on the dining plan! You could drive OR leave the car and use WDW transportation.
*How much is parking per day at the parks...and if we hop, is it per park? Parking is $10 per day. Save your receipt and you can show it to the attendant at yoru subsequent park to park for free there.
*Is there a week in October that's better than the others as far as crowds go? We want to do MNSSHP. I think every week is good, except for the few days around Columbus Day.
*And, if I can't convince myself to stay offsite, what is the best option for a family of 5 (why can't Dis realize that there are people with more than 2 children???)? POR has rooms that can accomodate 5 people.
I second the Wilderness Cabin if you didn't want to stay offsite, we stayed in a cabin about 4 years ago and we loved it. The campground was so quiet and it was nice to know that if we walked around, flushed a toilet, had the tv on louder due to our getting old and not hearing as well, then we wouldn't have bothered the people above or below us.
It was also nice to be able to have breakfast in the cabin, have a CS lunch and then have dinner in the cabin before hoping to a different park or just taking a break in the afternoon.
If you rent a cabin i'd suggest getting a golf cart while your there to use to get to the Marina and the Outpost so that you don't have to rely on the internal bus system, and I am sure your kids will think its fun!
With that being said at the campground, if you get the dining plan, keep in mind your CS would need to be used in a park as they don't have a food court. But this would still be a viable option to use the Dining Plan, just use the CS for bf in the park, or Lunch, then the TS for dinner or breakfast.
I still feel even with the changes to the DP, that for the food you get its still a deal but if you don't eat TS every day or prefer CS meals, then I'd skip the DP.
But if you want to stay in the same accommodations as your friends, then a Condo or Villa outside Disney might be a great option for you but remember that you have to go into this with trust, that the other family will pay their portion. I have read and heard stories of families planning on doing a condo, one family puts it on their Card and the 2nd family for whatever reason doesn't pay the friend. BUT it sounds like your friends wouldn't do that but just something to keep in mind.
Parking I believe is now around $12 a day, but if you park hop then you can show your receipt at the 2nd park and they wouldn't charge you. But at each park there is a bus that will take you to a different theme park or the monorail if your in EC or MK and want to go to MK or EC. So what we have done is park at the theme park we will END with, then take a bus or boat, or Monorail to the first park, enjoy the day there, then swap to the 2nd park. WHen its time to leave our car is at the park we are at and we don't have to go back to the 1st to get it. But if you don't mind gathering the car and driving to the 2nd park that probably is easiest!
Good Luck Deciding, but I would go with what your comfortable with in terms of budget, and preference. If you feel you can't afford to then maybe talk with your friend explain why it would be difficult for you and see if you could come up with a compromise in terms of time.
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We stayed off site in Feb. in a condo with 6 of us. It was a 3 bedroom 2 bath. Its still a new construction so it was all up to date and very clean. There is a Wal Mart right down the street and Disney was very easy to get to. Luxury Condominium Resort Suites and Full Service Spa in Orlando We found the prices to be excellent. Think we only paid over 1000 for a week. I think they even had bigger rooms if you all wanted to go in on it. Good luck deciding.
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