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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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I think I booked this cruise back in Feb of 2011. Other trips came and went (Keys, WDW) and now all the planning and organizing for this trip is almost done.
DH is getting happier every day we tick closer to our trip. He's most looking forward to the cruise. Having been on one before, he has experience to attach to it. He's looking forward to resting, eating, and Castaway Cay.
You'll love it!!!
We're going to our 4th cruise this year - first one was (only) 3 years ago....
It is kind of being in a resort in the sea... a lot to do and a lot of fun!!!
DD spend all the time in the Ocean lab or in the pools, and we enjoyed a lot the adult areas for rest and read a book.
I promise myself a SPA treatment this time!!!!
I was VERY nervous before my first cruise (Wonder, 3-day). I read PassPorter cover-to-cover, highlighted, asked questions here, and was STILL nervous. My anxiety wasn't about anything in particular. I think I was just unsure of how things would work, how I'd find my way about, if I'd like my dining companions, if the experience would be as wonderful as I'd built it up to be in my mind. I was so used to repeat visits to WDW, where I KNEW I'd have a great time and how to get around that the newness of the cruise just got me going. In hindsight, my worries were ridiculous, as I'm sure you'll find as well. Nothing could be easier, more relaxing and more fun than cruising with DCL. You'll have a great time!
I think everyone's nervous before their first cruise... I know I was. I was terrified we'd be seasick, that it wouldn't be for us and we loved it and you will too.
Claudine, it's Disney! We may put lots of thought and effort into planning our Disney vacations, but once you get there, you know Disney and the CMs will make the experience very easy and enjoyable. The cruise line has the highest guest satisfaction ratings in the Disney Parks and Resorts organization, which should tell you something.
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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 understand your feeling of nervousness. I'm always nervous the first time I go somewhere new! Once you are past the hustle and bustle of boarding, I think you will find that you relax very quickly.
I can't really pinpoint one exact thing. : I don't fear for my life or anything like that. It's more of a general feeling of apprehension that this is something new to me and my family. It's been a while since I've been a newbie at something involving a Disney trip.
I'm just hoping that I appear to know what I'm doing, and if I don't, at least I can fake it.
I have definite feelings of anticipation as well. We fell in love with Disney quality and service many years ago, so I know something good is in store. I just don't know what.
We did our first Disney cruise this past January and we were a bit nervous too. It was our first cruise of any type and just weren't quite sure what to expect even after reading up and asking questions. (my mental image of what going through the port was going to be like probably could be placed in a horror movie). But everything went really well and all of our nervousness was abated. From going through port to figuring out how things worked on the ship (meals, shows, etc) all went smoothly and by the end of the first day we were totally relaxed and no longer worried.
You'll have a great time and the Disney CMs will always be there to help guide you with any questions that might come up.
It's the fear of the unknown. It's exactly how we felt before our first cruise and after all that worrying it's really quite simple. Disney makes everything so easy. Look over your travel documents and there won't be many questions you don't have after reading that (for the logistics) and of course your Passporters Guide to DCL. Even if you read everything cover to cover and completely forget every single thing you ever read about Disney Cruise Line you will still be ok. There are huge color code signs at the port terminals, many many cast members around to help you out in the port and there will be a welcome line when you board and someone will actually escort you into the atrium, tell you a little about the ship, what is open for lunch, etc. If you have questions about the general flow of things for embarkation, etc please feel free to send me a PM. I have a cheat sheet list I give to my first time cruiser clients that usually helps ease their woes!
You are in for a whole new world of fantastic vacationing and i think you'll find it's much, much, much easier than planning (and experiencing) a WDW vacation. You can do as much, or as little as you like. Don't expect your children to want to come out of the kids clubs! They never want to leave!
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: I don't fear for my life or anything like that. It's more of a general feeling of apprehension that this is something new to me and my family. It's been a while since I've been a newbie at something involving a Disney trip.
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