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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Who has stayed here and can give me some ideas. I'm wanting to stay somewhere new and am wondering how this resort is. Like it, hate it, would go back, wouldn't go back??? Any tips or help would be great!!
I really love the Treehouses at Saratoga Springs, but they are very inconvenient unless you have a car. And for what they charge for resort parking now, I wouldn't want a car at Disney unless I was using DVC points to pay for the resort.
The rest of the resort is nice, but to me there is nothing "special" about it. There is absolutely nothing wrong with it. In fact it is really nice to be able to walk or take a boat to Disney Springs. I would go back, but it would not me my first choice.
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SSR is my home resort and I love it. Here’s a few reasons why;
Location. Disney Springs is a walk or boat ride away. Losing PI way back broke my heart but DS has blown me away. Not just shopping and dining but leisurely walks in the early morning or late night strolls are awesome. You’re also neighbors with PO resorts which also have nice walking areas and the nightly live entertainment is surprising. All With just a quick boat ride back.
Quiet. This resort is perfect for relaxing. The quiet pools, walking paths, rocking chairs overlooking DS, surrey bike rentals and courtyards with benches are perfect for decompressing. It’s grand size combined with being a dedicated DVC resort (no bustling lobby for instance) make it seem less crowded even during peak times.
Dining. Turf Club is a hidden gem and the quick service is delish. Again, DS in your backyard takes dining to the next level.
Beauty. This resort is not overly “Disneyfied” in any way. It’s subtle. This may be a drawback for some. For me, it opened my eyes to experiences WDW has to offer besides theme parks. Vacations have become less commando style / need a vacation from my vacation but more enjoyable with less meltdowns.
I’m in my seventh year as a DVC member and have stayed at them all except to GF ( with no desire to either GASP!). And SSR is my go to. BRV a close second btw. Last soft goods update was 2009 and it’s still in pretty decent shape. Pool table in common area definitely needs help. I suggest the Paddock area for being quiet and it’s close proximity to main pool and a smaller pool also hosting a grill and bar. Awesome walking bridge to dining areas/ main pool. Congress Park area is literally across the pond from the marketplace in DS but now considered a preferred section.
SSR is my home resort and I love it. Here’s a few reasons why;
Location. Disney Springs is a walk or boat ride away. Losing PI way back broke my heart but DS has blown me away. Not just shopping and dining but leisurely walks in the early morning or late night strolls are awesome. You’re also neighbors with PO resorts which also have nice walking areas and the nightly live entertainment is surprising. All With just a quick boat ride back.
Quiet. This resort is perfect for relaxing. The quiet pools, walking paths, rocking chairs overlooking DS, surrey bike rentals and courtyards with benches are perfect for decompressing. It’s grand size combined with being a dedicated DVC resort (no bustling lobby for instance) make it seem less crowded even during peak times.
Dining. Turf Club is a hidden gem and the quick service is delish. Again, DS in your backyard takes dining to the next level.
Beauty. This resort is not overly “Disneyfied” in any way. It’s subtle. This may be a drawback for some. For me, it opened my eyes to experiences WDW has to offer besides theme parks. Vacations have become less commando style / need a vacation from my vacation but more enjoyable with less meltdowns.
.
We stayed there last year (we're owners at Bay Lake and now at Boardwalk as well -- though have never stayed there), and I would agree completely. We loved it. Very relaxing, beautiful, lovely suite. The main pool is gorgeous. We stayed in the Grandstand section and had a charming "quiet pool" practically right outside our room that we could swim in any time.
And absolutely loved the Turf Club. "Hidden gem" indeed. We are going back to Disney in a few days (staying back at Bay Lake, which we also love) and originally planned to return to the Turf Club anyway, but for various reasons ended up canceling. I'm sad about it, but will probably survive...
But if there are major refurb plans afoot, you may indeed want to stay away.
I stayed there for a week a couple of years ago. Location to DS is great! It's an easy walk or boat wide over to DS. I wasn't a fan of the bus transportation (a lot of stops and waiting), but we know bus transportation at WDW can be hit or miss at times, especially depending on the time of year. I agree with others that Turf Club is a hidden gem and you should definitely try it and the lounge.
There are only 4 properties left from Value-Deluxe that we haven't tried yet and I have to say we are always happy to stay at SSR. It seems like no matter where you stay these days there is construction and refurb happening. In our last 6 stays, AKL, BCV, VWL, Coronado, BLT, and BWV there were construction walls, cranes, and refurb going on.
We have had 4 stays there and never had trouble with the transportation, loved the walk to Disney Springs, enjoyed the extra feature pools, and the resort QS is one of the best (we also like AKL). We rarely eat at the resort QS but always seem to get a meal or two there when we stay. If you have a car it is nice to be able to park near your room instead of hike from a remote parking lot. If you don't have a car the resort is a great place to go for a relaxing walk.
I always say if AKL or SSR existed outside of the Disney Resort I would be happy to go on a vacation there without the parks.
Some really great information. Our family will be visiting Disney World for the first time, so it was great to read some honest opinions on the subject.
Aside from the theming not being as heavy handed as it is at other resorts I don't know why it gets billed as a "last resort" resort. It really is lovely and the fact that it is spread out a bit more than other places allows for those quiet moments we all need on vacation. I will say this as a downside. It is possible to be located far away from a refillable mug station. If they could solve that issue I would be in heaven!
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