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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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 actually had to work two days in my room at POR this year before starting my vacation (long story) and left it out on the nightstand every day with no issues whatsoever. That said, I do hide my purse in the room when I'm at the parks.
So, funny enough, after reading your post I head a head slapping moment. I've always taken the stuff I didn't want to bring into the park at that time like the extra money and PDA and cell phone, etc. Into a drawer. The laptop has always just sat out witht he MP3 player and camera dock on the table. Why did it never occur to me to use the safes in the rooms? I've always seen them Sometimes even commented on them, but never though to actually USE one. Um, DUH! Wake up call over here
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We've done everything from 'hiding' it in the suitcase to leaving it out. Doesn't ever seem to make a difference; never had a problem at all! (Even when we left a bunch of cash sitting on the bureau accidentally.)
I usually put most stuff in to the safe and if something doesn't fit then I put it in my suitcase and lock it up. Also if you really don't need to bring your laptop then don't bring it.
A few years ago I told my office then when I am on vacation I want no calls unless someone has died. There are others that can handle any "crisis" that comes up otherwise I will get back to them in a week. Never have had a problem. I also only give my cell number to one person at work with instructions "don't call unless someone has died and do not give it to anyone". And she never has. I guess I just don't want to be bothered by anyone while on vacation.
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Jennifer
Taken April 24 - May 2, 2009 My mom Linda & I
I usually put most stuff in to the safe and if something doesn't fit then I put it in my suitcase and lock it up. Also if you really don't need to bring your laptop then don't bring it.
A few years ago I told my office then when I am on vacation I want no calls unless someone has died. There are others that can handle any "crisis" that comes up otherwise I will get back to them in a week. Never have had a problem. I also only give my cell number to one person at work with instructions "don't call unless someone has died and do not give it to anyone". And she never has. I guess I just don't want to be bothered by anyone while on vacation.
We only bring our laptop so we can upload our vacation pictures each night to our website. It frees up our memory stick so we can tons more pictures at the highest resolution. Plus family members can log on to our site and see what we did that day. Looking up things on PAssPorter website for our next days l=plans is just a bonus! We usually don't have much more time than that to go online.
I never brought a laptop, I always leave mine at home. I put cash and certain RX's in the safe. The safe at the CSR is small and narrow, it wouldn't fit much more than a few small items anyway - certainly not big enough for a laptop.
If you don't "need" it, I would just leave it home.
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Favorite Disney Resort: Polynesian
Favorite Disney Character: Goofy
Favorite Park: EPCOT
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When I bought my laptop I didn't buy one of the "traditional" carry bags. I bought a kids regular packpack-the kind that have the shoulder strap & foldover flap like a business-styled bag. While at WDW I put the puter in the bag & zip it shut inside of one of our suitcases. I never leave it out in plain site, even at Disney.
You can leave it out of the table. If your are thinking other things like rings, etc. I try to stuff them in my suitcase and try to hide it. I have a duffle bag that has lots of secret pockets, and I have been lucky. I have never worried about anything ever turning up missing from the rooms. Disney is one of the largest employers in FL, and I have seen part of the interview process for Disney. No one would ever mess up this job. The hotel staff are also Union. As a HR person who deals wth Union employees they are hard on people who steal.
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Melanie
June 1985-off site/March 2004- Pop & OKW
Aug. 2004- Hurricane Charlie POR & FWCG/July 2005- Grand Villa OKW
Feb. 2006-Pop/Feb. 2007- AS Music, WL, AS Movies
Sept. 2011- Disney Med Cruise
We put anything of value in a locked suitcase. I guess anyone could walk off with it, but I think it is less of a temptation than if I left things out for all to see.
We never have had a problem
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1978-1988 Fort Wilderness (as a kid), 1992 Caribbean Beach Resort, 2001 (Honeymoon)Port Orleans Riverside 2004 off site Grosvenor ...nice, but not Disney, 2005 Joined Disney Vacation Club, 2006 April at Boardwalk (first trip "home"), 2007 April at OKW, 2008 April at SSR, 2009 February at VWL
DVC Member since 2005
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Size Q about BCV room safe
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So, funny enough, after reading your post I head a head slapping moment. I've always taken the stuff I didn't want to bring into the park at that time like the extra money and PDA and cell phone, etc. Into a drawer. The laptop has always just sat out witht he MP3 player and camera dock on the table. Why did it never occur to me to use the safes in the rooms? I've always seen them Sometimes even commented on them, but never though to actually USE one. Um, DUH! Wake up call over here 
Jennifer
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