Update from Disney Investor Conference on future projects/Reserving ride times - Page 3 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!
Welcome! We're happy you've found the PassPorter Community -- the friendliest place to plan your vacation to Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland, and the world in general! You are now viewing the PassPorter Message Board Community as a guest, which gives you limited access. As our guest, feel free to browse our messages by selecting the forum you want to visit from the list below.
To post messages and ask questions, join our FREE community today and you'll get access to tools and resources not available to guests, such as our vacation countown timers, "living" avatars, private messaging system, database searches, downloads, and a special PassPorter discount code. Registration is fast, simple, and completely free. Just click the Join Our Community link.
If you think you've already joined, log in below now. If you don't remember your member name or password, please visit our Member Name and Password Recovery page. You are also welcome to contact us.
Hmmmm. That must be a discussion at some other community. Talk of wristbands has been out there, but not in the Tom Staggs article.
First, I'm pretty sure that the whole-trip "fastpass" is going to be as optional when it happens as individual FASTPASSes are today. Wanna wing it? I'm sure plenty of folks will continue to do just that, and Disney will keep trying to make that a great experience. Meantime, the folks who use the new system get to experience the parks in a new way.
Next, those wristbands. These use "RFID" technology - a chip that gives off it's info as a radio signal when it's in the presence of a particular radio signal. While they could put "naked" credit card numbers on those things, it's not the way they're used. Typically, all the RFID chip has is a code number, and the code number brings up info from a secure, encrypted database. In other words, Disney will have your credit card number safely tucked away, just as it is today when you use a Key to the World card.
European credit cards have had RFID chips for years, and all US passports issued in the past few years and most new passports issued worldwide also have RFID chips. Security issues were resolved many years ago. When scanned by customs, the code number on the passport retrieves your info from the customs service computers. The customs agent will then see an up to date report on their computer screen that includes your photo and any possible alerts the agent would need to see (like being on the No Fly List, Amber Alerts, revoked passport, etc.). The number in the RFID chip is meaningless unless the bad guys are also able to hack into the main computer system - it is nothing like your actual passport number.
When you use a Key to the World card, there's no way for the average CM to learn your actual credit card number - their "system permissions" won't allow it. The same will be true if Disney replaces Key to the World Cards with RFID bracelets, bar codes, or anything else they decide to use. Unless the bad guys also have access to Disney's financial computing systems, they aren't getting their hands on anyone's info or money.
__________________
Co-Author, PassPorter's Walt Disney World, PassPorter's Disney Cruise Line, and PassPorter's Disneyland and Southern California Attractions
It's all very interesting. I was probably more interested in what they had to say about the expansion plans for Hong Kong Disneyland, as I want to go back when those are complete. I just hope they don't end up being too similar to other parks - the fact that their Toy Story Land is being compared to Disneyland Paris didn't enthuse me. I like it when there are unique attractions and lands at each park.
Good to hear that the Japanese market is showing a lot of interest in Aulani - perhaps that will persuade the Disney Vacation Club to one day introduce a resort at Tokyo Disney?
I would like to add something about concern on credit card exposure/info in a database. I worked for years at a software company whose product is financial software that takes payments from clients.
The laws in the US are such that no credit card number can be stored that is not hashed and/or encrypted. And the regulations go to the degree of hashing/encryption are such that these are not simplistic algorithms.
In addition, your credit card information is not stored on your KTTW. What is stored there is going to be token information for the system to retrieve from the database the necessary info. Even then, what is in the database will not be your naked credit card. Trust me, nobody had easy access to the card you attached to your KTTW. The only vulnerable point was when you gave it to the CM to attach it. That's it.
Basically, the federal laws that govern the software that Disney uses to attach your credit card to your KTTW is VERY secure and I expect that any advances with an RFID would also be as secure.
i am not going to be happy about this if this comes true.
they do a similar thing in Sesame Place in Pa.
Abby's Unlimited Magic Queue
Abby's Unlimited Magic Queue allows you the opportunity to bypass the lines at certain attractions. Each pass allows the bearer UNLIMITED line bypass Elmo's World Live! Show, Big Bird's Balloon Race, Grover's World Twirl, Flyin' Fish, Peek-A-Bug, Blast Off, Sunny Day Carousel & Vapor Trail (weather permitting). Additionally, guests with wristbands can enter the park using the Season Pass Entrance Line.
This isn't the first time I have heard about this option.
What I like about FASTPASS is that it is free as a part of your ticket. It's just that some guests don't use it or don't get how to use it. My husband says that it just leaves us more opportunities to use FASTPASS.
So, what bothers me, is that this may be offered for an additional fee. I say, offer it, but don't charge extra. Just like how you can reserve your dining 180 days in advance, but for FREE--no extra charge for this service.
I don't like the idea of reserving ride times at home, it takes planning to a whole new level. also when paying as much as we do for park tickets I don't like the idea of because you are staying on property you get to bypass fastpass and the standby line. It is just going to increase wait times. You going to start seeing a class level in disney society.
However I do like having to not check in and getting your room keys at home.
I too like the no check in and room key cards, but what if your room isn't ready?
I like it for shows too, but think it should be limited like kinda of like the meal credits.
Here's my sugestion ................. As a FREE part of the MYW package. QS plan = 4 line skips DDP = 5 DxDDP =6. per night of stay, you slide your key and get a "jump pass" when you use them all your done. (so if you stay for 5 nights on the QS you get 20 to use all in one day or spread them out.)
Registered Message Board Members Get Our Free Newsletter! When you register you'll have the option to sign up for our weekly PassPorter Newsletter. It's chock-full of feature articles; news; tips; contests; photos; and special offers in our online store.
Hmmm...not sure how I feel about that. It definitely takes planning to a whole new level. Disney is making so many changes to the queues to make them more entertaining, it seems funny they would want people to bypass them altogether. Interesting stuff! As for receiving the KTTW cards at home...I would hope they would still say "Welcome Home" to me even if we didn't have to check in...that may be one of my favorite parts of the trip...
__________________
Amanda =)
Living out a childhood dream during my summer 2015 trip to WDW. Is it time to go back yet?
“All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them." –Walt Disney
Niccole you should get a job at Disney! Your idea sounds brilliant.
Thanks I do have a few good ideas in this head, how ever the kids fried most of the cells while preg. and now they tend to make me forget before I can get them written down. This is why I'm a planner and list maker (multi-list) and make many copies in case I lose one.
Registered Message Board Members save 30% off PassPorter guidebooks! When you register you'll have access to a discount coupon good for 30% off the list price of PassPorter books in our online store.
Thanks I do have a few good ideas in this head, how ever the kids fried most of the cells while preg. and now they tend to make me forget before I can get them written down. This is why I'm a planner and list maker (multi-list) and make many copies in case I lose one.
lol me too Nicole, i have post its all over my lap top and on my kitchen door to, lol
Yeah, I wasn't thrilled with this when I heard it the other day either. I mean, I like to plan.. and as someone who plans down almost to the flipping minute... I don't like the idea of planning your time for your ride ahead of time. It'll be the death of spontaneity.
There wasn't much in that article to go so on I wonder if Disney is putting out "feelers" to see how people respond or if it's completely bogus. For me though, part of the fun of Disney is to go where we want and when we want with the exception of our meals. Those I'll plan in advance but I can't say that in so many days and at such and such a time we're going to want to be on Splash Mtn. And for rides like that (if it were included) what happens if there's a severe thunderstorm and the ride is closed? What happens to the people that want that time - are they going to make a scene because they reserved that time and possibly no other and want the ride come heck or high water? To me it just sounds like a really way out there idea that should remain way out there.
Registered Message Board Members Get Our Free Newsletter! When you register you'll have the option to sign up for our weekly PassPorter Newsletter. It's chock-full of feature articles; news; tips; contests; photos; and special offers in our online store.
About This Page: 
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
I just hope they don't end up being too similar to other parks - the fact that their Toy Story Land is being compared to Disneyland Paris didn't enthuse me. 
I like it when there are unique attractions and lands at each park. 
Reserving Ride times :(
]Read all about our Disney Experiences on the Williams Family Blog: 
Jen
As for receiving the KTTW cards at home...I would hope they would still say "Welcome Home" to me even if we didn't have to check in...that may be one of my favorite parts of the trip... 
Linear Mode
