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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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We are lucky enough to go on a double-dip 4-night in 2008 where we have the two stops at Castaway Cay. I've been looking at the Navigators and Boards to see if there are any postings about how different the routines are on the ship. Since we don't have a "sea" day - will there be any major changes? Does anyone have any special recommendations since there will be the two opportunities at Castatway Cay?
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I would make sure you buy any Castaway Cay Merchandise on your 1st stop that you may want because while the ship stops at Castaway Cay 99% of the time sometimes weather, wind and/or other factors arise that cause it to not be able to dock. The times that happens is slim but just to be sure you get any special merchadise that you may like get it the first time.
The second day they might have special things for the Double Dip so pick up those then as well.
I'm not sure about activities as this is something new for Disney but I'm sure they will have lots of things planned.
Have a WONDERful Trip
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Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust! Studying Hard to Make a Difference!
I would buy any special double dip merchandise on your first day at Castaway Cay. On the second day, only medium size shirts and hats were left for us.
We spent the first day at the family beach, and rented bikes in the afternoon. On the second day, my teen did The Wild Side Excursion, and the other two hung out with their groups in the lab while DH and I hit Serenity Bay. It was heaven. And we had so much fun we rented bikes again.
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You can expect that some of the shipboard activities that normally take place during a sea day won't happen on the double dip, since so many of the ship's crew will be on the island (and they don't want to encourage passengers to stay on board). Expect that activities that involve the recreation and entertainment staffs will probably be fewer in number on board.
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Co-Author, PassPorter's Walt Disney World, PassPorter's Disney Cruise Line, and PassPorter's Disneyland and Southern California Attractions
Since we don't have a "sea" day - any ideas on when the bridge tour would be held? The kids didn't go on this the last time, but would like to see this.
we were on an "impromptu" double dip in February - and several of the tours were not held (we were hoping to do a galley tour). But some of the other shipboard activities did happen (I went to the towel animal session with my SIL and parents, while Thomas and my brother enjoyed a beer tasting.) We had decided to stay on the ship since we had Palo brunch and my parents were having some mobility issues. If I did a double dip again - I would probably spend one day at the family beach with the 3 of us - and a second day with the kiddo at the club on the island, and the grown-ups at Serenity bay - (at least part of the day).
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WRT the ships not docking at CC, last year that happened (at least I think it was last year) three times to the Wonder and twice to the Magic. Since the Wonder stops at CC twice as often, this is not surprising.
So yes, there is a chance you'll miss. But not enough of one to worry about, unless you really and truly need something to worry about.