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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Does anybody have any favourite nation-wide hotel/motel chains that they can recommend for a road trip throughout most of the USA? Preferably ones that offer great rewards programs. Something along the lines of 'if you stay 4 (7, 10, whatever) nights, you get one free night' but not necessarily consecutive nights at the same hotel. I also need to know which chains are consistently clean and well-kept. I've stayed in a few Best Westerns that make me wonder how stringent their policy is about maintenance and housekeeping.
I'd prefer amenities like free parking, free continental breakfasts, free in-room coffee... but I'm not looking for anything too expensive, so Westins and such are probably out.
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We too like Hampton Inn. I've stayed at Hampton Inns in CA, SC, FL, and will be staying at one in NH in a few weeks.
The ones we've stayed at have had great breakfasts (more than continental), I think they have pretty good internet (although I don't have a laptop anymore). I'd highly recommend them. Also have a rewards program thru Hilton, but I think it's more based on "points", so the more points you rack up, you can get a free night.
I use Hampton Inn a lot - the points are through Hilton, and it's a rewards/points program. I've never had a bad Hampton Inn, and I've traveled a lot for work - good breakfast, good Internet, very clean. I also use Holiday Inn Express a lot for travel. I've been satisfied with most I've stayed in, and I'm pretty picky.
Marriott has a good rewards program, and one of the best rewards programs I've seen is the Choice Hotels - Sleep Inn, Quality Inn, etc. Great rewards, and I've stayed at some very nice ones - do your research on those, though - there are some not-so-nice ones...it'd be a good pick if you knew where you were staying ahead of time, maybe not if you were playing it by ear.
Hiltons program is nice b/c there are many different hotels included. The Hampton Inns and Hilton Garden Inns are nice. They seem to be pretty standard as far as ammenities and cleanliness, too.
I'm a Marriott fan myself. I've got cards and points with most hotels such as Hilton, Westin, etc, but I tend to try and find a Marriott brand first. Marriott includes Fairfield Inns (we stayed there for the Passporter meet in Connecticut), Residence Inns (full kitchens and dishes, good for family travel) and I've stayed in a Courtyard in Bethlehem when we came for lunch with Crystal and the gang in Easton. I find they are consistent with their amenities, similar to Hilton.
Best Western is too iffy for me. I've found too many creepy rooms for my taste.
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I'm a Hampton Inn fan myself. They have updated all their rooms, I believe in the last year or so. We haven't stayed in a bad one yet. Their breakfasts that are included in the price are a nice perk.
I don't have a chain to recommend (sorry) but I have one I'd advise against. We've stayed at several Radisson resorts around the globe now and none of them was really good (don't ask me why we kept staying with them, I don't know - maybe I was hoping the next one would be better?). We've stayed at a Marriott and liked it, a Best Western Premiere we loved (but that wasn't it the U.S.), and several Holiday Inns that were so-so.
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Wow. Hampton Inn seems to be a runaway favourite. I appreciate the warnings about various chains as well as the good points for other chains. All I know about hotel chains in the USA is Best Western and Super 8. Those are the ones I've stayed at while traveling with my parents and I'd rather not stay with those ones if I can help it.
We always look for a Marriott. They're reliable and predictable as far as amenities and locations. (Close to lots of shopping and dining options most of the time.) We haven't used rewards programs much, but I've heard good things about the Marriott program from my best friend's husband. He travels about 6 days a week (the new VP being put through his paces ) and stays in Marriotts most of the time when they're available.
We look for Holiday Inns or Marriotts when we're on a road trip.
Stayed in a few Best Westerns, but they're hit-or-miss... some are fine (and actually nice), some aren't.
I have to add my vote for Hampton Inn too, we've had nothing but good experiences there. Their complimentary breakfast is the best I've ever had at any hotel chain. And that can save a family a bit of money!
Hiltons program is nice b/c there are many different hotels included. The Hampton Inns and Hilton Garden Inns are nice. They seem to be pretty standard as far as ammenities and cleanliness, too.
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Hotel chain recommendations?
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) and stays in Marriotts most of the time when they're available.
Michelle - with my step sisters!
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