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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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This room is on deck 5, 2nd from the back, It has the solid railing and is set back some from the one next to it. I used Small World Travel, (wish I didn't), so Disney can't talk to me about changing room. Travel agent says she'll "put in a request".
I'm told mid-ship, clear railing, and higher deck is better.
I'm sure your TA will put the request in and hopefully they can find a Category 6 that is maybe on a higher deck or with a clear railing. If not from what i have read that area tends to be very quiet and while the solid railing may not be what everyone prefers the cruise is so much fun i'm sure you will still have a great time regardless of where the room is.
Welcome to the boards!
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Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust! Studying Hard to Make a Difference!
I can give you a few facts about the cabin you're currently in. It is located aft, in the curved section of the ship. That gives you a slightly bigger verandah and a beautiful view straight back from the ship (excellent at sunset!) It also means there will not be any noisy foot traffic in the hallway. The one drawback to cabins in this area is the potential for noise and vibrations from the thrusters when docking.
I hope they'll be able to switch you to a cabin more in-line with your request. Welcome to the boards and I hope you enjoy your cruise!
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Lynn
Yes, I am a Disney Addict... and I'd rather be cruising!.
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The "midship, higher deck" advice is questionable, as far as I'm concerned. The higher the deck, the more motion you'll feel. Midship? Most folks feel aft has the least motion (as the bow rises and falls, the aft of the ship moves the least, midship somewhat moreso).
The solid steel railing will effect the view, of course, and the amount of light that will come into the room. However, a bit less light and a bit more privacy are not necessarily such a bad thing.
It the old days, the first class staterooms were on the highest decks, and I think the "high deck" thing is a holdover from those days. Of course, cruise lines still encourage that association by having the cheapest staterooms on lower decks, and increasing the price as you go higher. For suites, high floors are traditional, whether in a hotel or on a ship. It's a status thing, and sometimes, you get a better view (not all that better on a ship). While it's true that the verandahs on the higher decks are about six inches deeper than those on five and six, there's no difference in interior stateroom dimensions. Personally, I see no reason to pay extra for a Cat. 5 over a Cat. 6.
Each deck has different proximity to different facilities. If you'd rather be within easy stairway walking distance from Deck 9, then pay for a higher deck. However, the higher you go, the farther you'll be from the dining rooms, necessitating elevator rides at the busiest times of the day. If you have kids who will be participating in the kids clubs or care at Flounder's Reef, Deck 5 is great, since those facilities are on Deck 5. Deck 5 is also very nice for stairway access to Decks 3-5, where you'll find all the restaurants, theaters, and the adult entertainment district.
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Co-Author, PassPorter's Walt Disney World, PassPorter's Disney Cruise Line, and PassPorter's Disneyland and Southern California Attractions