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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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've done it twice -- once back in '05 before the "healthy food" push at Disney and once after that in '06.
The '05 desserts were lovely and decadent. The '06 ones were sadly lacking, but still good.
However, the REAL star of this event is the pirate and the cruise -- both of which were FAN-stinking-tastic on *both* trips. We laughed, we sang, we danced, we had a very good time.
One thing I'd recommend is that you will get more out of this event depending on how much you "put into" it. If you tend to be mellow and introverted, your pirate will sense this and will react accordingly. If you are the type to cheer and yell and sass back at them, they will totally play into that. (We were the type to get L.O.U.D. and interactive, so we had very active pirates who gave us lots of attention.)
If I ever had the chance to do this again, I'd join up in a heartbeat.
Eileen
I plan on going on this with my hubby and 5 boys. I have a question - I read somewhere that the boat doesnt have a bathroom on it. My boys are 2 years - 12 and I am sure one of them will have to go, how long are you on the boat for?
I plan on going on this with my hubby and 5 boys. I have a question - I read somewhere that the boat doesnt have a bathroom on it. My boys are 2 years - 12 and I am sure one of them will have to go, how long are you on the boat for?
You're on the boat for about 45 minutes to an hour.
During the reception beforehand, they warn you that you'll have to use the restroom before boarding the boat and they give you a "final call" *right* before.
Maybe you should limit how much you let them drink before and during the reception and get into the rest room as close to departure as possible.
I have to second that it is FABULOUS!!!! So worth every penny (and really its pretty cheap). Great character interaction, I will say that even I was a bit intimidated by Captain Hook! My 2 girls LOVED it and so did their friends! The Pirates are hysterical and the games they play really get everyones attention. We even had some winners in our group! The snacks/desserts were a bit lacking but we found them ok. Not what I had expected at all though. The fireworks and the electrical water pageant are awesome. Such a great night!
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In fact, they "park" the boat, along with a few other cruises at a spot where the EWP goes right past and does its little show just for the boats. Totally cute!
Eileen
We did it 3/05 and had a blast! The desserts at that time were quite yummy, and it was great to spend some "quality" time with Captain Hook and Mr. Smee - they were particularly fun, and had a good time with our "adults only" group. Mr. Smee danced with my aunt and I had a waltz with Captain Hook - not quite an everyday occurrence! The rest of the "pirates" were great, I finally learned all the words to "Yo ho, Yo ho" and it was magical watching the fireworks and the pageant. They pipe the music right into the boat.
I have to ask a stupid question....What actually happens when you do this voyage? Is there food/bevs included, on the boat or on land? When do you meet characters? I booked it because I really wanted to see the electrical water pagent close up and the chance to meet Peter Pan at the end. Am I misinformed? We have a party of 11 guests from 3yrs to 65yrs - we're all Disney addicts!
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They have a reception within the Contemporary resort. Our first time they had it up on the concourse, but that is now a big shop. The second time, it was in a convention room on a lower level and I wasn't a big fan of that. I believe it moves around the resort, depending on what they have booked for that evening.
At the reception, they have snacks and drinks. You sign in, get your special pins, and mingle and eat. Towards the end of the reception, Captain Hook and Mr. Smee come out for a meet and greet.
The CMs will give you a countdown as you get closer to going out to your boats -- with warnings that everyone should stop in the restroom.
Finally, your pirates will come in and will escort you out to your boats (there are usually two boats and the groups are divided by Grand Gatherings -- your family will be on the same boat.)
Then they begin the introductions and the games and the singing as the boat heads out into the Seven Seas Lagoon.
When the time is right, you will stop to see the Electric Water Pageant. (They pipe the music into the boat.)
Then it's more fun and games until it's time to go and watch the fireworks. Again, they pipe the music for Wishes into the boat.
They head back to the Contemporary with more songs and games and then you dock.