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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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 last went on Wonder in November 2007. We are off again this November.
Since last time, I have read that the Wonder Dry-docked but can't really find an all-inclusive list of changes/updates. What changes can we expect on our 4 night in 2010 compared to 2007 both physical boat changes as well as entertainment/services???
Was that when they added the giant movie screen over the Goofy pool?
I believe they also did spa renovations then.
Oh, just re-read the OP - you cruised in late 2007 - so you would have been on the Wonder shortly after drydock I think. They're usually on a 2 year cycle, so the last dry dock was 2009 for the Wonder I believe. I don't know that there were any major changes then.
Enjoy! I've only been on the Wonder once - for the DVC members cruise. But hoping to do Alaska in the future!
Add to that: flat screen TVs in staterooms, addition of "tweens" program to kids clubs, kids in Oceaneer Club and Oceaneer Lab can now participate in program offerings in either facility, cell phone service on board, 3-D movie capability in both theaters, on-board airline check-in, and I'm sure there's something I've forgotten. Then, on Castaway Cay, the facilities have been expanded to accommodate the larger passenger complement of the new ships - expanded family beach, expanded and upgraded kids club areas, relocated sting ray experience, moved teen beach, added a second "family" lunch area, new waterslide play area (on a raft offshore), new splash fountain play area (on shore), additional retail shop, additional bar, additional water sport rental shop... (Am I forgetting anything?). The DCL web site now allows online check-in and online booking of shore excursions, Palo dining, and spa services. Castaway Club now has three-tiered membership with different benefits depending on how many times you've cruised with DCL.
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Co-Author, PassPorter's Walt Disney World, PassPorter's Disney Cruise Line, and PassPorter's Disneyland and Southern California Attractions
Add to that: flat screen TVs in staterooms, addition of "tweens" program to kids clubs, kids in Oceaneer Club and Oceaneer Lab can now participate in program offerings in either facility, cell phone service on board, 3-D movie capability in both theaters, on-board airline check-in, and I'm sure there's something I've forgotten. Then, on Castaway Cay, the facilities have been expanded to accommodate the larger passenger complement of the new ships - expanded family beach, expanded and upgraded kids club areas, relocated sting ray experience, moved teen beach, added a second "family" lunch area, new waterslide play area (on a raft offshore), new splash fountain play area (on shore), additional retail shop, additional bar, additional water sport rental shop... (Am I forgetting anything?). The DCL web site now allows online check-in and online booking of shore excursions, Palo dining, and spa services. Castaway Club now has three-tiered membership with different benefits depending on how many times you've cruised with DCL.
OK, THAT'S a list! Guess there've been LOTS of changes!
We haven't seen the updates to CC (somehow the Baltic cruise this summer couldn't manage a stop there!) so I am really looking forward to seeing those updates when we dock with the Dream in August!
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