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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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 wanted the Eastern Caribbean for our spring break for '13 but it wasn't offered the week that we're off so I went ahead and booked the Western on the Fantasy but I'm a bit concerned as I read that most people prefer the Eastern. My initial thoughts on this are to do dolphins in Cozumel, that sea helmet dive deal in Costa Maya and Boastwain's in Grand Cayman. I'm sure it'll be a great time, after all it is DCL, we will be on the Fantasy, we'll be on vacation but I just wish we'd be doing the Eastern. Any advise or tips to ease my concerns?
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We chose the Western over the Eastern. For us, we wanted to go snorkeling, and felt like Western was the better option! Plus (we went on the Magic), it got me to Key West, which might have been my only opportunity! We had a great time in Grand Cayman (did Stingray City). Cozumel we did Fury Catamaran (snorkeling/beach) and we parasailed at CC. It was the most relaxing vacation we ever had, and we all enjoyed it immensely!
The Western Caribbean is our favorite!! Although we want to do the Eastern one day, we absolutely love the Western. Grand Cayman is our favorite! We have done a day at 7 mile beach just relaxing and the second time we did Stingray City, which is a must see! We did Dolphinaris in Cozumel (great time). We are going again (3rd time Western) in February of 2013 on the Fantasy, so we are looking forward to going to Costa Maya for the first time. Have fun planning! Can't wait!
In terms of popularity, for a long time 3 out of 4 of DCL's Caribbean itineraries were Westerns, and they don't offer what they can't sell. . Originally the split was 50/50, and then they went to 75/25. While the Fantasy is splitting things 50/50, the Magic's sailings from Galveston, which are all Western, again tip the balance a bit towards Western. The Eastern itineraries have one less port-of-call than the Western, and I suspect that's one factor - the folks who want to see/do more ashore, and those who prefer days at sea.
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I would skip Boatswains in GC. I did it on my Western and was more than a little disappointed. If I had to do it over again I would have done Stingray city.
Our only complaint was that it needed to include lunch. You could buy it, but it wasn't included. Getting through the port "mall" is also an interesting adventure at Cozumel. I hear the dolphin experience is great though.
Grand Cayman is where you will really see the "Disney" difference when it comes to tendering, etc. It's amazing how Disney goes above and beyond for their guests.
I'm so happy to read all this! We, too, are booked for spring break 2013. I was really hoping for the Eastern route, as I wanted to avoid Mexico. But Western was all that was offered, so we booked it. My kids are excited to see a new country. I'm glad to hear all the positives.
We have been on the
Western 2x and we are going again on the Fantasy in April. The Western is really great. We have done the stingrays and rum point beach with Nativeway -- we loved it! Great snorkeling. Our next time in GC, we went to Boatswain --- we loved it! Holding the baby turtles was really cool and the park is lovely. Snorkeling with the turtles is thrilling and we enjoyed the nature walk. We were not disappointed at all.
Cozumel, we have gone to Chankanaab 2x. Great, beautiful place and awesome offshore snorkeling. My daughter and I even saw an octupus!
For our first Caribbean Disney cruise, we picked the Western itinerary and loved it! We loved Key West (I think that's no longer on the itinerary?), did the Dolphin swim in Cozumel (absolutely amazing!!!) and a beach excursion in Grand Cayman (also great). All in all a perfect cruise!!!
Now for our next cruise, we'll do the Eastern itinerary simply because we want to go to ports we've never been to.
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We did a western last year. We did dolphinaris in Cozumel - best excursion of the trip. Then a little shopping in the shops right by the pier. Felt safe.
In Grand Cayman - did the Botswains excursion throught Disney. Thought this one was really great too. Got to see sea turtles, have lunch (included and really good) and swim in their awesome pools. My dd was 5 at the time and while I would have loved to do Stingray City, I felt like the water there would have possibly been to rough/deep for me to hang on to her and enjoy it.
You can always do stingrays at Castaway instead which is a lot more controlled. Not sure how old your kids are though.
We are going on the Eastern in 4 weeks. I actually like the excursion choices a lot more on the Western but I know I will love the extra sea day on the Eastern.
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We had a great time in Grand Cayman (did Stingray City). Cozumel we did Fury Catamaran (snorkeling/beach) and we parasailed at CC. It was the most relaxing vacation we ever had, and we all enjoyed it immensely! 
. Originally the split was 50/50, and then they went to 75/25. While the Fantasy is splitting things 50/50, the Magic's sailings from Galveston, which are all Western, again tip the balance a bit towards Western. The Eastern itineraries have one less port-of-call than the Western, and I suspect that's one factor - the folks who want to see/do more ashore, and those who prefer days at sea.
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