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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!
Welcome! We're happy you've found the PassPorter Community -- the friendliest place to plan your vacation to Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland, and the world in general! You are now viewing the PassPorter Message Board Community as a guest, which gives you limited access. As our guest, feel free to browse our messages by selecting the forum you want to visit from the list below.
To post messages and ask questions, join our FREE community today and you'll get access to tools and resources not available to guests, such as our vacation countown timers, "living" avatars, private messaging system, database searches, downloads, and a special PassPorter discount code. Registration is fast, simple, and completely free. Just click the Join Our Community link.
If you think you've already joined, log in below now. If you don't remember your member name or password, please visit our Member Name and Password Recovery page. You are also welcome to contact us.
I am really wrestling with trying to decide when to visit IoA for WWOHP. We are going April 6-16 and I can't figure out where to put it. I initially thought to do it the first day, so the rest of the trip I could stay immersed in the magic. But I don't want to visit on a Sunday. Then I thought maybe Monday, but think I might not like having such a small touch of Disney then leaving the next day. I then was thinking later in the week, like Thursday or the 2nd Monday of the but think I would feel odd leaving at that point. I am really confused. I am really excited about WWOHP and so is my DD, so I don't know why I am having such a hard time fitting it in.
So for those who have done this, is it better toward the beginning of the trip or after you have had a few days of Disney? Should I just bite the bullet and go on Sunday? Help!!!
In my humble opinion,avoid the last day of your trip. We went last year,on our last day and were not impressed at all by the park,the WWoHP itself( you know its smaller than one of the "lands" at MK) and especially the people. One of the checkout girls at Honeydukes made a nasty remark when my DW was searing a Mickey Tshirt. The only highlight was tasting butterbeer,and.... well that's it actually. I think you might go the first day of your trip,then be even more impressed by the magic that is WDW.
__________________
"Life can be as easy as a fall,it's all so easy once you just let go."
I've gone through all the days and I think the best day is going to be the Monday after we arrive. This only give us one day in a Disney park on Sunday (I think Epcot), but with the way our plans are laying out it is really the best day. We like to tour parks for 3-4 days then hit a water park for a day and I thought Thursday might work but that's the day we want to do the Sunrise Safari.
So it will be very toward the beginning of the trip, but at least we will get a touch of Disney, then WWOHP, then back to Disney for the rest of the trip. I think I would really prefer it mid-trip, but I just don't think it will work out.
We arrived at Disney late on a Friday night (stayed at POFQ). Had 2 days in the parks, and then went to WWoHP on Monday. Seemed to work well, as we had some Disney magic, and then had the rest of the week back at Disney.
We arrived at Disney late on a Friday night (stayed at POFQ). Had 2 days in the parks, and then went to WWoHP on Monday. Seemed to work well, as we had some Disney magic, and then had the rest of the week back at Disney.
I would have preferred two days in Disney then WWoHP, but Tuesday is my birthday and I want to spend that in Disney not at IoA. I think this will work, as I am really excited to be going, don't get too immersed in the magic beforehand and have plenty of time in the bubble after.
We just got back from a WDW/Universal trip. This time we did Disney first, then 2 nights at Universal. When my kids looked at the plans (a few weeks before the trip) the oldest complained he would rather do Universal first like we did a couple years ago. Why no one mentioned this in the year I was planning the trip I don't know!
We just did both in June. We hit universal and IOA first on our 1st 2 days in Orlando. So happy we did because universal was such a let down compared to Disney. IOA was ok and WWOHP was packed to the gills so just be prepared for lines galore. As a harry porter fan myself I just thought it was ok so let the Disney magic continue towards the end if the trip.
Location: Panhandle of Florida - The Emerald Coast
Concierge Level: 4
Posts: 894
Post Thanks / Like
Likes (Given): 0
Likes (Received): 13
Thanks (Given): 0
Thanks (Received): 7
Pixie Dust (Given): 0
Pixie Dust (Received): 1
I think I'd go at the beginning. We've done both parks. A lot of the rides at IoA for the most part are better than WDW. Even their water rapid ride was way better than AK kali river. But the Universal parks are dirty, and their staff is not friendly like WDW CMs. If Disney would step up and offer a few new, exciting coasters, I think they'd pull a lot of the families (especially with teens) back to the world. Try the butterbeer, but go inside Three Broomsticks or the other little restaurant to get it. The lines at the butterbeer kiosks in WWHP are ridiculously long.
Is WWOHP at the top of your priority list? Is it a must-see? Is there tons that you want to do and see while you're there? Is it just so-so and you just want to do a few things, spend a few hours? Depending on your answers, if you want to see and do a lot, I'd go earlier in your trip when you have the most energy and enthusiasm; if you just want to see a few things, spend a few days with Mickey and go to WWOHP during the week. You know yourself best, what you like to do, how tired you get or don't get at WDW, how much you want to see and do and time your trip accordingly. When I get to WDW, I will endure crowds, humidity, heat, locusts, hurricanes, starvation, plagues, attacking bears, etc. etc. to get to my favorite places.
Have a magical day!
Julia
__________________
Julia Elzie
Family Travel Specialist
Affiliated with MEI-Travel and Mouse Fan Travel
E-mail: juliae@mei-travel..com
Registered Message Board Members Get Our Free Newsletter! When you register you'll have the option to sign up for our weekly PassPorter Newsletter. It's chock-full of feature articles; news; tips; contests; photos; and special offers in our online store.
About This Page: 
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
NYC-Canada Cruise Sept 2012
Linear Mode
