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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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The only times I've stayed in deluxe resorts I have been in a club level room, and turndown was included. I do leave a tip for turndown, as turndown also includes removing wet towels or dirty dishes.
I'm also very fond of business class at Coronado Springs, which advertises nightly turndown service as well as a designated check-in desk. I've never experienced either of these things at CS
We don't usually tip the turndown CM since we're pretty tidy and rarely leave anything to be done other than prepping the bed.
They will not only remove dishes and used towels if any but will fill your ice bucket and provide other similar services upon request.
Unlike some, we enjoy being pampered and would probably request the service if it weren't included but was available. We're DIY types elsewhere but don't mind paying Disney to treat us like royalty.
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“People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.” —Winnie-the-Pooh
I don't request the turn down service. We've had it a few times, always in a deluxe resort. I've never tipped them, mostly because I never remember that they're coming to do this.
I do not like turn down service. When I am back in my room, I like to relax, kick off my shoes (and anything else) and not worry about someone coming it. I find it more intrusive than helpful.
Among my favorite soovies of our last stay are the pretty "Good Night" and "Sweet Dreams" cards left on the bed with chocolates.
I have one with a silhouette of Alice curtsying propped on my nightstand where I see it before going to sleep each night and pretend for a moment that I'm Disney-home instead of real-life-home.
Sure, the turndown service isn't the least bit necessary, but it feels so nice to be pampered like that when you return to your room and see the bed all ready for you to get cozy after a tough day of having as much fun as you can.
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“People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.” —Winnie-the-Pooh
We've never requested turndown service at the resorts that offer it, but did receive it automatically when we were in a club level room.
I thought it was really sweet - the cast members would not only tidy the bathroom again and turn down the pillow with the chocolates, and leave the notecards, they would often leave little towel animals and make tableaus out of the girls' stuffies left in the room. My girls loved returning to the room at the end of the evening to see what the Mousekeepers had created that evening.
I did tip each time - even if there wasn't a mess to be cleaned. (Usually just post-swim towels in the bathroom.) I don't think that is why we got such great service, but the cast members deserve to be recognized for their hard work - and Disney pay is notoriously low.
I do not like turn down service. When I am back in my room, I like to relax, kick off my shoes (and anything else) and not worry about someone coming it. I find it more intrusive than helpful.
I can turn down my own bed.
Yes me too. When I travel for business turndown service is about half an hour after I get in from work. All the banging on my door drives me nuts I find it really intrusive
I never remember the doing anything (dishes ,towels, etc) other than turning down the bed. If we're back in the room before they've arrived I just put the Do Not Disturb sign on the door. That's why it exists so as not to t to be bothered when you want peace.
I enjoy it when I'm at GF. All rooms get turndown there. I also enjoy when we get it at other deluxe CL stays, but if I'm not staying CL I haven't requested it. I think about it, but end up not requesting.
I do tip a small amount nightly for turndown.
I've never found it intrusive. Somehow I'm never in the room when they come. They find the perfect time to come.
And as Dot says, it's so nice returning to the room all made up for bed. Sheets turned down, chocolate on pillow, drapes drawn and bedside light on. I also appreciate the refreshed towels too as we are mid day pool people, and end up showering again before we go out again. Nice to have dry towels for the next morning.
You only receive that when you are in a concierge booked room. Not something we would ever do, as we don't think it is worth the extra cost.
You are able to request it. We did at the Grand Floridian this past December and we were in an outer building Lagoon View. There also was no charge for this, only if you choose to leave a tip. We did not leave any additional tip for the turn down, just what we leave normally for Housekeeping.
Our girls really enjoyed coming back to find chocolates left on their pillows. Our room was otherwise neat, so the bed with chocolates was all it was in our case; no towels to take, etc. Which is why we did not feel it necessary to leave additional tip. If there had been more to do then we would have left a little something.
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