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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Hello! Now that I've read most of the messages posted, I will introduce myself! My name is Tamara and my husband and I will be on our Honeymoon trip to WDW May 2-8!!! (we didnt get to take it after our wedding in Oct. of 1998 because i was pregnant...OOPS!) We will be staying at the Polynesian on the Discovery Magic Package. I read a message that said something about not reccomeding the Discovery Magic Package...why is that? Also, anyone who has any suggestions on how to make our vacation more magical, please let me know!! And PLEASE PLEASE give me tips on ways to justify leaving our 15 month old daughter behind with her grandparents....I know she will have tons of fun with them and that they will spoil her when we are away, but that just doesn't make it any easier!!!
Thanks for any help!!
*********************Tamara
Only 43 days to go!!
Your situation sounds very similar to the couple's with whom we are going to WDW in September.
First, your question about the Discovery Magic package. I think you were referring to my post where I stated that I've heard from a few people that getting a package from WDW is not always the best way to go.
I've read that a lot of people will figure out how much it costs w/a package deal, and then "price it out" separately (lodging, meals, park hopper passes, Pleasure Island, etc.), and it turns out that, in most cases, buying the individual items is cheaper.
However, we decided to go w/the Discovery Magic package because it offered a lot of the features that we were looking for (especially the Flex Features for meals, spa treatments, Cirque de Soleil tickets, etc.).
People who are against buying the packages will usually tell you to steer clear of any package that offers you amenities that you won't have time to enjoy (or don't have any need for). I totally agree with that--for example, we had no need for the Deluxe Magic package because it offered a lot of extra things that we just didn't need, you know?
In response to your other question, our friends also have been married for about 2 years, and weren't able to go on a honeymoon due to an unexpected pregnancy. This trip to WDW in September is going to act as their honeymoon (even though they're going w/friends).
What's even more amazing is that they also have a 14 month old daughter whom they were agonizing over leaving at home w/her grandmother (even though they know that she'll be spoiled rotten). Although I'm in no position to say so (having no children of my own), I think it's absolutely necessary for you and your signif other to "experience the magic" as a couple first, and then, in a few years, to "rediscover the magic" through the eyes of a small child. A 15 month old child would probably not remember too much about a trip to WDW, (and I hope this doesn't come out sounding rude or anything) and don't you think it would be "easier" for you guys to do what YOU wanted to do?
Anyway, it's funny that you posted w/your question, because I have a related question. Hopefully, the responses will give both of us ideas.
My question is: My partner and I are interested in "surprising" our friends somehow during our time there, but aren't sure how we should go about notifying the CMs (or whoever we need to notify) to ensure that the surprise (whatever it is) is pulled off. Can anybody make any suggestions as to what would be a good surprise for them?
Also, I'm interested to see your responses to Tamara's question regarding "creating the magic"; maybe some of those ideas will also come in handy in our quest to make our friends' honeymoon unforgettable.
Thanks in advance for any responses!!!
179 days and counting!!!
[This message has been edited by Aerobics (edited 03-21-2000).]
Welcome! It's really tough to leave children behind, but go, have a good time, and enjoy each other. It's really hard to do much when you have a small one with you. You will have an opportunity to explore WDW and decide just what you want to do when you do take her. That gives you a good reason to start planning your next trip when you get home! Have a great vacation!
My fiance and I are also going to WDW for our honeymoon in September. One thing that has been suggested to me is to book a massage at the Grand Floridian Spa where they have a couples room. Another thing I've read a lot about is the fireworks cruises. I'm not sure what they are exactly or how to book them, but it sounds romantic.
We too will be staying at the Polynesian during our trip. I would love to hear about your experience when you get back.
I can't really say much about leaving your child with her grandparents, because I don't have children of my own. But remember, you need to take special time for you and your husband to keep the romance alive. That can't be easy with a young child in tow. So go and enjoy yourselves!
Oh, you will have so much fun when you leave the kids behind. My hubby and I did that last summer and we had such a blast. We went on so many fun rides and we had leisurely meals. We laid by the pool and read. It was so wonderful - and the best part was when you would see other families with whining kids and you could say "oh, isn't this wonderful. It is so fun to take your kids, but it is a real treat to go on your own - enjoy!
Take this special time with your DH and don't feel guilty! You will have many years to spend quality time with your 15 month old and you deserve to have this time alone!
I personally think that the Discovery Magic package is a great deal! Probably the best thing about it are the Flex options. And the best thing about the Flex options is that you are entitled to 2 options per person, per day. When you consider that these can be used at all the resort and park restaurants (with the exception of Victoria & Alberts at Grand Floridian and Les Chefs de France in Epcot)it makes it even better. Two meals a day included, if that's what you choose to use the options for.
As for making your vacation magical, you can't beat being at WDW for that! Just a walk on the beach under the moonlight on the white sands of the Polynesian beach, watching the fireworks at MK and the Electrical Water Pageant, makes for a wonderfully romantic evening! For something really special, if expensive, you can try dinner at Victoria & Albert's, a special treat every night. You could have dinner at the California Grill, at the top of the Contemporary resort, while you watch the MK fireworks, or dinner at the Rose and Crown in Great Britain, sitiing outside while watching Illuminations 2000. Or spend an evening strolling on the Boardwalk, maybe stopping into Jellyrolls to enjoy a sing-a-long or taking a twirl around the dance floor at Atlantic Dance.
If you are interested in the Illuminations Cruises, you can check out some info on them at http://wdwig.com/illum.htm.
Just make sure that you let your resort know that it is your honeymoon and do the same when you make Priority Seatings at any of the restaurants. The folks at WDW have this way of surprising you...
Have fun and have a great, romantic time!
------------------
Cruella ºoº
"...where the young at heart, of all ages, can laugh and play and learn, together!"
Don't feel guilty about leaving the little one home(very hard to do) but,... Mom & Dad deserve a break & a little time together too! I can't think of a better place to do that than at WDW!
Your daugher will be in good hands........enjoy yourselves!
------------------
Take Care & "Remember the Magic!"
debe-nj
I agree definitely don't feel guilty about leaving your 15 month old. My son was a particularly difficult baby and when my DH and I decided on a babyless vacation, we chose WDW. Our son was 11 months old and we knew that he couldn't possibly enjoy himself there more than at grandma's and grandpa's house.
Now that he is 3, we have even told him that we went and showed him the pictures! It was actually a great way to get him ready for a trip with us (which we took in Dec '99 and we're going again in May 2000). Other people may think it's strange to go without your children, but there is so much to do there that is adult that I think it was well worth it.
Even when you do eventually take your child, make sure you plan some adult time. You can either take another adult babysitter with you (we took grandparents in Dec) or try one of the services (we booked Fairy Godmothers for May). And make sure you have a good time, no talking the entire time about the baby!
Aerobics, yes, I was referring to your post about the Discovery Magic Package. I thought that you meant that you had heard something negative about the Discovery Magic package specifically. Oh, I read something somewhere that you may be intrested for the couple that is going with you: If you dine at Cinderella's in the castle, and let them know that you are celebrating an anniversary or a honeymoon, they will give them wine glasses with a picture of the castle etched on them. Sounds neato, but we really weren't planing on eating there. And what a coinsidence about how similar our situations are! How strange!
Cruella, you scared me when you said that Les Chefs de France wasn't a part of the Discovery Magic dining choices ! I already have PS there for the last night of our trip. I did call and talk to a CM who assured me that it was included. WHEW! What a relief!
Thanks to everyone else for the tips on making it magical and leaving the baby behind. It's really not that I am worried about her safety, or feeling bad about having fun without her (I already have plans to take her for our birthdays, DH, Jan. 31, Baby, Feb. 2, and me Feb.4...cool huh?). It's just that I"M GOING TO MISS MY BABY GIRL! I haven't been away from her for over 8 hours at a time and never ever over night! Oh, well, I'll deal with it, and the outrageous phone bill, too!
********************TamaraJ
40 Days to go!!
I don't know what to say TamaraJ - when I booked Discovery Magic the CM I spoke to definitely told me that Les Chefs was NOT included as a flex choice! So I called again and found out that it is The Chef's Domain in Citrico's that is not included, Not Les Chefs de France. Sorry for the misinformation!
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! I already have PS there for the last night of our trip. I did call and talk to a CM who assured me that it was included. WHEW! What a relief!
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