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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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 are thinking of a last minute 3 night Wonder cruise for Oct. 23,2008 for my sister's birthday. We won't know until maybe 2 months beforehand whether everyone can go. There will be 4 adults and 3 kids. Would like to get 2 Cat. 11s if possible. I know DCL needs passport numbers and such. So when is the latest that you can book? I heard maybe 6 weeks before the cruise sails???
__________________
DVC Member BWV- 6/08
WDW -lost count!
Disneyland 2X
Disney Magic 11/04 Eastern
Disney Magic 12/06 Western, 08/15/09
Disney Wonder 01/08, 02/09, 08/10
Disney Dream B2B 08/11
The earlier the better. Categories and cruises sell out. They have a pretty liberal policy as to deposit vs payment. (I think you can cancel up to about 75 days out without penalty-which I think is also the deadline for providing the passport numbers.) The deposit is $200-$250 per guest.
You can book up until a few weeks before. I have done it many times for clients. (I think the shortest time beforehand was 3 weeks). Don is correct that the sooner the better though- just for availability and price. That being said- the 3 night cruises are the least popular so you have a little bit more leeway with them then the 4 or 7 night cruises.
You can fill out all your information online as soon as you have a confirmation number and get luggage tags at the port so there is no need to leave enough time to receive documents.
If you think you will know 2 months ahead of time you should be fine as long as there is availability.
Thanks for your answers.
We always rebook on board to get the lowest price and availability but never booked last minute. 3 weeks? Wow. That is good news. Sis is a Florida resident and she also has a friend who is interested in joining us who is a CM and may get us better rates. It really doesn't matter to me if we don't go on the cruise if it gets booked up since the F& W F is happening also and that is our Plan B! I'll just be happy to spend my sis's birthday Disney style whether on land or sea!!!!!!!
__________________
DVC Member BWV- 6/08
WDW -lost count!
Disneyland 2X
Disney Magic 11/04 Eastern
Disney Magic 12/06 Western, 08/15/09
Disney Wonder 01/08, 02/09, 08/10
Disney Dream B2B 08/11
You need to provide your information to the cruise line not less than 72 hours prior to sailing to make TSA "happy" (they are NEVER "happy").
But I'd book now and try to decide just before final payment. This will give you more flexibility and a better rate.
Note on first paragraph. You can actually show up at the pier without providing the info, but you may have to wait up to 2 hours to board. Which means you want to get there at least 2 1/2 hours prior to sailing.