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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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My 2 daughters (7 and 2) and I are going on our second Disney Cruise 12/13-12/20 and are staying 4 nights at the Grand Floridian before we go. My sister is joining us for the cruise portion of the trip. We are undecided about where to meet her--the day before or the day off at the resort or at the port that morning. Has anybody had any difficulty doing that? Can I check in at the port without her?
What about transportation? I'll use the Magical Express from MCO to the Grand Floridian. Should I use Disney transp. from the resort to the port and then the port to MCO? Price wise for 2 adults and a 7 year old and 2 year old--isn't it about the same?
Now that we are Castaway Club members, what exactly are the benefits?
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We have not yet been on the cruise, but if your sister wants to use the Disney transfers to / from Port, then it might be easier for her to meet you there, instead of at the GF. I am sure someone else will have better advice!
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I'll use the Magical Express from MCO to the Grand Floridian. Should I use Disney transp. from the resort to the port and then the port to MCO?
This is what we did in reverse. We took Disney transp from MCO to port and from port to AKL, then ME from AKL to MCO. Some people prefer to rent cars or hire drivers in cars, rather than a big bus. However, I really liked that the Disney bus put us in the mood immediately. They showed a cruise video on our way there and a movie on the way back. They were fun to look at and had hidden Mickeys on the seats. But, if you are unsure, you'll need to research the cost yourself to see if it would save enough money.
Regarding your sister, is she driving or flying? And is her reservation different from yours? You guys can do different transp and meet up at the port, provided you will arrive around the same time. The only reason you'd need to check in together is if she's on your ressie. Otherwise, you could just make plans to meet up at XXX.
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Now that we are Castaway Club members, what exactly are the benefits?
Earlier booking time for excursions, Palo, etc. Gift in your stateroom. Not sure beyond that....
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You can not check in for your room until your sister arrives at the port. So if you want to check in as soon as you get there - you should have her travel with you. You can purchase transfers for her from the resort to the Port. You didn't say if you already have transfers to the port for you and your children. OR you could have your sister meet at the GF and you could all take a towncar to the port - it might cost less than transfers from Disney.
If she's flying in, I strongly, most wholeheartedly, urge you to have her fly in the night before. December usually has flight delays all over the country. Remember the bad evening at JFK? It messed up airlines for almost a week. And taking the first flight out in the morning from a warm weather city may not work, either. That plane waiting anxiously for you had to come from somewhere. Like JFK.
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It's easy to arrange to meet inside the terminal (you do not have to enter the terminal together). The terminal is not so large that you can't find each other. For example, plan to meet on the right-hand side of the terminal, where there are seats and TVs to watch while you wait. You can check-in together, whenever you're ready. Since the ship doesn't start boarding until about Noon, so long as you meet-up before then, your boarding won't be delayed by very much (the later you check-in, the higher your boarding number, but even those with the highest boarding numbers don't have to wait all that long to board).
For four passengers, Disney transportation is almost always more expensive than private transportation. Three passengers is the typical break-even point.
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