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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
We will be visiting WDW and staying at CSR in just 60 short days. I'll be seven months pregnant at that time. I typically do laundry a couple of times while we're at WDW. So, my question is where is the best place to request a room at CSR? I would like to be central to food, bus, and laundry. I read somewhere that the Casitas might be best. Can anyone give me an opinion on this?
With the internal buses as long as you are close to a bus stop you are close to many places. We were in the back of Ranchos near bus stop 3 and it was great but I don't do laundry so I don't know where that was in relationship to my room.
i would suggest casitas or cabanas. if you can get one of the buildings between the laundry in either area and the food court, you shouldn't have too long a walk to either. according to the map, each area has a laundry, but ranchos are quite a hike to the food court. unless you plan to do laundry multiple times, i would be more concerned with being close to the food court. i doubt you'll be too far from a laundry no matter where you end up. have a terrific trip, and congrats on the baby! p.s.- you will love csr- it's just beautiful!
Cabanas section has a luandry next to the quiet pool and it is a short walk to the main building. Also close to a bus stop. Remember at CS if you see one of those guys driving the golf carts with or without luggage, you can flag them down and they will give you a ride!
Many guests read or hear about cabana 9b or low numbered casita buildings but not all guests will be able to get a room in those buildings or may need a room in those buildings. These are not necessarily the best locations for every guest, in fact not best for most.
For conventioneers the Casitas 1 or 3 are often the best. These are close to the convention center; but quite a distance from pools and bus stops.
For adult couples, especially honeymooners or those celebrating anniversaries Casitas 4 or 5 with a water view is exceptional. Casita 4 has the quiet pool, fitness center, spa, salon, and both are close to bus stop #2.
For “leisure guests with children” here are some great locations; Cabana 8a, 7b, 8b, 9b, Rancho 6b, cabana 9a, and rancho 6a...in that order. Nearness to El Centro is usually of no importance to many guests. It's much more important to be close to the park bus stops and the “Dig Site”. Leisure guests may come to El Centro once or twice; but they will be at the buses twice a day (at least) and the pool often when they are at the resort.
For adults or large families who wish to be close to a park bus stop and to a “quieter pool” but are not interested in the theme pool, building 7a is great and has close proximity to parking.
Building 2 also is close to parking and usually one of the quietest buildings, especially from the 4th floor. The fourth floor of building actually includes part of the upper floors of building 3 and has easy access to the convention center by way of the elevator courtyard of building 1 (especially in a rainstorm).
In other words, there is no “best location for everyone”. Each building has its own plusses and minuses. The cast members will be happy to guide you into the building that fits your needs best……..if you let them know what those needs and expectations may be.
Also, for a reality check…….when there is a large convention……not everyone is going to get a room next to the convention center. In fact, most of the rooming blocks are set up by the group having the convention long before any of the convention guests arrive…… Sometimes, there is little cast member latitude on changing those assignments.
As always, if there are special needs that must be addressed, fax the resort a week before arrival. Be sure you are faxing to the resort and not to Walt Disney Travel Company, their booking agency. The resort cast is best able to accommodate special needs. Often guests call the reservation desk with these requests and do not understand that this is not the resort; but a central reservation desk for ALL of Walt Disney World. The fax number is available by calling Walt Disney World information and asking for the front desk operations fax number.
Cabana 9b is close to bus stop 1 and the main building with a short walk to the Dig Site (main pool) over the wooden bridge (most convenient location and most preferred).
Cabana 8a is close to the Dig Site (and playground) and bus stop 4 with a short walk to the main building (closest to the pool).
Cabana 8b and 9a are in between the 2 above (9a has a quiet pool).
Ranchos 7b has a quiet pool, is close to the Dig Site and bus stop 4 with a bit longer walk to the main building. 7b is behind cabana 8a.
Casita 1 is attached to the main building and is very close to the restaurants.
Casita 3 has great courtyard and fountain views.
Casita 5 has some nice fountain and lake views and is close to the Dig Site but farther from the main building. Close to bus stop #2.