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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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I've been interested in booking one of the pirate cruises for the girls for Jan '09. I took my sweet time and only called this morning and figured that they'd all be sold-out but there's some availability left. I was only thinking about the Albatross when the CM offered the GF cruise too. Now I'm confused and don't know which to book and when. Here's the sitch...
This is our non-park visit so I'm looking for fun stuff to do outside of the parks. We have Sea World in the plans since the girls haven't been since my little one was really little Not thinking of spending an entire day there, though. Trying to figure which cruise is more fun and which morning to squeeze it in.
Thurs, 1/15 - arrive at night , staying VWL
Fri, 1/16 - supposed to go to Sea World; dinner at Chef Mickey's (Albatross available)
Sat, 1/17 - free morning, 3pm BBB appt at DTD, dinner at 1900 Park Fare (GF cruise available)
Sun, 1/18 - 8:35am ADR Cape May Cafe, fun at the Boardwalk or Disney mini-golf; 7:15pm HDDR (no cruise scheduled)
Mon, 1/19 - 8am ADR WCC; return flight home 5:20pm MCO (both Albatross and GF cruises available; ADR can be made earlier at 7:30am)
Okay, it seems easy, right? Do the GF cruise on Saturday morning. Or pick either one for Mon. But these are my concerns. The Albatross is a smaller boat (12 kids) - so that makes for a more personal experience; they travel around Crescent Lake stopping at the different resorts, including near Epcot. But it's farther to travel to from the WL.
The GF Cruise is larger (24 kids) - not as personal; easier to travel to from the WL and I believe this group definitely gets Mickey pirate ears (the CM thought both cruises got Mickey pirate ears but Albatross pics look like regular pirate bandannas).
Ah, decisions, decisions. LOL Which would you pick if you were me? Thank you!
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My boys had a BLAST on the GF Pirate Cruise in 2004, when they were 8 and 5. I think there were 3 deck mates on board to help the pirates do pirate things. I think it's a little better than the Albatross one because of the distance traveled.
Dd did the Bayou (POR) and Grand Floridian Pirate Adventures.
She did the one from POR last December when she was 6.5yo, and the GF one this past July during her 7th bday trip.
She loved both of them.
The GF cruise had a dedicated pirate boat, dd received a red/white striped pirate bandana w/ mickey ears on it, the CMs were dressed up as pirates, and they cruised around Seven Seas Lagoon.
The POR cruise had a flag on a regular DTD boat, dd received a generic black pirate bandana (w/ skull & crossbones), the CMs were dressed in regular clothing and they cruised down the Sassagoula river to POFQ, OKW, & DTD.
There were three CMs on each cruise. The GF one had all three from the beginning...the POR one started w/ two and then they "kidnapped" a boat captain that was loitering on the dock.
We were staying at POR last December so that was an easy choice. In July, dd and I were staying at WL and it was super easy to scoot over to GF for the cruise. I managed to snag an 8:00am ADR at 1900 Park Fare for breakfast and we were at the dock at 9am. I preferred getting there earlier for breakfast and then taking our time, rather than eating at WL and then hurrying to get there for the cruise. I believe we took the boat to CR and then the monorail over to GF that morning.
If you choose the GF cruise, take the boat from GF over to MK after your girls set out. My launch driver went out of his way to encounter the pirates and I got some amazing pictures!
... I should add that dd was given a choice of BBB or another Pirate Cruise for her birthday trip, and she picked another cruise! That is how much fun she had on the first one!
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thanks everyone - I think I'm leaning towards the GF cruise - it sounds like a lot of fun and it's so near by. I think I'll do that on Saturday morning (Alan and I can have breakfast at one of the hotels nearby) and I'll save our free morning for doing things around WL after our WCC breakfast but before we go home on Monday.
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Albatross (YC) vs. Pirate Adventure (GF)
Not thinking of spending an entire day there, though. Trying to figure which cruise is more fun and which morning to squeeze it in.
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