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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
DH and I are so unsure about what kind of cruise to do. We know that we want to go in February 2010. The kids will be 9 by then and we have been trying to decide on if we should do a land and sea package or if we should book a longer cruise (this will be our first time cruising).
I guess the most pressing question here is when do they begin booking 2010 land and sea packages?
Is it a better deal just to book a cruise separate from the land portion of our trip?
TYIA for you help!
Is it a better deal just to book a cruise separate from the land portion of our trip?
TYIA for you help!
I personally think it is at times because you can take advantage of any promotions that Disney has (room discounts, free dining, etc...), and it allows you to have more freedom of where you want to stay and how much money you want to spend etc...For our trip in November we booked the land and sea seperate and saved a significant amount of money.
From what I have heard, it is almost always less expensive to book the land and sea portion separately. Besides, you can choose your own Disney hotel and cabin without having to go with their "preset" pairings. You can't book a land and sea until the land rates are available. I think it is four hundred and some days out.
Having sailed on a 3 night and an 11 night (and going on a 4 night this fall), I personally do not think I would do anything less than a 4 night. One of my favorite parts of cruising are the sea days. You really get a feel for the ship and the whole cruising experience. The only reason we are doing a 4 night instead of a 7 night this fall is because of our party of 13, it is the first cruise for 11 of them. So they voted for a 4 night to "test the waters". Personally, I would prefer 7 nights (or longer)!
It also depends on the type of room vs stateroom you want. Many people want a verandah on the ship, but a Value resort at WDW (or vice versa). On the Land/Sea, you have to book at corresponding levels, which means you have to book Deluxe if you want a verandah. Depending on which configuration you select, one trip has WDW first, the other WDW last. You don't have the choice (aside from choosing which will be 3 nights and which will be 4 nights).
Plus side, by going with L/S, is that you check in once and it's all taken care of. So it depends on priorities. Also, don't discount a longer cruise, unless you're looking for a way to fit in both in a shorter vacation. Most people try a shorter one to determine if they have "sea legs" and get off wishing they'd done a longer one.
I will only do longer cruises now (I've done several short ones), but cannot afford to be gone more than a week or so. So, now we have to choose between either visiting WDW or taking a cruise. Land/Sea can alleviate that worry, but you're doing mini-visits for both this way.
Really, it's a matter of doing your homework. Take a look at what you want vs what is offered. Does it match up with Land/Sea? If you book separately, would you be saving money or spending more? Does the Land/Sea put where you visit in the right order for you?
Good luck! Whatever you choose, you'll love it. Have fun planning.
Do you know when the land and sea prices come out for 2010?
Thanks for this great info... I think 7 days is a good amount of time for a cruise. I may be talking myself out of 4/3 land and sea.
About This Page: 
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
Personally, I would prefer 7 nights (or longer)!
Linear Mode
