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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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 am so excited that I cannot think straight! My parents and my sisters and their families are thinking about doing an Alaskan cruise or a Mexican Riviera cruise with us!!!!
None of them are particular Disney fans, so I need your help with any thoughts you have that might help entice them into going. I am going to tell them that not everything is Disney-related... A lot of the "Disney" is understated, and that they have events like that golfing thing in the atrium.
Thanks in advance!!
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Too Many Trips to Disneyland to Count, 1999 WDW Honeymoon, 2005 MR DCL, 2008 MR DCL, 2008 WDW Vacation, 2009 Backstage Magic ABD, 2011 DCL to Neverland, 2011 MR DCL, 2012 Alaskan DCL
A Disney cruise has all of the normal cruise activities and those activities are rarely "Disneyfied". However, IN ADDITION TO the normal stuff, they also have character interactions (that are easily avoided) and tasteful Disney design touches around the ship. It's not like Minnie Mouse gives you your massage or Mickey leads the hairy chest contest! The only time I can see someone really taking offense at being subjected to Disney is in Animator's Palatte, but that's such a neat experience that as long as you aren't anti-Disney, it's still a cool thing.
The thing I'd stress is that a Disney cruise doesn't have to be about being submerged in all things Disney. However, guests will be treated to the Disney Experience in the service and quality they receive.
Disney cruises are absolutely nothing like the barrage of Disney at WDW.
The Spa and Gym are Disney-free zones.
90% of the art auctioned was not disney themed, nor was the free champagne to those at the auction.
Many of the broadway stage shows are disney-themed (and very good), but not the comedians, magicians, jugglers. Nor are Disco night, piano bar, smooth jazz in the clubs. Or the beer and wine tasting. Or bingo.
Only Animator's palate has a disney show, the other restaruants are themed but not really disney focused. The Golden Mickey's formal night feels more Hollywood than Disney World.
Characters encounters are plentiful but avoidable if desired.
All in all, the Disney Cruise has as much, or as little Disney as you would like. Maybe the subtle Disney approach on cruise will bring out that inner child in them!
When my mom asked me why I was so hip on cruising Disney when there are many other cruise lines out there I explained it this way...
Most cruises, especially those that go anywhere in the Carribean or to Mexico are geared towards people 21 to 35. A lot of what the normal cruiselines do is geared towards drinking and partying. Whereas I feel the DCL is obviously geared towards families and you probably won't have to deal with rowdy drunken masses you might get on other ships.
As other people have said, you can do as much or as little "Disney" as you want on DCL.
I would show them the video, and let them see that it is not all "Disney". I think once the visit the cruise site and then watch the video they will be fine with the Disney theme and still enjoy the cruise.
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Melanie
June 1985-off site/March 2004- Pop & OKW
Aug. 2004- Hurricane Charlie POR & FWCG/July 2005- Grand Villa OKW
Feb. 2006-Pop/Feb. 2007- AS Music, WL, AS Movies
Sept. 2011- Disney Med Cruise
I think as well as everything else people have already said, what I would emphasise is that you do get something very special from the Disney cruises - the legendary Disney service and the fact that everything's pretty much been thought of before you think of it. I also think not having a casino on board is a nice bonus - I don't know if that will be a selling point for you or not?
I'm going to sound like Debbie Downer here, but my advice is to not get your hopes up of a "great family vacation" if you are into Disney but they are not. It could convert them, but it might not be worth the cost of the "upgrade" to DCL in their eyes.
We took my best friend and her DH (childless couple) on our first 4-night cruise. We love Disney but had never cruised, they love cruising but aren't into Disney. We thought it would be a great fit! They aren't anti-Disney, but they just aren't into it.
We almost never saw them. Mealtimes only.
We wanted to do the Disney stuff--shows, meet the characters, etc. They did not. I felt like I spent the upgrade cost to do things the Disney way, and who knew if I was going to get to do it again (famous last words, eh?). They didn't want to do the Disney stuff so we had very little on-board we ended up doing together.
I'm not saying it CAN'T work. And on a 7-night cruise, plus the Alaska part (we weren't exactly watching the scenery go by in the Bahamas). . . it's likely to give you *more* time with more opportunities for stuff in common.
Me, I wouldn't take non-Disney friends again. It didn't work *for us*.
aside from the boat right there is nothing DISNEY about Alaska... unless they try to take over certain expeditions when you pull into port to make them the Disney film version of this great state (which I wouldn't be surprised if they did that, and it's one of my many pet peeves with Hollywood and Cruises in general... let Alaska be Alaska all on her own, we don't need your glamor - Alaska's WAY better without it)
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I also think not having a casino on board is a nice bonus - I don't know if that will be a selling point for you or not?
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