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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Considering Caribbean cruise for the first time and would like TA advice on which cruise line has better reviews from your experience???
(Myself, DH and DD, who is 8).
Thanks!!!
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Considering Caribbean cruise for the first time and would like TA advice on which cruise line has better reviews from your experience???
(Myself, DH and DD, who is 8).
Thanks!!!
I think one with activities for your 8 year old will be the best consideraton. All the majors off a lot of the same/similar shore excurisons. The main differences in dining (traditional vs alternativie ) and youth programs. A bigger question may be which ports you want to see. (not all go to the same ports.)
I think one with activities for your 8 year old will be the best consideraton. All the majors off a lot of the same/similar shore excurisons. The main differences in dining (traditional vs alternativie ) and youth programs. A bigger question may be which ports you want to see. (not all go to the same ports.)
Thank you for your response.
I was considering the southern caribbean, maybe 5-7 days? Also, do you recommend a website that has more details or good reviews?
I sailed on Serenade of the Seas (RCCL) for our cruise to Alaska this past summer. Next summer, they are going to be sailing the Southern Caribbean itinerary out of San Juan. It was a fabulous ship.
Don's pointed you to some very excellent resources to begin your planning.
Thanks for the info...checked out the cruise Critic website and several family cruise websites and it seems RCCL is going to be the best fit for our family.
Ok, that's off the check list... now to figure out cruise line dates and which islands!
ok...I spoke too soon... all the RCCL's that are over the top for kids only go to Eastern and Western carribean??? Oasis and Freedom class? Next in line is the Voyager class, which has the rock-climbing walls, miniature golf courses and ice-skating rinks...But doesn't look like it has H2O Zone waterpark or the Flowriders, the Zip Line, AquaTheater and a Carousel! I just want to do the Southern part. Am I missing something? Does anyone know what other cruise ships go to the Southern carribean and are family friendly and have great options for kids? Thanks!
The Vision of the Seas is the only RCI ship that does a 7 night out of San Juan. The Explorer of the Seas does a 12 night out of New Jersey. But both of those are only during the winter. The Explorer is 132,000 tons, while the Vision is 75,000 tons and doesn't have things like the ice rink. The Carnival Victory has a 7 night Southern out of San Juan and the Carnival Miracle does 8 night out of Ft Lauderdale. Those are big ships, although they don't have climbing walls,they do have an incredible water park. And the third best kids program (according to Conde Nast, there is no second best, Disney is that far ahead , at least in 2007). RCI is the next, at least on the bigger ships. Princess is considered the best in Alaska, but that's not quite a Southern, is it? Celebrity and Princess both have Southern routes during the winter.