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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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 will not rent points to anyone that is not family or that I know personally. I rented to a family, Sandy set it up, and they have changed the reservation at least three times. Since I have to do the changes it is a hassle. First it was for a 2 BR then less people so down to a 1 BR then to a studio because of cost and finally money issues so had to switch dates. This time it was right at the 30 day mark. I got lucky and was able to make the switch. I am going to tell them this is it and that they are going to have to make it work, no more changes. I believe that I have bent over back wards to help them.
AHHHH... boB
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Fàilte a chairde, Bobºoº
Be not upset that the rose bush has thorns but instead be joyful that thorns have roses.
November 21 - 28, 2015 DCL Fantasy
Wow, that does sound like a hassle. I just want to get the the point that I have so many DVC points that I could consider renting! We seem to always be borrowing from the next use year....lol.
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That's crazy. As a person who rents points, I try and make the transactions as hassle free as possible. I know what I can afford, have it in hand, and make the commitment. You aren't CRO and I agree, I would tell them after the first change it incurs a $25 change fee.
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Your renters took advantage of you that's for sure. You're too good Bob.
I'd never have thought to make any changes once the initial reservations were set up if I were your renter. Once it's done, it's done.
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Thats just another reason why I will never rent points. I would let them expire before renting. Even with a good renters agreement there is a possiblity of something bad happening.
The two times we rented before buying, the members stipulated that 100% payment was due immediately after the reservation was secured. That's the only way I would do it. I don't want to dictate how other people handle their finances but I wouldn't want to put myself at risk of getting short-changed if the rentee (?) realized he/she didn't have the money just a short time before the trip begins.
And as others alluded to, I would put a clause in the contract stating the the only way funds will be refunded is if the reservation (or points) are successfully re-rented before they expire. Say that I collect $12 per point from the start and the buyer has to cancel. I would offer to re-rent with the original buyer only getting a refund of $9 or $10 per point. The rest is kept for my time and energy.
Even with the discounts Disney is offering these days, renting points can still save the non-member quite a bit of money over a CRO booking. DVC members don't have the financial resources of CRO--we stand to lose considerable value (points, dues) in the event of a late cancellation. Honestly, if an individual cannot live with the type of terms described above, I wouldn't want to do business with him/her.
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