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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Okay we're working on getting to US for a day and were wondering if anyone had ever rented a car for just one day, and where on property at WDW can you pick a car up. I know I've seen spaces in the parking lots set aside for cars from different companies. Do we book in advance or day of. And if you don't mind tell us about how much it costs. DH has some rental points he may be able to cash in. I"m just curious it it will be cheaper than taking a taxi or MEARS.
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Disney Vacation Specialist Magical Memories Travel Chelsey
You can rent a small car for usually a good price for 1 day. There are several DTD hotels that have on site rental agencies. They will shuttle you to and from your hotel as well, which is a plus. With discount codes you should be able to do this for less than 50.00
You can pick a car up at the car care center which is the Hess gas station near MK. They have shuttles from the resorts to get you there, just ask concierge. You can also rent a car from The Swan or Dolphin resort.
I meant to say the Swan or the Dolphin, but I can't remember which...but I'm sure someone here will be able to answer better. We ended up renting a car for the weekend and dropped it off at the car care center and then they shuttled us to EPCOT. It was great service. It's Alamo, by the way.
You can rent from the Car Care Centre, near Epcot, just down the road from the Poly. Alamo and National. The also have a rent desk at Swan/Dolphin. So depending on where you are staying, one may be more convenient for you. As mentioned they will pick you up, and drop you off.
The DTD hotels also have car rental desks. Doubletree-Budget. The have limited shuttle service. When we droped our car off, it was mid-late afternoon. Maybe 3 or 4ish, and their shuttle service had ended, so we had to walk to DTD to get a bus back to our resort.
Hilton has Avis, and there is a Dollar rental, can't remember which DTD hotel.
If you know your date, I'd reserve ahead, and try for a good rate. We reserve thru Costco site with Alamo. You may find a discount code on mousesavers.com too.
Don't forget to add in the cost of parking the rental car at US. I've had very good luck with Mears taxis. You can call them up and get an estimate of what the taxi ride will cost.
Good Luck
Last trip, we had to rent a car because DS ended up in the hospital. DH was taken to the Car Care Center and after it was all said and done, it costs us $150 for two days. We had to rent a car seat for DS too.
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Stephanie- Mom to Jaden and Emerson, Wife to Keith, Novelist
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Did some checking and with DH 'preferred' status with Avis we can get a car for $33...and we have an entertainment book coupon for $30 off your rental, so even with parking we'll be in good shape. Even if they don't let us use the coupon it'll still be cheaper than MEARS or a taxi to get us there and back.
So now its just working out he logistics of when to pick up the car and to drop it off, bring our own car seats from home or rent from Avis. Suggestions. One of our number 1 priorities is to be at IOA gates at least 30 minutes prior to opening so we're even thinking of picking up the car the night before.
Sarh7 so sorry DS had to go to the hospital, hope he's okay.
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Disney Vacation Specialist Magical Memories Travel Chelsey