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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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 apologize -- I added my question to one of the threads here but can't find it now.
An intern architect whose family lives in Orlando is advising me to arrive at Harry Potter after lunchtime because "everybody rushes to Harry Potter first thing in the morning."
Now, I'll be going in mid-December when WDW (and hopefully US) are less crowded than other times, and I'll go mid-week. All my friend wants to do at IOA is the Harry Potter stuff, so I'm wondering what time YOU think we should get there?
I'll be spending a day there in August. I feel like we're more likely to go to HP area first thing.
If that is all your friend wants to do, I don't know why you'd wait.
I should probably have explained that my friend is 73 and has osteoporosis, which is slowing her down and making prolonged standing a problem. (Other than that, she's as enthusiastic and energetic as I am -- we have the same birthday and call each other "Twin" saying we were separated by 17 years. )
Oooh good question. We will be at US on Monday Dec 12th specifically to do WWOHP, and we fly back to Phoenix that evening. I am planning on an early morning ADR at CM at BC, then heading right over to US. They open at 9am that day. Hopefully it won't be too terribly crowded!
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Saturday, October 9, 2014 - Kaitlyn and I before the Happy Haunted 5K at ESPN Wide World of Sports
We were there around that time last year. We went straight to WWoHP both mornings that we were there and we were able to basically walk on to FJ both days. It takes quite a while to get through the queue and we didn't stop until we were actually in the castle. The worst line was the one for Ollivanders and that is definitely a don't bother if the line is long. The show is cute but it's not worth waiting an hour for. We left WWoHP a little after lunch time because the park was starting to get kind of crowded by then.
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First thing...from my experience and from what I have read since my visit, you want to get there first thing as close to opening as you can. The longer you wait the more crowded it becomes, a lot like Disney and the afternoon rush. Then if you have time go back around dusk...it begins to clear out and Hogwarts takes on a new look as evening closes in!
We were there two weeks ago on Friday, June 17th. We got to the park at 4:30 or so, ate dinner at Mythos then went to the WWOHP. It was a very overcast day and it started raining about the time we walked over to the HP section (around 6:00). We waited out the rain storm (about 25 minutes in the Owlery) and then headed over to FJ. We were on the ride in about 10 minutes. Definately, the fastest we've ever been able to get on.
We ended up buying annual passes last August after not being able to get on the FJ either day that we were there. The line was crazy long (90 minutes) the evening of the first day and since we were staying onsite, and could get in an hour early, we decided to head over the next morning. Unfortunately, the ride was down and didn't end up coming back up until after 3 that day and we had to catch a flight home. The line we were waiting in that morning would have taken us at least 30 - 40 minutes as it started at the castle and we were on the bridge that comes from the Jurassic Park area (and were in the second half of the line that had doubled up). It took us about 45 minutes to get on the ride when we went last October (around 2 pm in the middle of the week) and about 30 minutes in March (we were there in the morning that day, staying onsite so we got in one hour before the park opened to everyone else). I know that everyone says to be there early and go there first, but if you don't have early entry privileges, than it might be easier if you wait until later in the day.
WOW! Great question. I'm taking my mom to WDW in mid December for her graduation celebration and early Christmas present. But I really want to go to WWOHP, too. It surprised me to hear that she really wanted to go as well (she's 64 ) except she thinks the thrill rides might be a bit too much. She got a kick out of the idea of riding the Hogwarts train.
Anyone know how long we can expect to spend there if we only do the WWHOHP mild rides, shops and dining options? Would 4 hours be enough?
Great question. I just spoke to someone who was there 2 weeks ago. They recommended that if you are not staying on property (we are not) that you hit HP in the afternoon. I was thinking of going first thing but she said because of those staying onsite it tends to be crowded in the morning because that is where everyone goes. I am still not sure what we are going to do.
WOW! Great question. I'm taking my mom to WDW in mid December for her graduation celebration and early Christmas present. But I really want to go to WWOHP, too. It surprised me to hear that she really wanted to go as well (she's 64 ) except she thinks the thrill rides might be a bit too much. She got a kick out of the idea of riding the Hogwarts train.
Anyone know how long we can expect to spend there if we only do the WWHOHP mild rides, shops and dining options? Would 4 hours be enough?
Just to make sure you and your Mom know, you don't get to ride the Hogwarts train. The engine is there as a photo op though. The only "mild ride" is Flight of the Hippogriff - it's a short and small roller coaster ride. You can walk through the castle even if you don't want to ride the FJ ride - and I highly recommend that.
When DH & I went the 2nd week of December last year, we spent probably 4 or 5 hours in WWoHP both days that we went. We rode the thrill rides (both days), saw the wand show (one day), shopped, ate, and drank Butter Beer (lots and lots because it's yummy!) My guess is that you should be easily able to do everything you want to in 4-ish hours.
We'll be visiting IOA a few times on our upcoming 11-day trip.... we're planning on testing out both theories (first-thing and late-afternoon).
I'll report back on my experience.
We'll be visiting IOA a few times on our upcoming 11-day trip.... we're planning on testing out both theories (first-thing and late-afternoon).
I'll report back on my experience.
Can't wait to hear your review! We're going in August, but only for one day, so I'll be interested to hear what the best time of day is. Although I really doubt my DD's will wait until later in the day, so we'll probably hit it first thing and then come back later when/if the crowds die down.
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