Feature Article: Hyatt Regency Orlando International Airport - A Hotel Review - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!
Welcome! We're happy you've found the PassPorter Community -- the friendliest place to plan your vacation to Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland, and the world in general! You are now viewing the PassPorter Message Board Community as a guest, which gives you limited access. As our guest, feel free to browse our messages by selecting the forum you want to visit from the list below.
To post messages and ask questions, join our FREE community today and you'll get access to tools and resources not available to guests, such as our vacation countown timers, "living" avatars, private messaging system, database searches, downloads, and a special PassPorter discount code. Registration is fast, simple, and completely free. Just click the Join Our Community link.
If you think you've already joined, log in below now. If you don't remember your member name or password, please visit our Member Name and Password Recovery page. You are also welcome to contact us.
Feature Article: Hyatt Regency Orlando International Airport - A Hotel Review
Hyatt Regency Orlando International Airport - A Hotel Review by Mary Augustine
When sailing with Mickey Mouse from Port Canaveral, we've stayed at a nearby Port Canaveral hotel, in Orlando, and at a Walt Disney World Resort. Recently, we spent that highly anticipated night before the cruise at the Hyatt Regency in Orlando International Airport.
It was a wonderful experience! The convenience, amenities, and ambiance were the perfect beginning to our Disney Cruise Line vacation. This will be our taking off point for future Disney Cruise Line vacations departing from Port Canaveral. Why? Read on. The Hyatt Regency is located in Orlando International Airport, and can be accessed via elevators, stairs, or escalators from the main lobby of the terminal building. It couldn’t be more convenient! The most obvious reason to select the hotel is the convenience of leaving your tagged cruise baggage in your room, where it is picked up, delivered to Port Canaveral, and then to your Disney Cruise Line stateroom, all without your hoisting even one bag. In addition, you are able to check in at the Disney Cruise Line desk at the airport (level 1, side B, adjacent to the Disney Magical Express check-in area) early enough to receive a boarding pass with the number 2 on it! Of course, this applies only if you are taking Disney Cruise Line transportation to the port. We checked in with Disney at about 8:30 am, received our boarding number and Key to the World cards, and then had a quick breakfast while waiting for the first Disney Cruise Line bus to board for Port Canaveral.
Even without this amazing perk, the Hyatt Orlando International Airport has much to offer: comfortable beds with luxury bedding, terminal or runway views with balcony, spacious rooms, a heated outdoor pool with waterfall and sundeck, free WiFi (airport provided), iHome alarm clock/charger/radio, comfortable sitting areas in public spaces, two restaurants, and online check-in. The fitness center is open 24/7, and was well equipped, including Life Fitness™ Cardio machines, treadmills, elliptical cross training bicycles, exercise balls, and free weights. The fitness center also offers some nice extras such as cold water, chilled towels, and headphones. I wish I could say that I had a great workout there, but I must admit we went shopping instead! The airport shops and restaurants are just steps away, and did I mention that the Orlando International Airport has not just one, but two Disney Stores?
We had a delightful dinner at McCoy's Bar and Grill, an informal restaurant located on the lobby level. They serve sandwiches, brick oven pizzas, salads, and soups, as well as small plates (wraps, lemon hummus, bacon wrapped scallops, fried calamari, shrimp cocktail, pot stickers, soft pretzels with white cheddar-gouda cheese, emparedado de platano y pollo, and more). I can recommend the arugula salad with Bosc pear and shaved Reggiano, as well as the Mediterranean flat bread, topped with Kalamata olives, tomatoes and arugula. Within McCoy's Bar and Grill is a sushi bar, Hiro’s Sushi. Another dining option is the more formal Hemisphere restaurant, which offers steak, seafood, and panoramic views from the ninth floor of the Hyatt. Lobby South, a bar on the lobby level, features appetizers, along with cocktails, in the late afternoon and evening. Sushi can be ordered at the Lobby bar as well. It was very popular the evening we stayed at this Hyatt! One important consideration when booking accommodations at the Hyatt Orlando International Airport is the cost. Standard rates are upwards of $300 per night or more. There are several ways to get a significantly lower rate. Discounts that may be available include military/government rates, AAA discounts, senior rates, and corporate rates - some offering rooms at just over $100 for a double. Rooms can be booked up to one year in advance. I found that our discounted rate was readily available when booked at the one year window, but had difficulty obtaining it at 2-3 months out. Perseverance paid off, and a discounted rate appeared on the Hyatt website about one month prior to our most recent stay. Another option is to purchase Hyatt Stay Certificates (Choice level), available on the Hyatt website. However, it is necessary to confirm that the Stay Certificates are accepted on the date(s) of your stay. Some have reported acquiring last minute discounts via the Hotwire or Last Minute Travel websites, but alas, for us, waiting until 24-48 hours prior to travel to secure a hotel room is not a comfortable option, particularly when the hotel night precedes a vacation as expensive and anticipated as a Disney cruise!
If you have two or more days prior to your cruise, you may prefer lodging at Walt Disney World, Port Canaveral, or other nearby Florida destinations. But if you are arriving in Orlando the day or evening prior to a Disney Cruise Line voyage from Port Canaveral, and using Disney Cruise Line transportation to the port, the Hyatt Regency Orlando International Airport offers a luxurious and relaxing beginning to a Disney Cruise Line vacation. Bon voyage!
What do you think? Please add your own comments, experiences, or news related to this article in this thread! Reader feedback is welcomed and encouraged.
What a great review! I completely agree! We have stayed at the Hyatt before all of our Disney Cruises that sailed out of Port Canaveral and are booked there again for our next cruise.
The Hyatt also has a "day room" rate for guests who who have a late return flight after their Disney cruise. We have done that once and took advantage of the pool, etc. Bell services also helped get our luggage to the airline ticket counter--another nice plus.
About This Page: 
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
]Read all about our Disney Experiences on the Williams Family Blog: 
Linear Mode
