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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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So I'll be going to WDW June 24th-30th. I have spina bifida and use a wheelchair full time. I've never used DME before and was wondering if anyone had any tips or is there anything different I need to do after getting off the plane. I'm a very experienced traveler so I'm not worried about the traveling issue. I'm just kinda clueless as to what will happen. Do i ride the bus like everyone else or is there a van or what? Thanks for anyone's input!!
PassPorter's Free-Book to Walt Disney World It’s hard to believe anything is free at Walt Disney World; but there are actually a number of things you can get or do for little to no cost. This e-book documents over 200 free or cheap tips to do before you go and after you arrive. You could save a considerable amount of money following these tips. Perhaps more importantly; you can discover overlooked attractions and little-known details most people whiz by on their way to spend money. Click here to see free sample pages from the e-book! Get this popular e-book free of extra charges when you join the PassPorter's Club for as little as $4.95. A club pass includes access to all our other e-books; e-worksheets; super-size photos; and more! This e-book is also available for separate purchase in the PassPorter Online Store for just $5.95.
Hi, Welcome!
Yes, you will ride the bus with everyone. When you make your DME reservation remember to tell them you travel with a wheelchair.
They have buses with lifts. I travel with a scooter &it is stowed under the bus. If you stay in your chair they will use the lift to get you on board.. No Worries!
Just call them in advance & maybe a few days before the trip as a reminder call ..
Enjoy your trip..
I use a small scooter on my trip. The DME has lifts on the buses that will raise you up so you can enter the bus. Staff should be around to help you get where you are going. I did not have my paperwork so someone took me to various places to get the paperwork then to the waiting area then excorted outside then shown where the bus was at. You will need to note that you need a lift bus. Overall it was totally confusing for me but they made it seem so easy that I recommend DME. Very helpful people.
I watched them use the lift for a lady who could not do stairs. I would not worry about DME as long as you have your note about a lift.
__________________
Mom calls to check on me and reminded me to pay the gardener. I love her so much.
Disneyland was fun with flag retreat and pickles. I have a home here, thank you. GAC is NOT a "front of the line pass".
She is gone but keeping signature. Laundry is getting done. My purpose in life is to help poor people in FL. Farewell, will miss you.
PassPorter's Free-Book to Walt Disney World It’s hard to believe anything is free at Walt Disney World; but there are actually a number of things you can get or do for little to no cost. This e-book documents over 200 free or cheap tips to do before you go and after you arrive. You could save a considerable amount of money following these tips. Perhaps more importantly; you can discover overlooked attractions and little-known details most people whiz by on their way to spend money. Click here to see free sample pages from the e-book! Get this popular e-book free of extra charges when you join the PassPorter's Club for as little as $4.95. A club pass includes access to all our other e-books; e-worksheets; super-size photos; and more! This e-book is also available for separate purchase in the PassPorter Online Store for just $5.95.
Awesome! Thank you!! I was getting kinda bummed that I wouldn't have the whole DME experience if I was gonna have to ride in a van or something. I'm getting more and more excited now!!
I still have a headache so cannot remember the passporter name for the guide but do get Open Mouse or whatever the WDW disabled guide is. WDW is doing everything they can to make all guests have the same experience. You will get to experience lines even if you cannot ride and be able to ride the Great Movie ride. I promise that you will have a great time except for the cobblestones and other rought areas. I am about ready to chuck my scooter for an ATV, lol.
Your tapatalk in your signature gives your location a wee bit too specific.
Have fun planning and if you need anything holler. There are so many things for disabled travelers from rooms to restaurants to rides.
waves
off to find aspirin
Laurie
Sue in MN is the expert if you need anything.
__________________
Mom calls to check on me and reminded me to pay the gardener. I love her so much.
Disneyland was fun with flag retreat and pickles. I have a home here, thank you. GAC is NOT a "front of the line pass".
She is gone but keeping signature. Laundry is getting done. My purpose in life is to help poor people in FL. Farewell, will miss you.
I've been to WDW 13 times or so, so I know what to expect as far as the parks and all that goes but I've never used DME so I was a little unsure what to expect.
Yeah I just now figured out how to turn off the setting that shows where I am with that link. I use my phone a lot to access the boards through the tapatalk app.
The DME buses are different than the buses used to go from park to park. The DME buses are large touring buses, with compartments for luggage storage underneath.
Not all of th have lifts, so they say it will be a shorter wait if you prearranged for the lift bus when making your DME reservations. We have found it can be a pretty long wait even when we did prearrange it. When you are leaving the airport, it's not vital to make arrangements ahead of time,. When you are coming home, it's very important. If they send a bus without a lift, the time to send another one may make it tight to make your flight.
Because of the buses being tour buses, it is a loooooong way up to the seating area, so be prepared for a pretty high ride up on the lift.
Here is a picture of the DME bus lift in its highest position:
The driver will load you in your wheelchair onto the lift and then send you up to the seating area of the bus. The back few seats by that back door are movable and will be slid out of the way to make space for your wheelchair.
They will use tieddown hooks to secure your wheelchair to the bus floor.
If your wheelchair came with a transport option with tiedown loops, you are all set. If it didn't ( like my daughter's manual wheelchair), it will save time and make it easier if you premark safe tiedown spots on the wheelchair. These are basically sturdy parts of the wheelchair frame - pieces that are not bolted or strapped on. We mark them with bright colored duct tape to make them easy to notice. It is very easy to tell bus drivers to just look for the hot pink tape.
The buses that go between the parks and resorts are much easier. Most of them have ramps (a few of the very old ones with lifts are still left, but they are lifting you up only about 24 inches, not way up in the air).
Thank you for the pic!! I've used the resort buses numerous times so I know what to expect with them. I know the right spots for tie downs so I'll have no issues with showing them where. I have a TiLite lightweight titanium manual chair that I paid out of pocket for so I don't want to put duct tape on it.
PassPorter's Free-Book to Walt Disney World It’s hard to believe anything is free at Walt Disney World; but there are actually a number of things you can get or do for little to no cost. This e-book documents over 200 free or cheap tips to do before you go and after you arrive. You could save a considerable amount of money following these tips. Perhaps more importantly; you can discover overlooked attractions and little-known details most people whiz by on their way to spend money. Click here to see free sample pages from the e-book! Get this popular e-book free of extra charges when you join the PassPorter's Club for as little as $4.95. A club pass includes access to all our other e-books; e-worksheets; super-size photos; and more! This e-book is also available for separate purchase in the PassPorter Online Store for just $5.95.
Thank you for the pic!! I've used the resort buses numerous times so I know what to expect with them. I know the right spots for tie downs so I'll have no issues with showing them where. I have a TiLite lightweight titanium manual chair that I paid out of pocket for so I don't want to put duct tape on it.
We used ribbon before, but switched to duct tape because it helps prevent any scratching from the tiedown hooks.
We are more careful when tieing our daughter's chair down in our own van, but some of the drivers are hurrying and scratches do happen.
Duct tape does remove pretty cleanly though from metal without much trouble or residue.
Electrical tape also works well and doesn't have much stick if you do decide you want to try something.
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