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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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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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A co-worker of mine is planning a trip for her family of 4 (Mom, Dad, Boy (11), Girl (9) next January, 2013. They are seeking something nice but economical that offers suites or 2 bedrooms.
I am not much help to her as our family prefers to be in the Disney Bubble and believe me I have tried to explain to her our many reasons why but they are on a real tight budget and feel they can find something off-site for much less money.
Any suggestions or advice I can pass along to her? I have told her about the DTD hotels and gave her the web link for that site as well as Mousesavers. I have told her about the new suite resort as well as the Swan/Dolphin too but she feels they are too spendy.
I went in 2004 and stayed off sight at the Holiday Inn Sunspree...It was a very nice hotel, reasonably priced and they offer shuttle services. I'm not sure if this hotel is still there because we also now stay on site for all the extra benefit's...Not to mention we LOVE being in the Disney bubble
You can get a suite with a kitchen at the Quality Suites Lake Beuna Vista for less than $100 a night, free breakfast included. They have a one bedroom with a pull out sofa bed or for more money, like $150 a night, they have 2 bedroom suites.
If they don't mine sleeping in the same room, like a regular hotel room then the Rosen Inn is only around $69 a night with really nice rooms. No breakfast included but they have a breakfast buffet on property that is $5 per person.
I have seen ppl on the different boards talk about a condo like timeshare place real close to Disney but I forget what it is called. They get week rental's off Ebay and other places. Now it is going to bug me that I can't think of it. Bonnet Creek? Does that sound familiar? I think it is called Bonnet Creek.
They can rent a 4 bedroom vacation rental home with a game room and private pool for less than $100 a night through Villa Direct. If you are trying to save money the vacation rental home is really the way to go because everybody gets their own room and you have a washer and dryer and full kitchen so you can prepare a lot of meals in the house.
We have stayed on property and off property and my vacation didn't feel any less "Disney" when I stayed off property. I would never try to convince someone to stay on property who is trying to save money because unless they get free dining for a big family you can always stay cheaper off site. You can stay in a big 4 bedroom home for less than a tiny value room.
Even when you factor in paying for parking every day, staying off site is still cheaper.
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10/27-11/6/11 All Star Music Family Suite (QSDP) --Family trip
1/26-2/1/12 Quality Suites Lake Buena Vista --Adults Only trip
4/16-4/21/12 Rosen Inn --Adults Only Trip
10/27-11/4/12 All Star Music Family Suite (DDP) --Family Trip
4/14-4/19/13 Quality Suites Lake Buena Vista- Adults Only Trip
11/10-11/17/13 Wyndham Bonnet Creek- Adults Only Trip
11/2015 Wyndham Bonnet Creek- Family trip
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As you know, I also stay on site but I've read good things about Bonnett Creek, which is actually on site close to POR? I remember seeing the sign for it on the WDW busses.
It's just not Disney owned and doesn't have the perks that go with. People seem to be very happy with it.
We stayed at the DTD Doubletree 1 night last Aug, pre-package cause we decided to arrive a day early. It is all suites. We had a 1 bdrm suite which was very nice, large, clean, and well appointed. No pretty grounds or special theming pool, etc, but it was a nice hotel as all Doubletrees are. We got an excellent rate thru mousesavers link which incl. a continental breakfast for around $80. Our room had 2 queens in the bedroom, and a pull out sofa in the living room. Dining table for 4, and a sink, fridge, microwave and cusinart pod coffee maker with starbucks coffee in the dining area.
Dressing area outside bathroom. Crabtree & Evelyn bath products.
I couldn't help but think, this would be a very good place for families that wanted more room and couldn't afford a 1 bdrm villa on site.
They have decent bus transportation too, running continuous, every 30 min. Pretty good for off site.
I visited my brother & family who stayed at Holiday Inn Sunspree one year. So I saw their room. it was large, 2 queens and had a kitchen. I think they also had family suites. No breakfast. But walking distance to several restaurants, incl that one that has cheap buffets. Can't remember the name, not familiar with US chains. Also close to my fav, Bahama Breeze
Mousesavers is a good site to check out, they have their preferred off site hotels that they get special deals on. Buena Vista Suites is one of them. I get their newsletter, and they have a current special on that hotel.
Have her visit Mousesavers.com, subscribe to the newsletter, and she will get some good offers. The newsletter that came out today had a Buena Vista Suites special well priced depending upon what dates you pick. A 3 day stay is required, and includes free breakfast daily plus a food credit. We got a similar deal through Mousesavers a few years ago on the Radisson-Celebration, which is very close to WDW and has wonderful pools plus a "diner" with Pizza Hut and Starbucks, as well as grab and go items. Very nice!
But I agree that she should check the dates she wants and see if there are any Disney room discounts available. We have gotten discounts as much as 40% off, and in a value resort, that means rates around $60/night. Hard to beat that plus you have the buses and all the extras.
Thanks everyone for such wonderful suggestions and comments!! I knew that PP's would know where to go and I can always rely on you!
Is anyone familiar with any suites that offer KING size beds. Her hubby is very tall and would prefer a KING bed.
I mentioned to her about watching for discounts at Disney resorts but their trip isn't until January so discounts wouldn't be available yet..........would they?
Keep the suggestions coming~~ I gave her the web link to Passporters so I am sure she will be checking the replies!
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How about Caribe Royal, or Doubletree in DTD? Both offer deals and have the room the OP mentioned needing.
And January is really a great month for discounts. If they can wait a few months to make their reservations they could see if something is offered at WDW that would work.
Silver Lake Resort, right next to AK/AKL has a king bed in their 2 BR units. You can get it a lot on SkyAuction for pretty cheap, especially in January.
The Residence Inn Lake Buena Vista is a nice property, and is not far from Disney (just down the road in fact). They have both one and two bedroom suites, with king beds as well. In addition, a hot breakfast is served every morning. The rates for the 2-bedrooms are under $200 if you stay for 5+ nights, and they typically offer decent AAA discounts. We have stayed here a few times, and have been quite happy with our stays!
Another option - Bonnet Creek Resort by Wyndham, which is pretty much on Disney property. If they search eBay, they will find some EXCELLENT deals here. (The pool is awesome!)
I just went on line, Doubletree does offer 1 King bed suites, and queen pull out in living room. I don't know about the others, but easy enough to go online to check.
If they don't have a car, staying here will give the best off site bus service, as it's continuous, and mousesavers has great discounts for this hotel, as I mentioned, I paid $80 per night for a 1 bdrm suite plus breakfast incl, can't beat that for a Hilton Doubletree, in DTD area.
Most other off site places have less then desirable park shuttles, with maybe 3 or 4 pickups in the morning to parks, and the same in the evening going home. The DTD area has almost as good a bus service as the WDW transportation- almost.
Jan. WDW does put out good discounts, we go in Jan lots. But even a WDW value resort (with only 2 doubles, and not so much as a coffee maker) wouldn't be as good a value as $80 for a 1 bdrm suite, incl breakfast.
When we went last January we got the free dining offer and since there are 5 of us that usually works out better than a room discount. I wonder if that would be a good deal for them and then book 2 rooms at a value. That might work out cheaper. However, no king beds or kitchens .
VRBO® is Vacation Rentals By Owner is another great owner rental site. They have everything from resort condos to 6+bedroom houses with pools (not that they need that much space.) Many have king beds. Also remind them that parking is $14 a day to include in their budget.
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We've stayed at the Quality Suites Lake Buena Vista many times and it's a great value but it needs a refurbishment, IMHO. Another great choice nearby (just outside the Downtown Disney entrance) is the Homewood Suites Lake Buena Vista which is still fairly new. They also include a hot breakfast as well as hot snacks and beer and wine Monday - Thursday evenings. They do have rooms with king size beds as well.
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Off-Property Suggestions Needed
as our family prefers to be in the Disney Bubble and believe me I have tried to explain to her our many reasons why
but they are on a real tight budget and feel they can find something off-site for much less money.
and gave her the web link for that site as well as Mousesavers. I have told her about the new suite resort as well as the Swan/Dolphin too but she feels they are too spendy.
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Pixie Dust
being in the Disney bubble
but I've read good things about Bonnett Creek, which is actually on site close to POR? I remember seeing the sign for it on the WDW busses.
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