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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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We have been on two Disney Cruises out of Port Canerval. We are considering a cruise out of Galveston in 2013 on Disney. Just wondering about the port and how if differs. There are the obvious differences of course, but just wondering - do you have to schedule a time to check in and how early can you get on the ship? Are there any parking tips or traffic worries we should know about?
The first Disney cruise from Galveston departs on September 22, so it's a bit too early to have first-hand experience on how DCL is handling some of these things. But in general? You can count on boarding starting at around Noon. That's pretty much a constant, regardless of home port. Check-in will open at 11:00am. DCL has been assigning port arrival times.
We already have Galveston coverage in the 10th Edition of our DCL guidebook, based on what could be known beforehand.
Briefly, there are outdoor parking lots operated by the port authority - you can drop off passengers and luggage, park, and take a shuttle back to the terminal. You can even park and bring your luggage on the shuttle with you. There's also a covered parking garage across the street from the terminal (there's a sky bridge) operated by the port authority. It's currently closed, but they expect it to be open before the end of this year. Otherwise? There are several privately-operated lots near the terminal that are cost competitive with the port authority parking. We list several in the guidebook.
As to traffic issues? My understanding is that things aren't all that difficult. If you're driving directly to the terminal from the mainland, you get on Harborside Drive (hwy 275) right after you cross the causeway. It's two lanes in each direction, about a 5-mile drive, with just a handful of traffic lights.
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Co-Author, PassPorter's Walt Disney World, PassPorter's Disney Cruise Line, and PassPorter's Disneyland and Southern California Attractions
Thanks so much, Dave! I did not realize that the Galveston cruises do not start until Sept 22. We are thinking about doing one of the newly announced 4 night cruises in February. We live in Texas so we will be able to drive to the port. Not having to pay for flights to Port Canaveral really makes it affordable for us. I know we will miss Castaway Cay, but we decided that we would just have to suffer through it.
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HOW EARLY CAN I BOARD THE SHIP? For Bahamian and Caribbean cruises, check-in registration begins at 11:00 am and embarkation begins at 1:00 pm. All Guests must board the ship no later than 4:00 pm.
We have been on other cruise lines out of Galveston and it is very easy to get to/find. Right after you cross the causeway onto Galveston Island there is a clearly marked exit that will take you right to the terminals. If you are going to drive in the night before, I would look into one of the hotels on island that have stay and park deals. There are plenty of diversions on the island - the Strand is right across the street from the cruise terminals. THe Strand is a historic area that is now a shopping/eating place. THere is the new Pleasure Pier down on the seawall and there is Moody Gardens. That is only a few of the major activities. We are sailing on Nov. 10 and I will try to put up a TR and check back in here for some updates.
We have been on other cruise lines out of Galveston and it is very easy to get to/find. Right after you cross the causeway onto Galveston Island there is a clearly marked exit that will take you right to the terminals. If you are going to drive in the night before, I would look into one of the hotels on island that have stay and park deals. There are plenty of diversions on the island - the Strand is right across the street from the cruise terminals. THe Strand is a historic area that is now a shopping/eating place. THere is the new Pleasure Pier down on the seawall and there is Moody Gardens. That is only a few of the major activities. We are sailing on Nov. 10 and I will try to put up a TR and check back in here for some updates.
Please do!!! We are cruising 1 Dec out of Galveston and I am excited to here how everyones experiences have been so far.
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PREVIOUS TRIPS: 1997- Off-site, 2002-Contemporary, 2009- POFQ, 2011- Beach Club, 2012- Disney Magic, 2013 Disney Fantasy
We have been on other cruise lines out of Galveston and it is very easy to get to/find. Right after you cross the causeway onto Galveston Island there is a clearly marked exit that will take you right to the terminals. If you are going to drive in the night before, I would look into one of the hotels on island that have stay and park deals. There are plenty of diversions on the island - the Strand is right across the street from the cruise terminals. THe Strand is a historic area that is now a shopping/eating place. THere is the new Pleasure Pier down on the seawall and there is Moody Gardens. That is only a few of the major activities. We are sailing on Nov. 10 and I will try to put up a TR and check back in here for some updates.
That would be so great! Thanks so much for the help!
We set sail on the Halloween Cruise! If anyone has a Personal Navigator or info from a cruise in the next month, would love to hear details on the activities.
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