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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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 are 59 days out from our trip to POR at WDW! Wa- hooo!
Which means we are now eligible for online check-in.
However, we've never done the online check-in before. I am wondering if we should this time? It seems to just streamline and save time upon from what I have been reading.
But ... we are traveling with my parents and my MIL. We'd ideally like to get rooms in the same vicinity as each. They don't have to be connected or even right next to each other, but the same building would be nice! I am thinking the online check would complicate this placement. Am I right?
Has anyone traveled as part of a bigger group like this and used online check in? Did it work out for you???
We always do on-line checkin. For a Christmas trip, the week between Christmas and New Years, there were 12 or us and we had 2 2 bedroom villas. The online check in was fine. We had rooms across a courtyard from each other. Even with the dining plan we didn't encounter any issues. Do the online checkin with confidence. It will make things run smoother and you will be through checkin in no time. An excellent start to your vacation.
I have done online check in in the past and hated it as we got the worst possible room at AS Music when we did it. I have done it since then but only when we were paying extra for preferred location so we couldn't get stuck in the back of the resort again.
This time we are traveling with my db, dsil & dniece and my brother won't understand online check in and he won't do it so I probably won't either as we want rooms close to one another.
We have used online check in since they started it. Very easy and it saves us time when we arrive. Not sure if online check in has had anything to do with it, but our rooms have always been ready when we arrived early in the afternoon.
I have done online check in in the past and hated it as we got the worst possible room at AS Music when we did it. I have done it since then but only when we were paying extra for preferred location so we couldn't get stuck in the back of the resort again.
This time we are traveling with my db, dsil & dniece and my brother won't understand online check in and he won't do it so I probably won't either as we want rooms close to one another.
I was worried about this with the online check-in! It sounds good, but if you want to talk to a cast member about where your room is located, it sounds like you can't. Our daughter is 3 and seriously needs her naps and early bedtime! We are staying at AoA in a Nemo suite in August, and want a room on a top floor not facing the pool so it's as quiet as possible, but also not too far from Animation Hall. We had our TA put this on our reservation, but if we do online check-in, how likely are we to get it?
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"Any wish is possible. All it takes is a little courage to set it free." -Jiminy Cricket
I have done online check in in the past and hated it as we got the worst possible room at AS Music when we did it. I have done it since then but only when we were paying extra for preferred location so we couldn't get stuck in the back of the resort again.
This is kind of what I was worried about. But, I went ahead and did the online check in so now it is what it is, and I have to hope for the best. I have to remind myself that sometimes it doesn't work out even when checking-in on site (I had a far-off room assignment at CSR and there was nothing they could do about it even when I asked at check-in). But thanks for the feedback.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MichaelF
We have used online check in since they started it. Very easy and it saves us time when we arrive. Not sure if online check in has had anything to do with it, but our rooms have always been ready when we arrived early in the afternoon.
This is encouraging. We arrive early in the day so I was kind of hoping that the online check-in would work toward getting us in our room earlier rather than later. Thanks!
I have only done online check in once and regretted it We were staying at the Beach Club and our room wasn't ready until after 4pm--no explanation as to why-we arrived around noon. I will never do it again!!
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1996-Offsite, 1998-All Star Music, 2003-All Star Movies, 2005-All Star Movies, 2006-All Star Movies, 2007-Pop Century, 2008-Pop Century, 2009-Pop Century,2010-Beach Club Resort, 2011- Beach Club Resort, 2012-Yacht Club, 2013-Beach Club Resort, 2014-Beach Club Resort
We were staying at the Beach Club and our room wasn't ready until after 4pm--no explanation as to why-
If I'm not mistaken, check in time isn't until 4 to begin with so Disney doesn't need to explain anything IMO up until that time. If it's getting to be 5 and 6 pm, it would be nice to get an explanation but I doubt they'd do it then either except maybe to say they were delayed with the rooms.
Even with online check-in, you should be to talk to someone if you do not like your room location. So, if you do not like your location, say something.
I have found that if I call the number to inquire about my room, it is usually ready much earlier than if I wait for them to text/call me.
Even with online check-in, you should be to talk to someone if you do not like your room location. So, if you do not like your location, say something.
I have found that if I call the number to inquire about my room, it is usually ready much earlier than if I wait for them to text/call me.
You're right. Good point. If I am displeased with my room location - or anything else - I could/should speak up. It doesn't hurt to ask for a reassignment if I am less than thrilled with the location.
Thanks for the advice on calling to inquire about the room if it is not ready. I will plan to do that too if it turns out we're waiting forever ... again it couldn't hurt.
Are you able to state your preferences--like top floor, not facing the pool--with online check-in? I'm sure they'd have the usual disclaimer that they'll do their best, but can't guarantee you'll get what you want, but do you at least have that option?
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We were staying at the Beach Club and our room wasn't ready until after 4pm--no explanation as to why-we arrived around noon. I will never do it again!!
1996-Offsite, 1998-All Star Music, 2003-All Star Movies, 2005-All Star Movies, 2006-All Star Movies, 2007-Pop Century, 2008-Pop Century, 2009-Pop Century,2010-Beach Club Resort, 2011- Beach Club Resort, 2012-Yacht Club, 2013-Beach Club Resort, 2014-Beach Club Resort
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