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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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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.
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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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Ok, it's been 7 whole months and we're going through withdrawal! We're discussing the next trip and are contemplating staying club level and not getting the dining plan. Maybe just the quick service or even just paying OOP for meals. I need advice on whether or not this is a good idea or not????
We love to stay Club Level and just pay OOP for dining. We are DVC members so we don't get to do this a lot. But we have stayed Club Level at AKL, BW, and YC. Each time we have been able to get a great rate through our AP's. We are a family of 5, and the rooms fit us nicely. Each day we were all able to eat breakfast there, in the afternoons there were snacks and cold drinks, and the evenings were our favorite! Tons of appetizers and free drinks! They have beer and wine out and I think this is my husband's favorite part of staying club level!! I am told that if you want to have a mixed drink you just have to ask a CM, although I don't know this firsthand. The CM's are very friendly and take care of any requests you have. You can even take food/drinks back to your room and relax. Many nights we were full from the "pre-dinner" offerings and did not even need dinner, which was a huge savings! Even my 3 children were full from what they offered. Another huge savings. Later in the evening they have delicious desserts, coffee and cordials out which is a nice thing to do after coming in from watching the fireworks. I say go for it!!
It's been a few years, but we stayed club level at the Polynesian, and definitely would not get a dining plan while there.
We would eat breakfast in the lounge each morning (unless we scheduled a character breakfast, which we did once or twice during our week's visit). When we were out in the parks, we would have a lunch, either counter service or sit down, or just snack.
During the day, there are always drinks and snacks available. My girls enjoyed grabbing some cookies and lemonade and heading out to the pool in the afternoon, while my father in law enjoyed eating the Uncrustables.
In the evening, they call it appetizers, which was appropriate for AKL, but at the Polynesian, it really was a full, small meal. If we were there, I usually would not want a bigger meal, especially if we'd eaten a sit down lunch.
Later in the evening, they offer desserts and liqueurs - yummy stuff for sure!
Good luck making your decision - I'm not much for the dining plans in their current configuration. I don't usually save much, if any money, over eating out of pocket. It was better when they first introduced it. It doesn't usually match up with the way our family likes to eat and snack.
We were upgraded to CL on our last Poly stay and I would hands down say go for it! Skip that DP all together, the offerings here were amazing. I think what we loved most was having breakfast there, a bigger lunch out in the parks maybe and then ending the night with whatever they have out. The view alone from the lounge is worth it.
Have fun with this one!
As most have said, you can either not get a DP or go with one of the cheaper ones quite easily. The breakfast offerings have always been plenty for us. With a big lunch and/or snacks through the day, you probably could top off for dinner there also. That said, even though we've stayed club level, we've went with the DxDP every time because we like to go to a few of the signature restaurants and this works out just right for us. If you like to have a beer or two at night, or a cocktail, staying club level for that alone can be financial sound.
I say go for it. We have stayed CL twice at Poly and now we are so spoiled, it's the first resort we start talking about when we start planning our trip. The food that they put out throughout the day is amazing, like the other posters have said, you will eat so much from the offerings that you won't want a big meal, and I loved being able to take the food back to the room.
Also if you are in the lounge when the fireworks are going on, they pipe in the music from the magic kingdom, which makes watching the fireworks extra special.
We stayed Poly CL 2 years ago ( and have stayed cl at bw) while we love cl We love dining in Disney and enjoy ts and signature restaurants so I would not give up dining for it. The food is good but not like eating full meals in terms of quality or service. I think it is a nice perk, but if it is one or e other I would pay for a theme park room snd eat at some great signature restaurants.I will say the poly cl is awesome because of he view and we enjoyed watching wishes with cocktails in ac!
We were fortunate enough to stay Club level at the Poly about 5-6 years ago. The only downside was that we got "upgraded" when we checked in and we had already paid for the meal plan. We, of course, used our meal plan so Club level was a "perk". We fully enjoyed MANY snacks and cocktails and the view was nice as well. Since we didn't pay out of pocket for Club level, it was great.....I just don't know if it could work for my family as the only means of food. We enjoy too many of the restaurants! That's just us though!
LOVED CL at the Poly!! Breakfast was the best! We usually missed the afternoon snacks because we were in the parks but our DS liked the "gummy" dolphins so we asked one evening if there were any available and they gave him a baggie full. Our kids liked the array of beverages available for them at all times too. Evening appetizers were yummy but it isn't meant to be a meal..........easily made a meal, however, with a quick sandwich from Captain Cooks brought back to the room. LOVED their desserts, wine, "adult" punch and beer offerings during WISHES.
We didn't have the dinning plan when we stayed. It never seems to be much of a savings for our family but each family is different. This is when you have to calculate out what you anticipate paying so you can really see the comparison. If staying CL and wanting DDP, I would only go quick serve and possibly combine some QS meals for regular dinning a few times.
What we like to do since hubby is disabled and prefers TS meals to CS for the set-food-in-front-of-us is to eat all breakfasts at the CL lounge and also get the DxDDP. That way we have enough extra credits to do room service or additional signatures if we want.
We also like being able to take a tray of breakfast or later snacks back to our room if we feel like lounging around and watching tv.
On CL, you can get free DVD's to watch in-room. You just present your KTTW upon checkout and have 24 hours to return them, no charge. Needless to say, just about any Disney movie you want is available.
I'm sure our plan wouldn't work for everybody by any means, but we pamper ourselves by going to WDW only about every five years, staying and eating luxuriously.
So, there is our pamper-selves plan to consider even if you're on one of the lesser DDP's.
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Last edited by Her Dotness; 04-20-2013 at 12:48 PM..
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I am told that if you want to have a mixed drink you just have to ask a CM, although I don't know this firsthand. The CM's are very friendly and take care of any requests you have. You can even take food/drinks back to your room and relax. Many nights we were full from the "pre-dinner" offerings and did not even need dinner, which was a huge savings! Even my 3 children were full from what they offered. Another huge savings. 
Dancing in the ABC filming of the Disney parade!
Barbara(my sis), Ariel, & Eulette
Me & Tigger - WDW '11
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