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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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It's always intriguing to me what appeals to whom and what does not. But that's what makes life interesting, and it's one reason why I am glad that DVC has so many options.
I own at Bay Lake Tower, and there are a bunch of people who don't like it because they feel it is "not very Disney". I love it, not only because I find the clean lines and subtle Disney theming restful after the sensory assault of the theme parks, but because of its access to the MK, monorail, and the Wilderness Lodge.
My other home resort is also on Bay Lake, at the Wilderness Lodge. This is perhaps my favorite of all the Disney resorts. I can literally feel all my muscles relax when I walk into that soaring lobby, and I feel like I am "home". It was my first Deluxe, and I just really love the whole place. I stayed there a number of times prior to joining DVC, both in the regular rooms and once at club level for a Birthday trip.
Back to topic, I really enjoyed my one stay at the Poly. Besides the monorail access, I loved the maturity of the landscaping, and the feel and vibe of the place. Frankly, I think that's what has so many people concerned about the advent of DVC there. They fear that the vibe will be totally different. I believe they are correct that the vibe will change, but with everyone else I am hoping it retains some of what makes it special to so many people.
Though I enjoyed my tour of the VGF models and think there are some very cool design elements, I have never been that attracted to staying at the GF, though my appreciation of the resort has grown over the years. I am sure I would enjoy a stay there, and it is on my list to do sometime. And it's probably become more likely now that I can use DVC points directly, though I doubt I would do it often because of the number of points required. For example, when I can stay at BLT, still on the monorail, in a 2BR Lake View Villa for four nights and ~100 fewer points than VGF with my 11-month booking advantage, then I will probably go with BLT. But that's just me. The equation changes for those who added on at VGF.
Will I add on at the Poly? Well, never say never. I have added on three times since my original purchase, and I already have a goodly number of points. Some would say too many. Perhaps a small add-on to get the booking priority every third year? Hmm.
This is great news! We own at BLT and just added on at VGF, so I'm sure that we won't buy points at the Poly. However, it's so good to have options, and I certainly hope to stay there at some point. It's not my favorite resort, but I have such fantastic memories of the time we did stay there. DD picked it, which saved me the trouble, and it was just a fun place to be - and a great location, to boot. Anyway, as I said, I think it's very advantageous to have multiple options along the monorail, and it might take a bit of pressure off of BLT and VGF bookings, too! Feels like it just keeps getting better for us DVC owners!
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Off site -1990, Carribean- 1997 Honeymoon,
all star movies- 2001,2002, All star sports/BCV 2004
BWV- 2005 Steven's 6th Birthday\DVC Member since 2003-BCV 2005 SSR\POLY,BWV,SSR,VWL,DCL,AND BCV-2007\ BWV & Cabins-2008\ Disneyland 2009\ Disneyland & Disneyworld- 2010 wdw. universal.vero beachand disney dream aug 2011. wdw 15yr anny june/july 2012
I am hoping Daughter will choose to stay here, have had the pleasure of 1 stay (because we won a trip) and don't get to stay at deluxe except with Daughter and Family Wondering if they will continue to have the dinner show when the construction is done.
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Love the Magic of Disney Thanks Dad for our first 5 trips.
I am hoping Daughter will choose to stay here, have had the pleasure of 1 stay (because we won a trip) and don't get to stay at deluxe except with Daughter and Family Wondering if they will continue to have the dinner show when the construction is done.
The construction will not affect the Spirit of Aloha show at all.
It's getting kind of crowded over on that side of the lake
I agree with this 100%. We do not own DVC, have often thought of making the jump, but just never do. Our last stay at Poly was looking at the VGF construction and I thought the same exact thing. I just always keep in mind that Disney must know what they are doing, I hope.
Poly is our fave resort, but I think for some it might be nostalgia reasons, we went there so many times as a kid in the early 80's, it reminds me of fun times with my mom and dad, and that is what keeps me coming back. I hope they keep to the same feel, but for some reason I don't think they will. That would make me really sad.
If I was a first time DVC buyer this would appeal to me--my first on site stay was at the Contemporary followed by a stay at the Poly, which was so much better. Granted that was in the mid 80s. I already own at AKL and SSR and I love both resorts and I cannot imagine paying what DVC is asking per point now--and I can only imagine it's going to go up with the new addition. I paid less than $100 a point and the selling price is currently at $150.
My DW and I stayed at Pago Pago on our first trip their together. It is now Rapa Nui, and will, apparently, become DVC. From my point of view, a very good choice. I always loved the nice access to the TTC.
I have been waiting for a DVC at the Poly for a long time. We currently own SSR. I will pay it off next month. Now I will start saving for this one. We have found DVC to be very beneficial to us. We get to go more often and it makes us think about vacations more often. I no longer have to spend months saving to pay for places like CR or the Poly. (We were spoiled on our first trip, and really liked that for a vacation.) We still go to Pop every once in a while as we like that resort. I really also want to go back to CBR.
I'm really interested in what the opening rate will be on this one.
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