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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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In your opinion, is it wise to book SWA right when they release their fares? Is that usually a good price/time to do it? It's been many years since I had to book flights and the dates for end of February 2015 are going to be opening soon. Thanks!
For me it depends on the price. I always travel with SWA to WDW so I know what is a good deal. If it's what I feel a good price then I book it. Last year the price on release date was so crazy low I couldn't believe it. I booked it right away and within an hour the price went up. (think it was a glitch) But I would research what others are charging and if you feel its a good deal then book it.
Unless released as part of a sale, I think the best time to book is a month out or so. SWA also may drop prices if they have special packages that are not selling. They reserve some seats for packages and then sell them about 2 weeks out.
Unfortunately it seems to me that SW seldom has specials to MCO, or just not when we've traveled there. I always book as soon as my flights open. Price is probably the best and if it goes down you can always try for the refund.
I used to think it was best to book ASAP but missed the day by 3 last time and panicked and bought on another carrier. Months later SW offered that same flight on an even cheaper fare. I'm disappointed, but there was no way to anticipate the sale, I guess.
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Don't let your heart be filled with sorrow, for all you know, tomorrow, the dream that you wish will come true.
It really depends. For popular dates and destinations, wanna get away fares can sell out and/or the price will go up. (I mostly travel to Orlando during school vacations -a popular time for that destination). I usually book when I see a fare I'm comfortable with and I watch it. If the price goes down, I get a credit. This has happened a few times and I've always been able to use the credit. I also have an idea of a good price for my airport to MCO, so if I see that price, I'll buy right away.
If I am comfortable with the fare, I book it. This year SWA had a fare sale which included PHL to Orlando, which has been rare in recent years. So we are booked to return again in November. USAirways often meets the SWA fares in my market, so I monitor both. Of course, they have baggage fees, so I take that into consideration. As I typed this, I received an e-mail from SWA for a fare sale from 8/25 through 12/17, to be purchased by 7/31. The fares are higher than I paid for our November trip, but lower than what we paid for this one.
SW is new in our market, so I don't have past years to compare. I've noticed that, as mentioned, the Wanna Get Away Rates do sell out, but not usually immediately. I've found that the price has dropped on both of my flights that I purchased on the opening day of sales, when they ran specials down the line. I've banked over $100 in credit which is easy to do and easy to use on future travel.
I'm going to WDW in Sept. and booked my flight in April. The lady told me if the rates would happen to go down they would give me credit on my SW account for the difference. I would have to notify them that the flight is now cheaper than when I booked my flight. I just looked yesterday and noticed that the flight I have booked would now cost me about $150 more round trip. I don't fly much but for what it's worth this is the experience I have had.
I am wondering that same question too, because I am hoping to go to Disney (again) in May of 2015. I checked SWA out the end of August 2014, because of Labor Day and since I am coming home the day before Memorial Day I thought I could see what the prices could be. The flight to Orlando was alot cheaper than the flight home from Orlando.
But when I bought my airline tickets for this past May trip, I had bought the flight to Orlando in January, because it was a great price. It was $126.00. Yes that price went up a bit more and I was glad I had bought early. However the return flight, which I bought in April, was more than I would have paid, but I had to keep in mind that I was coming home on Memorial Day, the cost was $215.00.
But don't you know the price dropped to $186.00. I should have waited until May, but was afraid I would be paying alot more!
It is such a gamble with the airline tickets these days. I might be buying my tickets as soon as they are posted! Tired of these games!
I would suggest to look EVERYDAY once the SWA comes out with next set of dates! I plan on doing just that! I plan on not doing the same thing for this trip for May 2015! Good Luck to you too...I need it too! LOL
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Kate in PA All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them- Walt Disney
DH and I usually set dates for upcoming vacations a year ahead. That being said, when our airlines of choice (Jet Blue and Southwest) open up their dates for our vacation dates, we usually book the day the dates are opened up. We have never regretted booking so early and have never found we would have saved money by waiting longer to book.
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