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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!
Welcome! We're happy you've found the PassPorter Community -- the friendliest place to plan your vacation to Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland, and the world in general! You are now viewing the PassPorter Message Board Community as a guest, which gives you limited access. As our guest, feel free to browse our messages by selecting the forum you want to visit from the list below.
To post messages and ask questions, join our FREE community today and you'll get access to tools and resources not available to guests, such as our vacation countown timers, "living" avatars, private messaging system, database searches, downloads, and a special PassPorter discount code. Registration is fast, simple, and completely free. Just click the Join Our Community link.
If you think you've already joined, log in below now. If you don't remember your member name or password, please visit our Member Name and Password Recovery page. You are also welcome to contact us.
So you want to go to Universal/Islands of Adventure from WDW? The big question is: How do you get there? With limited free choices (the Lynx city bus will eventually get you there!), thankfully there are several other, more direct options available; however, most are going to require some pre-planning and all will require more money out-of-pocket:
Town Car Services:
Many services offer round trip transportation from Disney to pretty much anywhere around town, including Universal. Many people will choose to just use a taxi, but sometimes you end up paying as much for a cab as you would a car service, so it might be worth checking out prior to your trip. Quicksilver Tours & Transportation is a forum sponsor and comes highly recommended by many fellow PassPorters.
Shuttle Services:
Mears is no doubt one of the most popular shuttle services offering prearranged transportation to and from Disney resorts. In order to use them, you must call them at (407) 423-5566 at least 24 hours in advance to book a shuttle. They will pick you up at your scheduled time, but be aware that they will usually have more than one pick up/drop off along the way, so be prepared to make a few stops/not have a direct ride straight to the park. Their rate is around $20/per person round trip. You can change your scheduled pick-up time by calling them at any point during the day; however, they will ask that you give them at least 2-3 hours notice.
Note that it seems travel agents can book shuttle service for you when you book a package via their agencies. So, if you are using a TA and are thinking of visiting US/IoA during your trip, definitely inquire about this when making your plans.
Taxi: Taxis are another option that are probably more convenient for anyone wanting to travel with less restrictions/planning. However, just note that be kind of pricey ($30-50 each way seems to be the average), which, as mentioned above, is comparable to what you could possibly pay for a car service.
Ride-sharing Services: On-demand car services such as Uber and Lyft are similar to taxis; however, they seem to be a more budget-friendly option that also provides "upfront pricing" estimates at the time of booking. This will allow you to have a better idea of what your ride will cost (just keep in mind that fares will still always be calculated by the time and distance logged during a trip). These services will require that you book (and pay for) rides via their app, so setting up an account ahead of time will be necessary.
Rental Cars:
If you prefer to be more in control of your own transportation and schedule, or if you are planning to do more around and/or off Disney property, renting a car is another option. Rates will vary depending on the time of year, duration of rental, vehicle type, etc., however, again, if having more flexibility is important to you, this is probably your best choice.
The Getting There (and Back!) forum has a Car Rentals sticky detailing those companies who are in and around Disney, and has several posts for how to go about renting a car for your trip.
Unfortunately, with no designated transportation options available for travel between Disney and other destinations off property, these are definitely your best bets for getting on over to Universal (or anywhere else!) while on your WDW vacation!
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