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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Never been to west coast. Finally gonna do it. Our girls will be 7 and 10. Grand Californian all the way. Thinking 7 nights there and then 3-4 nights in San Diego. Gotta do the zoo! Why does everyone insist on really short trips to DL? I'm considering 5-day park hopper just so we can have a slower paced week. Really enjoy resort pool, send kids to kids club so we can have an evening to do the scary rides, etc. are we really going to be itching to get out of there sooner? Also looking at a day at knots and a beach day. Reading unofficial and Birnbaums, but open to ideas!
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We did 5 days and just Disney stuff and I didn't feel like it was too short, but I definitely feel like there was more I could have experienced! I'd say go for the 7 days and really enjoy it all didn't venture elsewhere so I can't help much else there
Most of us plan a shorter stay at DLR because there are only two parks to see, and they are smaller than their Florida counterparts. That being said, you will probably experience larger crowds since most schools Spring Break is typically within the month of April. A 5 day plan would allow two full days in each park with one for Downtown Disney and hitting the best attractions/rides at each park one last time. You will need a full day at Knott's Berry Farm (Located just under 8 miles from DLR). Will you have a car? The best beaches near DLR are far enough where you would need transportation. Here is a site that highlights 5 beaches near DLR (all are about a half hour drive from DLR). 5 of the Best Beach Destinations Near Disneyland
Happy planning!
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Thanks fr the feedback : ) We actually were aiming for mid April to be clear of spring break crowds! Are the guidebooks wrong? Both say one of the least crowded times of year is a full week at Easter until Memorial Day. Easter is in late March next year, so I was going with the theory that 2 full weeks past Easter would be in the clear. We don't want to be there with college spring breakers....
I don't want to rent a car while in Anaheim. Have resigned myself to having to get one for driving to San Diego. Was looking at Disney's tour options for beach day, but they want close to $200. Knots tour is worth it because it's only $40!more than admission for the 4 of us including admission.
Why does everyone insist on really short trips to DL?
Good question!!!!!! And great plan IMO!!! I'm an advocate for more days on the ground, with rest days in between. I'm hoping Disney comes out with a longer than 5 day ticket at some point. I'm just not close enough to do more than one trip a year, so APs don't make sense.
This plan sounds great. Can't comment on timing, no experience at this time of year. I'm sure you will find plenty to do. Good idea with the Kid's club evening. There's all kinds of resort activities, but not as well documented as at WDW.
thanks again : ) debate will be whether to arrive on April 10th or 17th. definitely planning to avoid the weekends. arrive Sunday afternoon. park days through the week. debating on whether to do 3 or 4 nights in San Diego. return flight prices may dictate. would maybe chance the Saturday for final visit of highlights, since we'd want o do Knotts earlier in the week I'm guessing. maybe we can visit a beach on the drive from Anaheim to San Diego?
am I crazy to contemplate driving there? I have driven in Boston and Canada's craziest highways, but for some reason renting a car freaks me out. don't like the drivers in Florida and never rent there...
thanks again : ) debate will be whether to arrive on April 10th or 17th. definitely planning to avoid the weekends. arrive Sunday afternoon. park days through the week. debating on whether to do 3 or 4 nights in San Diego. return flight prices may dictate. would maybe chance the Saturday for final visit of highlights, since we'd want o do Knotts earlier in the week I'm guessing. maybe we can visit a beach on the drive from Anaheim to San Diego?
am I crazy to contemplate driving there? I have driven in Boston and Canada's craziest highways, but for some reason renting a car freaks me out. don't like the drivers in Florida and never rent there...
LA driving is nuts, folks going 80-90 and passing on the right etc. But I have always survived ! You want a good navigator on the map, but remember, life is about saying "YES" to adventure.
Wish they had a 7 day pass, even if it kept the tickets at 55 a day. We are going to be there with 7 nights, 4 at Embassy Suites and 3 at Grand Californian, but the day we arrive and day we leave are at the very least half days at the park. SO would love more days, but another 3 days adds almost 900 bucks to the trip. We might do the first day at DTD, eating and seeing a movie, and the last day swimming at GC and relaxing with food in GC again. But that one full day is a conundrum for us. Buy a single days ticket for all of us, or go see other things that we are not that interested in at this point? Maybe since one day is a move day (on a Saturday, and the fullest day at the park probably) make that a 'check in, and even if we don't have a room try to be allowed to go swimming' day.
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WDW August 1987 (wife), 4 trips before kids (married), Oct 2012, April 2013, Nov 2013, March 2014, Sep 2014, Nov 2015. DCL March 2014. DL May 1985 (me..Senior Trip), plus 4 trips or so before kids (married), June 2015.
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didn't venture elsewhere so I can't help much else there
! You want a good navigator on the map, but remember, life is about saying "YES" to adventure.
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