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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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So, BFF and I are going on a trip in Feb/Mar of 2016. We had been planning on a trip to WDW and St Augustine (with maybe a 3 night cruise thru Disney).
Now she has tossed this idea into the ring....7 day cruise out of NO to Cozumel, Roatan, Belize City, Costa Maya and back to NO. Then, of course, we would need to stay a two or three days in NO to tour the city.
I'm soooooo conflicted. Never been to NO...Never been on a cruise...but, oh, how I love WDW and I would LOVE to try a Disney cruise!!!!
HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Jennifer / Eeyore is my favorite!!
OMG - He's sooooo grown up!!!! And an EAGLE SCOUT!! I can still remember my cute little Tiger Cub! 2016 Reading Goal - 75 books
Hard choice. What cruise line would you use? What is the cost? What are the reviews stating about the cruise line?
Those are all the questions I'd have to ask myself.
I enjoy DCL cruises, but they're the only ones I've been on. I've heard a variety of opinions on different cruise lines.
A cruise from NO and a stay there would probably be a bit cheaper than a WDW/DCL vacation. What about the flights? Will there be a big cost difference in those?
I think I'd end up just flipping a coin.
Hard choice. What cruise line would you use? What is the cost? What are the reviews stating about the cruise line?
Those are all the questions I'd have to ask myself.
I enjoy DCL cruises, but they're the only ones I've been on. I've heard a variety of opinions on different cruise lines.
A cruise from NO and a stay there would probably be a bit cheaper than a WDW/DCL vacation. What about the flights? Will there be a big cost difference in those?
I think I'd end up just flipping a coin.
Not sure on the cruise line...will have to ask BFF.
Flights won't be an issue as we both have mileage tickets to use.
Flipping a coin may be the way we go!!!!!!!!!!
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Jennifer / Eeyore is my favorite!!
OMG - He's sooooo grown up!!!! And an EAGLE SCOUT!! I can still remember my cute little Tiger Cub! 2016 Reading Goal - 75 books
As much as I love WDW, I also love to go to new places so I would probably pick NO and the cruise as long as it wasn't a huge increase in cost.. I know I'll be back to WDW sooner or later.
Okay...so, I asked DH last night if he would be okay with me going on cruise with BFF. I know he is TOTALLY okay with us going off on a vacation without him (or her DH or any of the DSs), but he and I have never been on a cruise together, so I'm not sure if he wants me to go on this without him. He agreed to the 3 night Disney cruise, but a 7 day cruise including a stop in Cozumel (where we both want to go) may be asking a lot out of him!!!!!!
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Jennifer / Eeyore is my favorite!!
OMG - He's sooooo grown up!!!! And an EAGLE SCOUT!! I can still remember my cute little Tiger Cub! 2016 Reading Goal - 75 books
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I have cruised several times and really enjoy it. Sailed on DCL, Royal Caribbean, Princess and Norwegian. Had good experiences on all of them -- sometimes you can get a not so great crew but that is luck of the draw. On my Norwegian, the ship was really old but the crew was fantastic and the food in the dining room was very good. Go to differents sites (tripadvisor, Cruise Critic, etc) and read what others are saying about the specific cruise you would be on. As for DH not wanting you to go to Cozumel without him; we have been to Cozumel atleast 5 times and still enjoy it - great beaches! I don't really understand what difference a 4 or 7 day cruise makes?!?!? New Orleans is a great city and early spring a good time to visit because it is not hot. If you like museums, they have a fantastic WWII one and a Civil War one very close to the WWII that has some wonderfully preserved things from that time period. Take the street car from downtown or the French Quarter all the way to the Garden District. It is a fun way to see lots of the city and you can get off in the Garden District and do a walking tour of some of the great old houses. There is also a zoo and park that is nice. As someone else said, WDW is always fun but trying new stuff is exciting!
I haven't ebb to NO, but I have been to Disney many, many times and also done lots of other US travel.
When I heard your choices, I thought I would go to NO, no second thought. To me, your traveling with a friend is a great opportunity for adventure. Disney is great, but you have been there/done that. Try something new. ( I would also find going to Mexico -if you haven't been much more exciting)
I think I would go with the NO and cruise. It's a new adventure for you and sounds like a lot of fun. If you have a great time, you can repeat it with your DH in the future. I, too, love DCL, but other cruise lines are also good. And the ports of call are the same regardless of the cruise line. I have never sailed on Norwegian, but I have sailed out of NO and it is a great port.
Oh, I love New Orleans. And Spring is a lovely time to visit. New Orleans has it's very own unique vibe. Riding the streetcar through the Garden District, sitting and having beignets at Cafe Du Monde, walking around and taking in the sights of the French Quarter...PLUS a cruise!! Can I come, too ?
I too would go with the cruise out of New Orleans and then back to NO for a visit. I love travelling with my girl friends as we are able to do things that typically our husbands have no interest in. Good luck with your decision.
Be sure to check to see when Mardi Gras is in 2016. You couldn't pay me to go to NO when that's going on, even if I was just doing the cruise. The idea of Mardi Gras (floats, parades, etc) I love, but the drunken and naked revelry, I'm way past that and don't want to see it!
Well, we opted for a Disney cruise and some non WDW stuff including St Augustine. Not sure of everything we are doing, but I'll keep you all posted!
Thanks!
__________________
Jennifer / Eeyore is my favorite!!
OMG - He's sooooo grown up!!!! And an EAGLE SCOUT!! I can still remember my cute little Tiger Cub! 2016 Reading Goal - 75 books