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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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I need to use a scooter and would like to go to a buffet for lunch. Since I will be alone how hard will it be to go to a buffet on the scooter and will they even allow me to do it?
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Legally, because of the ADA (Americans' with Disabilities Act), they'd have to let you. To not let you would be discrimination which is illegal. As to how easy it is it will depend on how good you are maneuvering the scooter through what will probably be narrow spaces made even more challenging by the people, tables and chairs that will be occupy the space. I own my own scooter and it's middle of the road size wise and quite maneuverable and I'm quite good at maneuvering it and doing what I call threading the needle (or getting through a tight space). Having said that I will say that at table service restaurants I opt to park the scooter and walk to the table. Counter service I typically end up with it parked next to the table. I would ask your server for help if you can't walk the buffet to get your food. However, I'll admit that I've never done a buffet while using scooter.
I'm uncertain that CM's are allowed to help carry a scooter user's plate or put food onto it. I don't know but rather doubt it's permitted due to possible accusations. They can provide a tray which may make balancing your plate on your lap easier.
I suggest researching scooter sizes to determine if a model that's armchair-sized rather than those more like store shopping carts will work for you. His Drewness can put his plate on his lap and still maneuver his powerchair since it has a joystick at the end of the right arm. The larger scooters with a foot platform connecting the seat and steering assembly are far bulkier and harder to maneuver easily in close quarters.
I empathize with your concerns as the buffets can be really difficult for scooter users who haven't a companion to assist. We used to avoid buffets before Drew got his own powerchair and became familiar enough with it that he feels comfortable negotiating the many twists and turns of buffets and some TS. He understandably hated needing me to carry his plate and dish it up for him.
Even now, though, he usually asks me to go back for seconds at 1900 PF which is pretty cramped for even his compact chair. Crystal Palace is much more spacious and easier to move along the stations. We haven't done any other buffets after he began scooter use.
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Last edited by Her Dotness; 11-18-2016 at 02:04 AM..
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Good point about the server possibly not being allowed to put food on the plate. I don't see the difference between carrying the plate from the kitchen to the table and from the buffet to the table since the server has to handle the plate either way, but It's definitely possible that the health department does. You might want to call dining or even the restaurants directly (if you can get the number) and ask what assistance they're able provide.
I agree that a server putting food onto a guest's plate at a buffet doesn't seem any different than carrying a plate loaded by kitchen staff to a seated guest. Just suspicious, I guess, that they can't since CM's aren't allowed to push disabled guests in Disney wheelchairs on rides where transferring to one is required nor can CM's help them board rides.
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Just an FYI for scooter users. I went to Biergarten for dinner tonight using my scooter. I was able to go through the buffet with the scooter...but then I had to sit in my scooter for my seat instead of transferring. They said they didn't have a place nearby to park it. That was fine...it all worked out expect the food was only so so.
Do you have a particular place in mind? I'd first call ahead to find out how much space is near the buffet to make sure you fit. Then I'd ask if someone there is allowed to help you carry a plate. I think asking the actual servers would be your best way of getting information.
I ate at another buffet this morning (Trails End). I am finding buffets to be very scooter friendly. I just tell them I am going to remain in the scooter and they remove chairs at the table. It worked out great.
PassPorter's Free-Book to Walt Disney World It’s hard to believe anything is free at Walt Disney World; but there are actually a number of things you can get or do for little to no cost. This e-book documents over 200 free or cheap tips to do before you go and after you arrive. You could save a considerable amount of money following these tips. Perhaps more importantly; you can discover overlooked attractions and little-known details most people whiz by on their way to spend money. Click here to see free sample pages from the e-book! Get this popular e-book free of extra charges when you join the PassPorter's Club for as little as $4.95. A club pass includes access to all our other e-books; e-worksheets; super-size photos; and more! This e-book is also available for separate purchase in the PassPorter Online Store for just $5.95.
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