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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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'm sorry if this has been asked before but I have a 15 year old and an almost 13 year old. If I was cool with my youngest going to the teen lounge with her big sister do you think they will be? Are they really strict about access even with a parents permission?
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It is possible, but not guaranteed, that someone just under 14 would be allowed in the Teen club, Vibe. Cast members in Vibe make case-by-case determinations based on the number of 14-17 year olds on the cruise. It is less likely that someone not yet 13 would be allowed in Vibe. She would be eligible for the Oceaneer's Lab and the Tween club, Edge. It wouldn't hurt to ask if she could join her sister in Vibe, but be prepared to be told no. Aging down is more strictly prohibited, so it is unlikely the 15-year-old could go to Edge.
There are of course activities through the ship that your kids could do together. They can also go to open houses at Edge and Vibe together.
Happy planning!
Melissa
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Planning for Disney Magic in summer 2019
Last edited by MelissaL; 01-08-2017 at 06:11 PM..
Reason: Mistyping
The ages for Edge (tween club) are 11-14, and the ages for Vibe (teen club) are 14-17. For DCL's purposes, "almost 13" doesn't count, unless a child has his/her birthday during the cruise.
In order to provide an age-appropriate environment, DCL is strict about age group mixing for all the kids clubs. They've become more strict as the years have passed - not every well-intentioned exception has turned out well. The programs do allow a one-year overlap in ages, so that kids on the borderline can seek the most comfortable environment.
There is, for these purposes, no such thing as "parental permission," since the presence of an older (or younger) kid can affect the experience of all the kids present, not just the siblings.
The cruise line has to assume that a child present in a club may try to participate in any of the offered activities. Let's face it, 11-year-olds may not have a happy experience playing competitive games with 15-year-olds.
Age spreads like these are quite common in cruising families; so common that if exception requests were allowed, none of the clubs would be able to maintain age-specific environments. The kids have a choice in a case like this - enjoy other facilities and activities on the ship in the company of their sibling(s), or hang out with kids of their own age group in the clubs. Often, it turns out to be a mixture of both.
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Co-Author, PassPorter's Walt Disney World, PassPorter's Disney Cruise Line, and PassPorter's Disneyland and Southern California Attractions
I get it that rules are rules My kiddo is an athlete, much taller than most kids her age and spends most of her time with High School age kids because of the level she plays at. She would be much more comfortable with the older kids than the youngers ones and is used to kicking 15 year old boys butts in sports. Funny thing is she would be able to navigate socially in the club far more comfortably than her big sister who is shy. I'm sure they will find plenty of ways to keep busy considering it is only a 4 night cruise.
For what it's worth, the teens don't usually spend much time hanging out in the Vibe space. Many of the kids will meet up at Vibe but then move elsewhere around the ship to hang-out. Once outside the actual Vibe space, anybody can be together regardless of age. If big sis and her friends are OK with younger sis joining in, they are welcome to do anything outside of the actual Vibe (or Edge) space.
Younger sis will be welcome to check-out Vibe during "open house" times which are scheduled each day.
For what it's worth, the teens don't usually spend much time hanging out in the Vibe space. Many of the kids will meet up at Vibe but then move elsewhere around the ship to hang-out. Once outside the actual Vibe space, anybody can be together regardless of age. If big sis and her friends are OK with younger sis joining in, they are welcome to do anything outside of the actual Vibe (or Edge) space.
Younger sis will be welcome to check-out Vibe during "open house" times which are scheduled each day.
Enjoy your cruise!
That's good to know! She really is an old soul, just one of those kids that always got along with older kids. She tends to feel like a babysitter with kids younger and kind of assumes a role of responsibility. It would be nice for her to goof off instead.
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My kiddo is an athlete, much taller than most kids her age and spends most of her time with High School age kids because of the level she plays at. She would be much more comfortable with the older kids than the youngers ones and is used to kicking 15 year old boys butts in sports. Funny thing is she would be able to navigate socially in the club far more comfortably than her big sister who is shy. I'm sure they will find plenty of ways to keep busy considering it is only a 4 night cruise.
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