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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
We are going in Oct for very quick run- it's been 6 yrs! Really can't wait. First time to NOT take a stroller. We have a ressie at the Beach Club because we thought we'd spend lots of time at Epcot w/ Food and Wine Fest, and I love being able to walk over there. But it's also NSSHP at MK and we've never done that either. POLY is unexpectedly open - we could move over there and get to Epcot or MK pretty easily. We've never stayed at Poly - but it's a bucket list kind of resort. And we don't often make it to Florida. Not sure when we will be back. So..... help me. Do I stay at BC and take the bus to MK and just deal or do I switch? I've heard the monorails are not very reliable these days.....
Registered Message Board Members Get Our Free Newsletter! When you register you'll have the option to sign up for our weekly PassPorter Newsletter. It's chock-full of feature articles; news; tips; contests; photos; and special offers in our online store.
You will get a lot of opinions on this and you probably can't go wrong either way. While both are nice I would stay at BC. Its has the best pool in WDW, its close to Epcot, DHS and the Boardwalk.
I don't think I would say the monorail isn't reliable but it takes a lot longer to board with the security and it seemed to be a lot busier on our trip last March.
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.
Personally, I prefer BC with everything in the one building as opposed to Poly with the various buildings and needing to go outside to get to the food, shops and monorail.
I also think that you'll likely spend more time at Epcot with the F&W festival as opposed to changing for that night at MK (though I realize you'll likely go to MK more than once). And when we stay at one of the Epcot area hotels, we often walk through the park to get to the monorail to MK instead of the bus.
Well. Poly availability gone again. I had decided to change over, but this morning it was gone. I'm not a quick decider - it's my only frustration with Disney trips. Feels like you have to make very quick decisions and that is hard for me. But I know we'll be happy w/ BC. Great property.
Check every so often. You never know when someone may cancel.
You might find Poly has something near your paid-in-full deadline. People often wait till near that in hopes they won’t need to cancel but then find they must.
__________________
“People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.” —Winnie-the-Pooh
Well. Poly availability gone again. I had decided to change over, but this morning it was gone. I'm not a quick decider - it's my only frustration with Disney trips. Feels like you have to make very quick decisions and that is hard for me. But I know we'll be happy w/ BC. Great property.
Sorry that Poly was unavailable but you can never go wrong with BC!! We loved our stay there this summer. The walk to EPOT is so convenient and if you have park hoppers you can walk through and take the monorail to MK.
BC has something so special about it. Nothing beats it!
__________________
"Disneyland has that thing - the imagination and the feeling of happy excitement - I knew when I was a kid."
--Walt Disney
Also, BC is a relaxing boat ride from DHS, so you’ve ready access to it and Epcot with catching the monorail to the MK as mentioned if you’ve ParkHoppers.
Then, there’s Stormalong Bay, nearly a mini-water park.
Besides, you can put Poly on that dream-it-DO-it list for someday.
__________________
“People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.” —Winnie-the-Pooh
Registered Message Board Members save 30% off PassPorter guidebooks! When you register you'll have access to a discount coupon good for 30% off the list price of PassPorter books in our online store.
BC is wonderfully convenient for the F&W Festival. But I’ve always been underwhelmed with their transportation to the MK. I guess it’s down to where the bulk of your time will be spent.
I agree you should keep checking on the Poly. But be ready to jump on it if you see it again. My DH really wanted to stay at BRV for our October trip. Nothing was open, then I saw our dates were suddenly available. I waited..... not my smartest move, because the room was snapped up quickly. But fortune smiled again and this time I jumped fast. Space can and does open up.