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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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've booked a verandah for the 15 day repo cruise in May 2008. I want to be able to sit out there as we go through the Panama Canal and to have the extra "room" since it's a 2 week trip. I'm looking forward to spending some time just watching the water go by as I relax with a cup of tea or an adult beverage.
Several years ago I went on a cruise on a different cruise line with my ex and our 2 kids. They were 14 and 12 at the time. We could get 2 inside connecting rooms for the same price as 4 of us in a room with a verandah. We chose the 2 inside rooms and it was the right choice for the 4 of us. We had twice the space, 2 bathrooms and some privacy. The rooms were always dark, but I just spent more time on deck.
I think it's a personal choice and depends on your priorities and financial situation. You will have a wonderful time no matter where you stay. Enjoy!
Especially wiht the ages of your kids, once they are tucked in at night, go out on the verandah for a nice quiet, romantic date without having to worry about your kid's club or flounders pager going off.
I know that it really is personal preference, but if the extra cost is not excessive, then why not try it this time. If you find you didn't need it, you'll know what you'd like for your next cruise.
OK, I'm going to be the exception. We spent so little time in our room that I didn't use the verandah that much. Next time, I'll do the porthole, but not the verandah unless the cost difference was very small (smaller than I'll probably ever see). I would use the money for shore excursions. But everyone is different or they'd only have one room type.
We have cruised with a verandah and with a window. In my opinion it is worth it to spring for a verandah on a longer cruise but maybe not on a shorter one. We loved sitting on our verandah in the mornings and late at night on our 11 night cruise. For shorter cruises we usually are not in our room enough to make it worth the extra $. Have a magical cruise whatever you decide.
We have been on three cruises and always had a varandah. I love getting up first thing in the morning and going out to see were we are and breathe in the fresh sea air. Our first Disney cruise is coming up this May and we booked a verandah. It is just a nice peaceful place when you just want to kick back and read or just sit with spouse. We have been lucky up til now with not having obnoxious smokers near by, it has always been wonderful. I know there is a big savings not having that space, but even if you spend just a little time out there it has been worth it to us.
DJ .... two thumbs up!! I have not had the veranda, but I have a hard time with the difference in the money compared to the amount of time in the room... if by having the veranda I would not go and lay in the adult only area on one of those very comfy loungers... well I would stick to the lounger and keep the money!
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The rooms were always dark, but I just spent more time on deck. 
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