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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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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.
The time between booking and our 90 day point where we could make our ADR's was hard, even though it was only about a week and a half
Like the past 3 trips, we have the regular Disney Dining Plan, which is great for us because we usually don't eat much at Breakfast to satisfy using the DDP for it (There are really no QS Breakfast Options, and we don't eat enough to compensate for a TS credit to be used)
Our Current (But subject tweaking!) ADR/Eating Schedule is:
Dinner:
4/13 - Grand Floridian Cafe @ 6:40PM
4/14 - Les Chefs de France @ 6:30PM
4/15 - Tutto Ilatlia @ 6:45PM
4/16 - Le Cellier @ 6:30PM
4/17 - Teppen Edo @ 6:30PM
Lunch:
We never make ADR's for Lunch, since 98% of the time we do Quick Service for Lunch, but I am thinking:
4/13 - Grand Floridian Pool-Side QS (Can't remember name )
4/14 - Sunshine Seasons @ The Land
4/15 - Somewhere @ DHS (Anywhere BUT Catalina Eddie's...Long story about that )
4/16 - Somewhere @ AK (We usually do Restrauntasarous, but I heard they stopped serving McDonald's CN & Fries )
4/17 - Anywhere in MK/Epcot or the Monorail Resorts is fair game for our last full day
4/18 (Checkout) - Most likely just grabbing something quick from GF, or at MK before heading back for final Check-Out Prep. ()
Breakfast:
4/13-4/17 - We are hoping to switch around between the GF/Contemp/Poly since the Monorail will be running
4/18 - This week we've considered about doing Chef Mickey's or another ADR on this day because our DME Pick-up is not until about 2:30 so we would have time that day... However we haven't even called Dining Services yet so this is really up there!
The Dining is based alot on our Park Schedule Also:
4/13 - Magic Kingdom
Parade @ 3PM, SpectroMagic @ 9PM, Wishes @ 10PM
(No EMH tonight since its our 1st night and we don't want to get tired out )
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.
Great plans! May I suggest that when you have lunch at Sunshine Seasons that you don't leave without finding my favorite treat--in the bakery section, there is a sinfully delicious brownie topped with marshallows, fudge, and crumbled butterfingers that is to die for!! (if you think you might not have room, skip the real food and just have this ).
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Read all about it in my TR, "Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot!" Jill Phil. 4: 13
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.
Great plans! May I suggest that when you have lunch at Sunshine Seasons that you don't leave without finding my favorite treat--in the bakery section, there is a sinfully delicious brownie topped with marshallows, fudge, and crumbled butterfingers that is to die for!! (if you think you might not have room, skip the real food and just have this ).
Oh wow...that looks yummy!
I may need to skip a side to leave room for that....even without dessert, my usual meal there is very filling!
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We avoided a near disaster today!
This morning we were at liberty travel, as our trip needed to be payed off by next Friday! (It's payed off now! )
I noticed when reviewing the paper work that we only had 5-Day Park Hopper tickets.....apparently they base the # off the nights you are staying, but we will have about 7 hours in WDW on our checkout day, so we needed to add those!
It was only $9.97 total to add the 6th Day to all 3 tickets! Disney is so much cheaper the longer you stay
We will be picking up our Documents & DME Tags from our TA next Saturday, along with some new luggage from Sears because it is on sale!
Your plans look great! I hope you LOVE the GF. I've always wanted to stay there too. I can't wait to hear about it.
Good thing the ADR hoarder from the other thread isn't traveling when you are. You never would have gotten any ADRs!!
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.