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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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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 start putting money into envelopes for Mousekeeping ($5/per night)
I try to have a good idea of how much to have for tips (which is easier with the DDP)
My kids each have $50-100 of their "own" money to spend (birthday money, saved money, etc.)
I think if you have $100 per day, that would be plenty for the 'extras' you may come across.
I have charged back to the room and paid it after 2-3 days, which helped me keep the spending down somewhat.
Have fun!
Thanks for all the suggestions so far. We were looking at setting asside about $1500, and it sounds like that will be more than enough to do what we might want.
Good suggestion on pulling out the money mousekeeping. We will be at POFQ, so is $5 night apporpriate?
WHat about baggage, we will be using the magical express.
Also, are you expected to tip the bus drivers on Disney transportaton? If yes, how much?
One other tipping question. We will also be traveling with my mom and sister, who will covering their own expenses, but doing almost everything together. We will have a total of 6 in the party, but one of my sons is under 2. Will be be counted as a party of 6 for gratuidity purposes at TS dinners? Not that it matters, but just was not sure?
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I've been thinking about this as well. We are on the dining plan.
It is my kids and husbands first time. I plan on giving each kid $100 on their Disney gift card.
My DD will do BBB and my DS will do Pirate's League. We will also be doing MNSSHP. Maybe a pirate cruise for the kids.
I was planning on taking about $1000-1500 cash for extra spending.
I travel solo so it's just me. I tend to plan on $100-$150/day for food & souviners. The vast majority of that stays in the bank and some ends up on a gift card. As for how much actual cash I bring I plan on $20/day at the parks & $50/travel (getting there & back) day plus I usually add an extra $50-$100 as "just in case I...." money. So my upcoming trip in November/December here's a break down & total.
November 29 = $50 cash
December 01= $20 cash + $100-$150 in/on bank/giftcard for food/souviners
December 02 = $20 cash + $100-$150 in/on bank/giftcard for food/souviners
December 03 = $20 cash + $100-$150 in/on bank/giftcard for food/souviners
December 04 = $20 cash + $100-$150 in/on bank/giftcard for food/souviners
December 05 = $20 cash + $100-$150 in/on bank/giftcard for food/souviners
December 06 = $20 cash + $100-$150 in/on bank/giftcard for food/souviners
December 07 = $20 cash + $100-$150 in/on bank/giftcard for food/souviners
December 08 = $20 cash + $100-$150 in/on bank/giftcard for food/souviners
December 09 = $20 cash + $100-$150 in/on bank/giftcard for food/souviners
December 10 = $20 cash + $50 cash + $100-$150 in/on bank/giftcard for food/souviners
Totals:
Cash = $100 travel days $200 park days $10 in quarters for laundry $20 in ones for tips $50-$100 just in case =$380-$480
In Bank/On Gift Card = $1000-$1500
Grand Total = $1380-$1980
For tipping make sure you bring some small bills with you. We had cash on us but they were all 20's and arriving as late as we did there was no one to break them. So both the ME guy and the bell hope got small tips with whatever small bills we had left.
When I travel with family we discuss how we are going to split things before going and have two different plans.
If its my side of the family we take the total of what we need to split and divide it by 7 (the number in our group) then multiply that by the number in your individual family. So us by 3 my parents by 4.
If we are with my in laws we take turns leaving the tips.
Finally is the split check option when dining, even though your on the plan, keep all your stuff separate and get a separate bill.
Spending money is tough, especially with multiple kids. While growing up my parents would let us know how much they were allowing and we could bring whatever we had saved from babysitting and what not. But once your money was gone, it was gone. DB would have to be watched so he didn't blow everything the first day on giant suckers and balloons. I usually wouldn't buy anything until the last day.
Personally with DD being so young and not really understanding we set a budget before going. She's 3 so falls in love with stuff every second but forgets about it when its out of site, we just watch for that extra special thing. Last trip it was a Lady stuffed toy. She called it 'rusty' one of our dogs back home, gave it a kiss, and tried to feed it cereal. Needless to say it came home with us and is now one of her comfort items. BBB is going to be a Christmas present and we are going to ask that family give her Disney gift cards for Christmas as well.
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Disney Vacation Specialist Magical Memories Travel Chelsey
One other tipping question. We will also be traveling with my mom and sister, who will covering their own expenses, but doing almost everything together. We will have a total of 6 in the party, but one of my sons is under 2. Will be be counted as a party of 6 for gratuidity purposes at TS dinners? Not that it matters, but just was not sure?
Yes! We are a family of 6 and last year when we went DS was 2 & DD was 1 and we were counted as a party of 6.
I think I'd recommend taking $1000.00. I don't believe you'll spend that much but at least you'll have it there just in case, and it's always a pleasent surprise when you take money back home.
It all really depends we usually do $300 for souvineres and $75/day for extras, normally for a cocktail here and there and we have always came home with money.
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