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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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When we book, I divide the total into how many months I have to get it paid off. Then I make monthly payments to WDW. We use the DDP, and aren't big suvie buyers, so aside from tips and the occas. suvie etc, we don't spend much. Maybe a Doonie
We use the separate savings account approach. I use an investment account with the company that manages my 401(k) so getting to the Disney money isn't "easy" (3 days to transfer to my bank account). This keeps me from spending that money on everyday stuff that I don't need.
I am fortunate to have a job that offers plenty of overtime. Since my paychecks are direct deposited I have my normal 40 hour check go into our checking account and any extras go into the above account.
I could also set up me direct deposit to deposit a certain $$ amount each week into the savings account - a good way to budget IMHO. It's nice to see that account grow over time
I have a direct deposit savings account that takes $50 out of my paycheck weekly that I use to save for Disney trips.
Check out this article as well Saving Money for Disney: Tips and Tricks - PassPorter.com
(Yes I'm plugging my own article . . . )
I have a decorated paint can (has Disney Characters on it, etc) that we put are spare change and one dollar bills in. I am also putting a certain amount of money away a week and at the end of each month make a payment on our trip. Then each week I have been picking up a $25.00 Disney Gift card when shopping. I plan to use these for our excursions, photos and spending money on our cruise and the park. Today I am going to sit down and see where else I can squeeze some money
My DH has direct deposit for his paycheck so we have $50 going out to our savings account. We use DDP so we just pay off everything before we go. Last year we then divided up the cash before we went. We banned using our credit card while there and could only use the saved up cash. We figured save now so we can go again!
It seems like everyone is pretty much on the same page with the savings! I echo the Disney Visa (if you pay it off of course!) because it's feels almost like "bonus" money because you had to pay for your vacation anyway, so might as well turn that into money you can spend on your trip!
Places like Sam's Club and Costco occasionally do promotions around the holidays that if you buy a certain package of gift cards, you get a certain amount free. Example: if you buy a pack of $100 worth of Disney Gift Cards you get an additional $20 for free. So if you wanted to do cards instead of cash for spending money that's free money!
We have a "Disney Jar" that change, etc goes into and my step son has one in his room that he decorated himself (it's an old peanut butter jar he put construction paper on, etc) and that's his allowance money which is his Disney spending money.
Also, you are better off buying those "must have" souveniers at home before you go. If your kids are going to want an autograph book, look at the dollar store or at your local craft store (Michaels always has a ton of Disney things) and spend $1 or so on the book as opposed to $10 per book in the parks. Landyards, Autograph Books, Pens, etc...bring it all with you! No one will be missing out on the "must have" Disney items and you won't go broke!
I like to book my vacations way out; preferably a year or more- this gives me a specific goal and that way I can make payments towards the trip and I try to pay it off as quickly as possible.....
I also try to look for ways to save on vacation; with Disney a promotion and when we go other places I also try to find promotions/discounts.... In addition, I usually take breakfast foods and snacks with us when we go to Disney or anywhere else as that saves quite a bit..... I do value rooms at Disney and look for good deals on hotels when we go other places also.... I like to get the most bang for my vacation bucks!
I noticed the other week that Sam's Club was selling Disney gift cards not sure if that was just a christmas thing or not.
Was in Sam's Club with a friend just the other day....they still had the Disney gift cards. $100 for $98 and change.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Muffinator
You can order Gift Cards online at the Disney Store (Buy a Disney Gift Card | Disney Store). They have a ton of designs as well. I got a Maleficent one around Halloween.
Cool, can you get any amount? And can you add to one or just get another one if trying to use this to save?
Quote:
Originally Posted by missminniedreams
I've seen Disney GC's at Walgreens and CVS too.
Will have to swing into Walgreens here in Alaska and see if they have them too.
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Jennifer / Eeyore is my favorite!! OMG - He's sooooo grown up!!!! And an EAGLE SCOUT!! I can still remember my cute little Tiger Cub! 2016 Reading Goal - 75 books
We pay for our vacay with our income taxes. We save quarters for laundry and pressed pennies, and bring bottles of soda/juice. snacks, cereal and shelf milk.
This subject comes up several times a year and everyone gives good advice on ways to save money.
In addition to the Disney Visa card which Dolphin has mentioned above concerning paying bills, I am sure electrical, electric and utility bills are included which is great.
Even though it is not mentioned directly I would like to add to "bills" clothing, food and gasoline as main items.
I am not sure if the Disney Visa card covers the food and gasoline but some do.
When you grocery shop, buy gasoline, automotive repairs and pay with money "out of your pocket" for other things think "Trip to Disney" If possible use the visa card and start earning money. You have to eat. So why not use the visa card. Money just spent on food alone will give you several dollars a month --- for Disney.
I am sure you can find more ways.
As a caution beware of some bills you might pay by telephone. Before you pay the first time check to see if that company charges YOU for paying over the telephone. Many do and will not inform you unless you ask. In those cases it's back to "in person", checks or autromatic payment by your bank.
I almost never pay with exact change then when I get home I put the coins in a jar. This doesn't work when I pay with my debit card. I need to look into one of the "keep the change" savings plans at whatever bank it is. I can't remember now.
Our trip in August is being paid for with a "bribe" from work. When they let people go in March, they gave some of us a stay bonus if we worked through the rest of the year. For some reason they didn't offer that again this year.
If you are flying, consider airports beyond the one that is closest. We usually fly out of Newark, but for our upcoming trip, the prices out of Newark were ridiculously high, at about $600 or so per ticket. We discovered Southwest out of Philadelphia in the low $200s, and on top of that, we had a voucher from Southwest for luggage problems on a trip to the west coast last year. The end result is that we are paying for four tickets out of Philadelphia at what it would have cost for a single ticket out of Newark. On top of that, my company's travel program extends the business travel hotel discount to personal travel as well, as long as you put it on your own credit card, so there is anither money-saver idea. Good luck!
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Hudson River view from promenade at Liberty State Park in NJ - Disney Magic in Hudson River, passing the new One World Trade Center
Contemporary/Red Boat 1993; Dixie Landings 1994, POR 6/2007; CSR 8/1998, 6/2005, 2/2011; 8/2012; DCL (Wonder)/Boardwalk 2000; AKL 1/2003, 6/2003, 6/2004, 4/2006, 6/2009; DL 7/2007, 7/2010; 8/2011; CBR 4/2008; Polynesian 12/11; Hollywood Hotel (Hong Kong Disneyland) 8/2008
[QUOTE=Lemap760;3552690]I almost never pay with exact change then when I get home I put the coins in a jar. This doesn't work when I pay with my debit card. I need to look into one of the "keep the change" savings plans at whatever bank it is. I can't remember now.
Our trip in August is being paid for with a "bribe" from work. When they let people go in March, they gave some of us a stay bonus if we worked through the rest of the year. For some reason they didn't offer that again this year. [/QUTE]
Bank of America has an account where they round up your purchase and transfer it to savings and at the end of the year they match it, I don't know how much, not dollar for dollar of course but what ever it is it's free money.
Also, you are better off buying those "must have" souveniers at home before you go. If your kids are going to want an autograph book, look at the dollar store or at your local craft store (Michaels always has a ton of Disney things) and spend $1 or so on the book as opposed to $10 per book in the parks. Landyards, Autograph Books, Pens, etc...bring it all with you! No one will be missing out on the "must have" Disney items and you won't go broke!
I agree! We saved so much money by buying "souvenier" shirts and towels, etc. on sale at the Disney store before we left. I also made tees with Disney iron ons I found on ebay. We wore our t-shirts while there and the kids never asked me to buy them. I also bought personalized autograph books on ebay, which the kids loved. We brought our own big clickable sharpies to save money on souvenier pens. Bonus: the characters liked using them!
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Hudson River view from promenade at Liberty State Park in NJ - Disney Magic in Hudson River, passing the new One World Trade Center
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