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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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!

Best wishes for a wonderful and magical new year!

Go Back   PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums > PassPorter's Walt Disney World Resort (Florida) > Staying in Style: The Resorts/Hotels at Walt Disney World
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Old 12-11-2011, 03:35 PM   #16
3kidsandagoldenpuppy
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the problem was with the hotel, not disney. I love disney. I see no reason not to go back. Besides, this will be our last time for a long time. My kids really look forward to it.
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Old 12-11-2011, 05:46 PM   #17
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We stayed at Windsor Palms. I found a 3 bed, 2bath condo for $450 for a week! windsorpalms-florida.net has a listing of all the vrbo where you deal with the owner/management company. We've been very happy every time we've stayed there. Very quiet gated community.
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Old 12-13-2011, 09:21 PM   #18
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We stayed in a 5 bedroom house in Windsor Hills just last week. It was great! We were worried about the location & getting to the parks, but it was so easy! Google Andrew's Summer Palace, that's where we stayed, the owner was great to work with, they have 3 homes & 1 townhome in Windsor Hills.
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Old 12-14-2011, 12:54 PM   #19
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We stayed at Caribe Royale once and really enjoyed it. We had a 1 bedroom suite that slept 6 - 4 in bedroom, 2 on sofa bed in living room. We had 6 ppl, 3 adults and 3 kids. Only complaint was sofa bed was not that comfortable. It had a small fridge and microwave, too. They also have 2 bedroom suites. Got a good rate through mousesavers.com. The hotel is really nice, pool is great, location is very close to WDW and staff were very friendly and helpful. My sister in law and her family (party of 5) also stayed there and loved it.

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My Previous TripsBWV/Disney Fantasy/BCV April 2013, Disney Magic NYC-Canada (20th Anniversary!) Sept 2012, BLT/BVW/Royal Pacific June 2012, BWV/Disney Dream Jul 2011, Universal/AKL/Disney Wonder Aug/Sept 2010, BWV/BLT Oct 2009, POR May 2009 (DOD), BWV Oct/Nov 2008, AKL Feb 2008, BWV/Caribe Royale Oct 2007, POR Feb 2007, BWV Nov/Dec 2006, Disneyland Paradise Pier Sept/Oct 2005, BWV Oct 2004, BWV Nov 2003, CSR Jan/Feb 2003, BWV Oct 2002, CBR May 2002, CR Oct 2001, Dix Lndgs May 2001, OKW Nov 2000, Dix Lndgs Oct 1999, Poly May 1998, WL Oct 1997, Dixie Landings Oct 1994, Disneyland (offsite) Jan 1994, POFQ/WL/Dis Institute Oct 1992 (honeymoon!), Poly 1991, Poly 1989, CR 1988, offsite 1987, offsite 1986, Poly 1984, Poly 1980 or 81, CR 1976, CR 1973
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Old 12-14-2011, 02:55 PM   #20
Angela531
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tabitha34 View Post
Windsor Hills is great! We lived there for a year. We loved it!

I wanted to mention that if you have any family or friends that are military you can rent a condo through AFV Club for around $350 for a week. We have done this in the past and have always been happy with the places we have rented. There are a lot right around Disney that AFV offers. If you do have a military connection they can rent the condo for you and then gift it to you in your name. They do not have to go. Then you just pay them. When you go to the AFV site you look at the Space-A rentals.
This is great info, thanks! What does AFV stand for though?
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Old 12-14-2011, 03:18 PM   #21
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Originally Posted by Angela531 View Post
This is great info, thanks! What does AFV stand for though?
Armed Forces Vacation Club. You have to be connected to the military to use it. They have a similar site gfor government employees: Government Vacations for Federal and Government Employees from GeTravelop.com .
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Old 12-14-2011, 06:42 PM   #22
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Thanks, I had not heard about either...my brother is a Marine, just returned to North Carolina from Afghanistan earlier this month and my mom works for the IRS. Not sure how I missed this, I'll have to ask them the next time I talk with them.
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