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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Which includes quite a lot of information -- to be honest, I think it and the guide below are also a good guide for ANY guest with special needs -- including, for example, addressing the stroller as wheelchair issue. Also a link to their Guide for Guests with Cognitive Disabilities:
The guide is 41 pages. It includes lots of information, including some very useful reference information:
- a chart with the rides in each of the parks and information about: name of the ride, description, info about the special effects (e.g. does it contain scents/smells, loud noises, etc), elements of surprise, type of restraint, amount of time, and whether it is a FASTPASS ride
- a list of locations at each park where one can take some down time (described as: " There are also areas to relax that are typically a “little
less busy” if your family member with a cognitive disability needs some down time. " )
Table of Contents
Frequently Asked Questions & Helpful Tips 1-4
Trip Planning Strategies 5-6
Transportation & Getting Around 7-8
Park Entrances/When You Arrive 9-10
Cast Members 11-12
Lost Persons/If You Get Lost 13-14
Attraction details for all four Theme Parks 15-32
Accessing Attractions 33-34
Need A Break? 35-36
Disney Characters 37-38
Beyond the Theme Parks 39-40
Starwind thank you so much for those links. The third link you gave was very informative and from reading it, it sounds like the traditional FP tickets are not going anywhere just yet.
Sue thank you for all the FAQ from Disney also. At least Disney is willing to explain some of the new DAS instead of pretending it doesn't exist like they seemed to do with the GAC.
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.
Thanks for all the links! I have taken a look at this and I think it looks like Disney has put a lot of thought into this program. Clearly this was in the works long before the reports of abuse of people using their GAC's for guiding "tours".
I am happy to see that my two main concerns were addressed in that we do not have to have my DS or DD go to the attraction to receive the return time, only have to have them go when it is time to ride. We also do not have to return in a specific window of time like the FP, this will help us be able to return when it works back into the schedule. This way if they are engaged in something else or waiting in another line, we know we won't miss our time.
I'm still a little nervous, as the change will be a big deal on our next trip, but we have time to discuss it with them and find ways to make it work for our family.
I also think the Guide for Cognitive Disabilities is a great addition and really shows that Disney still wants to make the World a special place for families in these situations.
Thanks for all the links! I have taken a look at this and I think it looks like Disney has put a lot of thought into this program. Clearly this was in the works long before the reports of abuse of people using their GAC's for guiding "tours".
I am happy to see that my two main concerns were addressed in that we do not have to have my DS or DD go to the attraction to receive the return time, only have to have them go when it is time to ride. We also do not have to return in a specific window of time like the FP, this will help us be able to return when it works back into the schedule. This way if they are engaged in something else or waiting in another line, we know we won't miss our time.
I'm still a little nervous, as the change will be a big deal on our next trip, but we have time to discuss it with them and find ways to make it work for our family.
I also think the Guide for Cognitive Disabilities is a great addition and really shows that Disney still wants to make the World a special place for families in these situations.
From what I have heard, this has been in the works for at least 2 years.
I think they did a good job dealing with all the competing ideas people had about what would work in their situation.
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