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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Well I got HALF of my request... lol. Unfortunately not the important half - but what can you do? We're in Alligator Bayou, but we're on the second floor... needless to say it would have been a total hassle with a 2 year old, a stroller, a car seat and two bags.
Thank HEAVENS for a lovely British group who helped me out so much that I had nothing to carry!
So now, I'll just have to maneuver DD, the stroller and a park bag. That's easy enough. I could have asked for a new room, but who wants to trek all the way back out to the main building and stand in line for another 20 minutes and then trek all the way BACK to a new room? LOL! I'm fine enough with where we are.
The rooms here are just lovely. Very quaintly set up. I really like them. The grounds are beautiful, but good heavens you need a guide and a compass to get anywhere! I didn't mind the walk, though.
I'm absolutely drained, and it has occurred to me that I haven't eaten anything except a few wheat thins all day! Gotta love travel days, eh? Well at least I know I'll have a huge appetite at the Concourse Steakhouse tonight, right?!
Check-in was an easy process. Lisa from Epping, England checked us in, and she was just a doll. It was so great!
Well that's all for now. Sorry this is all over the place - I'm absolutely exhausted, and completely starving, so my brain isn't functioning on all cylinders!
Bottom line is I really do love the place so far. It's a little busy, so it's a bit overwhelming, but the cast members are nice, the rooms are fairly quiet and the place is gorgeous all around.
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.
Congrats on getting Alligator Bayou! It's wonderful that there were helpful folks around to help you get to the 2nd floor
Enjoy the Concourse and keep us updated when you can! We'll be staying at POR for the first time next June, so any feedback would be much appreciated
- Laurie
__________________
Laurie (aka LeapDayBaby) having a blast with Mickey and Goofy at Epcot, August 2006
Seven trips to WDW (1975, 1982, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2013, 2014)! Next trip: Soon, I hope! I've been jingled! Thanks Sandy!
PM me with any specific questions you've got and I'll gladly give you feedback. So far I've really got no complaints! And that's impressive coming from me, because I'm a hotel snob, and I'm REAAALLLLLYYYY picky!
Laurie (aka LeapDayBaby) having a blast with Mickey and Goofy at Epcot, August 2006
Seven trips to WDW (1975, 1982, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2013, 2014)! Next trip: Soon, I hope! I've been jingled! Thanks Sandy!
Location: A little over 1000 miles from my happy place!
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We'll be staying here too in June and would also love to hear any feedback you have, the good, bad and ugly! Probably will get Alligator Bayou as there will be 5 of us. Have a magical time!!!!
Have a great time. Alligator Bayou was our very first encounter with WDW proprety and holds a place dear to our hearts. After a day or so there you will discover all kinds of short cuts that will save you time going back and forth to the main building.
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.
Kathe is absolutely right. Once you wander around a bit you do find shortcuts. My only major complaint is the lack of elevators in AB. It really is a pain in the (*#)!(*@! if you're travelling alone with a toddler. I cannot stress enough what a hassle it is going up and down the stairs with a stroller and a toddler. But - people are absolutely amazing and I've never lacked for help anywhere. Actually most people help practically without asking and won't let me say no!
I've yet to come across a cast member that isn't sunny. And I can't say enough how great the room is and how gorgeous the grounds are.
A complaint that is probably just me being stupid... I cannot seem to find a ramp anywhere to the main lobby. Granted I've only been through there twice, in a hurry both times... so I am SURE I MUST have missed it. But it's not readily obvious at all when you go out the back doors of the lobby (toward the rooms), which is kind of annoying. I swear I looked, but there was nothing there. If any POR experts know where it is, lol, tell me. But I'm going to hunt around there today.
I can occasionally hear people banging around their fridge doors / drawers, and the toilets are so loud you can hear them in Bangkok. But it's not really noticeable. Just be aware that your neighbors can probably hear you banging around (though I've yet to hear a single voice from another room).
I'm going to explore the resort in full today, including most likely eating at the food court, so I'll give more reports! I can say without a doubt, though, that I'll stay here again.
Forgot to mention, the bus service was fine. I prefer my own car by a longshot, and will definitely rent next time, but I really don't have any complaints. We waited for about 15 minutes for a MK bus, and all the other park buses came by in a row. It wasn't terribly long and it was very convenient. I just like having my own car so I don't have to fold the stroller and get in other people's way. And because I'm a control freak. LOL! But the buses are fine.
A complaint that is probably just me being stupid... I cannot seem to find a ramp anywhere to the main lobby. Granted I've only been through there twice, in a hurry both times... so I am SURE I MUST have missed it. But it's not readily obvious at all when you go out the back doors of the lobby (toward the rooms), which is kind of annoying. I swear I looked, but there was nothing there. If any POR experts know where it is, lol, tell me. But I'm going to hunt around there today.
I can occasionally hear people banging around their fridge doors / drawers, and the toilets are so loud you can hear them in Bangkok. But it's not really noticeable. Just be aware that your neighbors can probably hear you banging around (though I've yet to hear a single voice from another room).
I'm going to explore the resort in full today, including most likely eating at the food court, so I'll give more reports! I can say without a doubt, though, that I'll stay here again.
You can walk a stroller into the building all the way at the end of the building nearest the food court. Then walk through the food court, past the bar and on into the main lobby. If you are standing on the bridge to Ol' Man Island facing the main building...the doorway is ALL the way to the right past the water wheel.
We stayed in building 18 in December on the second floor...with a 2yo, a 6yo, a stroller and a car seat. But dh and I did okay w/ it. I contemplated leaving our stroller underneath the stairs, but dh wasn't comfy w/ it. There were two strollers there for our entire stay (8 nights)... we guessed that they were left there because they never moved the entire time!
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.
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