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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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We are new to DVC and I am confused by the whole banking and borrowing process.
I have a few questions that I hope someone can clear up for me!
A little background...
We bought in December and so we have 100 points from our 2011 use year (August)
Today I called to make a reservation for a studio - standard view at our home resort which is BLT. I am looking for the end of November/beginning of December, and there were no studios with a standard view. I could have gotten lake view BUT my intention is to try and book Boardwalk or Beachclub (I know it's a longshot) at the 7 month window. So I didn't want to have to borrow 23 points to reserve the lake view at BLT, and then end up losing them if I got a Boardwalk studio for 107 points. The way the CM explained it, I would have to use them in the 2012 use year and we are only able to do one trip this year, so in essence I would lose them. Am I making sense so far?
So, the CM put me on a wait list for a studio/standard view for BLT. I'm not real happy with the outcome, but not sure what else I can do besides wait at this point.
Then, since I am not planning on using the 100 2011 points until November 2012, we banked those points. Now I have 200 points to use in my 2012 use year.
OK here is my first question...I can use those points to BOOK a trip this year, as long as the trip is after August 2012, correct? So, in April at my 7 month mark, I can book a trip for November 2012???
Secondly, now that my points are banked, what if I DID book the lake view for 123 points. If boardwalk came along at 7 months and I only needed 107 for that, do I have to use those remaining 16 points in the 2012 use year? Or can they be banked and used in my 2013 use year with the rest of my 2012 points?
I believe if you use up the 2011 use year banked points first for the reservation, then you could still bank those 16 points from your 2012 use year if not needed as long as you bank them before April 2013.
I could have gotten lake view BUT my intention is to try and book Boardwalk or Beachclub (I know it's a longshot) at the 7 month window. So I didn't want to have to borrow 23 points to reserve the lake view at BLT, and then end up losing them if I got a Boardwalk studio for 107 points.
(snip)
...what if I DID book the lake view for 123 points. If boardwalk came along at 7 months and I only needed 107 for that, do I have to use those remaining 16 points in the 2012 use year? Or can they be banked and used in my 2013 use year with the rest of my 2012 points?
Either the CM is confused or you are.
According to your explanation you have 100 points from 2011 that have been banked into 2012. Those points would be used for either reservation since they are both 100+. The only difference is under one scenario you would be using 23 of your 2012 points and in the other scenario you would be using 7 2012 points.
I would call and book the Lake View immediately. Again, it will require all of your banked points from 2011 plus 23 of the 2012 Use Year points. If the cheaper option happens to be available at 7 months, the excess points are simply returned to your account for 2012.
I don't see any borrowed points in this situation at all.
Either the CM is confused or you are. Oh, I'm sure it's me!
I would call and book the Lake View immediately. Again, it will require all of your banked points from 2011 plus 23 of the 2012 Use Year points. If the cheaper option happens to be available at 7 months, the excess points are simply returned to your account for 2012. But if I don't use the excess points in 2012 ues year, then I lose them, right? Since we are not planning another trip until September of 2013, that would be after my 2012 use year.
With an August Use Year, your 2012 points are valid from 8/1/12 to 7/31/13. So yes, your '12 points would have to be banked in order to be used for a stay in September '13.
However, you have until the 8th month of your Use Year to bank points. In your case, the banking transaction does not have to be completed until March 31, 2013. By that time you will know how many points are left over following the December '12 stay. The only drawback is that you probably won't want to book that September '13 trip until the December trip has been resolved so that you make sure the correct points are utilized.
With an August Use Year, your 2012 points are valid from 8/1/12 to 7/31/13. So yes, your '12 points would have to be banked in order to be used for a stay in September '13.
However, you have until the 8th month of your Use Year to bank points. In your case, the banking transaction does not have to be completed until March 31, 2013. By that time you will know how many points are left over following the December '12 stay. The only drawback is that you probably won't want to book that September '13 trip until the December trip has been resolved so that you make sure the correct points are utilized.
Thanks for the help! I just got off the phone with member services and booked a lake view for 6 of my 7 nights. And I'm also waitlisted for the 7th night lake view room. I'm relieved to have a reservation! Then, when my 7 month window rolls around, if I do not get into one of the other DVC resorts, I will at least have a firm reservation at BLT. Thanks again for the push!
Thanks for the help! I just got off the phone with member services and booked a lake view for 6 of my 7 nights. And I'm also waitlisted for the 7th night lake view room. I'm relieved to have a reservation! Then, when my 7 month window rolls around, if I do not get into one of the other DVC resorts, I will at least have a firm reservation at BLT. Thanks again for the push!
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