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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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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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I've been reading some really disturbing things about WDW lately.
Not as clean as it used to be, cast members not as pleasant as they ised to be and some downright rude.
Last time I visited was summer of 2014 and I didn't notice anything off.
I just would like to hear from some of those that have recently visited and did not experience any of these things. We are planning a visit in November and these things are getting me down.
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We were last there at Christmas and did not have any issues at all with cleanliness or CM's either one. We've only rarely encountered an unhelpful CM or one with attitude, isolated instances, not anything I'd consider an overall decline.
I think perhaps extensive WDW experience over years and years causes some to notice changes more acutely. I recall minor things from six years ago that have vanished due, I presume, to costcutting measures. Not enough to cause me to complain, but others are bothered by things that don't trouble me and vice versa.
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“People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.” —Winnie-the-Pooh
I was there less than two weeks ago, and my overall impression was still very positive. The only issue we encountered was with a less-than-friendly member of mousekeeping. Otherwise, at the resort (a value, no less) and in the parks, even at Disney Springs, we found every member of the WDW team quite pleasant. Our room was very clean, and I saw one thing at the resort that wasn't spotless, and that was a melting peppermint on the pool deck, under a table near the kids pool. When we pointed it out, it was quickly cleaned up and the area was stickyless!
I'm going back for a quick visit in October, and I'm not apprehensive.
Having been to Disney parks regularly for 10 years now I really think the have good and bad moments like anywhere else but I have never seen any great decline. I think you have to look at it like a coffee shop during a morning rush, the creamer counter is a mess and they may be out of sugar and the trash is full, fast forward to 11am an the place probably looks immaculate and the barista's are actually fun to talk to. It is likely a timing thing more than anything else.
The days I have encountered the grumpiest cast members and messiest bathrooms were not at Christmas when it was wall to wall people but on those days that the crowds were unexpectedly high and they feel unprepared and possibly understaffed. It happens but not enough to worry your vacation will be ruined.
Thanks so much for your responses. I knew I would find honest answers in these forums.
We've been going to WDW since 1974. Just the two of us, then with our kids and now with our kids and grandkids. We only get to go every few years. We have never not had a wonderful time. Not only because of "Disney magic", but because we are together as a family, introducing the youngest member to the "happiest place on earth".
We are going with our granddaughter for her 5th birthday and in a couple of years, our newest granddaughter will be inaugurated.
I too have not noticed a decline in cleanliness or service. I agree since humans are involved you might catch a staff member having a bad day or in a rush.
I think you're more likely to encounter a rude guest. Or one who will not walk the 17 steps to a trash can etc.
My worse CM encounters were probably 10-15 years ago. I haven't really had problems since-some CMs are very pleasant, other not so. But I think that happens everywhere and I do think it is more pronounced when there is a mass influx or exodus of CMs.
I have over time been in some pretty disgusting bathrooms but I have at most places with a high volume of people. I found on the busier days we've been, bathrooms can be pretty rough by late afternoon.
If anything, the only types of CM's we've encountered have been ones that have been somewhat cranky more than outright rude. Everyone has a bad day and in the middle of summer when it's hot and there's lots of people, you're bound to get a CM who's not quite so magical. As for bathrooms, if you want to say I've seen some dirty ones because there are paper towels on the floor instead of the trash barrel, yes, I've seen it. However, it's not for lack of CM attention. My experience has been when I see some trash, it's because the CM is in a stall trying to clean up or unplug a toilet. She's there - she just can't do everything all at once in the busy bathrooms. In the ones that aren't so busy, they're picking up almost before the trash even hits the floor.
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I think you asked about the wrong things.
Quality of meals and retail items have progressively gotten worse over the 17 years we've been visiting. There are a few exceptions to this, but overall, not so great.
My last trip was in 2013 so, granted, my experience isn't all that recent. However, I feel like, no matter what, there's always SOMEBODY talking about how Disney is going to the dogs. I don't doubt that people have had the negative experiences they say they had but I don't think anecdotes are sufficiently representative to give you a sense for an upward or downward trend at Disney. WDW is a massive place with a massive number of guests every year. Some people are, unfortunately, going to have less than stellar experiences. It's a numbers game. The thing to remember is that people are more likely to speak up when something was exceptionally good or exceptionally bad. You never know how many people got the good service they expected and just haven't thought to comment on it.
I think that, in the end, only your own experience can inform you, so I wouldn't worry about it!
BTW, I also agree that timing probably has a LOT to do with service quality.
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"Why do we have to grow up? I know more adults who have the children's approach to life...They are not afraid to be delighted with simple pleasures..." --Walt Disney
We only visit Disney in the summer, so crowds are high and it is hot. We understand folks (both CMs and guests) might be a bit more cranky. We have never experienced a rude CM. I will say, that in our opinion, since we first began our trips to Disney, the quality of the service and focus at Disney has changed. We have experienced several CMs at check in who really just did not know what they were doing. It was gross and a bit embarrassing to see Disney quickly throw together the cheesy Frozen attractions at HS (a few years back) and charge folks for advantageous spots on parade routes. We will always return and we will always enjoy Disney as a family. We don't vacation at Disney expecting anyone to make magic for us and I am only speaking from our experiences...but again...we will always return to Disney.
Just got back last week from WDW, and I will admit, the cleanliness was not really up to "Disney standards", IMO. However, for the most part, the CMs were super friendly and helpful. I had only one negative experience with a not so friendly CM (posted about this on another thread), and even that wasn't all that bad.
Since we've only been to WDW a total of two times, I can't really say how much about food quality going downhill, although we pretty much enjoyed all the food establishments that we visited. In fact, that was my favorite thing to do on our trip...eating!!!
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