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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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A coworker of DH's is going to WDW this coming weekend. Yes, I mean in 3 days!
It's a party of 2 adults. I don't think they have a dining plan, but they don't want to eat caunter service all the time. They have no dining ressies obviously.
Which TS places offer the best odds of getting a table on a walk-in basis?
I'm thinking Marrakesh and Biergarten may be the most able to absorb a crowd. But I don't even know what parks they're going to.
Some of the resort restaurants might be a good choice. Maybe the Wave at the Contemporary. Or they could try some Boardwalk restaurants that don't take ressies, like ESPN or the Big River Brewery. Kouzzina is also a possibility. At the parks, I'm not sure, but it doesn't hurt to ask if a restaurant can take a walk up.
Also Beaches and Cream at the Beach Club doesn't take ressies, and their food is terrific!
Even so, this is a low-crowd season. My guess is that they'll be able to stop at a Guest Services and ask what restaurants have availability that day -- and I'd bet there will be quite a few. (Most restaurants reserve a table or two for walk-ups anyway. It's just during high-crowd seasons that those go quickly.)
I agree that with the time of year - they just might be able to check with Guest Services - or the TS themselves - obviously they most likely would not get into CRT - but then AGAIN, you never know! DH & I did once when we tried! Walked right in!
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Even the restaurants that are in high demand sometimes take walk ins if you show up right before they open. I've had luck walking up at Rose & Crown and Chefs de France at lunch and dinner if I walk up 10-15 minutes before they open.
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We've always had great luck getting into the Sci-Fi Diner right as it opens for lunch at 11:30. We'd show up at 11 and get on the list, and they'd usually show us right in on opening. Dinner would be harder, I'm sure. Good luck to them.
Ginger
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For only two people, they should be able to get into at least a few places during the trip. DH ad I went in April on QS ddp, but after a few days we were really craving a nice sit down meal. Hubby really wanted Ohana...called..nothing. Went to guest services at our resort, nothing. But she told us we could probably just go over to the Poly and get on the waiting list. So we did....we were told it could be 1 to 1-1/2 hour wait. We said "okay" and the cm handed us a pager. I kept an eye on the time...22 minutes later it went off. I considered it a Disney miracle! We had a great table near the dance floor and had a fantastic time!
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I think they would have the best luck finding a place that is not in a park. If they are set on eating in the park they might check with the resturant early in the day to see if they had something available for later. If there is free dining going on when they are there, finding a resturant in a park will be next to impossible.
I agree with trying resort restaurants, especially for lunch. I know in Epcot, they say that Marrakesh is one of the quieter restaurants - I remember that from one Christmas Day, when someone wanted a walk-up for eight people and the Cast Member said that was their best chance....
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.
Do tell these co-workers to try for reservations by calling! We were able to get reservations 1 day ahead as welll as just 1 hour ahead during the height of the summer. Don't rule out ADRs even very late in the game. If you are open to the possibilities, you can expect much shorter wait times by calling ahead!
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Tell them to program the disney dining number into their cell. We did that on one trip (Feb 09) and we would just call up and say "Whatcha got?" and they'd tell us what had availability at that time. It was easy and great!
One place that's often got walk-ups is the Grand Floridian Cafe. It's HIGHLY underrated and very delicious!
We've walked up to Mama Melrose and Marakesh with no reservations and gotten in quickly. Best advice--eat at the "off times" --early or very late lunch, or early or very late dinner--this has worked well for us as a couple (only 2 for a table is alot easier than a larger group). BTW, we asked at the reservation place in DHS in the morning if there was any availability at Mama Melrose, and were told "NO"; then walked over 15 min before opening time and asked--we were seated among the first 10 groups...so ...it never hurts to ask at the restaurant itself!
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We had a great table near the dance floor and had a fantastic time! 
and the Cast Member said that was their best chance....
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