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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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My future mother in law has a Disney timeshare at Contemporary's Bay Tower. She told my fiancé and I that we could use the timeshare this summer to go to Disney with my daughter. I know she has first pick at Bay Lake Towers and can go to a different on based on availability. I know my daughter, who is 9, will love anywhere we stay in Disney. My question is which DVC hotel would you stay in and why? I always wanted to stay in a monorail hotel but I also love the idea of the animals walking free in the savanna around the Animal Kingdom Lodge. I have never had the opportunity to stay in a deluxe so this is all new to me. TIA
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August 1988 off site
August 2000 off site
August 2002 All-Stars Movies
August 2006 Coronado Springs
August 2013 POR Royal Princess Room
August 2016 All-Stars Movies
August 2017 All-Stars Sports
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.
When u say this summer I assume you mean in 3 months? The fact that your MIL has ability to book at 11 months out at BLT really doesn't matter now. You are so close I think you need to determine which resorts have any availability for the dates you need to travel and then go from there. Being that it would only be the 2 of you a studio would be fine but those also go relatively quickly. Have you narrowed down your travel dates and even checked what is an option?
We do have our dates down. There will be three of us going. Me, my fiancé and my daughter. So we would be good looking at a one bedroom. We are thinking between August 16-22. It all started because I'm able to get free dining starting August 13 with Disney Visa Rewards. His mom just told us this week about the timeshare. And she never used any of her points so she's giving it to us as a present for our possible honeymoon. Depends on fast my ex signs divorce papers. I haven't checked what is available because I don't have access to the timeshare and this is the first time I am working with the DVC. I usually stay in a value or moderate.
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August 1988 off site
August 2000 off site
August 2002 All-Stars Movies
August 2006 Coronado Springs
August 2013 POR Royal Princess Room
August 2016 All-Stars Movies
August 2017 All-Stars Sports
Last edited by EeyoreGirl74; 05-03-2017 at 01:47 AM..
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What you need is for your future MIL to get into online booking or call DVC immediately to see what's available for the points she has. That's a very popular week since it's shortly before many U.S. schools start up again.
I just looked and found only a 1br at Saratoga Springs or Old Key West for those dates, the drawback to attempting to book so close to your arrival date.
Really, you'd do better to postpone your trip until next summer if agreeable with your future MIL. That way, she could book BLT at 11 months or try for resorts other than Bay Lake Tower at 7 months, giving you somewhat more choices.
You're eligible for free dining with a villa stay only when paying cash, not when staying on points. You might still be able to book a Value or Moderate, but I bet not with free dining.
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“People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.” —Winnie-the-Pooh
I'm still able to book with free dining at this point. I started this the day free dining came out and then my fiancé said mom said we can use her time share. The thing is we are hoping to have this trip as a honeymoon if possible with my daughter. I looked on booking regular pages and saw some 1 and 2 bedrooms at BLT and AKL jambo and kaldani. She is calling today hopefully if not I'm booking via Disney awards. This is the week I always go and never had problems booking it no matter when I book it.
__________________
August 1988 off site
August 2000 off site
August 2002 All-Stars Movies
August 2006 Coronado Springs
August 2013 POR Royal Princess Room
August 2016 All-Stars Movies
August 2017 All-Stars Sports
I'm still able to book with free dining at this point. I started this the day free dining came out and then my fiancé said mom said we can use her time share. The thing is we are hoping to have this trip as a honeymoon if possible with my daughter. I looked on booking regular pages and saw some 1 and 2 bedrooms at BLT and AKL jambo and kaldani. She is calling today hopefully if not I'm booking via Disney awards. This is the week I always go and never had problems booking it no matter when I book it.
When you are using DVC availability is a very different thing than if you are booking a regular hotel room. See what is available through DVC then decide if you would rather book free dining instead. You will be able to book the dining plan as a DVC guest but its never free for us. I don't know how many points she has to offer but you will have at minimum a small fridge, microwave, toaster, and coffee maker in your room so you can do breakfast in the room for cheap. Honestly anywhere you stay, you will have a good time! Every resort has it's perks. Let us know where you end up so we can tell you all about the high points!
Registered Message Board Members Get Our Free Newsletter! When you register you'll have the option to sign up for our weekly PassPorter Newsletter. It's chock-full of feature articles; news; tips; contests; photos; and special offers in our online store.
Kynna thank you I will. And it's Disney when with the right people it's always a blast.
__________________
August 1988 off site
August 2000 off site
August 2002 All-Stars Movies
August 2006 Coronado Springs
August 2013 POR Royal Princess Room
August 2016 All-Stars Movies
August 2017 All-Stars Sports
I was reading the above posts and saw that availability of a 1 BR at Saratoga or Old Key West. We own at Saratoga Springs and love it, but like others have said being so close to when you would like to arrive doesn't give you much wiggle room in choosing a resort. I personally think all the DVC Resorts are Top Notch so you really can't go wrong, but from my personally experience SSR is great.
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Me & my DD on our most recent excursion to the Animal Kingdom
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.
I am also not a DVC owner, at least not yet. I am waiting until I at least graduate college and land a real career job. I have stayed in DVC resorts such as the WL, GF, & Poly and all 3 were awesome and all have great perks. My personal favorite is Poly because it seems it has so much to offer for me. I love the pool there, the restaurants, and the ambiance of the entire resort.
Sounds like the issues here is availability with fairly short notice. When booking DVC 3 to 4 months out at a popular time usually Saratoga Springs or Old Key West are only options. Also we have owned DVC over 10 years and never seen a promotion to get free dining with a DVC stay.
Sounds like the issues here is availability with fairly short notice. When booking DVC 3 to 4 months out at a popular time usually Saratoga Springs or Old Key West are only options.
Yup and yup. I wasn't the least bit surprised that those two were the only ones as large as those DVC resorts both are.
__________________
“People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.” —Winnie-the-Pooh
Registered Message Board Members Get Our Free Newsletter! When you register you'll have the option to sign up for our weekly PassPorter Newsletter. It's chock-full of feature articles; news; tips; contests; photos; and special offers in our online store.
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