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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Wow!!! Over 100 points a night for the bungalow is the least?! Over 200 per night for high season? Not sure I could justify more than a single night, in Adventure season.....
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.
Much as I'd love a night in the bungalows, I don't think we'll ever be able to afford that. The studios seem reasonable, so I think hopefully we'll be able to fit in a stay there at some point in the future.
I considered buying 150 points ( I currently have 150 at WL and 150 at VAK) but honestly that would get me only one night in a bungalow at home resort window and then I would have to wait and probably never get the rest of the nights at the 7 month window. Not sure it is worth it.
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Sadly, we will never be able to stay in the 2 bedroom bungalows. The points are just too high. I am not using all of my points for one year to stay one night in a bungalow there.
It seems a bit unreasonable to me.....but I also don't own a huge amount of points.
I won't be buying points at PVB for one simple reason - there aren't any 1-bedroom units.
However, beyond that, I have some basic issues with PVB.
First off, the studios are all in buildings that are 30-44 years old. I know they've most likely been completely gutted and the foundational structures are probably fine, but I just have an issue paying so much for a gutted hotel that old when compared to VGF. Is there not a greater probability of issues over the next 50 years when you start with structures that are already so old? Perhaps not.
Second, while the bungalows look nice, I'm worried about the maintenance issues that might crop up over time due to the units being built on a pier over the water. Now, I'm not a structural engineer and perhaps my fears are unwarranted, but frankly I'd worry about the maintenance costs. Of course, based upon the points allocated to each bungalow, DVC may have plenty of money to fund maintenance of the bungalows.
Frankly, I don't have the emotional attachment to the Poly that some do, so that makes it easier to say no to buying than some of you.
Thanks for the update. I agree - no one bedrooms is a deal breaker for us as far as purchasing. I might scrape by for one or two nights in a bungalow, but it's not a high priority - and that's only if it fits into the 7 month window.
Am I the only one whose first thought when I hear about the bungalows are "What are they going to do about all the bugs??"
I've had a lake view room at BLT and I've tried to enjoy the deck/balcony around Narcoossee's, and I have to say that the amount of flying critters due to the water makes it near impossible to enjoy location for very long before I'm running indoors.
I can't imagine trying to enjoy the pools for the bungalows while being swarmed by the gnats, mosquitoes, spiders, etc.
Am I the only one whose first thought when I hear about the bungalows are "What are they going to do about all the bugs??"
I've had a lake view room at BLT and I've tried to enjoy the deck/balcony around Narcoossee's, and I have to say that the amount of flying critters due to the water makes it near impossible to enjoy location for very long before I'm running indoors.
I can't imagine trying to enjoy the pools for the bungalows while being swarmed by the gnats, mosquitoes, spiders, etc.
Is it just me??
I must confess that thought hadn't occurred to me at all, but now you say it - eeek!
Thanks for posting this Mike! Wow - really disappointing that the bungalows are so very expensive points-wise!
I just posted on another thread about DVC at Poly that we would definitely be buying there but now I'm seriously rethinking this. As a family of 5, we typically get a 1BR or 2 BR villa. Since there are no 1BRs at Poly and the bungalows are essentially prohibitive, our family of 5 likely wouldn't be able to stay here much.
Still, I would love stay here at some point (maybe for a short trip with DH)- just don't think it is worth making it a home resort. And I love the Poly
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The studios seem reasonable, so I think hopefully we'll be able to fit in a stay there at some point in the future.
JulieB 
Disney Magic - Oct 2015
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