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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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I travel to Houston once a month and I take Jet Blue out of Logan. The airport is about an hour and a half away but they have a direct flight, I usually get it cheap (under $200.) and I think they have a great frequently flyer program.
There is only one direct flight each way. The flight to Houston is usually on time or pretty close -a few minutes late. But the flight back has been terrible this summer. The plane comes in from JFK and is always late-last night we got in an hour late, the time before 4 hours late (yes 3 AM).
I have one more set of tickets already purchased on Jet Blue. I am debating what to do in the future-look into other airlines, get a room for the night I get in or just bite the bullet and hope they get back on time over the winter. I think it is mid west storms that are causing the delay. I get updates from Jet Blue and in the summer, the return flight is often an hour or more late.
Today, I am back to work on just under two hours sleep. Next trip I fly back on Saturday so I should be able to sleep in the next day.
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Now that the kids are back in school most places, maybe the airline will calm down.
Living in Houston myself, I can venture that it's possible it's the airport, not the airline, that is delaying your flight. I might try it one more time, but of course these next 2 weeks are near Labor Day travel.
We fly Southwest most of the time.
I have taken this flight probably 10 times over the past 15 months and until this summer the delays were very small so I think it is weather that is causing the plane from NYC to get in late (also coming from JFK which probably doesn't help).
SWA does have a direct flight from my local airport to Houston, so it takes a good part of the day to get there. PLus SWA has gotten very expensive to Houston ($500 v. $200 on Jet Blue)
On Jet Blue I leave at 7:15 and am in Houston by 10-10:30 central time. The flight back should be under 4 hours. In July I actually left Houston after I should have arrived in Boston. Last night the delay was just over an hour. And Hobby is not a particularly good airport to have to kill time in.
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.
With the cost of the flights, I think I'd stick with Jet Blue. Just try to plan your trips so that you don't have to work on the day after the return home. Since you work for yourself, is it possible to schedule yourself out of the office on the morning after your return? Perhaps you could put yourself back in the office at 11 or so. Then if you get in on time and can get a good rest, go in early to catch up on stuff. If you are late, then you can sleep in a bit before going in to work.
Unfortunately in your situation - flights delayed but best price - I'd stay with them even though I wouldn't want to. If you had other options that were feasible money wise then no, I would not stay with them, I would give another airline a chance.
I have flown Southwest a couple of times but the flights are not direct and my travel time doubles at least. I flew on USair in February-they flew in to Bush rather than Hobby (an hour v 15 minutes from my son's house and I was delayed 4 days getting back.
I wish Jet Blue had an earlier flight. I just think in the summer flying across the mid west is high risk for storms especially in the afternoon and evening. I have taken this flight almost every month for a year and until summer didn't have this problem. I am hoping that as fall rolls in, delays will stop. Then I just need to get through the winter and snow storms.
I am doing that next trip. My son works a good deal during the week so I like to get in the full weekend but may have to return on Saturday (or not go in to work the next day). Before Ryan, I got used to only seeing my son a few times a year. I have gotten spoiled.