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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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!
Best wishes for a wonderful and magical new year!
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11-11-2015, 02:30 PM
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#1
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PassPorter Guide
 Community Rank: Globetrotter 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 3,041
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Feature Article: Adjusting Your Expectations for Your Walt Disney World Vacation - A Walt Disney World Planning Article
Adjusting Your Expectations for Your Walt Disney World Vacation - A Walt Disney World Planning Article
by Susanna Bucci
In October of 2013, my mother and I decided to go to Walt Disney World for my birthday.
We had a lot of research to do in terms of resorts to stay at and rides to make a beeline for. Eventually, we settled on Port Orleans: French Quarter (POFQ), and from the moment we set foot in the lobby, everything we had planned went off with out a hitch. Our room was not only ready, the requests we made had been met as well. POFQ was also one of the resorts testing out MagicBands at the time, so we felt rather special going through the parks with our cool 'bracelets'. My mother and I had a wonderful time, and upon returning home, we couldn't think of a single negative experience we'd had. Fast forward to October 2014. The 'Disney Bug' had officially bitten us, and we headed back to Walt Disney World for another trip. Since we'd had such a 'perfect' experience the previous year, our expectations were quite high, although we kept trying to remind ourselves that this would be a different trip. Well, when we checked into POFQ, our high hopes for perfection were dashed. We were told that, if we wanted a room that met our requests, we were going to have to wait a while before settling in. At first, we were pretty annoyed, and a bit surprised as well! However, we took the time to get some lunch, and when we returned, our room was ready. Throughout our trip, we noticed that the parks seemed a bit busier than in 2013. We were visiting a week earlier than the year before, and hadn't realized that the schools were having fall breaks. It wasn't enough to be upset about, but it was slightly frustrating.
It can be hard when things don't go as planned in life, but this is especially true for trips to Walt Disney World. You want everything to go just right, to be perfect, because goodness knows you're paying a lot of money for the experience! Perhaps you've read this far, and are thinking 'This doesn't even compare to the experience I had with my resort/crowds/food, etc.' With that in mind, I'd like to mention some things that will help keep you have realistic expectations the next time you head to Walt Disney World:
Resort Check In. Like most other hotels in the United States, Walt Disney World resorts have guests checking out by 11am, and checking in starting at 3pm. This means that your room doesn't HAVE to be ready until 3pm. If you get to your resort before this time, and your room IS ready, that's a pleasant surprise. However, it should not be expected each time you visit. If you do have to wait, store your luggage at the resort, and take some time to grab a bite to eat, go for a swim, or head right to the parks! Crowds. Common knowledge in the Disney community is that when school is out, the crowds are in. Spring breaks, summer time, and Christmas/New Years are the busiest times to visit Walt Disney World. However, as my mom and I found out last year, the parks can busier than expected during 'low crowd' times due to local school breaks and special events in the parks. Do some checking around online to see what will be going on in the parks during your stay. Additionally, try to find out what school breaks/athletic competitions are happening as well. This will help you adjust your expectations for crowd levels and general noise at your resort.
Reservations. When it comes to planning a trip, there are usually two dates that you must be aware of: the 180 day mark for dining reservations, and the 60 day mark for FastPass reservations (30 day mark if you are staying off site). It could be that on your first trip, you were able to get everything you wanted in terms of dining and FastPasses. However, the trip you are planning now isn't going quite as 'perfectly' as last time. The restaurant you loved doesn't have any openings for the times you want, and that FastPass you scored is now unavailable. Disappointing as this may be, use the opportunity to try something new! Couldn't get a reservation at Be Our Guest restaurant? Give Crystal Palace or Cinderella's Royal Table a try. Weren't able to get that coveted FastPass to meet Anna and Elsa? Use the extra slot for a ride you had to previously skip.
Maybe you had a perfect first trip like me, or perhaps it didn't go so well at all. Whatever the case, return trips to Walt Disney World can be different from that first experience, and that's okay! On our 2013 trip, my mother and I knew that the Food and Wine Festival was going on in Epcot, but we had no interest in taking part. In 2014, we felt the same way, until someone raved about a dish served at the kiosk in France. There were a few rides that we skipped (and tried) in 2013, feeling that they weren't worth our time or that they were must-do's. Now, we skip Test Track and head straight for Mission Space instead.
I hope you find this article helpful, and use the information to be as prepared as possible for your next stay!
Added to PassPorter's Article Collection on 11-03-2015 10:11 AM
What do you think? Please add your own comments, experiences, or news related to this article in this thread! Reader feedback is welcomed and encouraged.
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