Forums Closed
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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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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06-16-2016, 07:12 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: Starting Your Vacation in Style - A Vacation Planning Article
Starting Your Vacation in Style - A Vacation Planning Article
by Cheryl Pendry
We all look forward to vacations, and they’re great fun when we get there, but sometimes it’s really fun to start those vacations in style.
Perhaps it’s because we’re so far from our happy place in Walt Disney World (or Disneyland for that matter!) that we like to start our vacation at the earliest possible opportunity. However, some of it is also to do with not wanting anything to go wrong with our vacation plans, and that’s why we often book a hotel at the airport the night before we travel. We’re only 40 minutes’ drive from the airport we usually fly from, but as our flights are usually in the morning, and rush hour can easily double that time, or worse if there’s an accident, we never take the risk of getting stuck in traffic. We’ve heard horror stories from friends who thought they’d left enough time, only to find themselves racing to check-in, clear security, and then catch their flight.
If you are looking at an airport hotel, it all comes down to location. Some airports will have a hotel on-site, meaning you’re just a short walk away from the terminal. Examples include our very own London Gatwick, Orlando, which is home to the Hyatt, and we also enjoyed our stay at the Fairmont at Vancouver after our Alaskan cruise. It makes for a much more relaxed start to the day, if your destination is just a short stroll away.</p>
Sadly, many airports don’t offer that option, and in those cases, it’s worth checking out what the situation is with shuttle buses to get you to the airport. Some will offer them, while at others you may need to take a taxi. It’s also worth checking whether the shuttle buses are complimentary, or if they make a charge. Many of the hotels around London Heathrow, for example, are served by a shuttle service that’s operated by an external company and, as a result, there’s a charge made for it. Something else you might want to consider is parking if you’re driving to the airport. If you’re staying at an airport hotel, they may offer packages that include airport parking for a certain number of days. It’s worth looking into these, as we’ve scored some real bargains in the past. I’ve never forgotten seeing the rack rate at the London Gatwick Hilton, and realizing I’d actually paid less than that price, and that included 15 days’ worth of parking!
Another option which works well if you’re just driving straight to the airport, or is worth looking at for off-site airport hotels is meet and greet or valet parking. After one vacation, where we had to go to a long term parking lot to drop the car off, then drag our cases on to a bus to the terminal, and repeat the whole process when we returned home, we’d had enough. There had to be an easier way, and there was.
Admittedly, you need to be careful with such companies, as there are some rogue ones out there, so always check for customer reviews before booking, but they can really help the start and end of your vacation to be as smooth as possible. There is nothing better than driving up, and being met at the terminal building, leaving your car in safe hands, and heading off. It really is a relaxing way to start things off.
Talking of relaxing, it’s also worth exploring whether your airport has a lounge that’s available to the paying public. Airlines often have lounges for their business or first class passengers, but these days, more airports are adding in lounges that you anyone can enjoy – for the right price of course! As with many other things, it’s worth doing your research, as some will include food and drink in the price, and you may even be able to indulge in an adult beverage without having to pay extra.
Aside from that, it’s often worth it for the relative peace and quiet you’ll find in a lounge. They tend to offer comfortable seating, power points for any electrical devices that may need topping up before your flight, and some may also have other amenities. This can include showers, special areas for children and/or teenagers, and maybe even a games area. In one lounge, we’ve come across a billiards table before. You do need to check when you enter however what the arrangements are with boarding calls, as it still remains your responsibility to get to your gate on time. Sometimes they ask you which flight you’re on, and reception staff may come to you, but you can’t rely on that. We usually try to grab a seat with an easy view of the departure boards, so that we’re always kept updated.
There’s no doubt that if you’re starting your vacation at an airport, it can be stressful, with luggage check-in, security checks, and most importantly, making your flight. However, we’ve found over the years that a combination of airport hotels, valet parking and airport lounges can help to take the stress away, and ensure you start your vacation in a relaxed mood before you jet off to wherever is your happy place.
Added to PassPorter's Article Collection on 06-08-2016 01:06 PM
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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