SURPRISE! You're Going to Disney World!... PTR - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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So, I've been lurking for a week or so and you guys have some great advice and tips! I'd love for some advice on my upcoming trip!
You're all planners, so this part of the information will drive you crazy -- I have nothing planned! I know when I'm going, I've gotten quotes and changed some ideas a few times, but I'm not booking anything until Uncle Sam decides to give me back the interest-free loan I gave him in 2010
Who's Coming:
Me (Shan) - 33 years young. Been to Disney World several times since 1988, but my last trip was in 2008.
DD (Morgan/Mo) - will be 9 at the time of the trip. Took her first trip to WDW at 19 months old.
The rest of the players are yet to be determined. I may have some friends come over from Daytona and Jacksonville and hang out with us for a day or two and have invited my cousin to come but most likely she'll be in school so it will be the two of us!
The best part of this is that the whole adventure is a complete SURPRISE to Morgan!
The Plan:
To go to Disney World while Morgan is 9, as we all know when she turns 10 the price goes up!
Preliminary Plans:
April 15-20th - Wilderness Lodge, 6 Day hoppers plus counter service meal plan
Adjusted Plans:
April 15 - 20th - Hotel = ??, Annual Passes, counter service meal plan
The reason for the change is this - I've started training for a 5K, and have been convinced by a good friend to do the Princess Half-Marathon next February. So by buying the Annual Passes and using them in April they will still be good in February of next year.
This is where you guys come in:
Where to stay??? Mo has been itching to stay at Wilderness Lodge (as have I). I'm a bit of a deluxe resort whore. I enjoy being right next door to the Magic Kingdom. It's always where I spend the majority of my time (especially at nighttime). I've also had Mo fall asleep on me in transit back from the park at night, which leaves me with 80 lbs of dead weight to negotiate back to the room. So, staying right next to the park is a big plus (if the ride back to the hotel is shorter then there's less of a chance of her falling asleep on the ride back).
On the flip side, my aunt pointed out that if I stay at POP I can put the money that I save towards a long weekend trip in the fall (for Not So Scary or Christmas Party) which sounds like a great plan as well! Grr!
Anyone travel with "little" ones alone? Where would you stay?
Registered Message Board Members save 30% off PassPorter guidebooks! When you register you'll have access to a discount coupon good for 30% off the list price of PassPorter books in our online store.
WDW - August 1997 Off Property
WDW - January 2005 AKL
WDW - May 2006 Pop Century
WDW- november-dec 2007 pop century
WDW- dec/jan 2009/2010 pop century
WDW- oct/nov 2012 art of animation
WDW- sept 2013 port Orleans riverside
WDW- july 2015 beach club
Sounds like a great start. If you are going to purchase an AP you may be able to get an AP rate on a room only reservation, which would make a Deluxe Resort more affordable. I love the WL--its my second favorite after AKL! With a younger child I would definitely stay close to the MK! Keep your eyes open for discounts. If you book through a TA who specializes in WDW they will look for discounts for you as they are released, otherwise I use MouseSavers.com - Disney Discount Source - Disney World Discounts, Disneyland Discounts, Disney Cruise Discounts and the AP holder website--which you can access if you purchase an AP voucher before your trip--it won't be activated until you go to a ticket window at the park.
Thanks! I really want to do WL, but the idea of putting that money towards a fall adventure is sooooo tempting, so I'm thinking maybe Port Orleans as an option?? (I'm seriously overthinking here).
After reading about some of the great meals here, I decided to book two ADRs (just to have them): Le Cellier for late lunch the day before we leave (19th) and Crystal Palace the day after we arrive (also lunch) (16th).
And I'm kicking around the Wild Africa Trek... but for that I'm considering flying in the night of the 14th and doing that on the 15th. I'm assuming my Daytona friends will be joining us over the weekend and I don't want them to feel obligated to spend the extra cash on Wild Africa if they don't want to.
I downloaded an app on my blackberry where you can take all the attractions and rate them as high/medium/low/no priority and then check them off as you complete them. I thought it would be something fun for Mo to do (and it was only $3 so if we don't use it it's no big deal).
Oh, and the major downside of my almost 9 year old not knowing what's going on is that all my planning (and lurking on these boards) has to be done post bedtime, or while I'm at work! It was so much easier to surprise her when she was 5!
Sounds wonderful Shan. Mo is going to be so excited when she finds out! I think the AP may be a great choice especially if you plan a halloween weekend as well. I've also found sometimes with the APs the deluxe villas can be more affordable than the deluxe resorts. Not sure why, perhaps less people book them. But that might be another options... I think a deluxe studio with an AP discount would fall between the cost of a moderate and a deluxe but obviously compare the prices first.
Girl, you crack me up: "I'm a bit of a deluxe resort whore". Sounds like you are making some plans and they sound great. Good luck keeping your secret from Mo.
Sharon
Registered Message Board Members save 30% off PassPorter guidebooks! When you register you'll have access to a discount coupon good for 30% off the list price of PassPorter books in our online store.
Registered Message Board Members save 30% off PassPorter guidebooks! When you register you'll have access to a discount coupon good for 30% off the list price of PassPorter books in our online store.
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We may just see you, as we're there when you are. 
ADR's!! How fun to surprise Mo!! 
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