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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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My DH and I are leaning towards buying into DVC when we go down in a couple weeks. I hope to be able to take a tour while there. We've looked at the sites and really like the VWL more than the others. If we really want this as our home resort, are we able to go on the waiting list for it or is that only available to current members. Does anyone know where you can find out how much the points would be for the sold out resorts or would it be better to just buy resale for VWL. I'm not opposed to SSR or AKL, just want to make sure I have all my info before I get there.
I believe DVC is currently selling points at VWL for $95 each. You'll get a much better deal via resale, but you will either have to pay cash or arrange your own financing.
Just be aware that VWL contracts end in 2042 while AKV run into 2057. AKV will cost you $1 more (thru DVC), but the contract runs 45% longer.
Even if those extra years aren't of any great value to you due to your age, one other aspect to consider is the resale value. Twenty years from now, VWL contracts will only have 15 years left while AKV will have 30 years left. If you should decide to sell (move to Disney area, buy a FL condo, vacation tastes change, financial reasons, etc.) the contract with 30 years left will be worth a LOT more than one with 15 years remaining.
We went throught he samething a few months back when we bought. We love VWL and really can not imagine staying elsewhere. When I told my guide this he said then that is where you should buy at. I had been looking at resales that were good deals but I wanted to book a vacation and didn't want to wait for ROFR. So we went through Disney. For financing the other resale companies out there do offer it but the interest rates are high as is Disneys. You would be better off with a home equity, if you need financing. To me the extra years didn't really mean anything I will be in my 70's. I also don't look at this as an investment other then investing in the fact that we can take a nice vacation every year.
Erica
__________________
2004 Wilderness Lodge
2005 Villas at Wilderness Lodge
2006 Villas at Wilderness Lodge
2007 Saratogo Springs Resort and Spa--Girls ONLY Trip
November 2007 first trip as DVC Members! Villas at Wilderness Lodge.
2008 Villas at Wilderness Lodge
Jan2010 Villas at Wilderness Lodge
Also keep in mind that you can always add points at SSR or AKV!
Our first contract is at VWL, second at BWV and we added 100 points at SSR in 2005. So we do have a contract expiring in 2042, but we also have a 2054 one, which gives us enough points to use the 11 month window elsewhere, too.
Thanks for all your input. It's a tough choice but I'm hoping to look at some when we go down. Who knows I may fall in love with SSR or AKL. So far I've only seen pictures.
Thanks for all your input. It's a tough choice but I'm hoping to look at some when we go down. Who knows I may fall in love with SSR or AKL. So far I've only seen pictures.
This is true! I thought we'd only buy at VWL since we loved WL so much. Then we toured SSR, and we both fell in love with it. The pool is really nice there. We haven't stayed there yet--- looking forward to our first trip there next year.
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