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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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We are planning our next trip for Oct of 08.....should we book soon or can we wait???
We were hoping to pay for most (if not all) of the trip with our income tax return, which we'll get probably in March, a good 7 months before the trip. Do you think that's enough time??? Should we try hard to get a deposit now on the room and add the rest of the package later?? Are 08 prices even out yet?
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Stephanie- Mom to Jaden and Emerson, Wife to Keith, Novelist
I'm an independent agent with Fairytale Journeys, specializing in Disney vacations!
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Yes, 2008 rates are out so if you wanted, you could go ahead and make your ressies. We are going in May 08 and I made our ressies in July before the rates even came out (of course I have since changed our ressies to include tickets and DDP).
If it were me, I would make the ressies. You can always change if you need to.
I 2nd making the ressie now. I am extremely anal-retentive at making sure things are right; and by booking as soon as you can book you're guaranteed to stay at the resort you have your heart set on.
You're fine waiting until tax time to pay for it too-on packages you have to have them paid off 45 days prior to arrival; with a room-only ressie you can leave it until you check in!!
I used to make a room-only ressie about 18 months ahead of time; I then convert to a package when the appropriate package rates are let out. I at least can rest easy knowing the hard part is done-our bed is saved for our worn-out bodies!!
It's not nessecary to book a WDW trip more than a year ahead of time, but it doesn't hurt, either, so go ahead and book as soon as your dates are firmed up.
The exception to this, of course, is any time a ressie is non-refundable or requires additional payment to change it in any way. As long as you have the option to change your ressie if your plans change, then it's okay to make a ressie as far in advance as you like. Disney ressies are good this way; not only can you change them if your plans change, but you can re-book at a lower rate any time a discount comes out.
We are planning our next trip for Oct of 08.....should we book soon or can we wait???
We were hoping to pay for most (if not all) of the trip with our income tax return, which we'll get probably in March, a good 7 months before the trip. Do you think that's enough time??? Should we try hard to get a deposit now on the room and add the rest of the package later?? Are 08 prices even out yet?
We have a trip planned for Sept '08 and booked as soon as the '08 prices came out in August . We have the deposit paid, and are making payments along the way. I say go for it!!
I usually book as soon as I know my dates and if I'm happy with the rates for that time. I'm hoping to book for our October / November 2008 trip early in the new year, as the air fares should be out in December.
Like Will mentioned, especially for October, book early, but not usually necessary to book farther than a year out as the availability for that time of year is pretty good.
However, if you can swing the $200 deposit earlier than later, it is not a bad idea to get the reservation in and held before your taxes come back in March. Your final payment will not be due until 45 days prior to arrival or you can do what many of my clients do and just make weekly or monthly payments. It is amazing how quickly the trip gets paid off like that!
If doing the $200 is a bit tight, waiting is not bad at all. If you have more than one resort that you are interested in, chances are that there will be availability in March for your October trip.
I have to agree with those that say book now. If you use one of the many wonderful Disney travel agents they'll usually keep their eyes open for a better deal for you and you can change as it get's closer.
One thing I have noticed is that the sooner it's paid off the quicker my DH forgets how much it's costing and he's less worried about what we are spending when we are actually there.
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. We have the deposit paid, and are making payments along the way. I say go for it!!
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