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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!
Welcome! We're happy you've found the PassPorter Community -- the friendliest place to plan your vacation to Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland, and the world in general! You are now viewing the PassPorter Message Board Community as a guest, which gives you limited access. As our guest, feel free to browse our messages by selecting the forum you want to visit from the list below.
To post messages and ask questions, join our FREE community today and you'll get access to tools and resources not available to guests, such as our vacation countown timers, "living" avatars, private messaging system, database searches, downloads, and a special PassPorter discount code. Registration is fast, simple, and completely free. Just click the Join Our Community link.
If you think you've already joined, log in below now. If you don't remember your member name or password, please visit our Member Name and Password Recovery page. You are also welcome to contact us.
Hello all
This is my first time on this board and am very excited about it. I have never been to Disney and am planning a trip with my 2 children(ages 8 and 4) for May of 2003. Yes, its way in advance but I need to save as I am a single mom. I would like to know if its best to book on the disney web page, through a travel agent or on your own? Also I am looking for either the value or moderate hotels in disney. Any advice or experience is greatly appreciated. Also I may be asking many questions and I hope that doesnt bother anyone. Thanks [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]
Hi!
Welcome to the boards -- feel free to ask as many questions as you like. Everyone here is VERY helpful! [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]
In my experience, I have only booked my WDW trips on my own -- through CRO. I have found it to be very easy to do, and I have never had any problems with doing this. Others like to use travel agents & so forth. I guess it all depends on you, what you want from the trip (ie. total packages, airline ressies, etc.), etc. Hopefully that makes sense.
I have stayed at the Poly (Deluxe), WL (Deluxe), CS (moderate), and the former DXL (moderate). I have had absolutely wonderful stays at each of these resorts. This November, I will be staying at PO French Qtr. Each resort on WDW property offers a unique, different experience through it's theming, dining options, location, etc. You cannot go wrong with any of them!
In order to help you better "choose" your lodging, here are a few questions: What are your "priorities" for this trip? Where will you be likely to spend most of your time (as in which park)? Does you family enjoy swimming in the resort pool?
Hope you enjoy the boards!
All Ears (Michelle) [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]
I'm probably not too much help and agree with All Ears that planning is personal. It looks like you have plenty of time to plan and if you haven't hooked up with "Jean" on the board yet, I would definately recommend that you do. I booked with a travel agent before I found Passporter (you will love the book and the board [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]). I'm pretty sure I could have saved some $, but was too excited when the family vacation vote was tallied and I called an agent and was booked within a couple of hours. Anyway, there is no doubt you can save $ and still plan a 1st rate vacation at WDW, but as All Ears mentioned there are details such as flexability on travel dates, AAA discounts, AP discounts......Jean can answer nearly any question you can come up with on which is the best way to go. Drop her a post and "start experiencing the magic"! I will definately ask Jean's help in planning my next WDW vacation.
Thanks for the replies. My priorities (All Ears) are to spent time at all the parks except epcot. I am not sure about the water parks as of yet. I know I would like to try one of them while we are there. I am planning on spending some time at the parks and then coming back to the resort for some "naps" or downtime. I guess I am quite nervous about the whole thing. When do I book this trip, will I have enough money saved, mostly am I doing the right thing. Any advice on when to book and which resort is good is appreciated. Should I look for a package deal or just book the room, the airline and buy the tickets separately? This is all new as I have said before and would like to make this memorable for my children, myself and my mom. So, anyone with advice I am listening. Thanks again [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]
You've come to the right place for friendly advice.
It takes me quite a while to save enough money for our trips as I am only one person and this time I'm taking 5 people with me [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img].
I have already booked my package for Nov/Dec of 2002. I like to book in advance so that I can have enough time to pay everything off before I go.
Whether you go with WDW Travel, a travel agent or on your own really depends on what you want and how you want to go about getting it. I think a lot of people on the boards book their own vacations, but I usually go with a WDW package. I like the convenience and I can make payments on my own schedule through CRO.
As for the resorts, All Ears is right, any of the resorts will be just fine. Take in to consideration how much time you plan on being in your room, where you want to spend the most time and how important a good swimming pool is to your family.
There are a ton of things to do and see and you'll have a wonderful time once you get there. Just remember that planning can be as much fun as the trip so get comfortable and start reading these boards and things will start falling in to place [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]
Just remember there are no stupid questions and we're all here to make sure your first trip is a wonderful one!!!
I am also a single mom with two children (11 and 9). We just returned from our first trip to Disney World (6 days) last month. We stayed at the Caribbean Beach Resort and liked it a lot. This happened to be our first real vacation anywhere so I was quite apprehensive about the whole endeavor. I chose to go the package route and, though I could have saved some money booking the components myself, I do not regret the decision to use the services of a reputable travel agent. Knowing that I could call my agent for help whenever I had a question/problem did a lot to help me relax so that I could enjoy my vacation. Our vacation required a lot of money and energy. Was it worth it? A definite 'yes'! We've already begun saving for our next trip! And with all the info I've acquired from this and other boards, I'm leaning towards booking the trip myself!!
I don't use travel agents because I am a control freak and like to be in charge of our own plans. (Although, Jean sounds like the TA I would pick if I picked one.) [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]
We had originally decided to book a package through WDTC, when someone clued us into PassPorter.
With the same budget as before, we are now staying twice as long. I also believe the quality of the vacation will be better since the wonderful people on these boards have informed us of many things that we wouldn't have known otherwise. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] (Thank you again, guys!!) For instance, table service restaurants were not something we had really considered, but we have at least one PS each day of our trip, now, thanks to everyone's raves about the restaurants.
We have saved for almost 20 months for this trip, and decided to splurge on 3 nights at the Polynesian, when we found an unbelievable rate online, since it will probably be at least five years till we come back. (long story, hubby is in the service, and he won't be back on shore duty until then, and you just can't plan that far ahead on a ship. Heck, we had to reschedule our wedding three times!)
Also, DD and I have had an absolute blast making all the plans ourselves, which has prolonged the excitement of the vacation.
Whatever you decide, your kids sure are lucky to have a mom like you. The things you do together as a family will never be forgotten.
Don't forget to get your DisneyTime countdown onto your computer! http://pluto.njcc.com/~csink
If this is your first time to WDW, you will have a great time and will definitely want to return again and again! Because it is rather expensive, we go only every other year. However we start planning our next trip to WDW as soon as we return from Florida. We did a hotel/air package the first year, and the last time we went, we did everything separately. I think we have actually come out ahead by booking air/hotel/rental car etc separately. We are going to Port Orleans this November and booked our rooms over a year ago. We got a great deal on the rooms using the Disney Club membership card. We figured that we saved probably $500 over the regular rate doing the booking ourselves with this discount. As far as airfare, we are constantly checking the internet for special deals. Last time when we flew down to Orlando, we found a deal where the kids ended up flying for only around $89 RT. Good luck to you in your trip planning!
I am not a single mom, but I play one [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] (my husband is a writer with no reliable income) and we have three kids so stay a lot in recent years in the All Star Resorts. We have been in all of the upscale resorts except the GF and AKL and all the moderates, we have stayed in the Villa's and the Wilderness cabins (These during the years when we had fewer children and my parents to help out). All in all, we are quite satisfied with the ASresorts because they allow us to have more than one room or stay extra days with the money saved. We think the themeing is great and the food courts fine. If you are on a tight budget, you might consider these resorts as an alternative.
LMR,
I hope you are receiving some of the answers to your questions. I do have one suggestion for you -- maybe you could call and order the "planning video" from WDW. (this is still available, right guys?!) When my DH and I went on our first trip ever, this is what we did. It kind of gave us an overall preview of what we would be able to see and do there. This might help you narow down your choices a bit.
As for not being interested in Epcot, is this due to the kids -- you -- or both? I think Epcot is certainly worth checking out, esp. for the great night-time shows like TON (although changing it's format this fall) & Illuminations and then there's World Showcase... [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]
I really think you will be happy wherever you stay. Many people rave about the All Stars & CBR. I have yet to have a "bad experience" at any WDW resort -- and I don't think I ever will. Each resort is magical in it's own unique way.
Another thing to consider, is thinking about what individual park you will spend most of your time at and book a resort "closest" to that park. This will make "mid-day" breaks (which for me are an absolute MUST!) and commute times easier to manage.
Value seasons may also help with your budgeting. Rates will typically be lower as will crowd levels -- so you will get the most "bang for your buck."
Just keep firing away with your questions as you think of them. [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]
All Ears
We've done both - a package deal, and doing it myself. When we had our family reunion trip earlier this year, I did a price comparison on the packages vs. booking it ourselves. Depending on which of the three families you were looking at, we saved $100 - $400.
You might also consider purchasing an annual pass. Depending on how long you are staying, it may be close to same cost as your length of stay pass. You can get some great discounts on rooms with the AP discount. You don't need to have your annual pass to get the AP rate, but you will need it when you check in. The AP rates are usually posted about 2 months before.
You can book your rooms at any time. You can book now for May 2003. Just remember that if you decide to purchase the Disney Club card or look for discounts, you won't be able to do that until sometime around October of 2002. You can call CRO and ask if the discount is available, and you can have it applied to your existing reservation.
My best piece of advice is to keep your eyes and ears open about discounts. Order the planning video, and if you decide to book it yourself, keep an eye on the airfares about 4 months before your trip. (In my opinion, airfare is the hardest thing to predict.)
We haven't stayed at the All-stars yet, but will be in August. We've stayed at PO three years ago, and my DD loved the Dragon Slide.
I would suggest having your children look at the resorts, and see which one seems to be the favorite. You can either get a book from a travel agent, or look on the Disney website.
This is getting long, so I'll stop now. If you have any other questions, just ask. Everyone on this board is very helpful.
I forgot to mention Epcot. Why is Epcot out? Our DD LOVES this park. She loved it when she was almost 3, and again at 5. If you are concerned about your kids not being that interested in it, you might be surprised!
LMR30, Welcome to the PassPorter Message Boards! [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]
I always book our own WDW vacation. Jean our very own Travel Agent who can be found hanging out on the "Ask The Trave Agent" forum is very helpful and comes up with some good helpful saving tips and rates.
Now since you won't be going until sometime in 2003, why not let all your relatives/friends that give gifts to the kids a suggestion of getting them Disney Dollars for Birthdays, Holidays, Christmas or for any other reason. Disney Dollars can add up if saved over a period of time and are good anywhere on Disney Property. [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Also save all your loose change... you will be surprised how much money you can accumulate in just a short time... us this only for spending money on your vacation.
Never hesitate to post! [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] There is usually someone else with the same exact question in the back of their mind. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]
For your first (or any) trip to Disney, I strongly recommend Birnbaum's Disney guide. You can get one at a book store, travel agent, or even at Ebay auctions. Get the latest one (2000 or 2001) since prices and attractions change every few years. If you're an experienced traveler, organized and resourceful you can plan your trip without an agent. But I think you're better off with an agent the first time out. An Agent can answer your questions, tell you about discounts and other inside scoops from the perspective of someone who's been there, done that. Getting an agent doesn't mean you give up total control either. When I booked my trip I did a resort magic package but arranged my own airfaire. It depends how informed and confident you are about where you're going. This time around I'm planning it myself...having been there and done tons of research I feel I know what I'm doing more or less.
HOTEL
I stayed at All Star Music and it was perfect because I wanted to concentrate on the parks, was on a limitted budget but wanted the convienience of staying on site. It was comfortable and clean...staying in these cheaper rooms is not "slumming"! We are NOT talking motel 6 here. The difference between these hotels and the luxury hotels? In the All Stars you can get pizza delivery to your room but not a "full service" room service. The rooms are slightly smaller but defintely comfortable. The decor is more themed and festive than say the sophisticated, fancy resort look of say the Polynesian. Bottom line, if you honestly are going to spend a lot of time in your room and actually sit at night on the balcony than book a moderate or luxury room. But if you're planning on really hitting the parks and have been satisfied with your average hotel in your past travels then you won't regret the value resorts and the kids might like the colorful larger than life decor. Keep in mind that you are still free to take in dinner at any Hotel or park and book an appointment at one of the spas no matter where you stay. You can still live it up and sleep in a less expensive room:-)
Word of advice no matter where you choose to sleep pay attention to proximity of the things that are important to you when picking rooms. Which park will you spend the most time in? Are you near the restaurant, pool? Will it be high traffic/ noisy where you are? Don't be afraid to ask if you are near stairs/ elevator or facing a noisy courtyard whether booking on your own or with an agent.
Transportation
If you're in All Stars that means, you step outside to the curb and stand by the sign corresponding to the park you wish to visit. A Disney bus will pick you up and you're off. The moderate and luxury hotels have in addition to bus service a water taxi or a monorail. I found the bus service to be convienient and very efficient. The bus service at the All Stars is slightly quicker than a bus at some of the other Disney resorts because there are less stops! This fact is documented in Birnbaum's:-)
PASSES
With the resort magic plan I had unlimitted access to All theme parks including the water parks and Pleasure Island. For me this was good because I stayed a full seven days at Disney and my first time there I wanted to be able to do everything I could get my hands on. If you are staying on site for six days or more and want the freedom to come and go as you please through all the attractions then a Resort magic plan might be the way to go. This plan includes the "ULTIMATE PARK HOPPER." This pass is good for your length of stay(2-10 days) only and expires when you check out. Adult prices range from $115(two days) to $317 (seven days) and $402 (10 days) and is automatically part of your bill for resort magic plan. If you're sure you want to spend the majority of time at the major theme parks and only want to vist one or two water parks then maybe PARK HOPPER PLUS is the way to go. You can bounce between the main theme parks (unlimitted) and have an option to choose 2, or 3 options from the remaining three water parks and Pleasure Island. This is a good deal if you're spending at least 5 days or less. The unused days on your PLUS pass NEVER expire and can be used on a future Disney trip. If you're likely to visit again soon this can come in handy. If you're spending 6 days or more I recommend doing the resort magic deal...the seven day PLUS ticket is $314...$3 bucks more will get you the magic plan.
I hope this has been of some help, feel free to e-mail me if you have specific questions. Don't be nervous, you'll have blast!! Talking about Disney and seeing it are two different things and I cannot tell you how much fun and how easy this trip was. Again, get the Birnbaum guide if you don't already have it, this is litterally everything you ever wanted to know about Disney. Have fun! qmorgana@hotmail.com
Welcome to the PassPorter Message Boards Fabienne! [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]
Congratulations on your up coming wedding! I have no idea about the spa treatments but you may want to make your own posting on this subject as I know there have been others that enjoyed their treatments [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]! This way maybe those who might not read this posting may read yours [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]. (hope I said that right [img]images/icons/confused.gif[/img] )
Thanks alot for all the responses. I was looking into the discovery plan. What is the difference between the two. I am planning on staying for 8days/7 nights. Thanks again and welcome Fabienne. I am pretty new to this board too.
About This Page: 
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
Linear Mode
