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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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For those cruising or have cruised on the Eastern how much cash do you ususally take for the shore trips/shopping? Or do you just use your credit card? Which do you feel is better? Do the shops prefer cash? Do you get better deals with cash?
Thanks for feed back
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Shops on land? The budget depends on your intentions. Some folks come looking to buy jewelry and other luxury goods, others are just looking for trinkets from the souvenir and snack vendors . That will also help determine whether you carry cash or charge. I'd charge major purchases, since that gives you added recourse if something's wrong with the merchandise purchased (appraisal is at odds with the description claimed on the receipt).
How much you budget depends on your plans. Will you be taking cab rides? Plan to eat on the island? Have a long gift list to fill? Set your budget based on U.S. big city prices and try to keep to it. Just keep your U.S. Customs limits in mind, if you plan to avoid the time spent paying extra duties when you return home.
Cash will be preferred by the souvenir vendors, of course, but be sure to carry small bills. Everybody takes U.S. dollars, but tend to give the local currency as change. You probably don't want to fork over $20 for a soft drink and get $18 in the local currency in return (unless you have other local purchases in mind).
The situation in St. Martin/Sint Maarten isn't as bad as it is on some other islands - you'll often get dollars as change on dollar-denominated purchases. Still, you never know. On the Eastern, we're talking about Euros (French St. Martin) and Netherlands Antilles Florins (Dutch Sint Maarten). The Euros as change may be a good investment - they'll probably be worth more the next time you travel. The Florins will be a bit of a pain. While they're tied to the U.S. dollar (so they won't be worth less or more the next time you visit), you'll probably want to convert them back to dollars before you leave.
St. Thomas, of course, uses good ol' greenbacks, so no issues there. You won't even be charged for currency conversion by the credit card company.
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Co-Author, PassPorter's Walt Disney World, PassPorter's Disney Cruise Line, and PassPorter's Disneyland and Southern California Attractions
The situation in St. Martin/Sint Maarten isn't as bad as it is on some other islands - you'll often get dollars as change on dollar-denominated purchases. Still, you never know. On the Eastern, we're talking about Euros (French St. Martin) and Netherlands Antilles Florins (Dutch Sint Maarten). The Euros as change may be a good investment - they'll probably be worth more the next time you travel. The Florins will be a bit of a pain. While they're tied to the U.S. dollar (so they won't be worth less or more the next time you visit), you'll probably want to convert them back to dollars before you leave.
I've been telling people to buy Eeros prior to their trips to Europe. There was a momentary drop this week, but I can't see that keeping up. I have a number of packages that are dollar priced based on rates negotiated last year. Those same vendors have told me that 2009 packages may be as much as 70% higher.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave Marx
St. Thomas, of course, uses good ol' greenbacks, so no issues there. You won't even be charged for currency conversion by the credit card company.
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