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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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How long is the ride from the port back to the resorts. Becuase of airfare prices we are staying an extra day at the resorts. Has anyone ever done this? What time did you get to the resorts? I am wondering if there will be time for us to head to the parks that day?
We were off the boat by 7:45 and at the AK gates by 9 AM. You'd have to wait for the bus to fill up, but you should be able to get in park time that day
We had no problem going from port to AKL, then to DHS (I still type MGM first....) before lunch. To be safe, we planned ADRs and stuff for afternoon/evening, but you will have plenty of time to enjoy one of the parks.
My trip last December.... (beaware I was lucky as my room was ready )
Left ship approximately 7:45-next get luggage, clear customs.
Was being loaded on a van 8:00 (was first stop)
Drove straight to POR.
(don't remember exact arrival time)... was checked in, unpacked in my room, and waiting at the bus stop for the next MK bus at 9:45.
We had the latest seating for breakfast (8:15AM) and was off the ship about 9:30-ish and in TL by 11. You should definetly get park time that day.
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First trip DW--Nov. 1975; Senior Class Trip DW--Oct. 1979; First trip w/kids--Oct. 1995; Halloween at DW--Oct. 2002; Spring Break at DW--April 2004; Christmas/Pop Warner Nationals-POR--Dec. 2005;Cruisin'--April 2008; Mom/Son trip-POP--March 2010;Taggin' along w/DD on DH's conference-BWI--Oct. 2011; 50th birthday with the Gartner Geeks--Adults only!--BWI--Oct. 2012; The Trip That Almost Wasn't--BWI--Oct. 2013; We climbed The Summit (National Cheer Competition)--ASMovies--May 2014
Remind us, how is it determined how early you can get off the ship? We were just informed that our departing flight has been moved 2 1\2 hours earlier (11:30 now) and we can change to without penalty. Now we are trying to decide if we should stay the extra day and try to do as much in the parks as we can fit in in one day (we are having WDW withdrawal you see). Also, any advice on car rental in this case and how long that process has taken. We'd do a one way/one day rental. Could also use some advice on a fairly cheap hotel for the night.
Remind us, how is it determined how early you can get off the ship? We were just informed that our departing flight has been moved 2 1\2 hours earlier (11:30 now) and we can change to without penalty.
We had to fill out some form that asked for our departure information. DCL wanted to know what we were doing after we disembarked, ie. what airline we were taking and when our flight left, whether we were taking a private car, etc. apparently this helps them decide who leaves the ship early and who leaves later.
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Although you "should" be able to make 11:30, that's a "barely should". If you are one of the first ones off the ship, use DCL transfers and pre-check your bags, you'll probably be okay. But I worry about delays. Getting in to port, clearing immigration, clearing customs, getting a seat on the bus, getting to the airport, getting checked in, getting through security. Almost anything can blow what seemed like a comfortable margin. Eleven-thirty is earlier than all of the cruise lines recommend for Port Canaveral. Paranoid? Sweating bullets and blood? Okay, nothing will happen and you'll have plenty of time. As long as you're afraid you won't.
Worrywort is my middle name!! My stomach hurts already just thinking about it. We are now convinced, this is a perfect reason to call Airtran, switch the day and just "HAVE" to spend the Saturday at WDW!!!! Isn't life sad.... Now to just find that perfect hotel and rent a car... It just dawned on me though, I'm not sure we even know how to go to a park with out being there at rope drop!
Hey thanks to everyone for the great info. We're planning on a couple of days at the parks after our cruise. We needed to know how much of the day we would have after the cruise debarkation, and all this helped. Thanks again.
It just dawned on me though, I'm not sure we even know how to go to a park with out being there at rope drop!
Oh, that's easy. Take about a six foot length of velvet rope (steal it from some way too snooty club). Give five bucks each to two kids and have them stand in front of you about 4 feet apart. And then have them drop it. And they need to remember to tell you "Please walk, don't run".
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