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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Hi. I was wondering if Universal/IOA still has the fast pass kioskes(sp?) that allow you to swipe your park ticket? I heard they discontinued them, and now try to sell them to you.
thanks.
Welcome OrlandoFalcon to the Universal forums and the Passporter boards!
That's correct. Express Passes are no longer free. You can purchase them pretty much anywhere at the parks. Prices vary depending on the day you are visiting.
Welcome to the boards. I paid about $30 per person for the Universal Express in June. Which let us went into the express line once for each ride. I didn't enjoyed the fact that I spend extra money which I can only use once on each ride. I didn't really enjoyed it as the lines are almost the same. When Posiden broke down, the staff asked us to left via the back exits and said come back in a later time. Which we did, not able to get back into the express line because we have use it the last time.
They also sell the unlimited Universal express for both parks for one day for $149.99. Which I find is not worth it.
Thanks guys. I called em up, and the said the prices vary between $25-60 *gulp*. On the day we're going its $40. I think we'll do it, otherwise the entire day will be spent in lines. They told me that the Express Pass line is supposed to be about 15 minutes. I'll check back in afterwards to let yall know if its worth it.
When are you going? And how many people in your party? If there are 4 or more, you might do just as well to book a room at one of Universal's onsite resorts. This would give you unlimited entry to all Express lines for the length of your stay, better known as "front of the line" access. One night's stay would actually give you 2 days of "front of the line". We check in early before the parks open. Even though our rooms aren't ready we can get our room keys and head to the parks. Then they are good most of the day on the day you check out. Just show your room key to the ride attendant and they will direct you to the Express Pass line. Just another option to consider!
But definitely let us know your decision and how it turns out!
My opinion-I wouldn't buy them. We just went June 28th-July 5th. Yes-it was during a holiday & was really only VERY crowded on the 4th. We didn't waste the extra money on the express passes & was able to ride everything we wanted more than once. Yea-you stand in line a little longer but I couldn't see forking out the extra $$$. We found better ways to spend that $$$ in Florida!!! And-we still had a great time at Universal Studios & Islands of Adventure. Just my opinion though...
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When are you going? And how many people in your party? If there are 4 or more, you might do just as well to book a room at one of Universal's onsite resorts. This would give you unlimited entry to all Express lines for the length of your stay, better known as "front of the line" access. One night's stay would actually give you 2 days of "front of the line". We check in early before the parks open. Even though our rooms aren't ready we can get our room keys and head to the parks. Then they are good most of the day on the day you check out. Just show your room key to the ride atteback and they will direct you to the Express Pass line. Just another option to consider!
But definitely let us know your decision and how it turns out!
Its 4 adults , 3 kids, and 2 under 3's. I live here in Orlando, and my friends will stay in my guest house. I will give you guys feedback when the day is done.
For pretty much the same price you could vacation in your home town & spend a night at The Royal Pacific or Hard Rock for the same price as buying the express passes. You can get a AAA discount at the hotels too.
We're spending a night at the Hard Rock for the 2 days of unlimited express pass perk!
For pretty much the same price you could vacation in your home town & spend a night at The Royal Pacific or Hard Rock for the same price as buying the express passes. You can get a AAA discount at the hotels too.
We're spending a night at the Hard Rock for the 2 days of unlimited express pass perk!
Yeah, but its a family of 4 and a family of 5. We'd have to have 2 rooms, pack, and haul babies around, then have to eat at restaurants on top of it. Seeing as I live 20 minutes from the Parks, that wouldnt really make sense for us.
I got one of those blue tickets in the mail from Universal. It gives me a free ticket, and allows me to buy up to 6 @ $49.95, so its a good deal to start with.
I am talking to couple of folks, I got responses from Craigs List from, about getting a "hook up". I suspect they are employees. They say they can provide me with these Fast Passes for much less, and say they are willing to meet us, and go in the park to show they work.
As I said, I'll give yall the results. Hopefully it works out, and I can help someone else here have a nicer experience.
Last edited by OrlandoFalcon; 07-14-2008 at 11:41 AM..
Reminder that the passes you purchase only get you one ride on the major rides unlike staying on-site which gives you unlimited. I saw several very upset riders on our last trip to USF/IOA. Single rider is usually a good option as well.
I want to stay one night in May of 2009 for the express pass but it looks like all hotels are not available at this time. I am hoping that means that they are just not booking all rooms, and not that they are all full! BUT there are only two of us, and if we can not get a room we are going to try and do 2 parks in one day using the single rider lines. We did buy the express pass for around $35 each last year, but didn't go on some rides and wanted to do others twice, so I don't think I want to spend the extra money like that again. I'd rather spend money on a nice room and have an open ended option. I am holding out hope that a room will become available for the night I want it though!!
My DD and her family were just there last week. They bought the fast passes at US and said they were a complete waste of money. Since they didn't use them at all at US, she asked if they could trade them in to use them the next day and were told no. She went to I of A the 2nd day and did just fine without buying them for that park.
My DD and her family were just there last week. They bought the fast passes at US and said they were a complete waste of money. Since they didn't use them at all at US, she asked if they could trade them in to use them the next day and were told no. She went to I of A the 2nd day and did just fine without buying them for that park.
Hmm. Well, like I said, I havent been since they started selling them. I know when they were free, it made a world of difference. It would get me on Spiderman in 20 minutes when the quote time was 70 minutes.
I did find someone on craigslist that gets the unlimited, all day Fast Passes for free(she has a medical condition, so they give them to her). She is going to charge us $15 ea. I figure it cant hurt. I am spoiled, I won't stand in line more than 30 minutes to ride anything.
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