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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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I am looking at hotel rates for our upcoming trip to Universal. We are only staying for 3 nights. I am looking at AAA rates for Royal Pacific vs Hard Rock. HR is about $80 more for the three nights, total. I know it is closer to the parks, but how much of a difference is it, really? Which would you suggest for me, DH, and DS10 and DS5? $80 isn't too much to spend if it is worth it, but at the same time, I don't want to spend more if it isn't worth it. Get it? Any opinions would be appreciated!!
$80 total or $80 per night? For $80 total I would stay at the Hard Rock just for the closer proximity to the parks. I think it's worth it. But if your budget is tight I don't think you'll be disapointed with the Royal Pacific. I think the rooms at both are pretty much equal.
I'm trying to remember the walking distances for both. I think it's about a 10-15 min walk from the Royal Pacific to Citywalk at the bridge to IOA, another 5-7 min walk to US. The Hard Rock is about a 5 min walk to US and about another 5-7 minute walk to IOA. There are water taxis also available.
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Michelle - with my step sisters!
Last edited by Shell_of_the_South; 01-31-2009 at 04:15 PM..
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I think they may like the Hard Rock better. My kids loved the pool slide at the Hard Rock, and the underwater sound system. But you can pool hop at Universal hotels, so even if you stay at the RP you can still visit the HRH pool. The pool at RP doesn't have a slide but instead a water play area with water cannons, etc. They also did games and activities at the RP pool when we were there. They may do this also at HRH but I didn't notice it. The HRH theming is cool, but the RP is beautiful. It's more subtle theming than you see at Disney resorts.
If it were us, we wouldn't think twice about moving over to HRH for $80!
My two girls loved the HRH, but it was a bit loud for my taste. There was a concert in the hotel lobby when we were there, Forigner great music, but very loud. The pool is GREAT, with all kinds of activities . The girls were both 14 at the time. The room we had was HUGE, are the rooms at RP the same size? It is less than a five minute walk to the parks from HRH.
The room at RP are 335 sq. feet. At HR, they are 375 sq. feet. I am leaning towards the Hard Rock. Being closer to the parks is a plus. I know the boys (including DH) will love the pool - if it is warm enough to swim. I think that we are going to go that route, but please keep the opinions coming!
I've stayed at both, and both are quite nice! I think that your family would enjoy either resort. My personal favourite is HRH, but the RPR is a bit more relaxing. I think you can't go wrong with either, really. With a 5 year old, I might be inclined to pick the RPR due to the water play area, but then again, your 5 year old might really enjoy the water slides and rock music! I'd bet dollars to doughnuts that your 10 year old will love HRH, but would be quite happy with the water play area at RPR too.
I think they still allow pool hopping at the Universal resorts, so that may be an option to consider - pay $80 less, stay at RPR and visit the HRH pool area once or twice.
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Michelle - with my step sisters!
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