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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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we are really thinking of adding the disney dining package to our reservation the total would be only 1.100 for 4 adults thats only 550.00 per couple and like 275.00 per person thats not really that bad when its broke down like that my ? is do you think its worth it we all ready have like 4 charecters meals allready and about 3 other place we would like to try that we have never been at before so it was really adding up but it looks like the DDP has a snack counter meal and table meal for everyday of the trip. Now we want to have dinner at the cinderellas castel that is two table service credits how soes that work?. if we pay for the dining upgrade then all we need is money for souviners and one night of disney quest i would really like all the pros and cons the good and the bad as we have never got this before thanks in advance
Traci
I've done it both ways (out of pocket and dining plan) and I would recommend the dining plan. When we weren't on the dining plan we ate a lot of counter service meals since it was expensive for us to eat a sit down everyday. However, with the dining plan we are able to have a sit down and not worry about what we order off the menu. That's a nice feeling, plus knowing that we have our meals paid for before we arrive.
If you have four character meals already schedules plus CRT, then you may want to compare the price for paying out of pocket vs. the dining plan. Allears.net has all the menus with prices, so I would start there. As for CRT, it is two dining credits so if you have 10 table service credits per person, after dining there you would only have 8 per person. So for example, if you plan a sit-down meal everyday of your trip one day you would have to pay out of pocket to cover the "shortage."
The dining plan can be a little confusing. Hope this answers some of your questions!
You are staying onsite right? I'm a big fan of the dining plan. If you plan already to eat mostly in the parks and have a table service meal per day then you'd probably be better off with the dining plan. Go to Allears menu and see which restaurant has the cheapest prices and pay that one out of pocket to make up for your 2 credit meal.
The dining plan was a bit confusing for us when we first got it, however the CMs are more than willing to help you figure it out. My suggestion to you is to always make sure you tell your CM when you sit down that you are on the dining plan and always always always (did I stress that enough? ) check your receipts to make sure the proper number of credits were deducted.
I'm a big supporter of the dining plan. We do the deluxe dining plan and eat at the top of the line restaurants . The only thing you have to worry about is the tip.
I would never go to WDW again without the Dinning Plan.
We did the Deluxe last year and it was too much food, however we still saved money using it.
This year we are doing the Basic (we are lucky and it was free though I would have purchased if it was not)
So here are my 2cp (from a novice) for whatever they count for
To me, knowing I already have paid for my food makes it worth it even if I did not even save a dime, I hate worrying about budgets while on vacation (I am a big fan of all inclusive resorts as well for this reason)
Cons =
The Plan can be confusing about what is and is not included.
If you are a real bargian shopper you could easily eat well for less then the plan.
I would def. recommend the dining plan, for several reasons. You don't have to worry about carrying cash around with you all the time. It's nice to be able to eat pretty much anywhere you want too. If you do the figures, you're saving quite a bit...and you get to go to the nicer places and eat with the characters!
When I booked the DDP (I'm getting it for FREE..woohoo!), I received an email that contained a link with all details and specifics and it's pretty self explanatory. There is a list included with all restaurants on the plan as well. You can also request a printout at the guest services desk at your resort that shows what you've used, etc. Also keep in mind, you can mix them up any way you choose. For example, You can choose to use two sitdown table service meals in one day and use two quick service meals the next. Same goes with snacks...you can use them all up in the first two or three days of your trip..and just pay out of pocket for the remaining days you're there. It's your choice how and when you want to use any of these options, as long as you know you only get the desired number you purchased. Hope this makes sense.
I love the Dining Plan. I have saved receipts from the 3 trips I've had the plan. Each year I do save money over what I spent on the dining plan. The one thing I've never investigated: what I ACTUALLY would have spent on food at WDW. For example, we ordered ribs at Sci-Fi, because they were included in the plan. Had I been paying cash, we would have orderd sandwiches. And normally, we never order dessert. So, I would spend less (most likely) if paying cash; however, I get to eat much more expensive meals on the plan. And I don't have to worry about money on vacation. The meals are already paid for. I sure hope this is making sense.
Because it's paid up front, I don't have to worry about money (expenses) on the trip and we get to go to way cool restaurants, I will always get the basic dining plan. We have no trouble with the table service and snack credits, but always have 1 or 2 counter service meals left. We usually get a counter meal when we return late from the parks and share it. It is just the right amount of food for a bedtime snack.
Good Luck with your Planning
I would never go to WDW again without the Dinning Plan.
Not only because of the possible value, but I also like how all our meals are paid up front. I think it is worth it as long as you take advantage of it meaning making sure you eat at the places where you will get the most for your money.
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