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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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View Poll Results: Do you aprove of the Non-Disney Hotels?
How do you feel about Non-Disney Hotels the Swan and the Dolphin, Hotel Plaza Blvd., and the upcoming Four Seasons. I believe they have no theme and suck up the magic. In some cases its more costly to. Which makes me ask the question why did Disney agree to have them to built on their properties? What do you think?
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My first choice for a pure WDW trip will always be a Disney resort (if I can get a good deal), but I have stayed in other hotels and have really liked them (Hotel Royal Plaza, Swan, Marriott World Center).
I definitely want to stay at the Swan / Dolphin one day. They look awesome! And hello - heavenly beds. I don't see anything wrong with non-Disney properties, personally. I say to each their own!
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I think asking if we "aprove" of Non-Disney hotels is a bit much. Sometimes
the only option is to stay off-site in Non-Disney hotels and as long as you
can go to Disney it really doesn't matter.
When we traveled to DL for a few days we stayed offsite because of 2
reasons: 1.) there are only 3 Disney hotels and they are $$ and 2.) we were
only there for 2 days and I couldn't justify spending more when we were
staying at another hotel in Temecula.
I like the Swan/Dolphin very much. It didn't ruin the magic for me but a lot of people feel that it does. That's what's great about the Orlando area, there is something for everyone's tastes.
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We stayed at the Dolphin one year and it was really nice. One of the other places we stayed was the Hilton at DTD because we had Hilton points and that was nice also. In May we stayed at the Hilton Vacation Club across from Sea World and that was really great because we has a 1 bedroom suite with kitchen and washer dryer.
Staying on Disney property is wonderful, but sometimes for various reasons you stay off property and that's ok too. The magic of the parks is still wonderful either way.
I'd stay there if there wasn't a room at BC / YC / BWI. They're very nice. You don't have to be immersed in theming 24/7 to enjoy your trip. I'm looking forward to the Four Seasons Hotel. It will be nice to have a real 4 star hotel delivering 4 star service charging 4 star prices instead of what WDW offers at present
I prefer staying at a WDW resort. Our first visit we stayed at a Marriott Courtyard and while nice, we decided on future visits we would prefer staying on site. I think it's more magical, EMH, DDP, parcel delivery, DME, and WDW transportation. When at WDW I don't have a car rental, and prefer using WDW transportation. Don't want to hassle with driving, parking, etc. while on vacay. It's not so much about what I approve or don't approve of, just my pref.
I don't think it matters one bit if any of us APPROVE of the non-Disney hotels or not. It's not up to the general public to "approve" of Disney's choice to allow another hotel chain build a non-themed resort on their property anyway.
I prefer to stay on property but many times we stay at Shades of Green, which is owned by the US government and is not "themed". We don't feel that the magic is "sucked up" in the least.
Many people don't feel the need to be immersed in Disney 24/7 during their trips, but prefer to stay as close as they can to the parks to allow for shorter travel times, EMHs or things like that.
I guess I am in the minority here. I see those motels as being for business travelers--which is good for them). But when I am at WDW I am total into the Walt World!!! So I have nothing against those motels for others--but as for me give me Mickey or give me death. (Man I gotta stop reading those Revolutionary War books)
I think it's about money as these hotels/resorts probably have to either buy the land, pay rent or give something to Disney. I also think it gives more choices for a Disney vacation. I think I'd rather stay at one of these vs. totally offsite if a WDW resort wasn't available.
On the reverse, how do people feel about Disney building properties in Hawaii and Washington D.C. and other sites outside of Orlando? Hawaii somehow makes more sense that D.C. to me.
What about Destinatins by Disney or whatever that end is called? Touring with Disney in Europe and Africa etc.?? I'm sure lots of folks have that thought when they hear about those offerings.
It's also about exposure in a market and the non-Disney properties want that exposure and Disney is benefiting from that. Disney has ventured in the cruise industry etc. to bring their name, quality etc. to other vacation options. I think the reverse is going on when non-Disney hotels want to be a part of Disney.
we only stayed off prop wheni was young. Once i stayed on prop for first time when i was 10, i will never stay off prop again for disney. If its just pure orlando, then yeah. When i was young we stayed at Marriot, sheraton, days inn, and best western. also the viking inn somewhere not too far from disney. that place was fun. Disney is a magical place and i ONLY stay on site now.
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there are times when we want to be at wdw like christmas - new years and just cannot swing the high cost of disney hotels.
In fact we are staying at masters inn, with fridge, will be only 36.00 a night.
so yes but my approval is not needed..
I would say I think the theming and architecture of the Swolphin is butt-ugly -- and I hate that they are as ginormously large as they are. (They swamp other landmarks and make me sad to see them.)
As for non-Disney-owned (like the Swolphin) or the off-property resorts... it's a matter of budget, need, priorities, etc. For some, they are the best option and I'm glad they are there for them.
Personally, I'd rather stay in a Disney Value resort than stay off-site for the same price, but that's because Disney meets *my* needs better, IMHO.
Eileen
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