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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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 there,
We are in the very beginning stages of planning a trip to, among other places, Chicago. I'm wondering if anyone is familiar with the Windy City so that I can get suggestions about where to stay. I already know that we want to see the Shedd Aquarium, the Field Museum, the Museum of Science and Industry and the Navy Pier.
So, any suggestions for a good place to stay, not too expensive, safe neighborhood, close to public transportation, etc?
Thanks!
__________________
**Meg**
Upcoming Trips:
2/16--Girl's Cruise on the Magic
7/2017--Sophie's 7th Birthday Blowout at AKV
PassPorter's Free-Book to Walt Disney World It’s hard to believe anything is free at Walt Disney World; but there are actually a number of things you can get or do for little to no cost. This e-book documents over 200 free or cheap tips to do before you go and after you arrive. You could save a considerable amount of money following these tips. Perhaps more importantly; you can discover overlooked attractions and little-known details most people whiz by on their way to spend money. Click here to see free sample pages from the e-book! Get this popular e-book free of extra charges when you join the PassPorter's Club for as little as $4.95. A club pass includes access to all our other e-books; e-worksheets; super-size photos; and more! This e-book is also available for separate purchase in the PassPorter Online Store for just $5.95.
We stayed at the Express by Holiday Inn along the Magnificent Mile. It was reasonably priced, but the room was tiny. I can't remember where Lesley (WDWfan) stayed, but her room was amazing and that was a good location as well.
I don't have much time before I get ready for a full day of work; but I can at least let you know that I had a great stay at Club Quarters at Wacker and Michigan. It's right across the street from the new Trump Tower at the base of the Magnificient Mile which means it is at the center of Chicago. The staff was friendly and helpful. Of course, I'm a bit biased because they gave me a bit of a free upgrade when I checked in. I got a great rate through Orbitz. For my stay at the end of June I paid about $80/night. The room was clean. After staying there I wanted to stay there for every time I visit Chicago.
PassPorter's Free-Book to Walt Disney World It’s hard to believe anything is free at Walt Disney World; but there are actually a number of things you can get or do for little to no cost. This e-book documents over 200 free or cheap tips to do before you go and after you arrive. You could save a considerable amount of money following these tips. Perhaps more importantly; you can discover overlooked attractions and little-known details most people whiz by on their way to spend money. Click here to see free sample pages from the e-book! Get this popular e-book free of extra charges when you join the PassPorter's Club for as little as $4.95. A club pass includes access to all our other e-books; e-worksheets; super-size photos; and more! This e-book is also available for separate purchase in the PassPorter Online Store for just $5.95.
If you'd like to stay downtown, I'd recommend looking on hotwire.com for the best deals and stay in the Magnificent Mile, North Michigan Ave, Streeterville or the Loop area (not south or west loop). We can usually get 3-4 star (stay at or above 3 star) hotel for under $100. If having a car, just keep in mind that parking at the hotel will cost you between $30-35 a day. I've never stayed outside of the downtown area in another part of Chicago. Lincoln Park is very nice but FYI they are having an issue right now with muggings (due to the economy).
Another option would be to stay in the suburbs and take the train (metrarail.com) into the city and take CTA public transportation from there. Schaumburg, Arlington Heights, Lombard, Elmhurst, Oak Brook are all nice communities located near a train line. It would mean more time spent commuting as they are an hour out of the city.
If you can stay in the Loop and take the CTA to get around. There are also free trolleys running through the loop and on Michigan Avenue every 15-20min.
If you can stay in the Loop and take the CTA to get around. There are also free trolleys running through the loop and on Michigan Avenue every 15-20min.
I think I read that the free trolleys are no more due to budget cuts by the city.
__________________
Michele
I'm living the dream 20 minutes from Disney! Next trip...tomorrow. Follow me on instagram at ShirtsByShell
I think I read that the free trolleys are no more due to budget cuts by the city.
It looks like your right! The only free trolley that is still up and runnning is the one that travels to Navy Pier (from the CTA red line). That's because it's owned by Navy Pier.
We just came back from Chicago two weeks ago and stayed out in Lombard. The hotel was a Westin and I got it through Hotwire for either $69 or $89 a night. We drove downtown and parked every day. It was expensive, but it was easier with the kids.
Also, the hotel was right by a mall and a Target. The mall had an Ed Debevic's that we ate at one night. It was quick access to Highway 88 that went into 290 and took us downtown.
I would also highly recommend the Citypass. We bought it our first day at Shedd's and it helped when we went to Sears tower. The line to get tickets and to get on the elevators was probably an hour or two long. We walked right past all of it and went upstairs with the Citypass. We also bypassed a long line at the Science and Industry Musuem. Not only was it a savings, it helped not waiting in line.
You can PM me if you want any further information.
The view out of my hotel room that looks out onto Marina City, affectionately known as the corn cobs.
Inside my room was a microwave, sink, and refigerator:
The best part was the location. Every El line and many bus routes passed right by the hotel since it's wedged between the Magnificent Mile and the Loop. Super, super convenient. I went to the Jewel Supermarket not too far away and picked up my CTA one day pass. They also sold transit passes for longer periods of time.
I would also highly recommend the Citypass. We bought it our first day at Shedd's and it helped when we went to Sears tower. The line to get tickets and to get on the elevators was probably an hour or two long. We walked right past all of it and went upstairs with the Citypass. We also bypassed a long line at the Science and Industry Musuem. Not only was it a savings, it helped not waiting in line.
That's a good point. It's worth thinking about whether a pass would be cheaper. We went for the Go Chicago card and it worked out much cheaper than paying for all the individual attractions we visited.
Thanks so much for all your help and suggestions. Douglas, thanks for the pictures! They are lovely. Still thinking about where to stay, but sounds like the Citypass is a real bargain and the way to go!
__________________
**Meg**
Upcoming Trips:
2/16--Girl's Cruise on the Magic
7/2017--Sophie's 7th Birthday Blowout at AKV
We just came back from Chicago two weeks ago and stayed out in Lombard. The hotel was a Westin and I got it through Hotwire for either $69 or $89 a night.
The Westin is one of the nicest hotels in that area! Great deal!
These are the hotels we stayed at in the city using Hotwire. The Drake for $69, Hotel Intercontinental - $100. Wyndham Chicago for $80. Hyatt Chicago for $95, Holiday Inn by merchandise mart $75. Swissotel for $90.
Have fun planning.
__________________
Michele
I'm living the dream 20 minutes from Disney! Next trip...tomorrow. Follow me on instagram at ShirtsByShell
I stayed at the Embassy Suites - on State Street - and the room was huge. I was staying on Hilton Honors Points though so I don't know what the cost would have been. I agree with Michelle's suggestions for locations - and that one of the discount admission cards are a good idea if you're going to visit lots of attractions. Depending on your touring style you'll save some money - or a lot. I think Cheryl and Mark maxed theirs out.
I've never tried Hotwire or Priceline, but I do search for bargains on chains I like - Hilton, Hyatt, and for smaller boutique hotels - Klimpton has 3 properties in Chicago that I love. There are so many options it is mindboggling sometimes. As you start narrowing you choices and dates - ask again and we'll be happy to help.
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I can't remember where Lesley (WDWfan) stayed, but her room was amazing and that was a good location as well. 
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