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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Can someone help me figure out how many different people I'll need to budget tips for? Does the DME driver get tipped? Does the Mears driver get tipped if going from resort to IOA? Does the DME person that brings your bags to your room get tipped? I know that mousekeeping gets a daily tip. Who am I forgetting besides food service of course?
Last edited by Strawberry30; 01-16-2010 at 12:38 PM..
DH and I usually, for luggage persons; i.e. porters at the airport and bell services at the resorts, give a $1/bag.
I think we did the same for the DME driver too.
Mousekeepers? This one is more personal I think, as to the amount and how often. I mean if the service is great; i.e. garbage is always emptied, towels are refreshed, the bed is made, or if you're lucky and get some towel animals , etc. then you tip accordingly. The same goes for less than stellar service, which I think is more rare at WDW resorts than elsewhere, but it does happen, then you adjust the amount left. Again, this one is a more personal option because mousekeepers do more than the baggage handlers do and they do it more often.
I'm getting confused about all the talk of baggage handling. I'm using DME, so I was under the impression that I check in my bags when I get to the airport and then I don't see them again until I get to my room. And if I'm not in my room when they come, they'll just leave them outside the door... Am I wrong?
I leave mousekeeping the tip on the bathroom vanity too, right under their name card.
We leave $1 per person daily, but this trip it's only me and 1 dd, so will leave $3 daily.
DME driver $1per bag, same with Bell service. Anyone handling my luggage it's $1 per bag.
If there is no luggage on DME I'd just tip a couple of dollars, same with Mears.
WDW drivers do not accept tips.
And of course you TS meal tips.
I'm getting confused about all the talk of baggage handling. I'm using DME, so I was under the impression that I check in my bags when I get to the airport and then I don't see them again until I get to my room. And if I'm not in my room when they come, they'll just leave them outside the door... Am I wrong?
Most guests utilize DME and only "need" to tip the driver, if they choose of course, however, upon checking out of the resort, some guests either prefer to check-in at the airport, don't have a choice (like DH and I in September when we missed our check-in window at the resort due to the lines being crazy busy and slow), or some guests' airlines don't participate in the resort program.
So these passengers could use the porters outside at the airports, where they would "need" to tip. (Of course, there is always the option of going inside to the check-in/self check-in counters and not have to tip anyone, but there is always, usually, a line. ).
As far as bell services, DH and I usually use them when we're leaving as we utilize and thus tip them for assistance in getting from our room to the front of the resort, esp. at such resorts as SSR where it's a large property and buildings are generally far away from the front desks/check-in counters.
And, you're correct in that the bags arrive in your room once you get to WDW, but just to clarify, they are left in your room.
Waitstaff at the restuarants and bars/lounges
Bell Services/Luggage storage
Mousekeepers
DME drivers/taxis or any hired driver (like Mears or a towncar)
People who cannot be tipped:
the average Cast Member (if the guests insist 3 times, they do accept the tip, but turn it over to their manager or risk termination)
Concierge staff
Guest Services
Tour guides
check-in staff
Disney bus drivers
I'm getting confused about all the talk of baggage handling. I'm using DME, so I was under the impression that I check in my bags when I get to the airport and then I don't see them again until I get to my room. And if I'm not in my room when they come, they'll just leave them outside the door... Am I wrong?
They will leave them inside your room. I would just tip the DME driver $2 or $3 as he isn't the one handling your luggage. If you are in your room when luggage arrives the usual tip is $1 per bag.
I don't know what you do with tip if no body is in room when luggage arrives?
Maybe someone will have an answer.
If the luggage is brought to my room, it's usually done before I've gotten into the room for the first time anyway -- it always happens if I go straight from check-in to a park.
Past trip tips:
DME driver and DCL driver
Bell service: twice at Poly´s, once there was one who take the luggage from the bus and other took us to our Building to check in (Hawai bulding) and there for our room...
Mousekeeping: tipped daily basis, once I was not sure if last day would be the same. Left in a envelope writen mousekeeping. Last day as they were very helpfull also leave a personal note to thank for the atention...they did some animals towels that made everyone smile!!!
Waiters, bartenders and staff: included in the bill, in the case of bartender left there
BBBoutique - for the person who did the makeup and nails
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Tipping DME driver?
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, etc. then you tip accordingly. The same goes for less than stellar service, which I think is more rare at WDW resorts than elsewhere, but it does happen, then you adjust the amount left. Again, this one is a more personal option because mousekeepers do more than the baggage handlers do and they do it more often. 
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