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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Hello fellow Passporters! I am in the beginning stages of planning our next WDW vacation. YEAH!!! We are going in November for 14 days. We will be staying at Fort Wilderness, and we won't be getting the dining plan this trip. I'm wondering if there is any reason we should book this trip as a Magic Your Way package, or just book it as a room only and buy our tickets else where. Is there a reason to book as a disney package that I'm forgetting?? Also, if I book as a room only, what do I need to put down as the deposit? Thanks for all of your help!!
Honestly, if you aren't planning on the DDP, it might be more cost effective to just book a room (keep an eye out later on for room-only discounts that you can apply to the reservation also!) and get your tickets separately. You can get them from brokers like Undercover Tourist for a few dollars cheaper each.
If I remember correctly, when you make a room-only reservation, you will only have to pay a "deposit" of one night's room rate then the rest is taken care of when you check out.
I think a huge difference is that booking a magic your way package you need to pay it in full 45 days previous to the vacation, while room only you make the deposit and pay the difference at check in....
I've done both ways...I usually preffer to pay in full previously once there will be extra charges (meals, souveniers) that need to be taking in account later. What I did is paid a larger deposit than the minimum required (I supose it is one night)
For room only it's 1 night deposit. And you don't have to pay in full, till you arrive. Personally, I prefer to make monthly payments, so I am PIF well before we arrive.
If you don't plan on the DDP, I'd book room only, and get my tickets from UT. I have used them in the past, and they are great. They send you real tickets, not vouchers, and shipping is free. Tax is incl. in the rate you see. With some other ticket sellers, you don't see the tax or shipping fee till you go to check out.
I would hold off on buying tickets though, cause there might be free dining, and with 6, that would be a huge discount for you, so then you'd need to book a package.
Booking room only, you can change to a package if something like that comes out. They just refund your deposit, and re-book as a package.
yeah...maybe just boo the room and wait a bit to see if a promo is announced. Last year, free dining was announced in July for November dates. I have my fingers crossed for it!!!! Or at least something. We booked a package for November anyway (12th-19th) with ddp and if a promo os announced, we'll call and change it.
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I am in the beginning stages of planning our next WDW vacation. YEAH!!!
We are going in November for 14 days. We will be staying at Fort Wilderness, and we won't be getting the dining plan this trip. I'm wondering if there is any reason we should book this trip as a Magic Your Way package, or just book it as a room only and buy our tickets else where.
Is there a reason to book as a disney package that I'm forgetting?? Also, if I book as a room only, what do I need to put down as the deposit? Thanks for all of your help!!
Heather
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