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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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I am part of Outside Agents (which is a subsidiary of Cruises and Tours Unlimited), and have been with them for six years. The past year or so they have really started to run with their company, and in a good way! One of the best things they did was implement a social media type website for their agents, which relies on a forum/message board, blog entries, information, and friends. It has helped me tremendously, especially in the past six months or so as I have expanded my business. If you would like more information on them, I would be happy to send you what I have.
I will tell you although they do not charge a start-up fee and once you sign a contract you are good to go without needing to sign one every year in the future, they will drop you if necessary. (Considering my sales the first three years I was with them, I'm surprised they didn't drop me! LOL But they really do want everyone to succeed, and I believe they have gotten to the point where their assistance has improved greatly.)
Needless to say, I am very pleased with them as my host agency!
Thank you for the response! I would love any info you can share. I am going to be talking with them next week, so I was trying to gather as much info as I can.
Do you know if they have a minimum you have to sale monthly or yearly? Do you know if they cover 'seller of travel' ?
Registered Message Board Members save 30% off PassPorter guidebooks! When you register you'll have access to a discount coupon good for 30% off the list price of PassPorter books in our online store.
I sent some information to you. In addition, I am guessing you have visited their website at Outside Agents. They do provide a ton of assistance with technology and websites, and offer quite a bit of training for all types of travel. Their website should provide very generalized information. Again, if you need any additional information, please let me know.
Good luck with whatever host agency you decide to go with!
Yes, I have check out their site & read everything I could find. Unforunatly, they do not have as much on their site as other host agencies do.
Montrose Travel and Dugan travel seem to have a ton of info and they even have their contracts on the web site. I feel.. I was able to find out so much more about them because of this.
Yes, I have check out their site & read everything I could find. Unforunatly, they do not have as much on their site as other host agencies do.
Montrose Travel and Dugan travel seem to have a ton of info and they even have their contracts on the web site. I feel.. I was able to find out so much more about them because of this.
Let me know if there is anymore information I can pass on to you, and what kind of info you are looking for!
Registered Message Board Members save 30% off PassPorter guidebooks! When you register you'll have access to a discount coupon good for 30% off the list price of PassPorter books in our online store.
We are also with outsideagents.com (Cruises & Tours Unlimited). They are great. We were previously with another host agency for two years, and after researching and thinking about it-C&TU is where we ended up and we are happy.
Last edited by MagicalEndeavors; 07-03-2011 at 07:23 PM..
I started in this business because of my passion for Disney and a very special situation I was involved with that planted a seed in me. I went to every agency and back then there was one on every corner. They'd give me a desk to use which I had to rent and would give me 50% commission on what I booked. So I come home with that and excitedly share with my wife who asked if I was crazy. (Smart woman that's why she married me) Realizing she was right I continued to search on how to sell Disney vacations. Then in Travel Agent magazine there was an ad in the classifieds. "Run your own travel agency" So $1400 later I was hooked up with my host agency in DC. I had to get Sabre which was a booking platform so I can book air for clients.
I'd make reservations and book flights and it was like two weeks before my guests vacation and I'd call the host agency asking when the tickets and documents are coming. "Oh sorry, I'll send them right away." So in two days I'd get a box full of stuff. Then I'd call about commission checks and I'd get "Will $500 be enough?" She never kept track.
So be careful. Some have up front fees, some monthly, some yearly. Some minimum requirements or no commissions until you do X amount of volume. You need to figure out what you want to sell? Most of the programs will allow you to sell whatever you want. Some are best to join if you are looking for a host that does group bookings or does so much business they have "override" commission. I'll explain.
Do you remember the Big Red Boat? OK I'm dating myself but we offered the Big Red Boat as an add on to Disney vacations. So we spent hard earned money promoting this. I'd get clients saying they can get the Big Red Boat for $100 less than what we offered. When I'd ask my Big Red Boat rep he'd tell me that other agency does so much volume we give them a better deal than you can offer. So I asked how can I compete and the reply was you can't! Thanks Disney Cruise Line for sinking the Big Red Boat!
So if you are going to sell the world, or just cruises join a large agency that is cruise only or a consortium that has the buying power to keep you competitive. Especially now where you also have to compete with the product you are trying to sell. Vegas gives out free rooms and so much more that it's sometimes impossible to compete with the hotel.
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I am going to be talking with them next week, so I was trying to gather as much info as I can. 
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