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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!
Welcome! We're happy you've found the PassPorter Community -- the friendliest place to plan your vacation to Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland, and the world in general! You are now viewing the PassPorter Message Board Community as a guest, which gives you limited access. As our guest, feel free to browse our messages by selecting the forum you want to visit from the list below.
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I just came back from a WDW trip in April (which was AWESOME!) and I booked it through a travel agent.
Although everything was in order, I think I had more expectations on what my travel agent would handle than actually materialized.
She booked my package (without air fare as we were traveling by train), but when I asked for some help with dining recommendations, she was a little bit vague. She did not offer to reserve my dining options, nor did she provide any insight on what restaurants I should give a try (I hadn't been to WDW in over 15 years and it was my DD's first trip).
So, I managed to do the work (through Passporter mostly) and booked the restaurants myself, not to mention my DD's boutique appointment.
So, my question is this: was I expecting too much of my agent or should she have provided a little more guidance or insight on dining, character experiences, etc...?
It really all depends on who your agent is, and what type of agency he/she is working with. Some agents are with Disney-focused agencies - those tend to have agents who go above and beyond for you. There are also agents with non-Disney focused agencies who will also go above and beyond...just because (they love anything Disney related, therefore they will jump through hoops to help!). Travel agents really are there to just book what you would like. Those who love their job, and love to help others are the ones who will assist with those extras like dining reservations and such.
I'm sorry you did not have a good experience this time around. I do hope you will continue to look for an agent who loves to help with those little extras...those agents will typically sprinkle a little pixie dust on you also!
As OP has said, it does really depend on the agency. I hope your trip was magical any way.
I would suggest you go back and check the website of the agency. If they advertise that, I would contact the agency owner, I am certain they would want to know.
As OP has said, it does really depend on the agency. I hope your trip was magical any way.
I would suggest you go back and check the website of the agency. If they advertise that, I would contact the agency owner, I am certain they would want to know.
Sorry it wasn't a better experience
It definitely didn't alter our vacation experience. We had a fabulous time! And don't get me wrong, our TA was friendly and courteous. I just think I should have done more research and looked for someone more "disney"-oriented.
I just think I should have done more research and looked for someone more "disney"-oriented.
I think research is absolutely key to a good travel experience. Know what you want out of your vacation and travel agent relationship before you begin looking for an agent and you won't be disappointed. Also, ask friends and family members for recommendations. Ask them who they used, what services were provided by the agent, and, most importantly, if they were pleased with the service they got.
Listen carefully to those glowing reports because if they say they would use that agent again, you should put them on your list of prospects. But by no means should you have only one name on that list! Get several (or more!) recommendations and interview each of those agents. You can even request free quotes from multiple agencies to see if one of them gets you a better deal or offers you alternative options. This lets you know the agent is willing to go the extra mile before you tie yourself down to just one agent.
As a PassPorter Guide and former travel agent myself, I can name 3 - 5 really great, qualified agents off the top of my head when asked. Keep that in mind as well; ask people outside your circle of influence who are knowledgeable about the place that you're going. Asking other members here on the message boards is a great start, but you can also ask community leaders here and on other message boards who THEY would recommend. You could ask for recommendations on Disney-fan related facebook pages, as well, where the pool of users is much greater and the range of experiences much wider. Trip reports are another great resource. When people are happy with their travel provider/agency, they often mention it in their trip report as a courtesy to their agent if they're pleased with the agent's services.
You aren't just choosing a service provider - you're trusting a stranger with your family vacation! Think of it this way; you wouldn't choose a doctor sight unseen based on an ad in the yellow pages without at least a recommendation. Consider that your family's happiness (ie a happy family vacation) is no less important than your health!
Good luck finding an agent that you provides you with what you're looking for!
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