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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Ok, so I know I read all the time that the dining plan at DLR is not worth it, but I've honestly never heard it called what Disneyland.com is calling it which is "Dine in the Magic". It has the vouchers as well as Character Meal "points" (for lack of a better word) is this the same plan as always or have they changed it recently?
My BFF and I are planning several Character meals and I'm wondering if its worth it or not? I really liked the simplicity of having the food already "paid for". Here's what it would be for an Adult dining plan for five days:
Mickey's 5-Day Dine in the Magic Meal Plan 15 Disney Dining choices per person. Adult/Junior Meal Plans include
Character Dining - 4
Premium Character Dining - 1
$15 Dining Certificate - 5
Snack Voucher - 5
It doesn't include WoC meals though. So what is Premium Character Dining compared to Character Dining? I feel so confused.
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.
4 Character Dining = $110 to $150
1 Ariel's Grotto or Tratorria dinner for World of Color seating = $39.99
5 of the $15 Dining Certificate - $75 maximum and you do not get cash back
5 Snack Vouchers = $20 maximum
Grand total is $205 to $295
Even if you go at peak season with highest prices and chose the most expensive meals and if you used each voucher for at least $15 you might save money. Not worth it and you are better off with out of pocket.
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Mom calls to check on me and reminded me to pay the gardener. I love her so much.
Disneyland was fun with flag retreat and pickles. I have a home here, thank you. GAC is NOT a "front of the line pass".
She is gone but keeping signature. Laundry is getting done. My purpose in life is to help poor people in FL. Farewell, will miss you.
Well, I wouldn't mind just breaking even, I just don't want it costing more... if that makes sense.
Meals cost $12 so you either hand over a certificate with no cash back or pay out of pocket.
Meals that cost $20 would be one certificate and $5 or two certificates and lose $10
Disneyland dining plan is not worth the money. You are doing 5 sit down dinners plus 5 other meals so there is little room for more food. The only way to use vouchers is to order at least $15 per meal for the whole group.
The only way to save money or break even is to eat at Goofy's Kitchen all 4 character meals off season or do Ariels and Goofy for dinner or lunch in peak season.
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Mom calls to check on me and reminded me to pay the gardener. I love her so much.
Disneyland was fun with flag retreat and pickles. I have a home here, thank you. GAC is NOT a "front of the line pass".
She is gone but keeping signature. Laundry is getting done. My purpose in life is to help poor people in FL. Farewell, will miss you.
well we're going in August which is peak season and I know that we want to do Goofy's Kitchen... wasn't planning on Ariels... but would like to do a couple other table service meals at least one of them being character meal... soooooo... I dunno lol
Can you still just buy the character meal vouchers without doing the full dining plan? Those are the same price you'd pay at the resort, you just buy them ahead of time and have the vouchers. I know in the past they included tax and tip. That way at least some expenses would be paid for ahead of time. If you're doing a package and book through Costco, you'll get a free one per person.
You could always purchase Disney Gift cards ahead of time too, and "Ear mark" them for your meals.
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We have done it both ways and prefer to OOP. I was always worried about loosing the vouchers and I had to do more math in my head than I care to. You can prepay for Goofy's Kitchen without buying the meal plan and last I new it includes gratuity. Also you can look into other discounts. I know the AP, DVC, Disney Visa, and AAA has some discounts. Restaurant. com had House of Blues discounts.
FYI we just did the WoC meal at Wine Country Trattoria and it is important to stake out your spot right away! There was a second group of people admitted after we were and it was like opening the floodgates! We had a very small gap between us and a woman pushed between my husband and I. We were still glad we did it but sadly the competition for space is still there.
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Dine In The Magic Option?
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