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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
To post messages and ask questions, join our FREE community today and you'll get access to tools and resources not available to guests, such as our vacation countown timers, "living" avatars, private messaging system, database searches, downloads, and a special PassPorter discount code. Registration is fast, simple, and completely free. Just click the Join Our Community link.
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DH and I are planning a trip to Costa Rica in early Sept next year. We'll be there for a week. Any suggestions for things to see/places not to miss would be great!! I want to spend at least half the time at a beach resort type place. Any ideas? Which has nicer beaches/scenery - the Pacific side or the Caribbean side? Thanks for any and all suggestions!
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MNSSHP 2015: DH (Bane), Me (Batgirl), Genie, and our friends
PassPorter's Free-Book to Walt Disney World It’s hard to believe anything is free at Walt Disney World; but there are actually a number of things you can get or do for little to no cost. This e-book documents over 200 free or cheap tips to do before you go and after you arrive. You could save a considerable amount of money following these tips. Perhaps more importantly; you can discover overlooked attractions and little-known details most people whiz by on their way to spend money. Click here to see free sample pages from the e-book! Get this popular e-book free of extra charges when you join the PassPorter's Club for as little as $4.95. A club pass includes access to all our other e-books; e-worksheets; super-size photos; and more! This e-book is also available for separate purchase in the PassPorter Online Store for just $5.95.
My family and I went for 2 weeks in the summers of 2009 and 2010. We love Costa Rica! The first time we went with my DH's cousin and his wife who is originally from there and we did a lot of touring around the Country. Since she is from there, and fluent in Spanish, we had no problems. I don't recommend doing this unless you are fluent in Spanish. Once you get out of the more tourist areas there is not a lot of English spoken. The second summer just my family went and we chose instead to rent a house on Guanacaste in Playa Hermosa and loved it! We were right on the beach! We went scuba diving, zip lining, and visited 2 active volcanos. Our daughter took a surfing lesson in Tamarindo and loved it. There is so much to see and do there. You will love it!! My only suggestion is that if you think you will be spending a lot of time on Guanacaste (my favorite) be sure to fly into Liberia rather than San Jose as it can be quite challenging to drive there and expensive. Just let me know if you would like any other information.
Thanks for all of the info, Amy! I looked on a map and saw that Guanacaste is on the Pacific side. Have you ever been to the Caribbean side? Are the beaches different? I just ask because I much MUCH prefer the Gulf beaches in the US to the Pacific beaches. I wonder if it is a similar difference in Costa Rica. Thanks for the tip about Spanish. DH does not speak it fluently, but he knows quite a bit having spent some time in Venezuela and also taking Spanish all through school. I may grab the Spanish Rosetta Stone so he can brush up before our trip. I appreciate all of your tips!
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MNSSHP 2015: DH (Bane), Me (Batgirl), Genie, and our friends
PassPorter's Free-Book to Walt Disney World It’s hard to believe anything is free at Walt Disney World; but there are actually a number of things you can get or do for little to no cost. This e-book documents over 200 free or cheap tips to do before you go and after you arrive. You could save a considerable amount of money following these tips. Perhaps more importantly; you can discover overlooked attractions and little-known details most people whiz by on their way to spend money. Click here to see free sample pages from the e-book! Get this popular e-book free of extra charges when you join the PassPorter's Club for as little as $4.95. A club pass includes access to all our other e-books; e-worksheets; super-size photos; and more! This e-book is also available for separate purchase in the PassPorter Online Store for just $5.95.
You are welcome! I love to talk about Costa Rica! We have not been to the Caribbean side. DH's cousin's wife who is from there said the Pacific side was definitely where we wanted to be. I think there are sections on the Caribbean side that aren't as safe or easy to get around as the Pacific side. I recommend doing some research on that. There are a lot of roads in that beautiful country that are downright frightening!!! Trust me, if you rent a car make it a 4 wheel drive one. From what I experienced, the Pacific side was: safe, roads were good, BEAUTIFUL beaches, tons to do and experience, nice places to stay, and great places to eat. The hardest part for me was realizing that their hotels are not like ours. My children are still on the young side, so nice, modern hotels are what we prefer. So that is why the following summer we rented a house, which was beautiful, and toured from there.
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We have not been to the Caribbean side. DH's cousin's wife who is from there said the Pacific side was definitely where we wanted to be. 
Trust me, if you rent a car make it a 4 wheel drive one. From what I experienced, the Pacific side was: safe, roads were good, BEAUTIFUL beaches, tons to do and experience, nice places to stay, and great places to eat. The hardest part for me was realizing that their hotels are not like ours. My children are still on the young side, so nice, modern hotels are what we prefer. So that is why the following summer we rented a house, which was beautiful, and toured from there.
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