IMPROMPTU! Planning and cruising in less than 2 weeks - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
If you think you've already joined, log in below now. If you don't remember your member name or password, please visit our Member Name and Password Recovery page. You are also welcome to contact us.
IMPROMPTU! Planning and cruising in less than 2 weeks
I can't believe I am actually getting ready to book, plan and take a cruise in less than 2 weeks. I am very much the planner so this is very unlike me :/ To give you some background, I used to go to WDW twice a year through my husband's business trips. In March 2010, my world cam to a screeching halt. My husband was diagnosed with ALL and need immediate care, no delaying to research, I had two hours to make a decision. Needless to say, I had no idea what I was doing. I had been planning on booking our fourth cruise and had to put those books away for caregiver ones instead. I spent months in the hospital with him. never did I think we would ever get to take out next beloved Disney cruise. Now fast forward, 2 years, and three months...we have a chance to take a cruise and I found one that leaves Jan 20, perfect date. He can no longer fly, so we must drive 17 hours, but boy will it be worth it! I can't wait to surprise my two daughters with a trip they never thought would be able to take again. DD 10 and DD 14. I do not have find trips agendas as still working on getting reservation as working deals and seeing if I can get cheaper than online disneycruise.com I would love anyone's suggestions to planning a trip and then leaving so soon after, two weeks to be exact. The ex-planner is now being thrown into uncharted territory.
__________________
both my girls in Gatlinburg at Dance Nationals June 2010 ~Angie
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.
It is great that you and your family can do this trip! Fortunately, there is not a lot that needs to done in advance for a cruise. You need to make sure you have proof of citizenship -- passports if you already have them are ideal, but you can board the ship with original certified birth certificates if you don't have passports. The adults will need photo IDs, such as a Driver's License, when gettiing on or off the ship.
You should fill out the online check-in documents to get your port arrival time. If your younger daughter is going to the Oceaneer's Lab, registering her online will save time at the port or onboard. If you are interested in shore excursions, spa treatments, or dinner at the adult restaurants, you can look online for what is still available. If you don't see what you want, you may be able to book once you are onboard.
Mostly, though, you just need to pack, drive to the ship, board, and check each day's Navigator to see what activities are happening. Have a wonderful time!
How wonderful that you will be able to do a Disney cruise after all. I think Melissa's given you some great advice already. I hope you have a wonderful time - you deserve it!
Wow, that's exciting to plan a cruise so quick! Agree with the previous posters that passports or birth certificates are of the utmost importance. Everything else will just fall into place. (Trust me on that...I once had to plan a cruise for 11 of us...within 4 days! )
Just relax, be sure you have proper identification, and enjoy your cruise!
I have nothing to add to the good advice you've already gotten. You have enough to think about-- just book the cruise, get yourselves there, and enjoy a relaxing vacation together!
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.
Never done a cruise with that little time line, but I have done our first WDW, with a disabled child (a few extra things having to be done, extra planning), an infant, and my mother plus me and DH in 2 weeks!
Congrats on being able to take the cruise. And congrats on your DH being recovered enough to take this vacation with his family. YOu'll all love it!
I'd go ahead and make arrangements for the Kids' Clubs. I didn't think my kids would use them, and I was correct on the one kid (teen on our first Disney Cruise, but she's an old soul and isn't into a lot of the things most teens are), but our youngest and my ex's youngest (who travels with us frequently) LOVE the Kid and Teen clubs.
Thank you all! We do already have our passports from past cruises that are still "good" so that part is ready and set. Pulled out suitcases to start tossing things in them as I find or see them.
Biggest worry right now, is the reservation is guarantee only, so we will not be assigned room until we arrive. I have always looked at the boards and forums and picked the best room suited to us for location, etc. We are booked in a Cat 5A, so I know it should be fine, just worried they will downgrade us as we ready NEED the "balcony" for hubby to settle and get away from sounds, if needed. He still has issues when everything is too loud, even just background. Has anyone ever heard of not getting the room category and downgraded to something completely different?
__________________
both my girls in Gatlinburg at Dance Nationals June 2010 ~Angie
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.
About This Page: 
both my girls in Gatlinburg at Dance Nationals June 2010 ~Angie 
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
PassPorter Guide Author
I think Melissa's given you some great advice already. I hope you have a wonderful time - you deserve it! 
)
Linear Mode
