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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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PassPorter Guide Community Rank: Legend Extraordinaire
Join Date: Feb 2000
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Question about new cars....
Allen and I are finally able to look at and consider buying a new car.
I thought I knew what I wanted - and didn't even consider looking at anything else.
So, we decided to go look at and test drive a new Ford Edge.
I am not sure why, but we had complete and total sticker shock! Maybe it is because we haven't looked at a new vehicle in a very long time! Our Ford Expedition is a 1999 and that was the last year we bought a new vehicle!
So, after the test drive we decided to go home and do some thinking along with some research.
We have found for the same money, we can get a variety of new vehicles that we never thought we could afford.
And what really surprises me is that the Edge we looked at was not the one with all of the upgrades!
Now we are considering looking at some other vehicles.
My question is.....if you own a "newer" (doesn't have to be brand new) SUV, what kind do you have? Do you love it? Would you buy another one? What was the deciding factor when you purchased it? I appreciate any and all thoughts!
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 don't have a new one - yet. We've finally settled on what kind we want. We started out with a Chevy Impala, the Nissan Maxima, then Nissan Murano, and now we've finally decided on the Chevy Traverse. One of our biggest issues has been DH and DD Lauren are both tall (in the 6 foot range), and Lauren has LONG legs. Plus, DH has arthritis in his back and bending to get in and out of cars is hard. Everyone we've talked to who has a Traverse loves it. We rented one for a week and still loved it when we took it back (we didn't like the Impala or the Maxima when we returned those!) To us, it's worth the rental.
We've also decided to NOT buy a brand new one. We're looking for a used one, lower mileage. Even ones that are only 1 year old are $10,000 to $20,000 less than the same thing as a 2013!! That's a lot of $$$!!
One of the things I've always used as a way to help determine what vehicle to look at is the website: MyProductAvdisor.com. Takes you through a great step-by-step questionnaire.
I have a 2011 RAV4 that I bought brand new (3 miles on the odometer) in Dec. of 2011. I LOVE IT!!! It is great in snow and wind, the gas mileage isn't bad and it feels like you're driving a car, not a truck. I have a third row seat that folds down to make the trunk area larger and the second row of seats also folds down. It's very versitile. My last Toyota lasted 14 years and had almost 300,000 miles on it when I traded it in. It was still running but I had two small kids and I wanted to the security of knowing I was driving a newer car that would be less likely to die on the side of the road. Check out buyatoyota.com for pricing in your area.
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I have a Ford Edge that we got last Spring. We bought a 2010 as we could get the Limited edition (every upgrade you can get), but over $10,000 less than a brand new Edge. It was a leased vehicle before we bought it, so it had low mileage and we knew the maintenance was up to date. It was also a Certified Used vehicle. I love the Edge, prior to this we had a larger SUV and I was ready for something a bit smaller but not a car. I feel the Edge drives more like a car than a SUV, and the gas mileage is good. with your decision, it is a tough one!
Another thing to consider: check out the websites for dealers in your area. Sometimes only a 5 mile distance will make the difference between affordable and "What the heck?" sticker prices. Do a web search of what you should expect to pay for the car. Kelley Blue Book (Kbb.com) can do this for new and used cars.
Location: Davenport, Florida 20 minutes from the mouse
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Last May, I got a 2012 Toyota Rav4. I upgraded from a Nissan Versa. It was bigger at first, from driving a smaller car. I love it though. I liked the way the back door opens like a regular door. Easy to get my scooter/ walker in and out. I don't have the third row seating like JoanneS. Mine has a hidden storage area in the trunk area instead.
No advice as I'm in the same boat. We have a car show this weekend that we're going to go to so I can see all the models at one time.
Good Luck with your decision!
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We have a 2010 Honda CR-V that we bought brand new. it!!! It gets great gas mileage on the highway, rides smoothly, has lots of room inside for when we travel, like that we can fold down the seats if we need to, seats are comfortable even during long road trips, has great features too and overall we are very satisfied with the maintenance of the CR-V. Would we purchase another Honda CR-V? You bet we would! Very satisfied and happy with our CR-V!
Don't buy new!!! That's my two cents. There are demo vehicles you could buy or vehicles off of a short lease. The depreciation in a new vehicle makes it not worth it!!!! And you could get a more upgraded slightly used vehicle for less!!!
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We bought DD a new Jeep Patriot last year. Great car. I'm thinking i might like one when i get a new car too. Got it for just over $20,000. We got a great deal on the last day of he month. Not the base model, but a level up with power windows. Definitely bargain for one at the end of the month. DH did most of the work online talking with two different dealerships after narrowing it down and we went with the one giving us the best deal.
You know I have a 2011 Ford Edge, and that's what I would buy again. I'll have this one for quite a few years before I trade for another. Would you consider looking for a used 2011 Ford Edge, which would probably be cheaper? Loads of for deciding what to get!
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with your decision, it is a tough one!
Disney Magic - Oct 2015
it!!! It gets great gas mileage on the highway, rides smoothly, has lots of room inside for when we travel, like that we can fold down the seats if we need to, seats are comfortable even during long road trips, has great features too and overall we are very satisfied with the maintenance of the CR-V. Would we purchase another Honda CR-V? You bet we would! Very satisfied and happy with our CR-V! 
Angie
for deciding what to get! 
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