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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
Let me start this by saying we've never cruised, ever. I've wanted to but always put it off. So now's the time and we're excited! We were originally going to book over Thanksgiving this year, but I've decided against it, and am instead looking to book for a cruise that leaves in just over a year. In looking at prices, I noticed I could book concierge for the price I was going to book over Thanksgiving (maybe $200 more), but is it worth it on a cruise? Since I've never cruised I know nothing about it basically, but thought that food and drink was essentially covered, (except alcohol). So besides the pop/drinks in the lounge, and the good deck location (in my opinion), is it worth the $$? If I don't book concierge, I'll save about 1500 from what I planned on spending, but I kind of like the idea of concierge too... Any and all opinions would be welcome!! thanks in advance!
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.
What ship are you on? Concierge is definitely worth it on the Dream/Fantasy. The concierge lounge alone is worth the extra price. Plus you get lots of 1 on 1 attention from the concierge staff. For example, one day I decided I should try dinner at Palo's. I mentioned this to Julie, one of our concierge hosts and she immediately called Palo's and booked me a table for that evening. Now, I am sure that they can't magically get you into Palo's when its completely booked but they will do their best.
The Lounge is full of food most of the day and alcoholic drinks before dinner. I would often take a glass of wine (free) with me to dinner. The staff offered to make my daughter a smoothie one afternoon and then she requested one almost everyday afterwards. Also, they will provide a free bag of popcorn to you before you go to the movies.
The Magic and Wonder don't have the lounge so I would not recommend concierge.
__________________
Margaret and I got to see the Cubs play in October. They won!
Last edited by MickeyWatch; 01-29-2013 at 07:55 PM..
I have always enjoyed the concierge amenities. It is different on the Dream and Fantasy since the have such a great lounge. We had 3 concierges plus a support staff that took excellent care of us. We got to know many of the guests in the lounge. My 11 old loved the lounge and staff so much he went back and hung out in the lounge and chatted with the concierge while my older son and I went snorkeling on Castaway Cay.
On the classic ships the Magic and the Wonder the set up is a bit different. The concierge came to the room often or called us to check on us. These two ships do not have a lounge and the suites are spread out all over the ship. They would stop by our room with snacks and treats for the boys. They took care of all of our requests. The suites are also very beautiful. If you have any specific questions let me know.
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.
"Worth it" is always subjective. One way to judge is to look at what that $1500 would buy in the way of shore excursions and/or spa treatments.
Another way to look at things is that, on the Dream/Fantasy concierge is a place and way of life beyond the bounds of your stateroom - the lounge, the private sun deck, controlled access to the concierge stateroom decks, a sense of who your fellow concierge guests are. On the Magic/Wonder, concierge is almost entirely an inside-your-stateroom thing - the extra service and amenities that come with any suite. The hallways outside are used by non-concierge guests (Cat 4 staterooms) - there's no "public" concierge space.
On all ships, concierge is a way to buy Platinum Castaway Club benefits - booking Palo, Remy, and shore excursions as early as 120 days prior to the cruise.
On the Magic/Wonder, the choice isn't "concierge or not," but rather, "suite or not." There's no way I would book a suite just to get concierge benefits. It gets more complicated on the Dream/Fantasy as the Cat. V concierge deluxe family stateroom is so similar to the Cat. 4 "regular" deluxe family stateroom. Cat. V rooms are nicer (a bit larger, deeper verandahs, wall-mounted big-screen TV at the foot of the queen bed, "richer" decor), but for me, obtaining concierge services would definitely be the bigger determining factor.
__________________
Co-Author, PassPorter's Walt Disney World, PassPorter's Disney Cruise Line, and PassPorter's Disneyland and Southern California Attractions
We tried the "club level" at the Beach Club on our trip last year and LOVED it!!!! I justified the extra expense by calculating the cost of breakfast each morning and figured the continental offerings they had were just right for our group (not big breakfast eaters).
On the cruise, food is already included and I don't think the cabin sizes are larger on the concierge level??? I would personally spend the $$$$ on a larger upgraded cabin instead of concierge.
In the end, you're on a Disney Cruise . . . so wherever you're at, it's perfect!!!!!!
We were in a 1-bedroom suite for our honeymoon (first ever cruise) on the Magic and it was enormous. It was concierge because it was a suite but looking back...I wouldn't pay that price again. Our concierge was wonderful and the room was amazing but without the concierge lounge and other benefits like the sun deck, etc that the Dream and Fantasy offer it's not really worth it (in my opinion). I did however, LOVE LOVE LOVE the jacuzzi tub in the bathroom of the suite and having 2 bathrooms (one to exile my husband to and one to enjoy myself)
We have wondered about concerige on a cruise too. We have done concerige at the parks and LOVED it because of the food offerings through the day provided us with breakfast in the mornings before going to the parks and snacks in the evenings after returning from the parks. We probably drank our share of beverages too!
But on a cruise where food is available at every turn, we just can't see that the price increase is worth it. We usually book a Family Deluxe room/Veranda so our room is spacious enough for the 4 of us anyway.
Would love to hear what the major benefits of concerige really are on a cruise ship! Maybe I am missing something!!
Here's why we're doing it:
No running around after boarding, trying to get reservations done. They'll be done ahead.
While there are 5 of us cruising (2 rooms), we're all different levels in the cruise hierarchy. No waiting in different lines or even in longer lines - concierge has its own check in line.
Pillows!! Different pillow availability is key, as we have special pillow types we like and yet I don't want to haul 3 suitcases to accommodate them.
There is a private reception with characters.
Someone else to keep track of where we're supposed to be, when.
Yeah, I know. Not really reasons that make it worth it when you put it down. However, we don't live lavishly. We just like to travel a bit lavishly.
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.
On the cruise, food is already included and I don't think the cabin sizes are larger on the concierge level??? I would personally spend the $$$$ on a larger upgraded cabin instead of concierge. D
Well, stepping up to a suite always gives you more space, but yes, there's no real difference in interior space between Cat 4 (deluxe family stateroom with verandah) to Cat V (concierge family stateroom with verandah). Those are the only categories that are directly comparable. The difference in size as advertised by DCL (299 vs. 306) is due to the deeper verandah. Now, the staterooms in concierge are more luxuriously decorated, and add a big-screen HDTV attached to the wall at the foot of the queen bed. I also like the floor plan of the Cat V better than Cat 4. It feels more spacious, as the sofa/fold-down berths are moved closer to the window wall. This leaves a bunch of open space between the queen bed and the sofa. But in terms of space? Stepping up to Cat 4 from Cats 5-10 gives you the "upgraded" space, at a significantly lower price.
__________________
Co-Author, PassPorter's Walt Disney World, PassPorter's Disney Cruise Line, and PassPorter's Disneyland and Southern California Attractions
Thank you all for the advice! Life got away from me (as usual), so I haven't had the time to respond, but in the end we did decide to go with the concierge room on the Fantasy. For me, I think the ability to book excursions early, as well as the lounge and private deck sealed the deal, since we'll be traveling next year during spring break time. My kids are older, so I'm sure they'll spend significant times in the clubs, and I may need some time on a less busy sun deck and I'm sure I'll utilize at least the lounge for a few drinks. It also seemed convenient (although I may be wrong since this is my first cruise) to be on the higher decks. Plus since it ended up being only $200 from what I already planned on paying for Thanksgiving week this year, pushing it out a few months and allowing me more time to save for spending money seemed worth it! I appreciate all the feedback! Thanks!
Thank you all for the advice! Life got away from me (as usual), so I haven't had the time to respond, but in the end we did decide to go with the concierge room on the Fantasy. For me, I think the ability to book excursions early, as well as the lounge and private deck sealed the deal, since we'll be traveling next year during spring break time. My kids are older, so I'm sure they'll spend significant times in the clubs, and I may need some time on a less busy sun deck and I'm sure I'll utilize at least the lounge for a few drinks. It also seemed convenient (although I may be wrong since this is my first cruise) to be on the higher decks. Plus since it ended up being only $200 from what I already planned on paying for Thanksgiving week this year, pushing it out a few months and allowing me more time to save for spending money seemed worth it! I appreciate all the feedback! Thanks!
I also booked Concierge ... a 1-bedroom on the Dream for May 2014. Like you, one of the reasons I booked it is because it was only a couple of hundred dollars more than a cat 4 room, and actually cheaper than a cat 00V if I would have book 1 week previous! At the time of travel, my children will be 21 and 18. I figured they would enjoy the quite space of the concierge level. I hope you do a trip report when you return from your trip. I would love to hear about your experience, and maybe get a few pointers from you!
Location: Sydney, Australia.....14914 miles from WDW
Concierge Level: 3
Posts: 155
Post Thanks / Like
Likes (Given): 0
Likes (Received): 0
Thanks (Given): 0
Thanks (Received): 0
Pixie Dust (Given): 0
Pixie Dust (Received): 0
Concierge Dream cat T
We just booked a back to back 3 & 4 night cat T on the dream for sept 2014, so excited but there really isnt that much information out there re Dream cat T, lots on fantasy though.
If anyone has sailed cat T on the dream, can they just give a quick review...we are going to be cabin 11008.
and pics
About This Page: 
We were originally going to book over Thanksgiving this year, but I've decided against it, and am instead looking to book for a cruise that leaves in just over a year. In looking at prices, I noticed I could book concierge for the price I was going to book over Thanksgiving (maybe $200 more), but is it worth it on a cruise? Since I've never cruised I know nothing about it basically, but thought that food and drink was essentially covered, (except alcohol). So besides the pop/drinks in the lounge, and the good deck location (in my opinion), is it worth the $$? If I don't book concierge, I'll save about 1500 from what I planned on spending, but I kind of like the idea of concierge too... Any and all opinions would be welcome!! thanks in advance!
DIlBrooksmom
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
![[SIGPIC]](signaturepics/sigpic18031_16.gif)
Linear Mode
