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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Well - the last time I stepped foot in US - Earthquake and Jaws were major rides -- so it's been SOME time!! I don't remember much about the parks really....
Long story short my BF and I are planning a trip to WDW with his kiddos (then 7 & 9). I've tried and tried to to convince him to go to WDW just us, but said he can't go without his kids before they've been (in other words he'd go back for an adult trip after the kids get to go)...anyway....
He then mentioned US for a trip for us next year. I know that they have 2 parks now....one more geared towards adults (costers and such) -- I like SOME coasters, but an pretty fussy on which ones (I need to be strapped and harnessed in - and do not like huge drops).
Of course this is much longer than I had intended...so can you guys (and gals) tell me about what you liked, didn't like, favorites, suggested time frames, dining, hotels, etc? I am not a fan of their website..I found some info, but their packages are confusing as all get-out!
I am surely spoiled by Disney :wink:
Sidebar - I do completely realize that I I cannot compare WDW to US
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~ Jenn **Disney is REAL LIFE Magic, so much more than optical illusions **
Last edited by TinkerbellJenn99; 05-30-2013 at 12:16 PM..
Reason: TYPO :(
We have been to Universal a few times and it is true you cannot compare, but it has its good points. We found their hotels expensive but nice, the service at the hotels was fairly decent in comparison to that at the theme park.
The two parks each have their own selling points, the Simpsons and Despicable Me tides at the Universal park are pretty fun, no big drops. Islands of Adventure has Jurassic Park, a great Spiderman ride and the best part Harry Potter. The technology and fun of the ride in Hogwarts makers it worth the trip for me. You are strapped in lol.
City walk has some great restaurants and shops.
We find the food and souvenirs very expensive in the parks and the service disappointing. Last time we were there my husband was so upset with the service he returned his souvenir, and we got horrible service while doing that. We will go back but no until after the Harry Potter expansion is done.
We went last year and had a great time. The theming was fun and there is plenty to do if you don't like coasters. No it isn't Disney but it is a worthy vacation destination. At US we all enjoyed the Men In Black ride, the Animal show, and the Simpsons Ride. Shrek was a bit of a let down. We liked the Mummy ride but our youngest wouldn't go on. In IOA we loved all the water rides, Spiderman, and had fun with the Poseidon's Fury Show even though it smacked of 70's Saturday morning cartoons. My oldest loved the Harry Potter section but it was very crowded so it lost it's appeal to the rest of us.
I think if you go for 2-3 days you will be able to cover everything in a relaxed manner. We wish we had more time to hang out at Citywalk but otherwise 2 1/2 days covered it for us.
I have not been to US/IOA since Harry Potter but really love both parks and I think the hotels are fantastic. I have found customer service to be equal to or above that at Disney.
I think there are lots of great rides-at IOA there's Superman, the entire Seuss area which I think are unsurpassed. At US, the Mummy and Men in Black are also top notch and my kids love the 3-D shows. I like that they have non moving seating for those of us who get motion sickness.
Go with an open mind, don't compare it to Disney and you will have a great time.
I love WDW and I also love Universal. I just can't choose which I like better. Universal has some amazing rides and I love eating at 'BUBBA GUMP' on CityWalk. I bet you'll have a great time
My Kids and I went in June. They really liked the miniture golf at Citywalk at night ...really fun. They also liked IOA everything Harry Potter but we did read all the books and saw all the movies. I think I loved this area the most. We all liked Transformers and the water rides.
The bob marley restaurant had reasonably priced food that was delicious.
My kids are 19 & 16. At US they rode every roller coaster and ride that makes you want to vomit. They liked all of them but spiderman. I can say that they felt that each park could have been done in a day or less. We prefer Disney but US was worth a visit.
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~ Jenn 
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. We all liked Transformers and the water rides. 
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