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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Hello this is me over here calling you over there! I would like some advice on planning and visiting the Universal Theme park ,the best month to visit? when it's not raining and some planning tips if any. Is it worth it to purchase the meal plan there? This will be our second time visiting. The last time was for only 2 days there with a hopper and express passes for (3) when we did DW for 8 days in Jun. 2012 and it rained all week. Where to visit first in the theme parks? and the best way to navigate there. We normally play it by ear and see how long the line are for the wait of the rides. Anyy suggestions from those who really plan an unforgetable trip? I'd like to make a big scrapbbook of our trip. Thanks
Just wanted to ask if any one has stayed at the Hard Rock hotel at Universal?
How many resturants are there and the prices of your meals? We stayed one time at the Loews Pacific and didnt like it. It was way over priced.
As far as eating at the Hard Rock, I haven't stayed there myself, but on US's site, they have the resort's restaurants listed; some of which have links to their menus with their prices.
Hope that helps! I'm sure others can give you their opinions about the quality of the food there and/or give additional suggestions for eating around the hotel -- one of which I'm assuming will be City Walk with its oodles of restaurants.
Location: Panhandle of Florida - The Emerald Coast
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We've been to Universal twice. I agree, Royal Pacific is pricey....especially their restaurants....but it was way less than the other onsite hotels. We aren't in the rooms that much so stayed at the Royal. DS Loved the pool there and we got great photos for our scrapbook. We go to Orlando for our spring break week - usually around March 23rd - and then again the week of Thanksgiving. We've only hit Universal parks for spring break though. One time it was almost empty with hardly any lines. But they've been advertising more on TV and such, so this year's spring break was packed.
This past spring we did get drenched one day while at Islands of Adventure, but the rain passed in about an hour and a few coaster rides later we were dry! We haven't done the meal deal, since we haven't been all that impressed with the dining at the parks. Mythos is beautiful, and the food is alright. If you have a child and they're into Harry Potter, don't miss Ollivanders. DS was selected to be the one they matched to a wand. It was fun and of course made it really memorable for us all. And he had to have a butterbeer too.
We don't work from an itinerary....we go with the flow. Morning,or then much later in the day has worked for us at WWHP. It really does get crowded in there during the day! And if you're wanting pics for your scrapbook, a bit of a wait for FJ works better for you since it gives you time to get some really good shots inside Hogwarts. Don't forget that you'll have to put bags in lockers. Just inside WWHP( beside the train engine) is a small room of lockers that a lot of folks miss. It's not quite the madhouse there like the one by FJ. Have a fun trip!!
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Mamasann
Last edited by mamasann; 08-08-2013 at 05:59 PM..
Reason: typos
So...you ask when does it not rain in Florida? Well, I've lived in Florida nearly all my life. It tends to rain a lot from June to August. The weather forcast is the same for those months -- "hot and himid with thunderstorms in the afternoon." You can set your watch by the rain because it seems to rain at the same time every afternoon. The good thing is that the rain generally doesn't last for more than 30 minutes, unless a tropical storm is in the area.
BTW, hurricane season is from around May to November in Florida. When a tropical storm approaches Florida, it'll rain all day for a few days. When the storm passes, the storm takes the rain with it and Florida has a few days of sunshine!
Drier months tend to be from around December to February. It doesn't rain a lot during those months unless a storm comes through.
If you want a 100% guarantee on when it will nto rain in Florida, you might as well use a Magic 8 Ball. The weather has a mind of its own. Predicable rain is during the summer. It'll rain nearly every day during the summer, but at least you can plan around it.
So...you ask when does it not rain in Florida? Well, I've lived in Florida nearly all my life. It tends to rain a lot from June to August. The weather forcast is the same for those months -- "hot and himid with thunderstorms in the afternoon." You can set your watch by the rain because it seems to rain at the same time every afternoon. The good thing is that the rain generally doesn't last for more than 30 minutes, unless a tropical storm is in the area.
BTW, hurricane season is from around May to November in Florida. When a tropical storm approaches Florida, it'll rain all day for a few days. When the storm passes, the storm takes the rain with it and Florida has a few days of sunshine!
Drier months tend to be from around December to February. It doesn't rain a lot during those months unless a storm comes through.
If you want a 100% guarantee on when it will nto rain in Florida, you might as well use a Magic 8 Ball. The weather has a mind of its own. Predicable rain is during the summer. It'll rain nearly every day during the summer, but at least you can plan around it.
I grew up in South Florida myself and it was a guaranteed storm everyday at 4 p.m. LOL As Barry said, you could set your watch to it.
But then again rain can drive away crowds -- even if for a brief time -- like during those short daily rains. So, there is a slight positive to it.
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and some planning tips if any. Is it worth it to purchase the meal plan there? This will be our second time visiting. The last time was for only 2 days there with a hopper and express passes for (3) when we did DW for 8 days in Jun. 2012 and it rained all week. 
Where to visit first in the theme parks? and the best way to navigate there. We normally play it by ear and see how long the line are for the wait of the rides. Anyy suggestions from those who really plan an unforgetable trip? I'd like to make a big scrapbbook of our trip. Thanks
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to the boards! 
I grew up in South Florida myself and it was a guaranteed storm everyday at 4 p.m. LOL As Barry said, you could set your watch to it. 
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