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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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I have to say for anyone considering travelling with Southwest, they make Disney planning for us obsessive planners (and shoppers) so easy. I've changed my flights several times both to get cheaper flights for same flight I previously booked but showed up a week later as being cheaper) and the fact that they allow two bags to fly free which is key for me coming home. I travel to WDW with one large suitcase and a slightly smaller one inside and return home with 2 suitcases to accommodate purchases during my trip. I've never been charged for any changes I've made ( surprising considering I always travel on the "wanna getaway" cheap flights. They just credit the difference to be used within one year. Always great customer service and have never had a problem with them. Hope this helps anyone debating which airline to use.
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WDW Fort Wilderness Cabins Sept 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013 and AoA Lion King Suite September 2013
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.
I am so glad to hear that! My wife and I are taking our 4 yr. old to Disney World this September and have decided to fly Southwest. I just booked our tickets Monday. We usually drive down but figured a 2 hour flight vs. an 18 to 22 hour drive would be much better and easier. I picked Southwest because they are the only airline offering a direct flight to Orlando from Columbus, Ohio! All of the other airlines are one stop with 4 and a half hours being the quickest. The last time I was on a plane was about 8 years ago. So, I have been a little nervous about how it was going to work with the whole Disney thing. Thank you for your post, it has helped relax my mind about the situation.
We have no option but to use SW, due to our airport being so small. We love SW, they are so friendly.
Just a note on the credit for tickets, they expire from date of purchase, not month of flight. I lot $100.00 credit (50 for each ticket) because I was didn't read the small print, nor was told they expire a yr from purchase date.
Eric we fly out of columbus using southwest and it couldn't be easier!!! Have a great trip. You made a good decision!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by EricS
I am so glad to hear that! My wife and I are taking our 4 yr. old to Disney World this September and have decided to fly Southwest. I just booked our tickets Monday. We usually drive down but figured a 2 hour flight vs. an 18 to 22 hour drive would be much better and easier. I picked Southwest because they are the only airline offering a direct flight to Orlando from Columbus, Ohio! All of the other airlines are one stop with 4 and a half hours being the quickest. The last time I was on a plane was about 8 years ago. So, I have been a little nervous about how it was going to work with the whole Disney thing. Thank you for your post, it has helped relax my mind about the situation.
In addition to 2 bags fly free, no change fees, etc. I really appreciate that they DO NOT endlessly tinker with their flight times like some other airlines. I like knowing that the flight times I book 6 months out are going to be the times I fly. I really hate the airlines who move their flights around constantly.
In addition to 2 bags fly free, no change fees, etc. I really appreciate that they DO NOT endlessly tinker with their flight times like some other airlines. I like knowing that the flight times I book 6 months out are going to be the times I fly. I really hate the airlines who move their flights around constantly.
I'm glad to here that - I've been debating purchasing my tickets for my October trip and was concerned about this happening.
Thanks Lesliew. How long does it take you to get through security at the good ole Port Columbus? Our flight leaves at 7:15 am. I am about 35 to 45 min. from there out in Heath. I figured on leaving home around 4:30 am and getting there around 5:15 or so. I choose the early flight because we will get to Orlando by 9:15 and be at Epcot my 10:30! We are staying at the Yacht Club so it will be easy all the way around.
Thanks Lesliew. How long does it take you to get through security at the good ole Port Columbus? Our flight leaves at 7:15 am. I am about 35 to 45 min. from there out in Heath. I figured on leaving home around 4:30 am and getting there around 5:15 or so. I choose the early flight because we will get to Orlando by 9:15 and be at Epcot my 10:30! We are staying at the Yacht Club so it will be easy all the way around.
We also fly out of Columbus!
It depends on what day you are leaving. If its 7:15 on a Saturday morning, things go rather quickly, but if you are going during the week you will run into some business travelers. Security opens at 4:30am. If you get in at 5:15am, I think you'll be okay. The airport isn't huge.
However, if your flight gets in at 9:15, I wouldn't plan on being at EPCOT at 10:30. It might take a bit longer than that to get to the hotel and get checked in. Not a lot of time, but an hour could be pushing it. And again, depending on the day, I don't know how busy it will be to get checked in.
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.
We are leaving on a Friday. I was hoping that not a lot of business people would be going home that early on a Friday. I figured that those people would be afternoon travelers.
We always fly SW - not only are they cheaper, but as a previous poster said, they don't doodle with their flights so much, so you can plan better. I've had great luck with on-time flights and have NEVER had my luggage lost (I'm looking at you, Delta!!).
There are some concessions to be made by going with SW. The seats are a little smaller, the boarding process has been referred to as a cattle call, which can be somewhat alleviated by paying for Early Bird boarding. You won't get anything more exciting than chips or pretzels (so bring a lunch & snacks!!). You won't see a movie on the way. Then again...haven't been on other airlines in a while, so for all I know, everyone else is doing it the same way. I think the seating issue is the biggest complaint. You won't be able to request an aisle or window seat, you just barge in and grab the first one you can.
However - the plusses are worth it. Not only do they have better prices and better on time service, but they allow 2 bags free, their personnel are usually really friendly and funny (they remind you that the smoking section is located on the wing), return policies are outstanding, Rapid Rewards points never expire, and so much more.
I used to be a business traveler - usually we traveled during the day, and not on Friday morning. The big rush, in my experience, has been between noon and 5. You'll notice when the rush is by the flight cost...the more expensive, the more likely it's a popular time for business travelers! We are going to Disney on a Friday as well - and we're taking an 8am flight!
We take SW going to Disney from Baltimore and we've never had a late/cancelled flight, our luggage has never been lost, we've always had good service. I hope your experience will be as positive as ours has been.
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¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨) DisneyWitch
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~~ Magick is not just for vacations! ~~
Last edited by DisneyWitch; 05-16-2014 at 03:08 PM..
I'm not too worried about the seating. Even if we don't get A level we will go after them before B. We are taking our 4 yr. old so we will be able to board during the Family loading. That is one thing I am liking about SW. Glad to hear more good stuff about SW.
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We love SW, they are so friendly.
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