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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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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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Our 11 month window is opening up this week and i need to book 5 nights VGC, 3 nights AKV and 4 nights VGF.
Up until now we have always stayed in 2 bedrooms but our family has shrunk. Now I'm targetting 1 bedrooms but there will only be 3 of us so we could live with a studio. Also not being from the USA our trips are every other year so we routinely bank and borrow points.
We use the kitchen facilities, we almost always have breakfast in the room and often lunch as well. We tend to only have one ADR per day which would be a TS. We also have snacks and drinks in the room. However. for me the big sticking point is the laundry. We normally pack for 4 days and wash clothes. I hate using launderettes as I feel it takes time our of our holiday instead I put on a load most mornings as we go out and dry it in the evening as we come back. I feel I could live without the space and live without the kitchen but I'm struggling not having laundry facilities in the room.
Anyway work is a pain at the moment. I am struggling to get my boss to sign off on holidays. He will not approve this one until 4-5 months before but I have to book DVC now. I am prepared to take the risk as if he says no I can rent my points (I did this this year for that very reason) and I am proposing going at a time of year that avoids his holiday period.
Anyway to book the 1 bedrooms we love I'd have to borrow so I'd have to rent more points if I cancelled. However, if I did studios only I could book VGC and VGF without borrowing. Studios seems safer for this trip but I'm struggling not having the 1 bedrooms and am thinking I'd rather take the risk and book the accomodation I want rather than play it safe and wish we were in a bigger room.
I'd go with the one bedroom for the start and end of your trip with a studio in between, as then you can get away without laundry for those three days, if you plan it right, especially as you say you normally do laundry every four days or so. I am so with you about a one bedroom. Even though there's just the two of us, we love them because of the laundry and saving time having to hang around waiting for loads to finish, the additional space and the Jacuzzi bath.
I'd go with the one bedroom for the start and end of your trip with a studio in between, as then you can get away without laundry for those three days, if you plan it right, especially as you say you normally do laundry every four days or so. I am so with you about a one bedroom. Even though there's just the two of us, we love them because of the laundry and saving time having to hang around waiting for loads to finish, the additional space and the Jacuzzi bath.
Yeah I did think of doing that except the stay in the middle is the one where I have to borrow no matter what. I'm leaning towards doing the studio at VGC for 5 nights (we won't have a car so no groceries anyway), a 1 bedroom at AKV for 3 nights my 3 night cruise then a 1 bedroom at VGF for 3 nghts so I can do laundry before and after the cruise.
Although in reality if the worst happens this only saves me renting 98 points so i might be just as well booking what we love and to heck with the risk!
I'm afraid I'd give in and go with the 1 bedroom for the whole trip! Laundry isn't an issue for me, but it sounds like it's a big enough deal for you that being in a studio would impact the pleasure you get from your vacation. You work hard for this time off, it's hard to get, and you should maximize the enjoyment it gives you. If in the end you can't see your way to risk that many points, I'd choose one of the segments and do the studio for that part.
My wife and I always get a 1 bedroom, even if it's just the 2 of us. We just love the extra room, hot tub (the ones in the VGF are AWESOME!), king bed, kitchen, fridge/freezer, washer/dryer, and I could go on and on!
Even the saving of points isn't going to worth it if you don't thoroughly enjoy your trip bc you are not in the room you want. Also remember you can always do a grocery delivery order. It would allow you to use the kitchen & you still won't need a car.
Hmm I'm thinking it is going to have to be 1 bedrooms, I'm such a freak about laundry I can't stand dirty clothes on holiday even if they are away in the case and i am so particular about what I wash together i do more loads than most people would.
And we bought our DVC points to enjoy so you people are right we should book what we want. I'm just going to have to believe I'm going to get the time off.
Even the saving of points isn't going to worth it if you don't thoroughly enjoy your trip bc you are not in the room you want. Also remember you can always do a grocery delivery order. It would allow you to use the kitchen & you still won't need a car.
I've used Garden Grocer in Florida but can you do similar in California?
Hmm I'm thinking it is going to have to be 1 bedrooms, I'm such a freak about laundry I can't stand dirty clothes on holiday even if they are away in the case and i am so particular about what I wash together i do more loads than most people would.
And we bought our DVC points to enjoy so you people are right we should book what we want. I'm just going to have to believe I'm going to get the time off.
Good decision! Now for your boss to do the right thing....
I've used Garden Grocer in Florida but can you do similar in California?
I know I have read on these boards that you can but right now I can't find the thread. If you post it as a question I'm sure someone has the exact info or link.
I've used Garden Grocer in Florida but can you do similar in California?
I can't wait for you to come to California!
Honestly, it's one thing if you want the 1 bedroom for the laundry, but I would say don't do it just because of groceries. There are so many convenient options at DLR that I don't see you could save that much by eating in your room more often. That's just me of course.
If it turns out you really want to do more cooking and want groceries, I'll take you to the market!
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Honestly, it's one thing if you want the 1 bedroom for the laundry, but I would say don't do it just because of groceries. There are so many convenient options at DLR that I don't see you could save that much by eating in your room more often. That's just me of course.
If it turns out you really want to do more cooking and want groceries, I'll take you to the market!
I'm booked!!! We went with the 1 Bedroom from 24th March to 28th March 2016. Can't wait to go to Disneyland again.
I was actually originally thinking we would do a studio in disneyland because we would not be buying groceries but just eating out.
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Last edited by Thomhazel; 04-24-2015 at 07:37 PM..
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