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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Hi! I am planning my families first cruise in February 2016. I know it seems late to be planning, but I am intimidated to plan cruise things because I have never gone on any cruise ever!!
My first question is this: We are taking the Disney Magic from Port Canaveral -- what is the best airport to fly into? I want to be as close to the cruise as possible--we aren't renting a car until we return so we will be taking a shuttle or taxi to the cruise.
Next--I plan to arrive early and spend a day at Nasa with my kids. Is one day enough?? And-any money saving tips for Nasa??
Next--when we return from the cruise on a Thursday we want to use a rental car to drive to Orlando from the cruise port. We will be then stay at AKL for 3 nights and go to Universal Studios. What is the most economical way to find a car rental? I always use disney transportation and haven't rented a car in over 20 years LOL
Finally--When visiting Universal Studios--is the "fast pass" system they charge extra for worth it? Also I am only planning one day at Universal--which park is the better one to go to?
Thanks everyone!!!
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5/02 AKL*8/09 POR*10/10 ASMu*8/11 Pop*2/12 ASMu*8/12 POFQ*2/13 ASM*8/13 CB *4/14 AoA*8/14 AKL*8/15 CS*2/16 Disney Magic*8/16 Split stay! POR/BC*2/17 Disney Fantasy & OKW*8/17 Poly/AKL*1/18 ASMu*8/18 SS/?? split stay!
We have always flown into the Orlando airport. I know there is an airport in Sanford, but I don't know where it is in relation to Port Canaveral.
The Orlando airport is about a 45 minute drive from the port, though, so a taxi would be expensive. If you arrive the day of the cruise you can take a Disney Cruise bus, but that won't work if you arrive a day early. In that case, you could use a car service, but it would probably be less expensive to rent a car, especially if you want to go to Kennedy Space Center.
You can rent a car at the Orlando airport, returning it before the cruise, then renting another car after the cruise. We have rented a car at the Orlando airport and returned the car by Port Canaveral, and vice versa, several times. It's an easy drive from the airport to Port Canaveral. We've used Budget, which is located right next to the airport (no need for a shuttle) and right down the street from the port at Cape Canaveral (with a free shuttle bus to and from the port). I think there are a few other rental agencies in Port Canaveral too. I always look on Mousesavers.com for information on possible discounts.
One day at the Kennedy Space Center should be fine -- we have visited a few times for about half a day.
I can't help with Universal, as I have been there only once and haven't been to Islands of Adventure at all.
Happy planning! I find cruises much easier to plan than trips to Walt Disney World, because other than excursions and adult dining, there's not much that needs to be (or even can be) planned in advance.
I'll chime in for the Universal/Islands of Adventure part.
If you want to see both parks, and you will want to ride Hogwarts Express, then get a 1-day/2 park ticket. Yes, Express Pass is extra money but the amount varies of the time of year and which day you visit. An Express Pass in February is less than July. You can pay for it ahead on-line, print it out, and take it with you. Universal only sells so many of these for each day, so the earlier you decide and purchase the better. Express Pass is good for most attractions except the Harry Potter attractions.
If it were us, and it has been, we would invest in the Express Pass.
Have a great trip!
Wow good tips! Thanks so much!! I am only planning one day at universal because we want to spend one day at Disney Quest before it closes forever and a CM told me it is supposed to still be open in February.
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5/02 AKL*8/09 POR*10/10 ASMu*8/11 Pop*2/12 ASMu*8/12 POFQ*2/13 ASM*8/13 CB *4/14 AoA*8/14 AKL*8/15 CS*2/16 Disney Magic*8/16 Split stay! POR/BC*2/17 Disney Fantasy & OKW*8/17 Poly/AKL*1/18 ASMu*8/18 SS/?? split stay!
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