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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!
Welcome! We're happy you've found the PassPorter Community -- the friendliest place to plan your vacation to Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland, and the world in general! You are now viewing the PassPorter Message Board Community as a guest, which gives you limited access. As our guest, feel free to browse our messages by selecting the forum you want to visit from the list below.
To post messages and ask questions, join our FREE community today and you'll get access to tools and resources not available to guests, such as our vacation countown timers, "living" avatars, private messaging system, database searches, downloads, and a special PassPorter discount code. Registration is fast, simple, and completely free. Just click the Join Our Community link.
If you think you've already joined, log in below now. If you don't remember your member name or password, please visit our Member Name and Password Recovery page. You are also welcome to contact us.
Has anyone tried AKV club level? We would be staying in s studio with our two young girls. I've done WL club level and it was ok, but it was just my husband and myself at the time. I'm wondering if we would make more use of it with kids!
PassPorter Guide Community Rank: Legend Extraordinaire
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Chapel Hill, NC USA
Concierge Level: 6
Posts: 36,592
Post Thanks / Like
AKL has one of the best Club experiences on site from what I can tell. I haven't stayed club anywhere but pay attention to what people have written about their experiences.
Hard to say. Much would depend upon why you weren't all that impressed, I expect. I'd decide based on your and DH's feelings as your kids likely won't care unless they're big snackers.
Much depends, too, on how much downtime you spend at your resort that would involve use of the lounge. We like CL for the lounge continental breakfast, a factor that might figure in your "worth it."
__________________
“People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.” —Winnie-the-Pooh
We loved AKL CL! Unfortunately, I don't think I can be much help to you because we were only there one night, before a cruise, and we did the Wanyama safari that night. After dinner at Jiko, we were much too full to appreciate the dessert and drink offerings. Although, like Dot said, we did enjoy the breakfast.
What all is offered at CL? DH and I would like to try it out one of these days.
__________________
Jennifer / Eeyore is my favorite!! OMG - He's sooooo grown up!!!! And an EAGLE SCOUT!! I can still remember my cute little Tiger Cub! 2016 Reading Goal - 75 books
What all is offered at CL? DH and I would like to try it out one of these days.
There likely are differences between AKV and GF CL, dunno as we've never stayed in AKV CL.
Generally, we've found from our WL experience that lounge offerings there were similar to those reported in other resorts' CLs. In short, noticeably less than at the GF. As a result, don't take my description of the lounge breakfast as a representative sample. WL CL had a bit less than half that much food. Figgers, since GF is the flagship resort.
If you look at a photo of the GF's main building, these rooms are in those round towers at the corners. We've had one twice, and they are soooo luxurious.
As for other reasons to try CL, there's more privacy, often quieter locations and topnotch service. The concierges will do all sorts of things for you. They even sent a courier into the MK after it had closed on Christmas Day to get our package at package pickup which we'd have been unable to get before leaving the next day. When we got back to our room after dinner, it was waiting on the coffee table for us.
Feel free to PM me if you have any questions. All our stays but the first have been CL. We think it more than worth the cost even though many don't.
__________________
“People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.” —Winnie-the-Pooh
Last edited by Her Dotness; 03-09-2017 at 08:27 PM..
Registered Message Board Members save 30% off PassPorter guidebooks! When you register you'll have access to a discount coupon good for 30% off the list price of PassPorter books in our online store.
We've stayed at AKL CL, and loved it! The lounge looks over the lobby and its a great place to relax and refuel. We loved the jungle juice served there.
In the mornings we took advantage of the continental breakfast, and in the afternoon DD loved the snacks (a kind of salt potato chips). Sometime she returned at night for a glass of wine and something sweet. So for us, it definitely worth to have a place to relax and unwind. we often spend time at the resort, enjoy the ambiance and offerings.
GF CL does offer a bigger spread than AKL CL, as well it should, given the price difference. However, AKL does offer a nice continental breakfast, and the jungle juice is YUM! Ask for a jungle juice mimosa
From what I've seen, the Deluxes other than GF have a similar amount of food at the breakfast. It's good enough but reasonably neither as varied nor ample as GF's. Makes sense the flagship is more lavish. Should be as much as its CL costs, I agree.
What's nice about the various CL lounges' foods are the things exclusive to a resort like the jungle juice. WL had a venison chili that people said was fabulous. I was always too stuffed from meals to try it.
__________________
“People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.” —Winnie-the-Pooh
About This Page: 
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
Linear Mode
