Forums Closed
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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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!
Best wishes for a wonderful and magical new year!
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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.
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02-27-2002, 01:44 PM
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#1
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Community Rank: Legend 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Florida Big Bend
Posts: 17,133
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Caribbean Cruise VS. Land Stay
Just curious to hear from those that do, or have done, cruise as well as resort stays.....I've only been on one cruise when I was a kid and don't remember much. DH and I are beach lovers and like to fly to destination and drop on the beach for a week. What are the pros and cons.....DH is the "true blue Disneyphile" who has (or had?) no interest in cruises but now may.... I agreed that maybe it'd be fun to be with a bunch of you from here as we'd have at least ONE thing in common with everyone.....Just curious.............Anyone?
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02-27-2002, 04:41 PM
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#2
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Community Rank: Trailblazer 
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: jacksonville, fl usa
Concierge Level: 3
Posts: 5,790
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Re: Caribbean Cruise VS. Land Stay
Well, we have done several cruises (different lines, with Disney being the BEST by far) and several resort stays. They are both wonderful. If you are aching to go to the parks, then of course you would want to do the WDW resort. But if you're just looking for a relaxing vacation with fun in the sun, go for the cruise. DH loved it after I finally convinced him to take one and we are in the planning stages for a 7-night Western Caribbean (on Disney of course) for late this year/early next year.
There is an adult only pool for sitting in the sun during the day. Shore excursions include beach trips (you can even stake out a beach on your own to save a few bucks). And Disney's private island, Castaway Cay, has one of the best beaches I've encountered.
And if you think you'll be missing out on Disney magic on cruise, well, you won't be. The nightly stage shows are definitely Disney, and there are character greetings. You won't miss out on Disney!
Hope this helps!
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02-28-2002, 09:59 AM
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#3
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Community Rank: Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Florida Big Bend
Posts: 17,133
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Re: Caribbean Cruise VS. Land Stay
Thanks for the input iloverags2. Not worried about missing the parks; worried about being Disneyized to claustophoebia....If that makes any sense?! - Friends went on one of the Disney cruises last year and loved it. Former TA went when they had a "look-see" I believe she called it and RAN! It was TOO MUCH for her. I have a feeling my DH is alot like yours...
What did you mean about staking out our own beach as opposed to "paying"?
Also, I'm a sunlover. Yeah yeah I know, unheard of in this day and age...blame it on my Greek mother! Hehehe.... I'm concerned that I'll feel torn between scoping port beachs and port shopping.....
Oh another question, you mentioned the childfree pool; what about about restaurants?
Thanks for all the info! [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]
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02-28-2002, 01:22 PM
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#4
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Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Connecticut
Concierge Level: 6
Posts: 16,825
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Re: Caribbean Cruise VS. Land Stay
We (My DH, 30, and I, 27) went on the 3 night in September. We absolutely loved it. It is Disney but I do not think it is overwhelming in any way. They do a good job of keeping the adults only areas (Beach on Castaway Cay, Pool and Palo's restaurant) actually adults only.
I think what iloverags2 meant by scoping out your own beach, is that you can pay for a Shore excursion to a beach but you also have the option of striking out on your own, which is free! (Unless you take a taxi etc.)
Don't feel conflicted between beach and shopping time. There is plenty of sun time while on board, plenty of beach time on Castaway Cay AND time for shopping both on board and in Port. (But before shopping in Port, I would attend the Shopping Lecture which tells you how to haggle and what scams to look out for.)
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02-28-2002, 01:46 PM
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#5
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Community Rank: Trailblazer
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: jacksonville, fl usa
Concierge Level: 3
Posts: 5,790
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Re: Caribbean Cruise VS. Land Stay
There is an adults only restaurant, Palo's. It's $5 per person, but you need to make ressies as soon as you embark because it sells out fast. If you have late seating for dinner in the regular restaurants there are fewer young children and they do try and seat you with same types of groups (couples, etc.).
The adults only beach at Castaway Cay is great. Quiet, and they have massage cabana's (there is a signiicant charge for the massages though).
Also, there are the adults only night clubs (comedy, piano bar, and disco). It depends on how you want to spend your cruise. You can make it total Disney, but you can also get a break from it. It's really up to you.
[img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]
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02-28-2002, 07:15 PM
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#6
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Community Rank: Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Florida Big Bend
Posts: 17,133
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Re: Caribbean Cruise VS. Land Stay
Thanks for the info!
Another question: What are you paying $5.00 for at Palo's?
Elaine
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02-28-2002, 08:00 PM
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#7
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Community Rank: Trailblazer
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: jacksonville, fl usa
Concierge Level: 3
Posts: 5,790
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Re: Caribbean Cruise VS. Land Stay
The $5 is an added charge to experience an elegant, quiet adult's only dinner with a beautiful view from the top of the ship. We haven't done this, as our 13 year old DD was with on the last cruise, but have heard it is worth it.
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02-28-2002, 08:19 PM
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#8
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Community Rank: Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Florida Big Bend
Posts: 17,133
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Re: Caribbean Cruise VS. Land Stay
So I guess they want $5.00 a head to ensure you show up for ressie?! [img]images/icons/confused.gif[/img]
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02-28-2002, 09:45 PM
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#9
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Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Connecticut
Concierge Level: 6
Posts: 16,825
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Re: Caribbean Cruise VS. Land Stay
Actually, the $5 surcharge is for your server. They are not part of the rotation and so do not benefit from the tips given at the end of the cruise. The $5 subsidizes their tips.
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02-28-2002, 10:32 PM
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#10
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Community Rank: Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Florida Big Bend
Posts: 17,133
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Re: Caribbean Cruise VS. Land Stay
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah ok I get it......I think...
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