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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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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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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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This trip is a bit last minute - I decided to do it after the discount rate code came out for March. We are going during my kid's spring break, March 12-21.
Some background: this will be our fourth trip (Nov 1995 (WL), Jan 2001 (WL/Poly), Jan 2002 (Hard Rock/BWI)), there will be four of us (myself, DH, DS (14), DD (12)) DH and DD like to sleep in. I don't know if I can get them to the parks by 9am and I know I can't get them there for early entry. I need to make sure I don't push the family too hard so that we stay in good spirits. Another issue is my DH has been having foot problems, but he won't even consider renting a wheelchair. I'm hoping he can see a doctor before we go and get it resolved.
Any feedback on the following plans?
Fri., March 12 - Travel
kid's miss school, but it is the last day of the quarter and Friday before break (i.e. they won't miss much) Flight arrives about 5pm. Get rental car and stop by Albertson's to get some breakfast/snack food on the way to the resort. Check in at Pop Century. We have preferred rooms since the standard rooms were not available with the code. We have two rooms. I requested connecting rooms with 2 doubles in one room and a king bed in the other. After delivering luggage to room and make sure they are OK, go get some dinner. I'm thinking of going off-site to eat to save money - I heard that Sonny's Real Pit BBQ is good and inexpensive. If the weather is good and it is early enough, let the kids swim a bit.
Sat. March 13 - Epcot (9am-9pm)
I purchased a 4 day Park Hopper with 1 Plus. Today I figured Epcot would be the least crowded. Return the car to the Car Care Center and get a shuttle to the TTC. Ride the monorail to Epcot. Ask to ride up front if available. Get FastPass for Test Track and then ride Mission: Space. Do rest of Future World. PS at Akershus (new for us) for lunch as 12:30pm.
Dinner PS at Rose & Crown at 7:10pm. Ask nicely for a patio table if possible and hope we are lucky. Watch Illuminations.
Sun, Mar 14 - Animal Kingdom (9am-5pm or maybe 6pm)
DS wants to go on Kali Rapids (missed last trip because it was too cold). I'd like to see Tarzen Rocks again (missed it last trip). I think we all want to do the safari. I'm sure the kid's want to do Dinosaur and we all want to try the Primeval Whirl as it is new since our last trip. Lunch at Tusker House (new)(although the kid's might want pizza). Dinner plans are uncertain because we will probably want to go to one of the other parks that is open later (like MK which is open till 10pm or maybe try to get to MGM to see Fantasmic! at 7:30pm).
Mon, Mar 15 - Water Park (10am-5pm)
I hope the weather cooperates. Sleep in and then go to one of the water parks. PS at Boma at 6:40pm for dinner. Visit AKL and make it a early evening.
Tues, Mar 16 - Magic Kingdom (9am-10pm)
Take bus to MK and monorail to Poly. Breakfast at Kona Cafe (Tonga Toast!)
Space Mountain, Big Thunder RR, Splash Mountain are priorities. Want to see Mickey's Philomagic Show (new). Maybe turkey legs for lunch. Eat at Cosmic Ray's for dinner. Maybe see SpectroMagic and definately see Wishes from Main street. Park open until 10pm. (Any possiblity of E-Ride Night? If so, it would make a very late night, but we love E-Ride night.)
Wed, March 17 - MGM Studios (9am-7:30pm)
Rock 'n Roll Coaster, Tower of Terror, Who Wants to be a Millionare are priorities. Toy Planet Pizza for lunch if we want lunch. PS at 5:05pm for SciFi (new). Maybe try for Fantasmic if we didn't see it Sunday. Maybe try to go to MK or Epcot for last hour to finish any missing rides.
Thurs, March 18 - DisneyQuest (11:30am-11pm)
Sleep in. Check out and store luggage. Maybe breakfast at Boma. Go to DTD and go to DisneyQuest. Go to the Dolphin between 5 and 6pm to pick up rental car. Go get luggage. Maybe leave kids at DisneyQuest while we are doing this. Eat dinner off-site - maybe Steak n Shake or Jungle Jim's. Stop by a store, Publix?, to restock. Check in at the Royal Pacific at Universal. Since Univeral parks close at 7pm I doubt we will go to the parks. Maybe swim if weather nice.
Friday, March 19 - Islands of Adventure (9am-7pm)
I purchased a 5 consectutive day 2 park pass using link on mousesaver.com. (still $81.95)
Hulk, Dueling Dragons (new), Sinbad (new), Spiderman are priorities. Dinner at Mythos. Maybe swim in evening if weather good.
Saturday, March 20 - Universal Studios (9am-9pm)
Men in Black, Shrek 4-D (new) are priorities. May go back to IOA if we've seen all we want at US. Suggestions for dinner?
Sunday, March 21 - Revisit IOA/US (9am-7pm)
Sleep in a bit. Check out and put luggage in car. Revisit parks. Leave for airport by 4pm. Flight at 6:10pm- gets into Denver at about 8pm. (2 hour time zone difference) Get some dinner on way home and crash.
I'm trying to alternate 2 park days with a non-park day to keep everyone from getting too tired. I'm trying to keep the costs down - using miles from my credit card for the flights (although airfare is so high we still had to pay an additional $35/person to get reasonable flight times), staying at the Pop Century on a code, although I am getting two rooms so we have enough room and kid's don't have to share a bed, got Universal Fan Club rate at Royal Pacific, only renting the car for a day at the start and a weekend at the end (just over $100 versus $250 or more for the whole time), eating some breakfasts in the room and a couple of meals off-site, counter service dinners on some other nights, buying tickets ahead of time from internet for Universal and Ticket Mania for Disney.
Sounds like fun! Just remember to relax and enjoy yourself. Listen to your family, while its nice to have a daily schedule, don't forget things have a way of popping up.
I agree with the others - sounds great but be sure to do something for yourself and to let the plans change as need be! I got a little worn out being the Keeper of the Schedule and the Planmaker when we went on our last trip.
I think it's really good that you have your short list of things you definitely want to do, that way you know what to hit first. The only thing I saw that I thought might be tough was the day at Epcot where you have a ps for lunch and one for dinner. Personally I have never had good luck with that as I always end up too full for one of them (this may have something to do with my snacking tendencies too!) but that is just a small thing I noticed, and you can always change the ps if you change your mind that day.
Have a great time! It looks like you have some really fun stuff lined up!!
We're going at the same time, only we're staying at All Star Music. We just stayed at Pop Century over Christmas and had a really great time. You'll love the resort! OH, and Sonny's BBQ is DELICIOUS.
Have a great time! Maybe we'll run into each other!
Hey we'll be there March 13-20. Your plans look very
good but like the others posting I would remember to
be spontaneous if you need. Have a great time!
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Just remember to relax and enjoy yourself. Listen to your family, while its nice to have a daily schedule, don't forget things have a way of popping up. 
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