It was early 1996 when I experienced the internet for the first time. What a wonderful invention! My first search was for all things Disney (of course!). After a few years and a few Disney websites, I started hearing about this new guidebook, the PassPorter. One of my favorite Disney sites mentioned this book all the time. So I followed the link to the PassPorter site and saw the site was a still a small community. There was a way to order the book in an online store and also a discussion board regarding the guidebook and about traveling to Walt Disney World in Orlando. I immediately registered as a discussion board member (I was 52nd person to sign up on the boards) and ordered my first copy of the PassPorter.
I have owned serveral official and unofficial WDW guidebooks over the years. Living so close to Orlando I have visited WDW over 60 times and being such a huge fan I have a wide variety of Disney knowledge. My first experience with the PassPorter WDW Guide was amazing. I could not get enough of this book. I read it from front cover to back, I carried it with me where ever I went, I refered to it almost daily and when making vacation decisions it was always by my side.
I wound up going to the Passporter boards so often and shared so much that the authors, Jennifer and Dave asked me to become a discussion board moderator in 2000. It was such an honor and priviledge to not only be recognized but also asked to join the ranks of ‘moderator’.
Every year the PassPorter WDW Guide comes out with new edition because Walt Disney World in Orlando changes and evoles so much every year, so does the PassPorter.
Around September sometime the PassPorter website starts taking pre-orders for the next years, newest edition. The books are generally shipped in November and by Christmastime everyone has their newest edition of the PassPorter Walt Disney World Guide Book.
I have noticed over the past 12 years that the PassPorter Guidebook has changed alot. In the 2011 edition there are sleek, shiny pages, it is in full color, the photographs and maps are superb and the Passpockets, as usual, are indespensible. The PassPorter comes in a spiral-bound paperback and deluxe edition that comes with a binder, the text pages, the world famous Passpockets and a pen. There is also the deluxe refill kit, looseleaf text set and an online edition.
In 2011 the PassPorter is in its 13th edition. It is not only a travel guide but a ‘planning system’ that features 14 of the PassPorter Passpockets. Passpockets are buit-in, helpful organizering tools. They help you keep track of your travel plans, resort information, maps and receipts. They can become your own Disney vacation scrapbook.
This guide book: helps you research information on Disney, has maps on the area airports, how to get to WDW by different modes of transportation, an outstanding packing list, maps and info on each and every WDW resort, full fold-out maps and touring tips for each WDW park, information, pictures and descriptions of the restaurants on Disney grounds, plus all sorts of detailed knowledge on tours, classes and WDW programs. Located at the very back of the book you will find your ever handy Passpockets. You can write your travel and resort details on the Passpockets, store tickets and memories inside and even write reviews of your trip to share with friends and family when you get home.
The WDW PassPorter Guide Book has won several awards over the years, like the Benjamin Franklin Award for Best Travel Guide. It has been reviewed by the worldwide media and thousands of Disney fans all over the globe.
The PassPorter website is also a wonderful site to visit. It has grown into a huge community over the past 12 years. PassPorter.com is not only a place to research travel information for your upcoming Disney trip but it is a ‘neighborhood’ to form new and lasting friendships. There have been quite a few new boards added to this community over the years. You can now read and discuss topics about Disneyland California, Disneyland Paris, the Disney Cruise Line and even Universal Studios in Orlando.
In conclusion, from my research over the past 15 years the PassPorter is one of the best guidebooks about traveling to Walt Disney World I have ever read. Everything housed in this Disney guidebook; the maps, pictures, WDW information, reviews and Passpockets make it the huge success it is today.
