Passporter Deluxe worth it?

[angeluna]

Last time we went to the world (3 years ago) I bought the regular passporter. I did however have most of the trip planned already when I bought it. The pockets were okay. I did use the maps. I had made a binder of my own with tips from Dis, Tour Guide Mike stuff, and Unofficial Guide info. So, should I give it another try? I hear so many good things about it. Maybe ya'll can fill me in on what I'm not getting. Thanks!

 

[dianemb]

I had one and basically never used it. It was too big and bulky to carry around for me. I go with the minnimum at the parks. Just a fanny back. It was good for storage but I could use anything for that. It just sits on my shelf now. i guess I could use it for something else cause I won't be taking it back to Disney with me.

 

[Minniemouse07]

The beauty of the Deluxe Passporter is that it is in a binder. I was able to pull all the resort info (for the ones we weren't staying or eating at) out of the binder before we left.

Then each day I took my Passpocket for that day along w/ the map(s) for any park we were visiting and popped them in my Baggallini. "

I my Passporter maps, they would be worth the price of the whole book all by themselves!

After we came home from our December trip, I pulled the 2007 book out of my binder and put the 2008 book in... already have most of the Passpockets filled for our July trip w/ just dd and I for her birthday!

If you only get one book I would get the Passporter, if you get two then I would get the Unofficial Guide. I have about 10 different WDW travel books and these two are my favorite by far.

You can definitely get the book for a discount... those that receive their newsletter get 20% off, returning readers get 30% off and members of their Passporter Club (costs extra...but gives you access to all their ebooks and eworksheets) get 35% off. They also periodically have free shipping from their site throughout the year.

 

[fakereadhed]

Last time we went to the world (3 years ago) I bought the regular passporter. I did however have most of the trip planned already when I bought it. The pockets were okay. I did use the maps. I had made a binder of my own with tips from Dis, Tour Guide Mike stuff, and Unofficial Guide info.

If you didn't use the other one, then I would say skip it. I love mine, and it's the first thing I grab when I plan a new trip. I use the numbers in the back cover to make phone calls. I keep a copy of my Disney Visa in the front cover for making reservations, and write down my info in the appropriate spots. I usually got a new spiral bound planner for each trip, just for the pockets- plus it's kind of fun to look through the old ones and see what attractions and restaurants were there that we visited and are gone now. With the deluxe, I can take out the pages I want to keep, along with the pockets full of memorabilia and keep them together without taking up as much space as all those spiral ones. Plus right now I have the Passporter refill and the Cruise refill in one deluxe binder. I just took out the pockets and cruise pages that didn't pertain to my itinerary. But like I said, if you weren't likely to use it before, maybe you don't really need one.

 

[AMaloy314]

I'll agree with fakereadhed. If you didn't use yours last time, it may not be for you.

I love mine and wouldn't plan a trip to WDW without it. We do more than just the average visitor that books a package at WDW. For that you would just need a place to record your reservation number and your ADRs.

My PassPorter has a place for my reservation, ADRs, rental home info, trip insurance, flight info, rental car reservation, Segway tour info, etc, etc, etc. Maybe it becomes more useful as you find out more about WDW and all the things to do there.

A simple notebook would never be able to hold all the stuff that I collect before we go and after we are at the parks. Receipts, napkins, etc all go in the pockets at the end of the day to use in scrapbooks or just for the memories.

I also agree that the maps alone are worth the price of the book. They are sturdier than the regualr park maps. They are easier to read and include the travel time from one attraction to the next. And don't forget the 'Attractions at a Glance' on the back of the maps. We have used that repeatedly when trying to figure out if we have time to fit in just one more thing before we run out of time. The size is perfect as well. It is easily folded into a fanny pack for use throughout the day. (This year I'm going to laminate them since the whole family likes to look at them, we end up with lots lof sticky fingerprints.)

If you do decide to go with a PassPorter, the Deluxe is the way to go. Being able to take out the stuff you don't need or to rearrange the information is well worth the money.

 

[o2bacelt]

I switched from the regular spiral bound to the deluxe, I loved being able to just change the guts when the new edition came out and since we usually hit Disney twice in a year, I buy the extra pocket set and switch them out after one trip and before another.

I like being able to move things around or take out things we don't need. I actually make up small cards (3x5) with my daily information on them and just carry those around and not my book but I do have the book in my room if I need anything. I'm also a passporter club member so I put my e-worksheets in the book when I've finished getting them ready, it's nice to be able to punch holes and stick them in the book instead of hoping it doesn't fall out.

 

[labdogs42]

I love mine! It is always on my kitchen counter, getting ready for the next trip!

 

[TheRatPack]

One more way to use those pockets is if you plan to eat at any of the restaurants you can go to AllEars and print off the menu's. Put them in your passpocket for that day and when you have some down time you can sort of decide what you might want to eat (we do this since there are 5 kids and 2 adults in our party). We also put mapquest directions (to and from) to other points of interest we might want to go to (universal...etc) in the passpockets for those 'free' days. We keep our receipts in the small slots on each passpocket, we keep our photopass in there at the end of the trip, we love the planner too (that tells you which ride to go to first, which one to grab a fastpass too...etc) it saves us time and time again on planning a park day. Oh and we put our programs in there too (when we enter the park and they hand you one with parade times...etc) that was we can check it throughout the day for different events.

I also make notes on the bottom of the pockets on 'extra' things we might have wanted to see (special talking water fountains, pulling the rope at Indiana Jones...etc) that we hear about on here. That way when I'm looking at the MGM day pocket, I can remember those tips/hints...etc that I learned from the Dis board

 

[jcf41]

I am just sticking with TGM from now on.

 

[angeluna]

A simple notebook would never be able to hold all the stuff that I collect before we go and after we are at the parks. Receipts, napkins, etc all go in the pockets at the end of the day to use in scrapbooks or just for the memories.


.

See, I kept all that stuff too. To me the regular passporter pockets were not big enough for me. I can stuff 'em. I also did my own 3X5 cards with hints. Hmmmm.