I’m on chat often but don’t frequent the forum much. I see many users are in one place or the other. What is the difference? Purpose, vibe, etc. Thanks 
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I don’t think there is a lot of difference. Just a different way of communicating. I think it is easier to use the forum.
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You can look up things more easily in forum. At the 
type in something and it will list previous mostly relevant posts. Also, you are not cut off at a certain amount of characters.
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Correct me if I’m wrong, but chat was supposed to be for questions while you’re actually in the park, and forum for general planning questions. Obviously no one follows that. I’m on both, I like the more complicated planning questions and trip reports here, and the faster pace in chat.
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We also have La Cava here. La Cava was created I believe so that we can talk and get to know each other. The daily thread is alive and well and please just in and say hi!
Many of us on the forum are very active on chat. I am proud of my 21,000 chats but I am here every single day. Trip reports include details and photos! If someone needs help you can create step by step directions with screen shots. You can PM!
To me, chat can be immediate, the forum is detailed.
Both are great!
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One more thing- although I have been know to step into it in chat- here everyone is almost always respectful . I only know of two threads being shut down and in one case it really wasn’t nastiness, just personal issues that came to a thread.
You will not find put downs here. You have the ability to flag a post if it is inappropriate but I have never, ever done that (except with permission when I wanted a badge- or to grab someone’s attention to something very funny- but that is another story 
)
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I was the reverse. Had done all my planning and research here and just recently down,laden and discovered the chat.
as many others have said, the forum seems to be more helpful for details and planning resources because you can search easily write more. The chat area seems to work really well for updates and questions while “on the ground”. Ex: I’m going in two weeks. So it has been awesome to see live updates in how pandora is working with lines, crowd management and wait times. Think it’s really cool to see people notify olthera of bus issues, resrevatikns they are getting ready to cancel for tomorrow, rider swap tickets they have a leftover, etc.
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@lgorgone, you need to change your name here!
I appreciate the search function on Forum. I use it for research.
It’s not working! Maybe I need to do it from a desktop, only have my phone at the moment.
Also, log out and log back in.
That worked, thanks!
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In the beginning there was chat, and it was good. SO good that it became too big for the server software. To help the system, the Forums were created. The roll-out of the Forums was not good; technical issues, a lot of misunderstanding, hurt feelings, etc. some people saw the benefits of the Forum and basically left chat. Some got disillusioned early on and consciously elected to avoid the forums, and some (like me) split there time between the two. There are probably cases where people don’t realize that both exist.
Truth be told, if the different intents of the two media were fully maintained, upwards of 60-70% of the posts on chat really belong in the forums.
I find the benefits of the forum to be not limited to 256 characters per post, and the ability to post pictures directly. But with almost 28,000 posts in chat, I’m certainly no stranger to that media either.
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If you go to all categories you should see “La Cava”. Here is a link to Today’s Daily Thread. You can only see La Cava if you are a TP member and have posted on the forum a few times. It is private for TP members. A lot of people keep their trip reports there.
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I’m a chat lurker and post occasionally, I love the way chat works for instantaneous replies, and the up to minute info (also the fun and laughter it can produce!!) I’m more active on the Forum and through La Cava, have got to know some really lovely people 
The Forum is also great for trip reports, and I especially love seeing the photos.
Come and say hello on La Cava😀
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Can I ask the really dumb question of the day? I’ve heard of chat in posts - what is it? I assumed it was a Facebook thing, and I don’t use Facebook. Is it something I can get to from my home page on TP?
Thank you!!
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Chat is a reference to the Touring Plans App on smart phones - there’s a “Chat” icon which is supposed to be used for “in-park questions, comments, etc.” But I believe the only way to access it is via the App on a Smart Phone/Tablet…
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Thanks! I’ll try it out on my iPad at least. As I found on my last trip, I discovered my smartphone is not apparently “smart enough” to use the app! Had to rely on DH and DS for the app in parks.
Which one day almost had me in tears: DH checked the time of the next fastpass and could only see 3 of us. Younger DS wasn’t listed. I totally panicked and decided to just go and plead with the cm, I think for HM. Got there and found it was fine! He had the fastpass, just a glitch. From then on I jotted times down on a bit of paper each day before leaving the room.
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