Don't assume you can use the Disney card on a non-Disney machine.....BUT there are some really good sites with individual Disney designs you can buy that are as good or better. Google Disney embroidery designs any you will find them. My favorite is in Russia but is reputable and has awesome quality. PM me and I'll give you the site.

Be very careful, just because it is from a Russian site, does not make it legal. It is still a copy written design. Many Designs sold on the net through eBay and such sites are bootleg and are copy write infringements. Disney owns their designs and are sold only through their distributors, so if you see design cd's advertised as "4000 Disney designs for $29.00" ( or any other too-good-to-be-true price) you can guess they are more than likely bootleg, and illegal.
just don't want anyone to find themselves on the wrong side of the law.

I have the 5D Pro as well. Took the initial classes offered at the shop where I bought it, and also bought the DVD which is great. It goes through just about everything. I also found mrpatience.com and have gone through his tutorials which helps me better understand the books and DVD. Digitizing is a very time consuming thing, and can be quite frustrating but also very gratifying when something works out the way I want it to. I also have a much greater appreciation for the pros!
My problem is, I don't do it every day and tend to forget inbetween sessions. But I love 5D Pro, and now there is 6D. Oh my!

I know, still waiting to see what all 6D will offer and how much. I know that the cardshop is now included, which I had wanted so that's 200. I just haven't called the shop to ask how much yet. I did order the newest hoop, its magnetic, 5 x 7 aprox. I can see lots of uses for that. I had just bought the biggest hoop (which last I heard was the largest for home emb machines). Check out some of the digitizing wizards, that can also help. What DVD did you buy?

Does anyone have the Magna-Hoop and do you like it? I just received the 5 x 7 I ordered but have not used it as yet. Have to clean off my sewing table lol. Any opinions would be appreciated!! :)

i have the singer futura xl550. sews like a dream love it. embroidery part i HATE it. all ways knotting up on the underside or getting a hoop size era. and have to take the hoop off and put it back on and this is with using the right size hoop for the design and it telling me im not. i've also been throw a few brother embroidery/sewing machines and everyone was bad right out of the box. i just have bad luck with embroidery machines. the futura is a great SEWING machine but not embroidery. wish i had been able to fine a dealer for singer. but could not so we ordered it from sewingmachinesplus.com will never do that again. a friend of my had the xl 400 and loved it and that is what i ordered but the company had a problem and subbed the newer xl 550. and we had to go back and forth with the company for 2 months before we got every thing we ordered.

For digitizing, does the sotware need to be machine specific?

Also, the hoops, are they machine specific?

Alot of software will save in any format so just check to make sure it covers yours.

Hoops are normally machine specific. I have a Viking #1 and event though alot of the feet work on my Diamond Deluxe the Hoops don't work. Also some machines will only do a certain size, like a 4x4, my largest hoop is around 14in, plus it has a couple of endless hoops that are great. My machine will take most of the hoops from the last say 4 machines at least that Viking has made. The put thiers into number categories, like the #1 is in catagory 1 and the Diamond is in 7, then when you look at things you check the number to see if it is compatible with your machine category, alot of the things in 1 are also avaiable in 7 but not all. Like my walking foot for the 1 won't work in the 7. Same goes with hoops.

Don't have one yet but I've heard they are great. Viking just came out with the 5x7 magnetic hoop and I'm on the waiting list for when the come in.

I have one that came with my 11000se but never use it. I wish they would come out with a 11sq inch to quilt 12 inch sqs o well they just want you to buy the newer machines when they come out with bigger hoops. Gale