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             PassPorter News

 

   News, Announcements, Updates, and Tips

 

       January 25, 2007 * Issue 7.3

 

  PassPorter.com - http://www.passporter.com

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Welcome to PassPorter News, an online newsletter

about PassPorter travel guidebooks, the

Walt Disney World Resort, and Disney Cruise Line.

 

PassPorter News is available by free subscription

to all readers and friends of our labor of love --

PassPorter Travel Guidebooks.

Learn all about them:

http://www.passporter.com/aboutpassporter.htm

 

 

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In This Newsletter:

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From the Authors: New and Improved Message Boards

 

Travel Feature: Rome

 

Disney Feature: Fantasyland

 

Updates: What's New and Changed

 

Tips:  Chock Full of Chocolate, Score Soarin' FastPasses, Keep Cool

 

Captain's Corner: Photo Safari

 

Q&A: How much should I tip our server at Palo?

 

 

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FROM THE AUTHORS: New and Improved Message Boards

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Hi, {{user("firstname")}}! 

 

Message Board Upgrade: The major upgrade to the PassPorter Posts message boards community successfully took place over the weekend. We've got all-new software (the popular vBulletin message board platform), which comes with all sorts of new, cool features, such as:

* Faster page loading

* Enhanced posting with choices in fonts, colors, and sizes

* WYSIWYG post creation (what you see is what you get)

* Improved private messages (pop-up notification, folders, bcc, signatures, tracking)

* Separate buddy list window you can keep open

* Similar topics linked at the bottom of all threads

 

After a change like this, to a board as big as ours, there are always lots of little things to tweak and fix once the big installation work is done, so expect a little more hammering and sawdust as the weeks go by. Jennifer has more details on the upgrade and can answer your questions in Our New Home forum. You can login with your previously registered Member Name and password, or start a new account if its your first visit. See you there! http://www.passporterboards.com/forums

 

Cruise Guide In Stock: The new edition of PassPorter's Field Guide to the Disney Cruise Line is now in our warehouse, and all new orders are shipping on the next business day! This is the biggest edition of our Disney Cruise Line guidebook ever, with more than 70 brand-new pages, most of them dedicated to this summer's Mediterranean itineraries. To be among the first to get your copy, order now at the PassPorter Store at http://www.passporterstore.com/store/dcl2007.aspx

 

New E-Book: We recently introduced a brand-new e-book, PassPorter's Sidekick to the Walt Disney World Guidebook, and the response has been fantastic! This 109-page Adobe Acrobat (PDF) file is bursting at the seams with new planning worksheets (including eight "Stuff To Do Before You Go" pages), journal pages in a variety of designs, an electronic version of PassPorter Walt Disney World's Web Site Index (so you can click the links and go), duplicates of every planning worksheet and checklist in PassPorter Walt Disney World, luggage tags, and much more! What's really exciting (at least, to us) is that most of these pages are completely interactive -- you can type-in your information (the budget worksheet even does the math for you!) and check-off your check list items on your computer, then print-out the filled-in pages to insert in your PassPorter. As with all our e-books, these pages are formatted to be printed-out to fit a PassPorter deluxe ring binder, and will fold and fit neatly in your PassPorter's PassPockets. Get all the details at http://www.passporter.com/wdw/sidekick.asp  

 

Tip: If you've already got this e-book and downloaded it on or before Sunday, January 21, we've updated the e-book with more interactive features! Log back into the store and download the e-book again to get the latest and greatest version.

 

PassPorter Public Appearance Calendar

Here's an update on where you can see/hear/meet PassPorter's authors in the upcoming months:

 

 Coming soon:

 Friday, January 26, 2007 at 1:10 pm Eastern -- PassPorter co-author Dave Marx will be a guest on The Charlie Profit Radio Show, on WXCT AM 990 in Southington, Connecticut

 

 Also, Dave will be taping a segment on Friday for CKRA 96.3 FM in Edmonton, Alberta. This will be his first appearance on Canadian radio. Expect to hear the segment sometime during the week of January 29 on The BIG Early with Greg Shannon.

 

Tuesday, January 30, 2007 at 9:15 am Eastern - Dave Marx will be on Health Beat of America with host Rochelle Herman on WIBQ 1220 AM in Sarasota, Florida.

 

Friday, February 9, 2007 at 9:00 am Central, Dave will be appearing in the St. Louis, Missouri area, on Live Wire with Mike Thomas, on KWRE, 720 AM.

 

Wednesday, February 14, 2007 at 7:30 am Eastern - Dave will return for another appearance on  Health Beat of America with Rochelle Herman on WIBQ 1220 AM in Sarasota, Florida.

 

 

In this issue of the newsletter, Dave continues our reports on last fall's Mediterranean Scouting Trip with a report on Rome (the Roaming Gnome Phones Rome?), and Cheryl Pendry describes the grown-up joys Disney parks in, Fantasyland: Not Just for the Pre-School Set! Enjoy!

 

Jennifer and Dave

PassPorter Authors and Publishers

 

 

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Disney Cruise Line¨

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Please contact us now so that we can provide you with the specialized treatment we are known for.

 

We'll call as soon as Disney opens the new itineraries for booking on January 31st in order to get you the best rate possible.

 

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TRAVEL FEATURE: Rome

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by Dave Marx, PassPorter Co-author

 

There's nothing else quite like the power and glory of Rome, a city where "awe" takes on a whole new meaning, whether looking skyward inside the dome of St. Peter's or deep into the earth at the Roman Forum. Pagan temples are converted to churches, palaces of all eras greet you at every turn, and a single snapshot can capture monuments from every age. Ancient columns and pediments are recycled for newer building facades, and the everyday grime of a thriving metropolis covers all but the recently restored sights. Rome is a city of landmarks, history, and faith.

 

In October 2006, I visited Rome while on our Mediterranean research scouting cruise. And being in full research mode, I made notes on my visit as it unfolded. (I have a Palm Tungsten T3 PDA and keyboard, so I can type my notes out virtually anywhere I go.) What follows is an account of my day in Rome, not written in hindsight, but instead written as I experienced it. I hope it offers you a unique and interesting perspective on the Eternal City of Rome. [Note: My first-hand report in this newsletter is an abbreviated version due to space issues -- you can view the entire report along with nearly 30 photos at the Mediterranean Scouting Cruise trip report page at http://www.passporter.com/dcl/mediterranean.asp

 

All Mediterranean cruise itineraries lead to Rome. Or so it seems. Everyone onboard the ship this morning seems to be queuing for their "shorex" (shore excursions), all of which, due to the distance to Rome, will consume all or most of the day. (According to a shore excursions manager, 40% of passengers book a shore excursion in the typical Caribbean port, while 80% book excursions to Rome.) Spending the day onboard would be as relaxing and quiet as they come, but who's jaded enough to do that? Not me.

 

The morning promises yet another foul weather day. Brisk winds, overcast skies, and a few raindrops leave me less than optimistic about my photographic opportunities. Meanwhile, dockside in Civitavecchia is as drab and industrial as it comes. There's a small cruise terminal under construction, but for now it's just a parking lot, tents, and other temporary structures. In the drab, morning light you can catch glimpses of ancient, glorious fortifications from the Renaissance and before, befitting a port that was founded in 800 BC.

 

The drive to and from Civtavecchia is far more pleasant than the route into Florence, perhaps for the same reason a drive into New York City is less uplifting than entry into Washington, D.C. Seats of government do not attract industry. For more than half the journey my tour bus hugs the coastline, following the route of the ancient Via Aurelia. This bears a striking resemblance to the drive along I-5 in California, where it traces the coastline on the way to San Diego. Not too shabby at all! The road gently veers left, and I'm quickly up into the rolling Apennine hills, past fields, small vineyards, olive groves, and power lines running from the generating stations on the coast. Crowning hilltops, the famous pines of Rome, with their broad, rounded crowns, look more like maples than Christmas trees. Bogged down in morning commuter traffic, the scene slowly changes from rural to the urban jumble that is Rome, where the blush of youth long ago gave way to the weariness of age. Forgive the grimy facades. What might Washington look like in another 2600 years?

 

Today's tour itinerary (I'm doing the "Imperial Rome" excursion) includes the Trevi Fountain, Piazza Venezia, the Victor Emmanuel Monument, Via Imperiale, the Roman Forum, the Coliseum, and St. Peter's Square and Basilica. Somewhere along the way, we'll have lunch.

 

The Trevi Fountain is my first stop of the day. Our bus winds through city streets while our tour guide points out some sights I'll be visiting later on. I disembark by a hillside park, trek several blocks through city streets, round a corner, and there is the fountain, at least as grand and glorious as any photo you've seen (and you've undoubtedly seen several). The neighborhood is encrusted with tourists but relatively few tourist traps (I don't think a Benetton shop counts). Perhaps the tours allocate too little time here for the tourist trade to truly flourish. Even so, there's a costumed "Roman Centurion" eager to pose for a fee, and an enterprising old fellow with a digital camera and a battered, battery-operated computer printer slung from a neck strap delivers your souvenir photos on the spot.

 

The Trevi Fountain's cascading waters, galloping marble horses and neo-classical building behind it are quite photogenic. If you take the time to listen to your tour guide (or any of the dozen or so others holding forth), you'll learn that this fountain is the end-point of the last of the fully-operating old Roman aqueducts. Thirsty? Off to the right-hand side of the pool you'll find a knot of fellow tourists in a grotto-like niche, where a heavy, constant stream of water spouts forth for the benefit of anyone thirsty enough to get his/her face drenched. It's fun and just a bit romantic, so join the fun!

 

From there it's back to the bus through different streets, past a variety of impressive residential buildings including an empty, private palazzo at least six stories tall. It more closely resembles a New York City office building from the late 1800s, all stained stone and grimy picture windows. I pass through its courtyard, awed by fading, painted stonework that you wouldn't find anywhere in the New World.

 

My tour bus next deposits me on the edge of Piazza Venezia, a broad expanse dedicated to traffic and ringed by monumental architecture. I cross busy streets and walk past the huge, white marble Victor Emmanuel Memorial. Romans call it the "giant wedding cake," (with not a little derision). From the front, this monument to the founding of the modern Italian state seems to obliterate all that came before it. From the rear, viewed across the brown and grimy broken glories of ancient Rome, it's simply the white frosting on a much richer cake.

 

As I walk around it to the right, down Via Imperiale, my eyes are drawn into the vale that is the ancient Roman Forum. Across the road, like a succession of ancient urban renewal projects, stand the ruins of additional forums that were built as the empire outgrew the first. We had time to visit just one, the original, so down into the earth we went, crisscrossing worn stone roads, gaping as our guide described one legendary spot after another. Amidst it all, I stare in amazement at a huge set of bronze doors that have managed to stand intact for two millennia.

 

Want to read more? To learn about my visit to the Coliseum (it reminds me Michigan Stadium), my Roman lunch ("the pasta was al dente!"), and my experience at Vatican City (was it a coincidence that the sun came out when I arrived here?), go online to my full Rome trip report at http://www.passporter.com/dcl/medrome.asp

 

About the Author: Dave Marx is co-author of  PassPorter's Field Guide to the Disney Cruise Line, PassPorter Walt Disney World, and PassPorter Disneyland Resort. He is also Publisher of PassPorter Travel Press, and in his spare time (yeah right) is Chairman of MouseFest.   

 

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Did you enjoy this article? Have questions? E-mail us at news@passporter.com or visit http://www.passporterboards.com to discuss your Disney travel plans. Also check out our Article Collection at http://www.passporter.com/articles for more great information!

 

 

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DISNEY FEATURE: Fantasyland: Not Just For The Pre-school Set!

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by Cheryl Pendry, PassPorter Message Board Guide and Guest Contributor

 

 

I'm going to share a secret with you Ð I'm a firm believer that you can have just as much fun or perhaps even more when you visit Walt Disney World without children, but shhhÉ don't tell your kids that. You wouldn't want them thinking that grown ups enjoy the Disney magic. After all, Disney is all about children, isn't it?

 

Well, yes and no. Fantasyland in the Magic Kingdom is a case in point. At first glance, most people would think it's a children's paradise and in fairness, there are some attractions in there that really won't interest adults. No matter how hard you try, you've got to face facts. You won't be able to enjoy the children's playground at Pooh's Playful Spot, although you can admire the detail in it from afar. And even the most diehard adult autograph hunters won't want to put up with the long waits at Ariel's Grotto to see the Little Mermaid.

 

With those exceptions, I firmly believe that adults can enjoy everything else that Fantasyland has to offer. Want some proof? Just go into any showing of Mickey's PhilharMagic and watch grown-ups who should know better reaching out when things come flying towards them, happily sniffing the apple pie or laughing at Donald's travels through an animated wonderland. Proof indeed that it's not only children that can enjoy this attraction.

 

Perhaps that's the most obvious example. But for some adults, that's where the joys of Fantasyland end, as they hightail it over to the more grown up thrills of a trip into the stars on Space Mountain or a plunge down Splash Mountain. What they don't realize is that they're missing some of the best attractions that Disney has to offer. All you have to do to fully enjoy them is find the child inside you and put aside any embarrassment about going on "kid's rides" and off you go! It's easy when you know how.

 

Cinderella's Golden Carrousel may live up to its name in that it's effectively just a carousel, but it's also one of the most beautiful ones around and I challenge anyone not to ride this and be magically transported back to childhood memories.

 

The under-fives don't have a monopoly on riding Dumbo the Flying Elephant either. Now, I've got a confession to make. I never rode this as a kid and when I returned to Disney as a teenager, my parents asked me on our last day what I most wanted to do. I stood there and shuffled my feet a bit and looked at the ground. "Come on, it's your choice. What do you want to do?" asked my mum. I looked at her with those big round appealing eyes that every child perfects so well and mumbled, "Dumbo." After asking me to repeat that, just in case she'd misheard the first time, we set off to ride Dumbo together and it's one of the fondest memories I have of that vacation. Even today, I get a thrill riding round in Dumbo and let's be honest; you get a pretty cool view from up there! So take your camera with you and capture the memory.

 

Perhaps the best thing about Fantasyland is the fact that all the rides are very similar -- based on classic Disney tales, they take you through the stories in honey pots, mine cars or even flying pirate ships. Yes, the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Snow White's Scary Adventures and Peter Pan's Flight are all similar but they're also beautifully simple but effective rides, and really shouldn't be missed. After all, it's these types of rides that Disney -- and no-one else -- does so well.

 

OK, so unless you have a child in your party that's a Pooh bear or a Peter Pan fan, you might not consider waiting very long for these rides, but with FastPasses for two of these rides and usually very short waits for the third (Snow White), you don't have to. We've found one of the best times to visit Fantasyland is later in the day, particularly if the park's open late into the evening. By then, a lot of families with youngsters have headed home for the day and Fantasyland is often deserted.

 

The final thing that we haven't mentioned is perhaps the most controversial -- "it's a small world." Why on earth would a gentle boat ride through dolls from all the different countries of the world be controversial? The simple answer is the catchy song. This ride is one that you either love or hate and many have suggested that it would be considerably livened up by the addition of softballs, so you could see how many dolls you could hit. It's not something I foresee Disney doing either in the short or the long term.

 

Whatever your views on this ride -- and if you haven't ever ridden it, you should ride just so you can make your own mind up about it -- you can't deny that this is a priceless piece of Disney nostalgia, first seen at the 1964-65 New York World's Fair. And I, for one, can't help but come off this ride with a big smile on my face. It's just so sweet and happy and although I may be cursing the fact that the song is revolving in my head for the next hour, it just has an uplifting effect for me.

 

The beauty of Fantasyland is that it's built around the famous animated characters that we all know and love from our childhood. This gives us the chance to step back in time and let those wonderful memories of carefree days come flooding back. And after all, isn't that what Disney is all about? Give me Fantasyland any day over the latest roller coaster! It's packed with the most Disney magic you'll ever find in any park, so if you're one of the adults who usually hightails it out of this part of the Magic Kingdom, give it a try on your next visit. I'll be the one on Dumbo! 

 

About the Author:  Cheryl and husband Mark live in England and love to travel, particularly to America. Their last trip to Walt Disney World was over Halloween and their next Disney adventure will be the Mediterranean cruise in May.

 

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Did you enjoy this article? Have questions? E-mail us at news@passporter.com or visit http://www.passporterboards.com to discuss your holiday plans. Also check out our Article Collection at http://www.passporter.com/articles for more great information!

 

 

 

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UPDATES: What's New and Changed

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Here's a few relevant news items:

 

Have you dreamed of being a Disneyland cast member? The latest prizes announced for the Disney's Year of a Million Dreams will make five lucky (and talented) individuals Disney cast members for a day! In a promotion in association with CareerBuilders.com, you can become either a Jungle Cruise Skipper, Haunted Mansion Butler or Maid, Apprentice Pirate, Fantasyland Princess-in-Waiting or a Disney Park Parade Performer. The job also comes with an expense-paid trip to Disneyland Resort. You'll have to supply a video "Disney Resume" to CareerBuilders, and visitors to the CareerBuilders.com web site will vote for their favorites. You can learn more at http://www.careerbuilder.com . While you're there, neither Disney nor CareerBuilders would mind if you put in an application for a real Disney job, too.

 

Disney Cruise Line announced the special summer itineraries for 2008 last week and it's back to California for the Disney Magic! There will be a 15-night Panama Canal repositioning cruise followed by 12 seven-night Mexican Riviera itineraries and a 15-night Panama Canal repositioning cruise for the return to Port Canaveral, Florida. The itineraries are very similar to the 2005 West Coast cruises. For more details, check out the Disney Cruise Line forum on our message board! Also see Jennifer & Dave's trip report on their Disney West coast and repositioning cruise in 2005 at http://www.passporter.com/dcl/panamacanalcruise.asp

 

Our thanks to http://www.allears.net from which we get some of our news leads.

 

>Things To Do: Hear some news? Send it to us at

news@passporter.com

 

 

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DISNEY TIPS FROM FELLOW READERS

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Our readers are a wealth of information! Here are the winners in this month's tip contest:

 

CHOCK FULL OF CHOCOLATE

 "While on our last trip to Disney World at the beginning of January, it was quite chilly in the mornings. Since we had refillable mugs for our resort, it was only appropriate that we fill them with hot chocolate before heading out to the parks. However, we found the hot chocolate at Walt Disney World to be quite weak compared to the hot chocolate we make at home. Our solution: drop an Andes mint into our mugs before heading to the food court! It really made the hot chocolate taste much better! You could also use Hershey Kisses or any other type of candy. We found that one Andes mint would flavor half a refillable mug, and two would flavor a whole mug just perfectly!"

 -- contributed by Amanda H. (mandabeads@...)

 

SCORE SOARIN' FASTPASSES

 "If going to Epcot and want to ride Soarin'? Get your FASTPASS for Soarin' as soon as you arrive. FASTPASSes for that attraction "sell out" early and you may end up standing in long lines otherwise."

 -- contributed by Valerie Z.

 

KEEP COOL

"To stay cool during the afternoon parade, stake out a spot in front of The Hall of Presidents. One hot October afternoon I discovered (by accident) that by watching the parade in this spot you are treated to a blast of cold air conditioning every time someone opens the door to the attraction!"

 -- contributed by Ella P.

 

>Notes: Send us your tips! You may see them in this newsletter and win a copy of PassPorter! Visit:

 http://www.passporter.com/wdw/tipsandstories.htm

 

>>Want more Disney tips? For Walt Disney World fans, we've collected 500 of the best tips submitted by readers over the past six years. All have been edited for accuracy and categorized. For details, visit the PassPorter Disney 500 info page at http://www.passporter.com/wdw/disney500.asp

 

>>For Disney Cruise Line fans, we have an e-book with 250 cruiser tips, as well as a special cruise line comparison section and seven customized packing lists. For information, visit the Disney Cruise Clues info page at http://www.passporter.com/dcl/cruiseclues.asp

 

 

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CAPTAIN'S CORNER: Treasure Hunting Game

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Play our fun and quirky treasure hunting game, hosted by Captain Jack Skatt from our book, "PassPorter's Treasure Hunts at Walt Disney World." 

 

The Captain makes a study of the delightful details -- sometimes hidden, sometimes in plain sight but often overlooked -- at Walt Disney World and aboard the Disney Cruise Line. Using notes from his journals, he will lead you to this "treasure" at Disney with clues, questions, photos, or riddles. Your challenge is to discover the answer by searching your memory, visiting Disney, or even just looking really hard on the Internet. If you think you've found the answer, e-mail it to jackskatt@passporter.com -- the first person to correctly submit the FULL answer will receive a free PassPorter enamel pin or PassPorter name badge pin.

 

Here is this weekÕs journal entry:

 

"Inspired by my friend Dave's trip report and photos on Rome, today I took a little photo safari of my own. Like Dave, I had the good fortune to view plazas, monuments, and oodles of columns. I explored a sumptuous courtyard with a fountain dedicated to a god, and stood awe-struck before a truly glorious palace of immense proportions. I took many photographs -- here is my favorite:"

 

Photo: http://www.passporter.com/news/captainjack0.jpg

 

What is the name of the palace in the photo?

 

Send your full answer to jackskatt@passporter.com -- the winner will be notified by e-mail and announced in the next newsletter, along with the correct answer!

 

Congratulations to Douglas Moore who was the winner of last week's treasure hunt game! Douglas correctly located the labs Jack visited as the Muppet Labs in Muppet Vision 3D at the Disney MGM Studios. To view the original clue, see http://www.passporter.com/news/news011807.htm#captain

 

If you enjoy treasure hunts, we've got an entire book with over 100 distinct treasure hunts and over 1500 questions, complete with clues and contributions from Captain Skatt.  Get details on ÒPassPorter's Treasure Hunts at Walt Disney World" at http://www.passporterstore.com/store/1587710269.aspx

 

 

 

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Q & A WITH JENNIFER & DAVE

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TinkRules asks: "I've read several things on the internet about Palo and how you have to leave a tip for the server at Palo in addition to the $10 they charge to dine there. Is this true and if so, how much do you leave? I've read anywhere up to $50 additional (based on a guess that a dinner at Palo would cost $200 in the real world) for dinner and $30 for two people at brunch. I can understand leaving an additional amount if you had a great meal, but is it necessary to leave that much more?!"

 

Dave & Jennifer answer: "This will always be a matter of personal opinion, of course. Many people leave Palo in a state of bliss, and part of the reason for that is that the servers are doing their best to obtain an extra tip (as is the case with your stateroom host/hostess and main dining room staff). I suspect the Palo staff has an advantage over their colleagues in that they have all that great food at their disposal.

 

Palo's kitchen has an immediate advantage over the other dining rooms on board. Palo serves far fewer guests, so most of the menu items can be cooked-to-order, rather than be items suitable for mass production. Each item can also be a bit more labor-intensive than the assembly line food available elsewhere. Subtle flavors that might not survive under the conditions found in the main dining room kitchens have a greater chance of survival. So... just how much of that extra tip should go to the server, and how much should go to the kitchen (if that were possible)?

 

Seriously, when it comes to putting a cash value on the meal (so you can compute a tip)...

 

Assuming an 18% "standard" Disney gratuity, a $10 service charge puts a $55 value on each dinner. At 15% (the standard shipboard "autogratuity" for alcoholic beverages), the value of the meal would be $67. Do you feel the meal is worth more than that, or the service deserving more than 15% or 18%? Add in the difference!

 

Don't forget that there is a 15% autogratuity on that bottle of wine, so remember that when considering any additional gratuity (and remember that that the effects of that wonderful bottle probably are contributing to your feelings of generosity).

 

Palo servers have said that the $10 service charge is actually pooled by the dining room staff. That makes some sense - the maitre 'd may get about a dollar per guest, and all the servers function as "runners" for each other. So, there is a good reason for rewarding your server's personal attention to your needs.

 

Then again, I wonder just how much of the guest satisfaction at Palo is due to its low, low price (essentially, tip-only)? Would folks be nearly as enthusiastic about it if they did receive a $67/person bill at the end of the evening? Just a thought."

 

Have a question? Check out our new "Ask PassPorter" Q & A blog at http://ask.passporter.com . We're still working on getting the blog ready for prime time, but we welcome your comments and questions! You can also post questions at http://www.passporterboards.com/ -- and if you're lucky, you may find that folks have already asked and answered the same question that's on your mind!

 

 

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WANT TO GET PUBLISHED?

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PassPorter News is published weekly, and this means we need more articles than ever! We're on the lookout for guest columnists who want to contribute articles to this newsletter. No professional writing experience necessary, just a desire to share your experience with others! Not only is this a great way to give something back to the PassPorter community, but you get to see your name in "print" and receive a $25 gift certificate.

 

 

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