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PassPorter News
News, Announcements, Updates, and Tips
March 20, 2008 * Issue 8.12
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: It's
Spring! (Are We There Yet?)
Travel
Feature: Eurostar
Disney Feature: Tokyo
DisneySea
Updates: What's New and
Changed
Tips: Super Snacks,
Preparing With Pictures, Sneaky Scrapbooks
Captain's
Corner: Great Old Clock
PassPorter
PhotoPick: Flower & Garden Festival
QandA: Are the doors
to our verandah child-proof?
Our Sponsors: We
Recommend...
====================================================
FROM THE AUTHORS: Lucky 13
and Luckier 14!
====================================================
Hi,
{{user("firstname")}}!
Yes, the Vernal Equinox is
upon us, and tomorrow daylight gets the upper hand over night (at least, for
those of us in the Northern Hemisphere)! For those of you in somewhat warmer
climes, congratulations! Alas, the view from our office windows here in
Michigan still includes some lingering patches of snow, and the weather
forecast says we might get a few more inches of the white stuff tomorrow. Hope
"springs" eternal, though -- some early bulbs have started pushing
shoots up through the remnants of last autumn's leaves, and our typical daytime
temperatures have broken above the freezing mark. Of course, with spring upon
us, other holidays are close at hand. Our best wishes for a good holiday go to
all of you who observe Good Friday and Easter!
PassPorter's Disney Cruise
Line and its Ports of Call 2008 is in stock! All pre-orders of the paperback
edition and Deluxe Refill Kits have shipped, and by Monday (March 24) the last
of the Deluxe Starter Kit pre-orders will be out the door! At this point, we
can safely say that new orders of our cruise guide will ship the next business
day (no shipping tomorrow, Good Friday). Order at http://www.passporterstore.com/store/dcl2008.aspx
Our next e-book,
PassPorter's Answer Book: Expert Answers to Common Disney and Travel Questions
debuts to PassPorter's Club passholders this Monday. It'll become available for
sale in our store several days later to those who are not Club passholders. Get
more details at http://www.passporterboards.com/forums
The 25,000th member of the
PassPorter message boards arrived earlier this week! It's hard to believe our
little community has grown so much, and we're especially happy to see that the
warm welcome and friendly spirit of our community seems to grow right along
with the membership numbers. If you've haven't joined us yet, we invite you to
take a look around at http://www.passporterboards.com/forums
Will you be joining us for
PassPorter's Decade of Dream Tour? PassPorter is celebrating our 10th
anniversary in 2009 year-long celebration from coast-to-coast! Everyone is
invited and all are warmly welcome to join us at all or part of our
celebration. We are combining small parties (meets) with grand, multi-day
trips, including a 7-night Disney Cruise, a 4-night stay at Walt Disney World,
and a Disneyland visit that includes park time and an Adventures by Disney
expedition. See our Tour Schedule for the latest details at http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/passporters-decade-dreams-tour-2009/
PASSPORTER'S CLUB UPDATE
* More than 1300
vacationers are now enjoying access to all our e-books, e-worksheets, and
super-sized photo archive images. Thank you for your continued support!
* Our next e-book,
"PassPorter's Answer Book" by the PassPorter Guide Team will debut
for Club passholders this Monday, March 24. his nearly 100-page e-book is full
of the detailed, up-to-date information on the topics that really matter to
you. Details at http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/passporters-club-gallery/new-post-152726-new-e-book-coming-soon.html
* We have two recent
e-worksheets for you to use to plan your next trip (click the link to go
directly to them): the Disney Dining Plan E-Worksheet for 2 Adults and 1 Child
( http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/passporters-club-gallery/150415-free-e-worksheet-dining-plan-2-adults-1-child-5-days.html
) and the Disneyland Park Hours E-Worksheet ( http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/passporters-club-gallery/150398-new-e-worksheet-park-hours-disneyland-s-california-any-destination.html
).
* More details at
http://www.passporter.com/club
We're happy to announce
that PassPorter Travel Press will be exhibiting at the Los Angeles Times
Festival of Books on April 26 and 27, 2008 (next month). Dave will be on
hand to represent us. He'll have selected PassPorter books available for sale,
autographing pen in hand, and we're planning a PassPorter Meet sometime during
the event (day and time to be announced). Admission is free (parking is $8.00),
so it's quite a deal! If you can get to the UCLA campus, we'd love to see you
there! We're in booth 657, in Zone F - Dickson Court North.
In this issue, Featured
Columnist Cheryl Pendry takes to the rails and through the Channel Tunnel to
report on Eurostar, England's rail link to the rest of Europe (and vice versa).
[We remember fondly our own jaunt from Paris to London and back via Eurostar.]
Then, first-time Guest Contributors Donna and Roger Sauer share their
impressions of Tokyo Disneyland's "other" park, Tokyo DisneySea.
Finally, Jack Skatt is back with a brand-new Walt Disney World Treasure Hunt.
Have a great week!
Jennifer and Dave
PassPorter Publishers and
Authors
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TRAVEL FEATURE: Eurostar
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by Cheryl Pendry,
PassPorter Featured Columnist
I don't know about you,
but as someone who doesn't often travel by train, I get a great sense of
excitement when I board a train that's actually heading for another country.
For aeons, the United
Kingdom was completely cut off from all the countries surrounding it, with no
way of traveling to continental Europe unless you got on a boat -- and then
later, when they were invented, a plane. But that all changed in the 1980s,
when plans were unveiled for a tunnel underneath the English Channel, the
stretch of water that separates the UK from France. It was completed in 1994
and since then, train services have traveled through the tunnel, operated by
Eurostar.
We're lucky enough to live
in the southeast corner of the UK, which makes Eurostar a great way to travel
to the continent. There are three stations now in this country, as a result of
a massive programme of work, which saw new high speed rail lines arrive, along
with two new stations and the closing of another one.
For anyone who's been to
London before, you may have been aware that Eurostar services ran from London's
Waterloo Station over to France and Belgium, but that all changed in November
2007, when that station closed and was replaced with a brand new terminus at
St. Pancras in the north of London. It's a switch that makes more sense, as St.
Pancras is where trains from the Midlands, north of England, and Scotland all
arrive. At around the same time as that station opened, so did another one,
called Ebbsfleet International, just southeast of Greater London. There's also
another station a bit further southeast of Ebbsfleet, Ashford International,
which still has Eurostar trains calling at it, although those services are a
lot more limited with the opening of Ebbsfleet.
As for the other side of
the Channel, the services run to four main points - three in France: Paris, Lille,
and Disneyland Paris (perfect for a quick weekend break there!); and Brussels,
the capital of Belgium. Travel times vary, depending which station you're
leaving from, but from St. Pancras, the average travel time to Lille is around
an hour and a half, two hours to Brussels, two and a half hours to Paris or
Disneyland Paris, although be warned, there's only one direct service to the
theme park each way in a day.
We're located in a
fortunate position, almost halfway between both Ebbsfleet and Ashford stations,
so we can easily get to either and we've taken full advantage of that over the
years to enjoy a number of journeys into mainland Europe. One of the reasons we
enjoy the Eurostar so much is that it's nothing like catching a plane. For
starters, you only have to be at the station and through security checks 30
minutes before your train departs. In fact, there's something to be said for
not getting there much before that time, as unlike major airports, there isn't
a huge amount to do at the stations, with just a couple of shops and
restaurants, which you'll enjoy browse in a few minutes.
Of course, you still have
to go through security checks and border controls in the same way that you
would at any airport, but the lines are never very long and you always seem to
move quickly. Just a few minutes before your train arrives, you'll be called
from the waiting area to the platform and you'll find that the carriages are
neatly marked out when you get there. This is especially important for the
stations en route, such as Ebbsfleet, Ashford and Lille, as the train doesn't
stop for long and it's a good way of ensuring everyone is in the right place
and able to board quickly before it gets there.
As happens on many trains,
there are different classes -- Business Premier, aimed very much at the
business traveler, Leisure Select, and Standard. We've traveled in both of the
latter two classes and they're both very comfortable. Even in Standard, you'll
find your seats are probably at least as big as you're used to in economy class
on a plane and probably a bit bigger. In this class, there's no food included
in your fare and they don't bring any round to your seat. Instead you'll have
to make your way to the buffet car -- and of course, as in any environment
where it's the only option available, don't expect it to be cheap!
With Leisure Select, you
will get a meal included, either breakfast, lunch or dinner, and that includes
free alcohol, plus of course the seats are a bit larger and everything is just
that touch more luxurious.
Perhaps the highlight of
any Eurostar trip is actually heading through the Channel Tunnel itself. It's
probably best here to clear up any misconceptions. You won't see anything as
you travel through it -- it will just be exceptionally dark outside with the
occasional light. When the service first started, apparently the most
frequently asked question they got was "Why can't you see the fish?"
so let's just deal with that one now - it's because there are no windows put
into the tunnel! The time in the tunnel is around 35 - 40 minutes and to be
honest, it's all over and done with before you know it.
Taking a trip on Eurostar
is certainly a unique experience and it's opened up a whole new world of day
trips, weekend breaks and longer stays for people in France, Belgium and the
UK. It's something worth doing at least once and the prices are reasonable --
fares can be as low as #60 round-trip (about $115 at the current exchange rate)
and there are often good deals to be found on their website www.eurostar.com.
So if you happen to be heading for Paris, Lille, London, Brussels or even
Disneyland Paris in the near future, it's a mode of transport worth keeping in
mind. It will certainly open up new opportunities and new countries to you.
About the Author: Cheryl
and husband Mark live in England and love to travel, particularly to America.
They were on the first sailing of the Disney Magic around the Mediterranean and
have recently returned from 19 nights in Walt Disney World.
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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: Tokyo
DisneySea
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by Donna and Roger Sauer,
PassPorter Guest Contributors
PassPorter Guest
Contributors Donna and Roger Sauer recently traveled to Tokyo DisneySea and
share with us some of their impressions:
First, some general
orientation issues. Like its Hong Kong counterpart, Tokyo's Disneyland Resort
is built on a landfill in what used to be a large bay. Space, being what it is
in Japan, is valuable and there was no extra space when the park was designed
25 years ago. As it is, the area that is now adjacent to train tracks,
highways, and a busy bay tries its best to show its separation from the Tokyo
metropolis. A train from downtown takes about 15 minutes and costs about $1.50.
From the airport, one can take a shuttle for about $25.00 (about $45.00 round
trip).
The Maihama rail station
is the entrance to the park and features a three level shopping mall, Ikspiari,
as well as a suitcase-shaped Disney shop featuring (as do all Tokyo Disney
shopping venues) a plethora of what we found to be too "cute"
selections of character items, snack foods, and toys. Forget pin trading --
pins were few and far between, and a sign in one shop stated the resort does
not participate in pin trading.
The largest structure at
the entrance to Tokyo Disneyland is the new Disneyland Hotel. This is a massive
hotel in the French style and looks like the Las Vegas Paris resort; blue
mansard roofs and gold-toned masonry. It will be open later this year.
The resort monorail runs
around the entire resort servicing each of the two parks -- Tokyo Disneyland
Park and Tokyo DisneySea Park, two (soon to be three) Disney hotels, and the
seven non-Disney hotels. We stayed at the Sheraton Grand Tokyo Bay Hotel.
Transportation is either by the monorail (cost is about $2.00 per ride but
passes are available) or by Disney Resort Cruisers, very retro silver buses
with large Mickey ear windows and other features inside. These buses are free
to Disney area hotel guests.
First of all, when we
visited the parks, it was very cold -- a high of 47 and, in the shade, it was
about 35 degrees Farenheit. Sunday is a big park day and the initial crowds
were huge, but once they were absorbed into the park things eased up a bit. It
is not unusual for parks to be filled and then closed for periods of time, and
patrons cannot easily move from one park to the other as there are no
park-hopping privileges.
A few observations and
comparisons about Tokyo Disneyland park, before we move on to DisneySea: The
covered Main Street area is nicely planned and even allows for easier access to
areas left and right of the castle. The crowds are not forced to the end of the
street to disperse into other areas.
The open area in front of
the castle is very large and allows for large gardens and staging of events.
(Cinderellabration was being featured during our visit.) Interestingly, unlike
the other parks, this park runs north to south, so it was surprising not to see
the morning sun hit the front of the castle.
Space Mountain's interior
and ride effects beat out Disneyland (Anaheim) and Walt Disney World's
versions, but not Disneyland Paris. FastPasses are available.
Pirates of the Caribbean
and Jungle Cruise rides are about the same as in the U.S., but we had the
fastest talking cruise pilot on the planet.
Big Thunder Mountain
Railroad and Haunted Mansion were closed, and there was a lot of refurbishment
going on.
The set up for Star Tours
is much more dramatic as there is a hanger type building where one can see the
vehicle from the outside.
We never made it to
Toontown as the crowds in the area were large. This is a very child-centered
park- the toys, character greetings, and shows really appeal to the local
visitors who tend to celebrate small children.
Food is basically Japanese
or Chinese with huge lines for the curry popcorn. Prices are steep for food and
merchandise, but park admission is reasonable at about $50 per day. One day
would not be enough for this park on a busier (and warmer) day.
We visited Tokyo DisneySea
Park on a Monday, so the crowds (and number of small children) were smaller,
despite a large number of high school-aged children. All day I kept asking
myself as I walked around Tokyo DisneySea, "Why can't we have a park like
this in the U.S.?"
Comparing this park to its
US counterparts isn't fair as the original models are too iconic to permit
objectivity. But something within me says in big letters, "THIS MAY BE THE
BEST DISNEY PARK." The scale, theming, and attention to detail are
phenomenal. Mysterious Island, the land that hosts E-ticket rides Journey to
the Center of the Earth and 20,000 Leagues is so massive and such a great park
hub that it deserves a place somewhere in the U.S.
Journey to the Center of
the Earth is a great ride that moves from a land rover-type vehicle to roller
coaster in seconds. The vehicles seem to be modified Test Track cars with more
decoration, a la Jules Verne. 20,000 Leagues is reminiscent of the Walt Disney
World ride except the only water is in the windows of your mini subs that move
beneath a track suspended above the roadway (seaway?). The new Tower of Terror
(in the American Waterfront) lacks some of the elevator car lateral movement we
know from Walt Disney World, but the theming is great -- all about a curse on
the hotel owner and explorer Harrison Hightower who (spoiler alert) looks
remarkably like Senior Imagineer Joe Rohde in a phony white beard! It can't be
a coincidence. Apparently, the Japanese audience would not understand the
Twilight Zone references but would be savvy about rapacious American
capitalists. In Lost River Delta, Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the
Crystal Skull and its neighboring Raging Spirits coaster are like rides in Disneyland
(Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye) and Disneyland Paris
(Indiana Jones et le Temple du Peril) respectively.
The Arabian Coast has a
show we did not see (Magic Lamp Theater, a 3-D film featuring Genie), but
Sinbad's Storybook Village was cute -- think Small World with a plot and better
animatronics. We did not get over to the rides or shows in Mermaid Lagoon but
the exteriors were colorful and fit well against the backside of Mount
Prometheus.
The Legend of Mythica
water show out in the lake between the hotel and Mount Prometheus was fun to
watch despite the cold. I am not sure about the story, but the watercraft,
large floats, and fireworks in the daytime and music were impressive. Mt.
Prometheus exploded with fire every few minutes in the evening. Due to the cold
there were no fireworks or evening water show. We hope this cursory view of
these parks and its environs will be helpful.
About the Author: Natives
of Oregon, Donna and Roger Sauer are retired from the banking industry and
school administration respectively. Since retiring they have traveled to Europe
for Paris Disneyland, China, and Tibet, and, most recently, Japan. They have
been members of Disney Vacation Club since 1993 and have traveled to Florida
once or twice a year since joining. They have three children and five
grandchildren. Their next trip to the World will be in December.
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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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UPDATES: What's New and
Changed
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Here's a few relevant news
items:
Easter Services at Walt
Disney World will be held on Sunday, March 23, 2008 in the Fantasia Ballroom at
Disney's Contemporary Resort. Catholic Mass will be held at 8:00 am and 10:15
am, Protestant service will be held at 9:00 am. Please note that the resort's
parking lot will be restricted to guests of the resort and those with dining
reservations. Disney Resort Guests should utilize Disney transportation to the
Magic Kingdom, then either walk or take the bus to the Contemporary.
The dates for the 2009 dry
dock of the Disney Wonder have been changed. The Wonder will now be in dry dock
from September 27, 2009 through October 15, 2009. (The dates were previously
announced as September 6, 2009 through September 27, 2009.)
New babies at Disney's
Animal Kingdom! First time giraffe mom Malaika gave birth to a baby girl named
Makena on February 29 -- a leap year baby! Also the first Hartmann's Mountain
Zebra (an endangered species) born at the Animal Kingdom, a male named Kidani,
was born to mother Kari on March 8.
Figment's Place, the
character meet and greet area located near the Imagination pavilion, has
closed. Figment reportedly will no longer be available to meet either as a walk
around character or at the Innoventions West Character Spot. However, Figment
fans can still see their beloved purple dragon in the Journey Into Imagination
with Figment attraction.
Our thanks to AllEars.net
and MousePlanet.com from which we get some of our news leads.
Hear some news? Be a
"PassPorter Reporter" and send it to us at http://www.passporter.com/report.asp
==========================================
DISNEY TIPS FROM FELLOW
READERS
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Our readers deliver a
wealth of information! Here are the winners in this month's tip contest:
SUPER SNACKS
"This year, we're
having some groceries delivered to the room. Specifically, it will be
diapers and healthy snacks. We try to eat organic at home so I was
thrilled to find an online grocer that will deliver organic snacks and milk to
the room while we're there. It will save me packing so much stuff. Also we are
coming from Canada and you can't take a lot of snacks over the border, things
like dairy or produce. Since we fly and don't rent a car, this is a great,
healthy and economic way to have snacks on hand when we're in the parks!"
-- contributed by Beth N.
PREPARING WITH PICTURES
"My four-year-old son
is on the Autism Spectrum with a diagnosis of PDD (Pervasive Developmental Disorder).
He does very well with Disney vacations, he has been on seven trips already and
his eighth is scheduled for later this year. When he was about three years old,
we made him a book using pictures of him at Walt Disney World on previous trips
so he could anticipate what would be happening on his future trip. We still
update the book for each trip we go on. He loves watching DVDs of the actual
attractions so he'll know what to expect when he rides them. He also loves
reliving his favorite attractions!"
-- contributed by Kristen
B.
SNEAKY SCRAPBOOKS
"To add Disney magic
to my scrapbook, I place hidden Mickeys on all the Disney pages. Some are
obvious, some are very well hidden, but it makes the scrapbook much more fun to
look at. Everyone really enjoys searching for the hidden Mickeys!"
-- contributed by Leanna
M.
>Notes: Send us your
tips! You may see them in this newsletter and win a copy of PassPorter! Visit:
http://www.passporter.com/customs/tipsandstories.asp
>>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
==========================================
CAPTAIN'S CORNER: Treasure
Hunting Game
==========================================
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 week's
journal entry:
"The body clock is
still having trouble adjusting to the daylight savings time change. I find
myself constantly surprised by the time on the clock ... it always seems to be
different from what I expect. As a result, I've been checking the clocks around
the World much more frequently than usual. I had no idea there were so many
clocks about until now! One of my favorites is an old, ornate four-sided clock
in what appears to be walnut or mahogany. It's really quite striking, and I'm
sure it helps arrivals and departures stay on time, too."
Clock Photo Link:
http://www.passporter.com/news/clock-big.jpg
Where can you spot this
clock? For bonus credit, locate the photographic evidence in the PassPorter
Photo Archive and post a comment with the photo!
Send your full answer to
jackskatt@passporter.com -- the winner will be notified by e-mail and announced
in a future newsletter, along with the correct answer!
Congratulations to Steve
Russo who was the winner of last week's trivia contest! Steve was the first
person to identify the location of the messy desk as the one of the new
scenes in Spaceship Earth. DeBestWife was the first person to find the photo on
our web site. To view the original clue, see last week's newsletter at
http://www.passporter.com/news/news031308.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 Jack Skatt.
Get more details on "PassPorter's Treasure Hunts at Walt Disney
World" book at http://www.passporterstore.com/store/1587710269.aspx
==========================================
PASSPORTER PHOTOPICK
==========================================
Each issue we choose a
special photo from the PassPorter Photo Archive which highlights something
beautiful, interesting, humorous, or timely at Disney or around the world. Here
is this issue's PassPorter PhotoPick:
Epcot's International
Flower & Garden Festival
contributed by Dopey007
Marx
View Photo: http://www.passporter.com/photos/showphoto.php/photo/2411
You can nominate photos as
a PassPorter PhotoPick by giving ratings in the PassPorter Photo Archive
(you'll need to be logged in to do this). If you'd like to contribute your own
photos to the Photo Archive and be considered as a PhotoPick, please read our
Photo Upload Guidelines for details and benefits.
Top 5 Photo Contributors
chezp - 768 photos
Meggera - 347 photos
Dopey007 - 270 photos
OffKilter_Disneymom - 261
photos
akleos - 243 photos
====================================
Q & A WITH JENNIFER
& DAVE
====================================
dvschem asks: "We
have a category 6 stateroom booked for our next cruise and I've been looking
for some information on the doors to the private balcony. We'll have a 3 year
old and a 5 year old with us. Is there any chance that they might be able to
unlock the door and make their way out onto the balcony without us knowing (for
example, early morning if we are still asleep)?"
Dave and Jennifer answer:
"It's dangerous to call anything 'childproof.' I do consider those doors
very child-resistant, though. The door is heavy, and the door handle's
operation is very counter-intuitive. If the handle is twisted (as is easily
done by someone who doesn't know it has to remain in a particular position),
then the door doesn't open -- I suspect holding the handle in the right
position takes more wrist strength than small children possess."
Have a question? 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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MouseEarVacations.com --
Disney Cruise Line Special Offers
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