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PassPorter News
News, Announcements, Updates, and Tips
March 27, 2008 * Issue 8.13
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: Ships Book Shipping, E-Book Selling, Coming into Los Angeles!
Disney Feature: Wild
by Design Tour
Behind The Scenes
Feature: Disney Moms Panel Part 3
Updates: What's New and
Changed
Tips: Super Sippy
Cups, Splendid Showers, Charge It!
Captain's Corner: Inventions
PassPorter
PhotoPick: Feeding the Birds
Q and A: Help with fear of
snakes!
Our Sponsors: We
Recommend...
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FROM THE AUTHORS: Ships
Book Shipping, E-Book Selling, Coming into Los Angeles!
====================================================
Hi,
{{user("firstname")}}!
Who cares about the
weather? Why don't we just cut to the chase!
PassPorter's Disney Cruise
Line and its Ports of Call 2008 is in stock! All pre-orders of all versions
have shipped! At this point, we can safely say that new orders of our cruise
guide will ship the next business day. Order at http://www.passporterstore.com/store/dcl2008.aspx
Our newest e-book,
PassPorter's Answer Book: Expert Answers to Common Disney and Travel Questions
was released to PassPorter's Club passholders this past Monday (ah, the
advantages of membership!). Today, it is available for order (and immediate
download) in the PassPorter store to everyone! This is a great compendium of
helpful information from the same experts who help folks day in and day out at
the PassPorter message board community, our message board Guides. Get details
at http://www.passporter.com/answer-book.asp
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 (come join the discussion to set the day and time at http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/backyard-gatherings-meets-group-trips/154640-los-angeles-times-festival-books-meet.htm
). 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. More information on the Festival is at http://www.latimes.com/extras/festivalofbooks/
Will you be joining us for
PassPorter's Decade of Dreams Tour? PassPorter is celebrating our 10th
anniversary in 2009 for a 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
* Our newest e-book,
PassPorter's Answer Book is now available for download. This 85-page e-book is
full of the detailed, up-to-date information on the topics that really matter
to you. Visit http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/passporters-club-gallery/154412-new-e-book-passporters-answer-book-expert-answers-common-disney-travel-questions.html
* We have two brand-new
e-worksheets for you to use to plan your next trip (click the link to go
directly to them): the Daily Meal Log e-worksheet and the Deluxe Dining Plan
e-worksheet! View them in the Gallery at http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/passporters-club-gallery/
* More details at http://www.passporter.com/club
In this issue, Featured
Columnist Cheryl Pendry takes Walt Disney World's Backstage Tour, Wild by
Design, Then, Disney Moms Panelist Kim LaPaglia is back with the final
installment of her series on The Disney Moms Panel. 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: Backstage
Tour: Wild By Design
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by Cheryl Pendry,
PassPorter Featured Columnist
There are many
opportunities to step behind the scenes at Walt Disney World, from mastering a
Segway to exploring the Utilidors underneath the Magic Kingdom and learning about
festive traditions from around the world.
When you think about the
array of tempting choices, it's no surprise that the Wild by Design tour ended
up being one of the last behind the scenes tours that we've sampled. At first
glance, it doesn't seem to be the most interesting way to spend three hours. My
trusty PassPorter told me that it was a three hour walking tour, which would
give us the chance to "learn about the represented cultures, historic
artifacts and storytelling" of the Animal Kingdom. I thought it would be
interesting, but not a great deal of fun. It just goes to show how wrong you
can be!
You meet outside the
entrance to Animal Kingdom and it didn't take us long to realize that there
weren't going to be many of us on our tour. The fact that there were only four
of us made it that much easier for us to ask questions of our guides. Yes, you
read that right -- even with only four of us, we had two guides to take us
around the park.
As you might expect, our
tour started where your journey into Animal Kingdom begins, in the Oasis just
beyond the entrance gates. It's an area that many people race through, anxious
to make their way over to Kilimanjaro Safaris or Expedition Everest, but it's
somewhere to explore at your leisure. If you do take that time, you might
notice the rich theming here that gradually transports you from the world
outside into the park that awaits you. That's just one of the things that were
pointed out to us as we made our way towards Discovery Island.
If you've ever admired the
bright colors of the shops on Discovery Island, then next time you visit, take
a very close at each of them in turn. They all have their own specific theming,
representing different aspects of the animal world. In one, you'll find animals
full of spots and stripes, while another showcases animals from all points of
the compass.
From there, the tour takes
you into three of the different areas of the park in turn, starting with the
one that I've never been entirely sure about -- DinoLand USA. I don't know
about you, but I don't feel that it fits into Animal Kingdom and I've never
really understood why it's in such a beautifully themed park. Now having
learned the story behind DinoLand, I can't say I like it any more than I did
before, but at least I now appreciate why it's there.
The whole thing revolves
around Chester and Hester, a pair of lovable rogues, and their attempts to make
money from the dinosaur skeletons that were found here. Like any good story,
there's a moral to it and, in this case, it's all about over-commercialism and
making money from the animal world. There's no such moral needed in Asia, but
there is still a story to this area of the park. It's perhaps one of the more
subtle ones to be found in Disney. Look around carefully on the ground - and
the park's newest attraction - and you might get a clue as to what it's all
about. As you approach Expedition Everest, you're near the top of the mountain,
and on the ground around you are hoof prints. Head towards the Kali River
Rapids and those hoof prints become cart tracks as you enter the town at the
base of the mountain.
Even though this tour is
called Wild by Design, it's not all about the theming of the park. You can't
talk about Animal Kingdom without referring to animals and this tour is no
different. During our three hours, some of the highlights were talking to the
animal keepers and, in particular, our meeting with Debbie, who is one of the
team looking after the gorilla families in the Pangani Forest Exploration
Trail. Talking to her about their interactions was absolutely fascinating and I
could easily have spent three hours with her alone. I got the impression that
whatever you asked her about the gorillas, she would have an answer ready for
you. She's clearly a lady who enjoys her work. The same thing could also be
said for our guides, Tony and Julie. We were stunned to find out halfway
through the tour that this was only Julie's second tour. It really didn't show
at all and had this not cropped up in conversation, we would have guessed that
she had been giving this tour for years.
All in all, we feel this
is a great part of the line-up of tours at Walt Disney World. Sure, it may not
have the glitz and glamour of some of the other tours on offer and it may not
take you backstage (the closest you'll get is access to parts of the park
before they open to the public), but it's still a worthwhile and fascinating
way to spend three hours. If you've got an interest in Animal Kingdom and how
it was designed, then this is a tour that is well worth taking. The Wild by
Design tour is offered twice a week, on Thursday and Friday mornings at 8:30am
and lasts for three hours. It costs $58 and is only available to those aged 14
and upwards. A light continental breakfast is included in the price of the
tour.
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: Behind The
Scenes: The Walt Disney World Moms Panel - Our Last Days
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by Kim LaPaglia,
PassPorter Guest Columnist and Walt Disney World Moms Panelist
[Part three of three part
series. Click to read parts one (
http://www.passporter.com/news/news030608-draft.htm#Disney ) and parts two (
http://www.passporter.com/news/news031308.htm#Disney ).]
Maybe it was the special
good-night snack. I slept much better this evening although I was still too
excited for a normal night's rest. My life at the moment was certainly far from
ordinary. The next morning dawned warm and sunny as I enjoyed the walk to the
Coronado Springs Convention Center. I wondered if Leanne had arranged the
surprise weather as well. I knew anything was possible at Walt Disney World.
I entered the Walt Disney
World Moms Panel training room to enjoy breakfast and was greeted by what were
now familiar faces. As we sat at our computer stations, we were finally able to
see what the site would look like to visitors. As we learned how to navigate
the administrative side, we were given practice questions to work on. Typing my
first practice answer, I tapped the keys hoping to offer my best personal
experience.
How many business
trainings have you been to where a blue fairy godmother named Ivanna Dream
enters? Ivanna had read our bios, and with her sarcastic sense of humor
proceeded to draw attention to each of us. The room was filled with laughter as
she continued to "quiz" us on Disney trivia. And then... Leanne had
another announcement.
We would get to meet Meg
Crofton, the first female President of Walt Disney World and it would be
commemorated in photos. For a group of "Moms" and Walt Disney World
fans, this was extraordinary, life-altering news.
Next, a lovely lunch was
set up in the outdoor courtyard, directly off our training room. I grabbed a
plate of food (as did the other Moms) and rushed back to the room to prepare
for our next task; a photo and video shoot at the Magic Kingdom. Between bites,
I paced the room while practicing my video bio. I also changed into my
"starring moment" ensemble. We had been given tips on what to avoid
(clunky jewelry, for instance). I chose my favorite turquoise color and black
pants. In hindsight, I wish I had worn capris which would have looked more like
I was spending a day in the parks. But at 5 ft tall (okay short), I was worried
about appearing even less vertically challenged. Truthfully, I was more worried
about my video bio than my attire. If only I had just sat in the Acapulco room
and enjoyed my lunch like our one "Dad," Bret!
At 12:15, our minibus
headed to the Magic Kingdom. The bus parked backstage and we entered near the
Plaza Restaurant. We headed to the Rose Garden area to the right of the Castle.
It was roped off and set up for a photo and video shoot. My husband was allowed
past the ropes to watch the production. It was sunny and hot, but our
thirst-quenching wish was soon granted with bottles of water. This afternoon
was a complete whirlwind. We were led out towards the hub and soon after, a
horse-drawn trolley pulled up. The horse was taken away and we took a group
photo aboard the front of the trolley. By now, we had many spectators, again
wondering who we were. I can not even begin to tell you what it felt like
climbing aboard the trolley with my new friends. It was magical, dreamlike, and
fun. The photo really captures our memorable moment.
As we returned to the Rose
Garden, I believe a magic spell was cast over me. My nerves were now calm and I
did nothing but enjoy every second of the afternoon. I had a great time
watching the smiles on everyone's faces. I took time now and then to look at
the people staring at us. I frequently glanced at Cinderella Castle to imprint
this day in my memory. We each had individual shots taken. Candice Coleman from
the Disney News Bureau also interviewed each of us. It was much easier to have
a conversation led by her enthusiasm than to remember what I wanted to say with
just a camera staring at me.
We were called over to do
our video bios, where producers at three camera areas were available to help
us. When it was time for mine, I asked the producer to break mine into
segments. She asked me to tell her about myself and then share my favorite park
tip and so on. While I did this in only a few takes, I wish I had spoken more
eloquently. I also wish the sun hadn't been glaring in my eyes causing me to
squint. What mattered most was that I was finished.
When Mickey made his
entrance, I felt like a child entering the Magic Kingdom for the first time. I
couldn't contain myself and started yelling "Mickey!" I quickly
calmed myself as not to interfere with the video bios being made. As you can
imagine, the boss' arrival really made quite a stir and guests were trying to
figure out what was going on in the Rose Garden. Believe me; I still couldn't
believe this was happening. I felt magical merriment all day.
Meg Crofton arrived and
she was absolutely gracious. Meg was so elegant in her Mickey Red suit with her
"Meg"Cast Member pin. She and her husband had read our biographies
over the weekend. I was stunned. She asked us what the most exciting thing we
had done over our weekend was. Brigitta said, "Meeting you!" We all
agreed. What struck me was that Meg really gets why people are so passionate
about Walt Disney World; that it's the experiences we have rather than a single
attraction or hotel that make us return again...and again.
We took more photos. Each
of us with Meg, each of us with Mickey, our group with the Moms Panel logo sign
and so on. Click! Our enchanted day was captured. When our starring moments
were finished, we were given free time in the Magic Kingdom until 5:00pm. As we
made our way to the Jungle Cruise, we thought about going on It's A Small
World, but the line was too long. Perhaps we had been spoiled from the VIP
entrances that we had enjoyed during the previous day's tour.
We went to the Jungle
Cruise for a boatful of laughter. Next, Michael and I left the group so I could
phone my son who was now home from school, and then do some shopping. Michael
left to play and I returned to the bus at 5:00pm. Back at Coronado Springs, we
had a short time to get ready and at 6:00pm. we were back on the bus, headed to
Epcot.
Again we arrived via a
backstage entrance and went directly to Tutto Italia, the restaurant in the
Italy pavilion. We sat at two round tables with Moms Panelists and Cast Members
enjoying great conversation and delectable food. Near 8pm we were led to the
Candlelight Processional to enjoy VIP seating. We were led past all of the guests
waiting in line and directly to our seats in the third row, where we enjoyed
the heartfelt show.
As if the day wasn't
magical enough, we were then taken to a private Illuminations dessert party. We
were in Morocco now. There was a bar doling out beverages and a dessert table
with an assortment of tasty treats. Our families (and friends) were invited to
join us. Beth and Laura had their families in attendance. Bret had his sister
and some friends. The conversation, drinks, and fireworks were sparkling.
It was very late when we
returned to the Coronado Springs Resort. Some of us were not ready for the
revelry to end so we stopped at the outdoor bar. It was another warm evening.
It was nice to chat and get to know each other better.
Finally this enchanting
day had to end, or so I thought. Our surprise tonight was a framed picture from
our first evening with all of the panelists at the Osborne Family Spectacle of
Dancing Lights. Here we were captured with the giddy looks of children on their
first trip to Walt Disney World. At last, I slept peacefully.
On Sunday, we had a later
flight so Michael and I had breakfast at the Pepper Market before going to
Downtown Disney to shop. I was happy to run into Darcie one more time and we
chatted before reluctantly sharing a good-bye hug. After shopping, Michael and
I relaxed at the pool before finally dragging ourselves to get ready for the
trip home. I was happy to see another panelist, Michelle, waiting for the VIP
Tours transportation. This gave us time to chat on the way to the airport.
At home, I slowly
acclimated myself back to reality until disneyworldmoms.com was launched on
January 7th. Answering my first question was so exciting. We had been told at
training that our answers could express how we truly felt and the moderators
would not be editing our content. If we didn't like a hotel, restaurant, price,
etc., then we could share our honest views. We could send people to other sites
that we felt were helpful in planning a vacation. I received some requests for
interviews. Our local TV station came to our house and our family excitedly
watched the 6:00 show that night (as well as set the DVRs in our house to
record). I had two local newspaper interviews. One printed a TOO large photo of
me with my "boss," Mickey.
We now have monthly
conference calls so we can touch base with the Cast Members. We offer
suggestions to make the site more user-friendly. I hope that guests (especially
first-time visitors) will continue to find information to help ease their Walt
Disney World vacation planning. We have all been pleased with the success of
the site. Thank you to the many friends from PassPorter and DisBoards that have
been cheering us on.
What's next for me? I have
been asked (along with Darcie) to attend an informal media event April 18-20. I
hope that whatever comes after the Walt Disney World Moms Panel, that it
involves writing, Walt Disney World and my new lifelong friends. So for now,
I'll close this saga with 12 words: Beatrice, Beth, Bret, Brigitta, Darcie,
Erin, Heather M., Heather R., Kara, Kim, Laura and Michelle.
Click here to read the
first part of Kim's series on the Disney Mom's Panel: http://www.passporter.com/news/news030608.htm#Disney
Click here to read the
second part of Kim's series on the Disney Mom's Panel: http://www.passporter.com/news/news031308.htm#Disney
About the Author: Kimberly
LaPaglia thrives on answering questions about Walt Disney World vacations. Stay
tuned for her last day of training which includes the Walt Disney World Moms
Panel photo shoot and what it's been like since the site went live.
- - - - - - - - -
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!
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - -
Did You Know?
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Use Discount Code:
PassPorter News
Call 888-GO TO WDW
or visit http://www.quicksilver-tours.com/
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==========================================
UPDATES: What's New and
Changed
==========================================
Here's a few relevant news
items:
The Disney Cruise Line has
announced plans to stay at Port Canaveral through 2023. The two new ships, due
in 2011 and 2012 will use Port Canaveral as their home port at least through
2014. (No word in where or whether the Magic and Wonder will go once the new
ships arrive.) As part of the agreement and in order to accommodate the new
ships, which are significantly larger than the Magic and Wonder, the Canaveral
Port Authority will be making upgrades to the Disney Cruise Line terminal. The
enhancements will include extending the dock, enhancing the terminal building,
and constructing a multi-level parking garage.
The scam artist that we
reported on earlier this month has been apprehended. 23-year-old Jason
MacLaren, a former Walt Disney World Cast Member, is accused of scamming Disney
Resort guests out of more than $30,000.
Tickets for Mickey's Very
Merry Christmas Party go on sale May 1, 2008. Ticket prices have not been
announced. The dates will be: November 10, 11, 14, 16, 20, 21, and 30, December
2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, 12, 14, 16, 18, and 19.
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
==========================================
Our readers deliver a
wealth of information! Here are the winners in this month's tip contest:
SUPER SIPPY CUPS
"When dining with
small children (those that use sippy cups), pack a disposable sippy cup and
inside you can put a disposable bib, place mat, coloring page, crayons, and a
pack of crackers. This helps keep them entertained while you wait for food and
gives them a little snack. It also has the added benefit of a sippy you can
throw away when you are done instead of trying to wash it on the go."
-- contributed by Terra M.
SPLENDID SHOWERS
"As a cruise
passenger, you have complimentary use of the on board fitness center, but you
don't have to be workout junkie to enjoy the facilities! While most staterooms
have split bathrooms, they don't have more than one shower. If you are running
late for that reservation at Palo because your significant other is taking too
long in the shower (or you just want to indulge yourself), you can use the
showers in the fitness center/spa. These are not your typical health club
communal showers... These are the finest showers traveling the seven seas! The
water pressure is much better than in the staterooms, and there is a lot more
room. The men's locker room attendant on the Wonder advised me to use the
shower on the far right, with the waterfall spout. It was the best shower of my
life! I will go back at least once on every future cruise! Make sure to get a
locker as they come stocked with flip flops and a bathrobe."
-- contributed by Jeremy
P.
CHARGE IT!
"Early in the day at
Disney World one year, we were videotaping our granddaughter with one of the
characters. Wouldn't you know it, the battery went dead. We replaced it with
the spare one and that one was dead also. A Cast Member overheard us discussing
the dead batteries. He offered a solution -- bring our charger, cord, and dead
battery to Guest Relations and they will charge it for us for free. We just had
to make sure that all three items were labeled with our name. We went to Guest
Relations and they were happy to accommodate us in recharging the battery. We
came back in a couple of hours and picked up our fully charged battery (and the
cord and charger) and were happily off to video the rest of our day. Since
then, I made up address labels with our name, address, and cell phone number
and attached them to our batteries, charger and cord. We will never be without
a charged video battery again."
-- contributed by
Catherine K.
>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:
"Like any Disneyphile
worth his salt, I know that Walt Disney adored trains. I've discovered many
tributes to Walt's passion throughout the parks. Case in point, there is a
little plaque honoring Thomas Newcomen, inventor of the steam engine in 1712.
Most people walk right by it, or over it, without every realizing it's
there."
Where can you spot this
plaque at Walt Disney World? 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 C Viles
who was the winner of last week's trivia contest! C Viles was the first person
to identify the location of the clock as the lower level of the Main
Street Station. MaryEl8775 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/news032008.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
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PASSPORTER PHOTOPICK
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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
Feeding a Duck in Mid-Air
contributed by
pixiedustgirl13
View Photo: http://www.passporter.com/photos/showphoto.php/photo/5364
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
akleos - 320 photos
Dopey007 - 270 photos
OffKilter_Disneymom - 261
photos
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Q & A WITH JENNIFER
& DAVE
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watermelonpatty asks:
"I have a really dumb question. I have an irrational fear of snakes. I've
been to Walt Disney World several times but I'm afraid to go to Animal Kingdom
in case I see a Cast Member with a real one around their necks or arms walking
around the park or maybe even little kids with rubber ones. I'm going back to
Walt Disney World and so many people have told me that I HAVE to go on Expedition
Everest and see the Tree of Life and so many other things. I'm not a big animal
person so I don't care about missing the safari and all that stuff but I'm
wondering if I'm worrying over nothing and missing out or if my fears are
correct and I shouldn't bother going and being terrified. (Keep in mind, I have
fainted and gone into hysterics at the sight of them! Not even ones on TV are
ok.) Any thoughts or advice?"
Dave and Jennifer answer:
"It's not a dumb question at all! Most of us live with one kind of fear or
other. For you and Indiana Jones, it happens to be snakes (why does it have to
be snakes?).
The cast
member-holding-snake does happen from time to time (but it's not very common)
-- mostly around the path into Camp Minnie Mickey, and you can see snakes
exhibited and sometimes hand-held at Conservation Station at Rafiki's Planet
Watch. They're also exhibited in Pangani Forest Trail. You can see snakes
carved into the woodwork in several buildings, painted on walls (but you have
to be looking for them)... Does anyone remember if there's a fake snake on
Pumbaa's float in Festival of the Lion King? Don't look too carefully at the
Tree of Life, because there are some snakes sculpted into it (much easier to
see if you go to It's Tough to Be a Bug, so avoid that one).
But for the most part,
Animal Kingdom isn't necessarily worse than the other parks when you know where
not to go. [I imagine you also know to avoid the Great Movie Ride at Studios,
Honey, I Shrunk the Audience at Epcot, and it's a small world and Jungle Cruise
at Magic Kingdom (among others)?]"
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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