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PassPorter News
News, Announcements, Updates, and Tips
April 3, 2008 * Issue 8.14
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: U.S. International Travel Rules, Meet Us in Deeetroit!
Travel Feature: Busch
Gardens Africa
Disney Feature: Walt
Disney World On A Budget
Updates: What's New and
Changed
Tips: Passcode Protector,
Love Those Labels, Super Strips
Captain's
Corner: Ground Level Detail
PassPorter
PhotoPick: Rainbow Over American Adventure
Q and A: Update on
International Travel Rules
Our Sponsors: We
Recommend...
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FROM THE AUTHORS: U.S.
International Travel Rules, Meet Us in Deetroit!
====================================================
Hi,
{{user("firstname")}}!
We've had our noses buried
in the recently-released final rules for land and sea travel into the U.S. (see
our report elsewhere in this newsletter), and have also been getting ready for
a last-minute public appearance in Detroit (see below). They tell us the
weather outside is finally spring-like, but what do we know?
PassPorter's Disney Cruise
Line and its Ports of Call 2008 is in stock! All 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
is now available to PassPorter's Club passholders as a regular benefit of
membership, and 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. Details at http://www.passporter.com/answer-book.asp
This is very last-minute,
but if you're within reasonable driving distance of Detroit this weekend (and
we know at least some of you are), you're invited to come and meet us at the
NFFC Southeast Michigan Chapter's first "Mostly Disney" Show and
Sale. We'll have books for sale, and feel free to bring your own PassPorters -
our autographing pens will be full of ink. We'd love to see you there! The
event is this Sunday, April 6, from 11:00 am until 4:00 pm at the Roostertail
Club, located at the foot of Marquette Drive (adjacent to Waterworks Park) on
the Detroit River. The special guest for the event is Disney artist Alex Maher.
Admission is $4, and children under 10 are free. Directions at http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&dq=roostertail+loc:+Detroit,+MI&daddr=100+Marquette+Dr,+Detroit,+MI+48214&geocode=9514065208349503711,42.357289,-82.974743&f=d&ll=42.357289,-82.974743&spn=0.087146,0.132179&z=13
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 with 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 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 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 heads to Florida's Gulf Coast for a visit to Busch
Gardens Africa, in Tampa. Then, PassPorter Guide Sue Kulick begins a four-part
series on Walt Disney World on a Budget. 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: Busch Gardens Africa
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by Cheryl Pendry,
PassPorter Featured Columnist
It's not often that we
make it over to Busch Gardens in Tampa to enjoy a taste of Africa. It's not
that we don't like the park - far from it. It's the fact that it's located
around an hour and a half's drive from Walt Disney World, so to go there really
is a full day out of your vacation. So is it worth it? The answer is definitely
yes. If you've got time, it's worth the drive.
The whole theming of the
park is designed to transport you into Africa, with different lands that
represent different countries and areas of that continent, such as Morocco,
Egypt and Nairobi. There are also some lands that have nothing to do with
Africa, such as Timbuktu and the Land of Dragons, but that's because these
areas tend to be either packed with rides or aimed at younger members of the
family.
Busch Gardens is very much
a mix of two distinct theme park attractions - the big headliner rides, with
lots of roller coasters for any fan of thrill rides, and animals. It's the
latter that we go for, but it's worth knowing that if you are going for the
rides, you're not going to be disappointed.
A quick look at the Busch
Gardens web site ( http://www.buschgardens.com/BGT/default.aspx ) will
immediately tell you that many of their coasters are among the largest, the
fastest, and generally the scariest that you'll find anywhere. For example,
Gwazi is described as the "southeast's largest and fastest double wooden
roller coaster," while SheiKra is the "nation's first dive
coaster" with "first of a kind elements like a true 90 degree
drop" and then there's Montu, described as "one of the tallest and
longest inverted roller coasters in the world." You get the idea.
I'm the sort of person who
feels sick just watching these rides, never mind going anywhere near them! The
rides here are probably closest to Universal's Islands of Adventure in ride
intensity, so the drive will be worthwhile for anyone who wants to experience
some of the top coasters that Florida has to offer.
However, for us, there's
much more to Busch Gardens that being flung upside down, around corners and
having the life terrified out of you. On our first visit, we did wonder how
much we would enjoy it, suspecting that it may just be a clone of Disney's
Animal Kingdom. We were happy to learn it is not a clone.
The first difference
you'll notice is that there are animals scattered almost throughout the park.
Turn a corner and you could come across elephants or crocodiles. Yes, there are
trails, as you find at Animal Kingdom and there's a huge savannah as well, but
somehow the animals are more obvious here. You don't have to explore the park
in the same way you do at Animal Kingdom to discover them. The main trails take
you the Great Ape Domain, which is beautifully themed with waterfalls and of
course features primates of all sizes, including gorillas and chimpanzees. You
can also venture to the Edge of Africa, which features animals such as hippos
and lions. This is such a pleasant change from Animal Kingdom -- instead of
desperately trying to spot the lion on the rock in the safari, you can get
close and personal with these beautiful creatures, with some wonderful glass
viewing areas into their enclosures.
However, the trails are
just a part of the story. The main attraction is the Serengeti Plain that you
can view from a number of different angles. First, there's the Serengeti
Express Railway that runs round the edge of it or you can soar over it on the
Skyride, which is a great way to get from one part of the park to another.
Perhaps the most exciting
way to get into the Serengeti Plain - and get up really close and personal with
the animals - is to jump on the Rhino Rally. It's Busch Garden's first foray
into mixing a ride with animals, and they didn't do this by halves. It starts
off just as you do on Kilimanjaro Safaris at Animal Kingdom in a vehicle,
albeit a lot more bumpy. It's worth knowing that they don't stop for photos and
they don't encourage you to use a camera while you're on the ride, although
we've managed to get some fine shots on each of our trips round the rally
course.
It's halfway round that things
suddenly change. This is no ordinary safari. There's a swollen river in front
of you and no way of getting across it. Just when it seems you're in dire
trouble, your vehicle miraculously changes into a floating off-road vehicle;
and just at the point when you're facing more peril in the water, you end up
back on land. It's a fascinating ride, the like of which you won't find at any
of the other parks and it's definitely one to try out on any visit to Busch
Gardens.
As if this isn't enough
variety, one of the other areas of the park is the Clydesdale Hamlet that's
home to these beautiful creatures and Sprint the donkey, made famous by the
Super Bowl ads. This area of the park is very different, as you leave Africa
behind to head firmly back into American theming.
Another part of the park
that's very different is Land of the Dragons. If you have little ones in your
party, this is the area to head to, as everything here is designed with them in
mind. Our niece and nephew loved it. In fact, it was a struggle to drag them
away from it!
There's so much to see and
do here, it makes for a very packed day. In fact, if you are a die-hard coaster
fan, it could be worth spending more than one day out of your vacation at Busch
Gardens Africa to cram everything in. It's only possible to touch on some of
the highlights here, but hopefully this is enough to make you think twice about
adding in at least a day's excursion over to Tampa to enjoy one of the hidden
gems of the Florida theme park world.
About the Author: Cheryl
and husband Mark live in England and love to travel, particularly to America.
They are in the process of visiting every Disney theme park around the world,
having already spent a day in Disneyland Resort Paris and Hong Kong Disneyland
so far this year. They are looking forward to returning to America in October
to visit both Walt Disney World and Disneyland in California.
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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:
Walt Disney World On A Budget (Part 1: Accommodations)
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by Sue Kulick, PassPorter
Featured Columnist
You've seen the commercials
on TV, "Disney for $1600 dollars? Yeah, we can do that!" followed by
the thundering hooves of six white ponies and a glass coach. The marketing
behind that commercial is great, but most budgets really don't include the
$2700 for the coach and the ponies! While a Disney vacation will never be
"cheap" there are definitely ways to do it on a budget and have a
fantastic time. Over the course of this four-part series we are going to talk
about seasons, transportation, lodging, park tickets, dining, and souvenirs.
The first, and perhaps the
most important, decision to make is when you are planning to go. The Walt
Disney World Resort divides the calendar into "seasons" and there is
a difference in lodging and dining prices during those seasons. There is also a
difference in crowd levels, and that can make a difference in your budget, too!
For 2008, the Walt Disney World seasons are divided like this:
Value season: 1/1-2/13,
8/3-10/1 (for Value and Moderate resorts), 7/2-10/1 (for Deluxe resorts) and
11/30-12/18 (all resorts).
Regular season: 3/30-5/21
(for Value and Moderate resorts) 3/30-7/19 (for Deluxe resorts), and 10/2-11/29
(all resorts).
Summer season: 5/22-8/2
Peak season: 2/14-3/29
Holiday season:
12/19-12/31
Prices for lodging and
even some dining increases with the seasons. (More on that later!) The least
expensive time to visit is during Value Season. For those traveling with
younger children, the decision on whether to take the children out of school
needs to be made. Summertime, spring break and Christmas break are the highest
seasons, since that is a common time for families to travel. For the sake of
this article, we have chosen August 16-24th for our budget vacation. Our family
of four includes Mom, Dad, and two children, ages 5 and 9.
If you make the decision
to go during Value Season, you might end up getting better mileage from your
vacation dollar. Lines are shorter, restaurants less crowded, transportation
easier to navigate. So how does this help your budget? Well, here's how NOT to
do it.
One year, my husband and I
took my stepson and nephew during spring break. We were resort guests, and we
took the monorail to the Magic Kingdom. The driver told us that the park had
been closed to all but resort guests by this time, about 4:00 pm. The maximum
capacity was 50,000, and the park was already up to 60,000! Due to the crowds,
we needed to pick which attractions we really wanted to see. We rode Haunted
Mansion, Alien Encounter, and the Tomorrowland Transportation Authority. All
FASTPASSes were already gone for the day. We had dining reservations at Tony's
Town Square, for which we waited almost an hour to be seated. After dinner, we
did Space Mountain and Carousel of Progress. By that time, it was after 10:00
pm, and we were all exhausted, so we headed back to the resort.
Was this the best use of
our vacation dollar? Absolutely not. We paid the same price for park tickets
that we would have had we gone in September when there are no lines. The boys
were disappointed to miss such favorites as Jungle Cruise, Splash Mountain, and
Pirates of the Caribbean. It made the price paid for the tickets seem a bit
over-the-top to Mom and Dad. So traveling in off-season will help you get more
bang for your vacation buck!
So now that you have
decided when to travel (during Value Season if at all possible), it's time to
decide where to stay. You have two choices; on-property and off-property. There
are pros and cons to each, and the difference in the costs can be a deciding
factor. Let's look at off-property accommodations first.
Orlando offers a plethora
of vacation accommodation choices. Accommodations are available at well-known
chain hotels for as little as $60/night depending on the time of year. Or, you
can stay at a hotel that offers suites, which often include a fridge and
microwave. One such chain is located three miles from the main gate of WDW, and
for $127/night, you get a kitchenette, as well as access to a free hot
breakfast every day. This can be a big savings! There are also many vacation
homes available for rent by the night or the week. These often include a full
kitchen and a bedroom suite, and can be found for as low as $79/night! If you
are staying off-property, be sure to find out what type of shuttle service your
hotel offers. If your hotel does not offer shuttle service, or you want to go
other places than WDW, you will need to figure transportation into your budget.
And if you do rent a car, as a day guest, parking at WDW will cost you $11/day.
Now let's look at
on-property resorts.
On-property will usually
cost you more per night. A Value Resort will cost you an average of $82/night
for a standard room. There are no in-room cooking facilities, and no free hot
breakfasts! You may not get as much room for your money, but there are perks
that come with staying on site. First, you can utilize Disney's free airport
transportation service, Disney's Magical Express, to get from the airport to
your hotel room (more on that under transportation). Second, you will have
access to all WDW on-site transportation systems - monorail, bus, and boat.
Third, you will not have to pay the $11 day parking charge, even if you have a
car with you and drive to the parks. This amount can really add up. For our 8
day vacation, that's $88 in your pocket! On-property guests can also take
advantage of Extra Magic Hours, which can add up to four hours to your daily
time in the theme parks. And of course, there is the famous Disney service and
theming. If you are looking for a vacation home with cooking facilities, Disney
Vacation Club Villas are available for nightly stays, but a studio starts at
$285/night, not exactly a bargain. There are ways to maximize your dining
dollar even without cooking facilities, but we'll get to that under dining!
The choice of on- or
off-property is a very personal and budget-conscious one. You must take into
account the cost, the transportation, the dining, and what is important to you
when you vacation. If you like the idea of being immersed in the Disney magic,
having the ability to head back to your resort at any time for some down time,
and not having to worry about your own transportation, then an on-property
resort might be for you. If you don't spend a lot of time at your resort, want
to see attractions other that Disney, and love the idea of a free breakfast,
staying at an off-property resort might be just the ticket for you!
Check back next week for
Part 2: Getting To and From Walt Disney World On A Budget!
About the Author: Sue
Kulick is a resident of the Pocono Mountains and an avid Disney fan. She and
her husband, Steve, live in a log home with their Golden Retrievers, Cody and
Belle and their cats Tigger, Rocky, and Adrian.
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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:
Tickets for Mickey's Not
So Scary Halloween Party go on sale May 1, 2008. Ticket prices have not been
announced. The dates will be September 5, 9, 12, 16, 19, 23, 26, 28, 30
October 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10,
13, 16, 19, 21, 23, 24, 26, 28, 30, & 31
These dates reflect both
the earliest dates the event has ever been held as well as the largest number
of parties.
On Friday, March 28, 2008
a tripped circuit breaker caused a power outage to Epcot's Main Entrance and
part of Future World. Power was restored within 30 minutes. Some guests were
escorted off attractions to allow for time to reset.
The Cheesecake Factory
Express located inside DisneyQuest at Downtown Disney will close when its lease
expires in May. The eatery will be replaced with FoodQuest, a counter-service
location that will be owned and operated by Disney.
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
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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:
PASSCODE PROTECTOR
"Disneyland has
'smart' lockers where you are given a passcode to enter in a computer to open
your locker. Make sure to write this number down in your PassPorter or put in
your cell phone. I did, but noticed many guests scrambling through their purses
looking for their receipt with passcode."
-- contributed by Kalli M.
LOVE THOSE LABELS
"I order self-adhesive
address labels. We use these for all of the electronics that almost everyone
now owns, including cell phones, cameras, laptops, etc, and all their
accompanying gear. They are also helpful for labeling the digital storage
media, in case it gets lost before being uploaded. We've also used them for
labeling our luggage tags as well as attaching one to a small card which is
placed inside each bag, both checked and carry on, handbags, wallets, day
packs, etc. We are even going to try to use them for shipping our many in-park
purchases; they are so much faster than filling out those forms!"
-- contributed by Maxine
S.
SUPER STRIPS
"Having just sent my
15-year-old son on his first band trip to Walt Disney World alone, I can't
stress the value of packing a surge protector type extension cord. As with most
teens and many adults, they have their cell phones, iPods, digital cameras,
portable DVD players, and other electronic "necessities" that they
must have. On this trip there were four teenagers in one hotel room with their
must-haves. I made certain to add one of the surge protector strips to his
luggage on this trip. It also freed up some outlet space so that all four boys
could plug in their electronic devices. From now on, I'm going to pack a surge
protector for each trip just as a safety precaution. They take up only a tiny
space in the suitcase, but the peace of mind is well worth it."
-- contributed by Laura E.
>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:
"After discovering
the plaque about the steam engine inventor last week, I've been paying more
attention to the ground as I walk about the parks. Most people never notice the
little details beneath their feet. Indeed, I found another plaque embedded in
the pavement today. It's smallish and silver, with the words 'Walt Disney World
P.I. 991510' stamped on it. I wonder what it means. Perhaps it is a secret
rendezvous point for a clandestine meeting!"
Where can you spot this
plaque at Walt Disney World and what does it mean? 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 Jyl who
was the winner of last week's trivia contest! Jyl was the first person to
identify the location of the plaque as on the ground between The Land pavilion
and Innoventions. Jyl was also 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/news032708.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
Rainbow Over American Adventure
contributed by cgai729
View Photo: http://www.passporter.com/photos/showphoto.php/photo/5436
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 - 832 photos
akleos - 442 photos
Meggera - 347 photos
Dopey007 - 270 photos
OffKilter_Disneymom - 261
photos
====================================
Q & A WITH JENNIFER
& DAVE
====================================
We're pre-empting this
week's Q and A for an important update on U.S. Land/Sea travel rules.
After several years of
change and uncertainty, the U.S. government has announced final rules for the
Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), the law that requires a passport
(or limited equivalents) for travelers entering the U.S. by air, land, or sea
from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda.
For PassPorter readers,
the big news is that passports will not be required for U.S. citizen cruise
ship passengers on itineraries that originate in, and return to, the same U.S.
port (such as Disney Cruise Line's Caribbean and West Coast itineraries.) Those
passengers are still allowed to depend upon the two-document ID system we've
known for years - a government-issued photo ID plus proof of citizenship such
as a birth certificate. Passengers on other itineraries, such as
"repositioning" cruises that leave one U.S. port and end at another
will need passports, however.
Passports will be
necessary for nearly all other international border crossings, so here at
PassPorter, we still recommend that all travelers obtain a passport.
Passports are now
available in several forms. Best, in our opinion, is what is now known as a
"Passport Book," the traditional U.S. passport. It can be used for
every kind of travel, world-wide. Cheaper (but no easier to obtain), is the new
"Passport Card," which is only good for land and sea crossings
between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Basically the same as the Passport Card
is a state-issued "Enhanced Driver's License" (EDL). So far, only the
State of Washington is offering this new, extra-cost option, but we expect many
other border states to offer EDLs, which will be of most use to individuals who
frequently drive across the U.S. border.
Here's a listing of what
kind of ID adult U.S. citizens can use for what kind of border crossing, and
when the requirement goes into effect:
International air travel -
passport book - now
International sea travel to/from
Europe, South America, Asia, Africa, and the Pacific - passport book - now
International land or sea
travel to/from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda - proof of identity
and citizenship (such as government-issued photo ID plus birth certificate) -
now (oral declarations of citizenship have not been accepted since January 31,
2008).
International land or sea
travel to/from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda - passport book,
passport card, EDL, NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST - June 1, 2009
Round-trip cruise ship
travel originating in and ending at the same U.S. port - government-issued
photo ID plus birth certificate or other proof of citizenship - now
Some Canadian provinces
also plan to issue EDLs. While in theory Canadian cruise ship passengers on
round-trip cruise itineraries originating in a U.S. port can use
government-issued photo ID and a birth record, after June 1, 2009 they'll need
more than that drive across the U.S. border before the cruise, and if they fly,
they already need a passport. In practice, cruise lines will probably continue
to require passports from any non-U.S. citizen. Will they accept
province-issued EDLs? No word at this time, although the new regulations allow
it (cruise lines have been known to play it safe by requiring more than the law
demands, since the lines must "certify" their passenger manifests to
U.S. and foreign governments).
The WHTI is part of a
"one-two punch" in travel ID requirements. The other
"punch" is the REAL ID Act, which we wrote about recently (that
article has been updated since original release -- see http://www.passporter.com/articles/passporter-article-passports-real-id.asp
). The REAL ID Act is intended to improve the security of state-issued photo
ID. This law affects domestic U.S. air travel, which requires government-issued
photo ID for adults. The good news is that, for now, every state's photo ID
continues to be good for domestic air travel. Every state and U.S. jurisdiction
(District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, etc.) has now
requested and received an extension from the U.S. government. The next deadline
air travelers have to worry about is December 31, 2009, when those extensions
expire/have to be renewed.
More information about all
these issues can be found at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security web site
http://www.dhs.gov/xtrvlsec/
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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