Hi,
{{user("firstname")}} -- Here's your copy of the latest PassPorter
newsletter, per your subscription request. -- Thanks, Jennifer & Dave
==========================================
PassPorter News
News, Announcements, Updates, and Tips
April 4, 2005 * Issue 5.6
PassPorter.com - http://www.passporter.com
==========================================
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
==========================================
In This Newsletter:
==========================================
* From the Authors: New
Edition of the Disney Cruise Line Guide
* Travel Feature: Blooming
to New Life at the Flower & Garden Festival
* Disney Feature: The Best
Advice for Walt Disney World
* What's New and Updated
at Disney
* Tips: Refill Rescue,
Parent ÒPinÓ-Pointer, Pixie Power
* Q&A: Verandah
Staterooms and Kids
====================================================
FROM THE AUTHORS: New
Edition of the Disney Cruise Line Guide
====================================================
Hi,
{{user("firstname")}}!
Woo hoo! The fabulous, new
Third Edition of PassPorter's Field Guide to the Disney Cruise Line is finally
in the hands of our printer! Early Monday afternoon Jennifer put the final
touches on the manuscript, burned the files to CD-ROM, and slipped the CD and a
320 page, hard copy print-out into a nice, fat, manila envelope. Then, like a
modern-day Pony Express rider, Dave grabbed the package, hopped in the official
PassPorter minivan and hightailed it over to our printer, just five miles away.
(For those of you who
recall the trials and tribulations we had with the delivery of our Hong
Kong-printed Walt Disney World guidebook, no, we don't print everything in Hong
Kong. Our hometown of Ann Arbor, Michigan is home to several printers who do
bang-up, cost efficient work on paperback books like the cruise guide. If we
were like most publishers and stuck to simple paperbacks for all our
projects... but then you wouldn't have PassPockets and all the other nifty
features of our Walt Disney World book. But we digress.)
Just about a month from
now, in early May, we'll begin shipping PassPorter's Field Guide to the Disney
Cruise Line and its Ports of Call Third Edition (paperback, $18.95 - ISBN 1587710226
and deluxe, $39.95 ISBN 1587710234). And what an edition it is! It's 320 pages
long, a full 52 pages thicker than the Second Edition, and 112 pages more than
the First Edition! We know you've been waiting patiently (and not-so-patiently)
for us to make the book available for pre-order. Well, it's time! You can place
your pre-order right now at the PassPorter Store, and your copy will be among
the first to ship out in early May!
West Coast cruisers, take
note: Many of these new pages are dedicated to this summer's special cruises -
the 14-night "repositioning" itineraries through the Panama Canal and
the 7-night Mexican Riviera cruises originating from Los Angeles in celebration
of Disneyland's 50th birthday. We've poured enormous resources into this project
so that you can enjoy the same depth of coverage we give to DCL's regular
Caribbean and Bahamian ports of call. As we do for Orlando/Port Canaveral,
we've researched travel to Los Angeles and the port of San Pedro, lodging and
attractions in and around the port, and the cruise terminal. Every port of
call, from Cabo to Curacao, is described in detail with maps, photos, walking
tours, shopping tips, details on Disney's shore excursions and advice on how to
book excursions on your own. We even dedicate six pages to the Panama Canal,
its wonders, sights and history (great armchair reading, even if you won't be
sailing with us). So listen up, you West Coast cruisers. You owe it to yourself
to own this book, and to buy a copy for every friend and family member sailing
with you! We'll be glad you did!
And for the folks who are
cruising in more familiar Caribbean waters, we've totally updated the rest of
the guidebook, with expanded coverage of shipboard dining and up-to-the-minute
coverage of such new items as the Pirates of the Caribbean Evening and the new
stage show they'll be unveiling on the Magic in May. Coverage of "special
itineraries" doesn't stop with 2005, either. We've got full descriptions
and port coverage of all the 2006 itineraries, too!
So here you have it. We've
knocked ourselves out to make this third edition the best DCL guidebook out
there. We hope you'll agree, and place a pre-order today.
OK, now that the hard sell
is over, it's time to relax with a "good read." We have several fine
newsletter articles for you to enjoy. Cheryl Pendry brings her British
appreciation for gardens and gardening to Epcot's Flower and Garden Festival,
and Christy Putnam reflects on her family's first visit to Walt Disney World --
the planning, and the lessons learned. We're sure you'll enjoy these articles
as much as we have.
Happy reading!
Your friends,
Jennifer and Dave
Authors, PassPorter Travel
Guides
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DID YOU KNOW?
Cruise Guide Available for
Pre-Order
The new third edition of
PassPorter's Field Guide to the Disney Cruise Line and its Ports of Call is now
available for pre-order.
Everyone gets a 15%
discount and if you've already got a copy of PassPorter, you can register it to
get a discount coupon good for 30% off the list price of any PassPorter
guidebook.
Order your copy today at:
http://www.passporterstore.com/store/dcl2005.aspx
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SPRING FEATURE: Blooming
To Life At The Flower & Garden Festival
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By Cheryl Pendry, Guest
Columnist and PassPorter Message Board Guide
Every spring, Walt Disney
World blossoms into life - and nowhere can that be seen more vividly than at
Epcot. It is home to the Flower and Garden Festival, now into its twelfth year,
and, as Cheryl Pendry reports, it's an event with something for everyone.
Disney in the spring was a
new concept to me until last year. Usually we visit Walt Disney World in the
wintertime, particularly at Christmas, when all the decorations are on show and
additional festive events make visiting extra special.
Having gotten used to
enjoying all those additional Christmas events during our previous stays, I was
keen to continue to get something more for our Disney admission price, so I
started to look at what other events take place throughout the year. The Flower
and Garden Festival, which this year runs from April 15 - June 5, immediately
caught my attention.
Centered around Epcot, our
favorite park, I was instantly transfixed by the photos I found online of the
flower beds in Future World and the various topiaries throughout the entire
park. Never before had I seen such a stunning floral display - and my parents
are exceptionally keen gardeners. I grew up surrounded by a garden, which was
home to 2,000 flowers in bloom every summer and which used to stun and amaze
everyone who visited us.
But would the reality of
the Festival live up to the hype? When we first set foot in Epcot on a fairly
busy Saturday morning in early May, I will admit that I had my doubts. The
photos had sent my expectations soaring sky high, but despite this, everything
we saw was exactly how I'd pictured it.
Topiaries welcome you
first in front of Spaceship Earth and are scattered throughout the park. Some
are old favorites and have been featuring in the Festival for many years, such
as the trolls in Norway and the pandas playing in China, while others change
each year. In 2004, guests were greeted by Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Pluto and
Goofy together, highlighting the Magical Gatherings celebrations, while a new
topiary of Tinker Bell took pride of place just in front of Spaceship Earth.
This year, the word is that the main entrance topiaries will be a salute to the
Happiest Celebration on Earth, which gets underway in the middle of the Flower
and Garden Festival. Old favorites, such as the Beauty and the Beast and Lion
King topiaries will be making a welcome return once again, but the Festival is
about so much more than just topiaries.
Flowers are scattered
everywhere throughout the park, but for me, the highlights from last year were
the amazing flower beds between Future World and World Showcase. A riot of
color, featuring Mickey and flower shapes, these are planted out overnight, in
just an eight-hour period. The turf is cut beforehand in preparation and the
planting schedule is computer generated, so that the Disney gardeners know
exactly where every flower needs to be planting.
These were just some of
the fascinating facts that we discovered on our backstage tour, exploring the
work that goes into the Flower and Garden Festival. As this was to be our first
visit to the Festival, we booked ourselves on to the Garden Discovery Tour.
This three-hour tour is essentially a special Festival version of the Gardens
of the World tour, which runs year round at Epcot. Costing $58, there are
discounts available for both Annual Pass holders and Disney Vacation Club
members, although it is worth bearing in mind that the tour name varies from
year to year. This year, it is called Epcot Garden Discoveries.
The tour guides are Disney
gardeners, who can go into as much detail as you want about the various plants
and flowers used in the displays and how each is created. Some of the topiary
are temporary and are destroyed just weeks after the Festival ends. Even the
permanent topiaries only have a lifetime of seven years and once the frames can
no longer be used, they are melted down.
The tour is unusual in
that it's one of the few events during the Festival that has an additional
charge. Another is the annual Mother's Day brunch, held in the World Showplace
Pavilion between the United Kingdom and Canada. Anyone who visited Epcot during
the Millennium Celebration will remember this as the site of the Millennium
Village. Tickets for the meal, which takes place between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on
Saturday, May 7, and between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Sunday May 8, cost $22.99 for
adults, $12.99 for children aged 3 - 11, and tax and gratuity are included.
Call 407-WDW-DINE to make your reservation. (Editor's note: this year the
Brunch will be a Hero-themed character meal featuring Disney Characters such as
Mickey, Aladdin, and Hercules.)
If you're not at Disney
World over Mother's Day weekend, don't despair. There is plenty going on
throughout the six weeks of the Festival. Everywhere you look in Epcot, there
are things to see and do. The fragrance garden in France will astound you when
you find out what actually goes into some of your favorite perfumes, while
Farmer Mickey's Maze on the Imagination Walkway (replacing the DogGone Maze of
the past couple of years) is aimed at children between the ages of two and
five, but the topiaries within it can be admired by all ages.
Other new additions this
year include Minnie's Magnificent Butterfly Garden, home to hundreds of
free-flying butterflies and the addition of 50 Hidden Mickey's, as part of the
celebration of Disneyland's 50th anniversary.
If all this fires your
imagination and you want to return home to create water features and topiaries
in your own garden, then help is on hand from Great American Gardeners. On
certain days throughout the Festival, you can enjoy interactive demonstrations
at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the Festival Center at Innoventions West.
But the Festival isn't all
about Flowers and Gardens, despite its name. It also features a liberal dose of
"Flower Power," with concerts every night at the America Gardens
Theater taking you back in time to the 1960s and 1970s. With three shows
nightly at 5.45 p.m., 7.00 p.m. and 8.15 p.m., this year's line-up includes
Davy Jones, the Turtles, the Lovin' Spoonful, the Nelsons and Orleans.
Then there are the theme
weekends, including "I Dig Bugs" April 22 - 24, allowing you to get a
close-up look at unusual critters. There's an opportunity to think about
"Art in the Garden" the following weekend. Other weekend highlights
include expert tips on photography May 13 - 15 and then from May 20 - 22,
Disney is promising more characters than ever before springing up all over the
park.
The Festival showcases
Epcot at its brightest and best. It's fun and full of activities, with lots of
extras to see and do. For full details of the events being planned for the 12th
annual Flower and Garden Festival, which this year runs from April 15 - June 5,
visit the special events section of the Walt Disney World website at
http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/calendar/specialeventslisting/eventSubListing?id=FlowerGardenSubListingSpecialEventPage
.
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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 travel plans.
========================================================
DISNEY FEATURE: The Best
Advice
========================================================
by Christy J. Putnam,
Guest Columnist
After almost a year of
planning, this past December we finally took our First Trip to Walt Disney
World - and what a wonderful trip it was! I feel as though I've learned so much
even as a first-time traveler. Before our trip, I read many guidebooks, spoke
with friends and family who were Disney regulars, frequented websites and
message boards, and planned accordingly. If you ask my family, they'd tell you
I was obsessed with the planning - I'd call it a passion, but that's another
story.
My husband and I had
always planned on taking our first trip when our daughters were five and eight
years old. So when the ball dropped and 2004 began, we decided to finally
schedule our first trip to Walt Disney World. My husband had never been, and
the last time I visited was during Walt Disney World's tenth anniversary (Epcot
was not yet open), so we knew we'd need some help with planning. A friend of
mine had just taken her first family trip to Walt Disney World, and recommended
PassPorter. We decided to make the trip a surprise for our daughters, so I
bought PassPorter when the girls were in school, and secretly began to plan.
Each month brought more
planning and brought us closer to the big day. I checked our countdown clock on
a regular basis as I made lists, searched for discount codes and waited for the
appropriate dates to make priority seatings. I dreamed of how we would surprise
our daughters with the big news!
When all was said and
done, we had a fantastic trip! My daughters were totally surprised, we loved
our hotel choice, had wonderful weather and the parks did not feel crowded. I
now think that I am VERY ready to plan our next trip based on the advice I'm
glad I took, and the advice I wish I had taken. I've included examples of both
to help my fellow planners:
Advice I'm Glad I Took:
Book your room early - I
found that our hotel of choice (The Wilderness Lodge) was very popular and room
availability was scarce.
Watch for discounts - I
checked http://www.mousesavers.com, as well as the Walt Disney World Resorts
posting boards on http://www.wdwinfo.com, on a daily basis. I was able to book
a woods view room at the Wilderness Lodge for a great discount because of tips
I received from these web sites.
Use a car service - We had
a driver waiting for us at the airport when we went to pick up our luggage. He
stopped at a grocery store so we could pick up a few items for the week, then
brought us directly to the hotel. We didn't have to navigate directions or make
stops at other hotels.
Buy the unlimited refill
mugs at the hotel - We bought our travel mug the second day we were there, and
I don't know why we waited until then! We regularly enjoyed soda, coffee, iced
tea, and hot chocolate.
Buy Animal Kingdom meal
deals - We thought the price was right, and it was nice to have vouchers for
the drink and treat later in the day.
Schedule when you will
visit each park ahead of time - There's really something to be said for
planning ahead. I reviewed early entry days, projected daily attendance rates,
scheduled events, such as Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party at the Magic
Kingdom, park hours, our priority seatings (especially Cinderella's breakfast
since it was difficult to obtain) as I made our schedule for the week.
Plan some down time -
Because this was our first trip, I wanted to plan as much as I could, but we
were buying five-day Pass Hopper tickets and we were staying for eight nights.
We had tickets for some of the night time extras, such as Mickey's Very Merry
Christmas Party and Cirque du Soleil, so we used those days to relax by the
pool. I also scheduled character breakfasts on our "down days."
Tell everyone about a
birthday and/or anniversary - This trip was full of celebrations. Both my
daughter's and my husband's birthdays (which happen to fall on the same day)
were while we were at Disney World. My husband and I were also celebrating our
tenth wedding anniversary (which had occurred the week before we left). When I
made our priority seatings, I told them about the birthdays, and we were
pleasantly surprised. My daughter has a keepsake place mat, and enjoyed a
cupcake for breakfast. Cast members constantly wished my daughter and husband a
happy birthday, and one cast member in England even called Mickey Mouse to have
him personally wish them a happy birthday. My husband and I also shared a
delicious dessert to celebrate our anniversary that was delivered by Cinderella
herself.
Advice I Wish I Had Taken:
Don't plan more than two
or three character meals for a week-long trip - I wanted my girls to experience
as much as possible, so I scheduled a character meal for almost every day. By
about the second day, we realized it was too much. It's fun to see the
characters and get autographs, but it definitely takes time away from the
parks. Next time, I'll schedule two character meals.
Follow the touring plans
in the guide books - Each night, my husband and I planned our first few rides
based on our guide books. We followed the plans for two or three rides, but
then would somehow get sidetracked. Had we followed the plans for the majority
of the day, we would have experienced more rides and attractions.
When "down time"
is scheduled, let it be actual down time - On days which we had designated as
"down time," I still planned character meals that involved going to
other resorts. One of our down days seemed more hectic than our days when we
went to a park! Next time, we'll stay put at our resort to enjoy the pools,
restaurants, and even a nap!
Take the
"classic" family photos - Everyone said, "Take lots of
pictures," and we did, but we didn't take many of the
"classics." I'm talking about pictures often seen in Walt Disney
World advertising - smiling families in front of Cinderella's castle, Mickey's
Sorcerer's Hat, and Spaceship Earth. We were often in such a rush to go to our
first ride when we entered each park that we didn't want to take any pictures then.
We figured we would take "the picture" later. Later, we would be
tired and have cranky girls who didn't want their picture taken. We took
several pictures of the various parades and of all the animals we saw in Animal
Kingdom, but we neglected to take many pictures of ourselves. For many
families, including ours, this type of a trip may only happen a few times in a
lifetime - don't miss out on taking the pictures!
Now I'm ready for next
time!!
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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 planning your Disney vacation.
==========================================
UPDATES: What's New and
Changed
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Here's a few of the new
developments at Disneyá
Starting June 10, 2005,
Cinderella's Royal Table will be hosting a character lunch featuring your
favorite princesses! The cost for adults (12 and up) will be $23.99 and $12.99
for children (3 - 11). This includes a salad and dessert served family-style
and your choice of five entrees and a non-alcoholic, non-specialty beverage.
Due to anticipated demand, a deposit of $10/adult and $5/child will be required
when you make your Priority Seating.
Beginning in April,
"Sunshine Seasons" in The Land pavilion will showcase a new food
court featuring five food stations and one central cashier, similar in style to
the Pepper Market at Coronado Springs. Look for a wood-fired grill, an Asian
Wok Shop and a Soup & Salad station among others. Vegetarian and kid's
selections will also be available at each station.
The "Night of
Joy" concert series will take place on September 9 & 10, 2005 in the
Magic Kingdom. Christian music performers such as Stephen Curtis Chapman, Mercy
Me, and CeCe Winans will perform on stages throughout the park on these
evenings. Single night tickets are $37.95 plus tax in advance and $42.95 plus
tax at the gate.
The Disney Magic ship gets
a new stage show on May 25, 2005 -- "Twice Charmed: An Original Twist on
the Cinderella Story" replaces "Hercules - The Muse-ical." The
new stage show picks up the story where the classic Cinderella tale leaves off.
The show features six original songs and two classic songs from the film.
"Hercules" will continue playing on the Disney Wonder for the time
being.
You can view our
page-by-page list of updates and corrections for the new PassPorter Walt Disney
World 2005 Editionat http://www.passporter.com/
customs/bookupdates.htm.
>Things To Do: Hear
some news? Send it to us at
news@passporter.com
==========================================
DISNEY TIPS FROM FELLOW
READERS
==========================================
Our readers are a wealth
of information! Here are the winners in this month's tip contest:
REFILL RESCUE
"Bring dish soap in a
small bottle to clean the refill cups that you will buy from the resorts. The
refill cups will save you money and your soft drink will not taste like
coffee!"
-- contributed by
Dina
PARENT
"PIN"-POINTER
"I make laminated business
cards for my children. The cards have a picture of their favorite Disney
character, plus Mom and Dad's cell phone numbers. I push a pin on their pin
collector's lanyards through the card, so it is only visible from the rear.
They feel more secure knowing that they can show their card to a cast member
and get help in case they are separated from us."
-- contributed by Nancy
Hogan
PIXIE POWER
"Purchase the Mickey
Mouse-shaped confetti or bring regular glitter and use it as 'Pixie Dust' from
Tinker Bell. You can secretly sprinkle it in strollers while children are on
rides. My daughter was lucky enough to get a visit from the Tooth Fairy on our
last trip to Disney World. Ariel told her that Tinker Bell helps the Tooth
Fairy, so there was Pixie Dust sprinkled from the hotel window to her
pillow."
-- contributed by Elaine
B.
>Notes: Send us your
tips! You may see them in this newsletter and win a copy of PassPorter! Visit:
http://www.passporter.com/customs/contest.htm
====================================
Q & A WITH JENNIFER
& DAVE
====================================
lisam asks: "Can
anyone recommend a stateroom on the Disney Cruise Line? We are looking at a
verandah but are terrified because we have a very active 4 year old boy. We
just returned from Wilderness Lodge, 6th floor, and had to bring in the
furniture every night. Would we enjoy the verandah, how many locks, where's the
plexiglass? HELP!"
Dave answers: "The
verandah doors are very heavy and difficult to open. The door handle is the lock,
but it has to be rotated upwards to unlock - not easy for an adult to figure
out, no less a four year-old. I'd go out on a limb and say the only way a child
that age can get out onto the verandah is if an adult opens the door. Once on
the verandah, you'll find that there is no gap in the railing that a child
could get through, and there's no way to climb up its side. My only concern
would be the deck furniture -- if your child tried to stand on a chair or the
little cocktail table it would probably tip over. The railings are still four
feet high, so I can't imagine a child that size going over the railing, but in
a small, enclosed space with lots of hard surfaces.... there'd be a lot of
crying. If you think your child might climb the furniture, you can ask to have
the furniture removed.
With supervision, I don't
see a real problem, but I can't say a verandah is so enjoyable that it's worth
worrying about your child's safety for the entire trip. A deluxe outside
stateroom on Deck 2 or higher has a really big picture window - the view will
be delightful, and you may have more peace of mind. If you can't relax on
vacation, what's the point?"
Have a question? Post it
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!
===================================
WANT TO GET PUBLISHED?
===================================
We're on the lookout for
guest columnists to contribute articles to this newsletter. Not only is this a
great way to give something back to the PassPorter community, but you get to
see your name in "print" and receive a $25 gift certificate. For
details and our article guidelines, please e-mail news@passporter.com. Articles
about Disney and general travel are welcomed!
====================================
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