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PassPorter News
News, Announcements, Updates, and Tips
April 17, 2008 * Issue 8.18
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: Blossoms!
Travel Feature: Mount
Vernon, Virginia
Disney Feature: Walt
Disney World On A Budget: Park Passes & Dining
Updates: What's New and
Changed
Tips: Best Juice
Boxes, Convenient Cards, Hanger Helpers
Captain's Corner: The
Caterer
PassPorter
PhotoPick: Balloons on Main Street
Q and A: What are the
hours for Pleasure Island and Downtown Disney?
Our Sponsors: We
Recommend...
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FROM THE AUTHORS:
Blossoms!
====================================================
Hi,
{{user("firstname")}}!
We know, we've been
grumbling and grousing about the weather here in Michigan for far too many
months. Dare we risk mentioning that it seems like spring has finally taken
root? We have shirtsleeve temperatures, the grass is acquiring a fresh
blush of green, and the early bulbs have added a modest splash of color to our
front garden. Of course, for those of you who watched the Masters Golf
Tournament last weekend, conditions here can't hold a candle to the peak of
springtime glory in Georgia (oh, those dogwoods and azaleas!), or for that
matter, at the National Cherry Blossom Festival, which just wrapped up in
Washington, DC. You can bet we'll be strolling around Ann Arbor's Nichols
Arboretum this weekend!
PassPorter's Disney Cruise
Line and its Ports of Call 2008 is in stock! All new orders of our cruise guide
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. Get details at http://www.passporter.com/answer-book.asp
PassPorter Travel Press
will be exhibiting at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books on April 26
and 27, 2008 (in just one week). 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
* Nearly 1400 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. Details at http://www.passporter.com/answer-book.asp
* We have two recent-new
e-worksheets for you to use to plan your next trip: the Daily Meal Log
e-worksheet and the Deluxe Dining Plan e-worksheet!
* More details at http://www.passporter.com/club
In this issue, Washington
DC-area resident Erik Johnson takes us up the Potomac for a visit to A Real
National Treasure: Mount Vernon. Then, PassPorter Guide Sue Kulick continues
her 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: A
Real National Treasure: Mount Vernon
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by Erik Johnson,
PassPorter Guest Contributor
We recently took a day
trip to Mount Vernon, Virginia, to explore George Washington's famous plantation
overlooking the Potomac River. This area is worthy of a full day excursion
because of all the interesting things to see regarding the Father of our
Country. We chose to take the "National Treasure" tour, which
features locations used in the Disney film, "National Treasure 2 - Book of
Secrets."
The day of our trip dawned
a partly cloudy but nice 52 degrees. We enjoyed a scenic drive along the George
Washington Parkway, parked very close to the entrance, and were able to get
inside before a very large youth group. The visitor's experience is run very
smoothly - you get oriented quickly and are provided just the right amount of
information so as to avoid excessive questions. We purchased our admission
tickets which included the limited-time "National Treasure" tour and
the add-on for the newly re-constructed distillery and older grist mill (which
is located about three miles away). (Ticket prices are available on their web
site.) Because we had arrived later than planned, we decided to skip the 20
minute orientation film and proceeded to the area in front of the mansion
itself, where the special tours begin. As we had a little bit of time before
the tour, we examined some of the out-buildings (re-constructed, of course) on
the way, while dodging the allure of the gift shops. Clearly the Mount Vernon
Ladies Association (MVLA), which owns Mount Vernon, has been taking lessons
from Disney...
In Washington's time, many
people worked to support the plantation, and that is very much in evidence
here. One concept that has finally been embraced is to acknowledge the fact
that Washington was a slave owner, instead of glossing over the issue as was
done previously. This makes him seem much more like a real person and less like
a marble statue on a pedestal to marvel at. I think that makes him more of a
role model and less of a legend.
We walked around the north
side of the Upper Garden and we met our trench-coated guide, John Marshall
(formerly of Pittsburgh), who now works at MVLA's Customer Relations. John told
us that there really is a tunnel, a cornerstone and a vaulted room in the
basement, just like in the movie! He then took us around to the river side of
the mansion for a better view of the property. You can really tell that it is
on a mount in comparison to most of the surrounding countryside. He explained
to us that even though Mount Vernon is only in the film for five minutes, it
took three weeks for the crew of hundreds to record what was needed for the
film. Apparently, it was very chilly during the shoot and the extras had to
constantly be reminded to remove their coats. The exteriors were filmed at
night, with a lot of lighting equipment, prompting many calls to the
authorities about suspicious activities ranging from space aliens to illegal
activities.
After obtaining the key,
John led us down into the cellar. We could see the rough-hewn beams and
supports along with some curious copper flashing that we figured out was there
to prevent termite infestation (I wish we had some of that copper in our own old
house). He then pointed out the vaulted room that was re-created back in
Hollywood, as well as the cornerstone that actually has George Washington's
elder half-brother Lawrence's initials on it (LW instead of GW as in the film).
Lawrence owned the estate until he died in 1754, when ownership passed to
George. The MVLA had to install air conditioning in the mansion, because even
though the doors remain open much of the time, the heat and moisture from the
hundreds of thousands of yearly visitors would take an increasing toll on the
structure and furnishings. The structure of the cellar would also suffer if
they offered tours year-round or if a film crew worked here for weeks, so it
was re-created on a sound stage.
After leading us out of
the cellar and locking the door, John led us to the edge of the lawn and showed
us where the spring house and the riverside opening to the tunnel is located.
The tunnel connects the mansion and the riverside to make it easier to haul ice
from the river to the ice house. So, there really is a tunnel at Mount Vernon,
but its purpose is not mysterious at all, but very practical for a very busy
18th century plantation that produced food for profit and to sustain the
plantation's residents. We then made our way down to the river's edge and saw
the garage that was built into the hill to house the chemical fire truck that
Henry Ford donated in 1923. Ford was concerned that the mansion could burn down
before other fire equipment could arrive. We learned that even though the
mansion looks like stone, it is actually made of textured wood. John had to end
our tour there at the river's edge, but our experience today has shown us that
Hollywood can do a very good job of making something mundane into something
mysterious!
Today's Mount Vernon is
well preserved and has many recently reconstructed buildings, like the 16-sided
threshing barn. This building was designed by Washington to make the threshing
of grain more efficient. A surplus of grain allowed him to make money from the
production of flour and whiskey (more about that later). Before we left Mount
Vernon, we went to the food court for lunch. The selections were similar to
what you would find at a mall. We then went back over to the Ford Orientation
Center and watched a very interesting orientation film, introduced by Pat
Sajak.
Then we went back to the
mansion and were pleased to find that even though the queue was much longer
than it had been earlier in the day, it moved quickly. One rule that is
strictly enforced is no photographs inside the mansion. (The gift shops have
books with very good photos.) The mansion is very well furnished, in a style
similar to homes in Williamsburg and Philadelphia's Liberty Hall. After a brief
stop in the museum and gift shop, we packed up and drove over to the gristmill
and distillery.
In order to produce the
flour and whiskey, Mount Vernon had a grist mill, a distillery, and a barley
malting operation located at Dogue Creek, three miles from the mansion, where
there was better terrain for the water-powered operation. This site is also
operated by the MVLA and the distillery was recently brought back into working
condition. It even turned out a small batch of whiskey in 2007. Samples were
not available during our visit, but they will be making commemorative products
soon. The distiller told us that it was not aged, and therefore we would
probably not enjoy the taste of it. The gristmill is very interesting and can
grind both wheat and corn because it has two sets of millstones. It is
ingeniously designed, with mostly wood parts that can be replaced. Mount Vernon
is a wonderful place to visit on a spring day. I hope everyone gets a chance to
enjoy this "National Treasure."
About the Author: Erik
Johnson grew up in the Washington, D.C. area and works in the city, but still
loves to explore the area's many interesting sites. He lives in the country
with his wife Kendra and their sons and dogs and cats.
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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: Park Passes & Dining
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by Sue Kulick, PassPorter
Featured Columnist
(This is part three of our
"Walt Disney World On A Budget" series. If you're just joining us,
catch up by reading Part 1 at
http://www.passporter.com/news/news040308.htm#Disney and Part 2 at
http://www.passporter.com/news/news041008.htm#Disney .)
So, our family of four has
decided when to go to Walt Disney World, has chosen their resort, and has
decided how they are going to get there. Next on the expense list, park tickets
and dining!
Unlike lodging, park tickets
do not have seasons. They are the same price on the busiest day of the year as
they are on the slowest, rainiest day. There are not many discounts available
on tickets, but there are a few things you can do to minimize your costs.
The first decision you
make needs to be how many days you will spend in the parks. Do you want to go
every day, or do you plan to spend some days at other Orlando area attractions?
Do you want to park-hop (see more than one park in one day) or are you content
with one park per day? Once these decisions have been made, you can purchase
your tickets.
Tickets can be purchased
at the park, or in advance online from Disney, various ticket vendors, or from
your local AAA office. Most vendors give a slight discount.
So, our family has decided
to do 6 park days and they decide not to park hop. The base rate for an adult
ticket for 6 days is $231. A children's ticket for 6 days is $192. This gives
each member of the family entry to one park per day. So our family would be
looking at $846 in ticket media. Deb Wills' site, AllEars.Net, has wonderful
information and explains all the differences in tickets and prices.
Disney also offers
packages, like the one advertised in the Cinderella Coach commercial we
mentioned in the first installment of our money-saving article series. You can
book a Magic Your Way package and have your tickets included in the price. You
can also get the Disney Dining Plan as an option. Our family has opted to stay
at Pop Century (on-property Value resort) and go for the Magic Your Way plan
with 6-day Base Tickets. There is not much difference between booking a package
and booking separately, other than the convenience of doing it all at one time.
And if your tickets are purchased through a ticket vendor, you may actually
save a bit over the package.
Not doing a park every day
still leaves you plenty of time to enjoy the magic! Our family is going to
spend some time resort-hopping. They are going to ride the monorails and the
boats, explore the trail that goes from Wilderness Lodge to Fort Wilderness,
and visit the stables at Fort Wilderness. They are going to enjoy their resort
pool, and will visit Disney's BoardWalk to enjoy the entertainment. Then
they'll go to Downtown Disney to let the kids explore the Lego store and take
in a matinee at the AMC movie theater. And since this is a vacation, they are
going to sleep in one morning and have breakfast in their room. Which brings us
to our next topic...dining!
First, of course, you have
a decision: How do you and your family like to eat on vacation? Do you enjoy
sit down restaurants, or are you happier with counter service? Do you want to
eat all your meals on Disney property, or do you want to go off-property for
other options?
Table service options at
Walt Disney World can get a bit pricey, and if you are on a budget, might be
better saved for one or two special meals. Disney offers a dining plan for
those staying on property. Again, I'll refer to AllEars.net, where she provides
a wonderful explanation of the plan.
But there are many other
ways to save. If you are staying off property, you can take advantage of the
breakfast options provided by your hotel. Many hotels have a coffee maker in
the room, which can certainly give the adults a welcome dose of caffeine on the
morning! If you are staying on property, you can still eat a cheap, quick
breakfast. If you have a cooler, keep it well stocked with ice, or you can rent
a refrigerator for the length of your stay (refrigerators are no-charge,
standard equipment at Disney's Moderate and Deluxe resorts, but guests at Pop
Century and the All-Star resorts have to pay extra). If you have
transportation, you can make a grocery stop on the way to your resort. You can
stock up on juice boxes, cereal boxes, and other breakfast staples. If you are
staying at a Walt Disney World resort, you can also purchase a refillable mug
that is good for the length of your stay. The current cost is $12.49, and you
can use it as many times as you like during your stay for coffee, soda, iced tea,
and hot chocolate. You can keep snacks and bottled water in your room. A case
of bottled water costs between $5 and $8 for a case of 24 bottles compared with
$2 a bottle in the parks. You can purchase snack packs, too -- anything from
cookies to chips. Pack a few snack packs and bottles of water in your backpack,
and you're set for a day in the parks!
Another way to save at the
parks is to eat your larger meal at lunch. Most Disney restaurants have similar
menus for lunch and dinner, and the lunch prices are generally lower. There is
a children's menu for our 5 and 9 year olds, and most meals come in around $6.
At night, you can choose a less expensive counter service meal. Disney offers
many wonderful buffets, where there is a wide variety to choose from at a fair
price. Keep in mind that WDW adds a holiday surcharge to meals at certain
restaurants during Holiday and Peak seasons, so traveling in off season can
help out there, too. You can also go off property for an even better deal.
Orlando is not lacking in chain restaurants and fast food places! There's
something for every budget. Here is where having a car comes in handy, as you
are not limited to your resort or Disney property for your meals.
If you are eating off
property, make sure you take advantage of discounts and coupons out there! Pick
up any brochures or local vacation flyers available in your hotel, and look for
discounts. We'll explore other discounts in the last part of this series.
We are almost done
planning our vacation for our family of four!
Check back next week for
Part 4: Saving Money On Souvenirs
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.
- - - - - - - - -
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:
Ollie Johnson, the last of
Walt Disney's "Nine Old Men" and a legendary animator, has passed
away at the age of 96. He worked on classics such as Snow White and the
Seven Dwarfs, Fantasia, Song of the South, Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, Sleeping
Beauty, and The Jungle Book. Ollie retired from Disney in 1978 but remained
involved in the company.
Disney's massive,
multi-player online game, Virtual Magic Kingdom, is shutting down on May 21,
2008. According to Disney, the game was created as an online promotion for
Disneyland's 50th anniversary and was never intended to be permanent. For more
information, visit http://SaveVMKToday.org.
The Wave, a new casual
table service restaurant at Disney Contemporary Resort is now accepting
reservations for June 30, 2008 and later. The restaurant will serve breakfast,
lunch, and dinner and will be one table service credit on the Disney Dining
Plan.
The Disney Cruise Line has
joined several other major lines by announcing updated smoking regulations for
its ships. Starting Saturday, April 19 on the Wonder, and Sunday, April 20 on
the Magic, the new policy extends the no-smoking policy to every indoor area,
including the clubs in the adult entertainment districts on Deck 3 forward
(Diversions, Cadillac Lounge, Beat Street, etc.). Smoking is still allowed on
guests' private verandahs. The outdoor smoking areas have been moved from port
to starboard. Those are the deck 4 promenade, and outdoor areas on decks 9 and
10. The comfy smoking area immediately outside the entrance to the Cove Cafe on
Deck 9 forward has been moved to the opposite side of the deck, as it was on
the port side. As always, smoking is not allowed anywhere near the Mickey Pool.
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:
BEST JUICE BOXES
"We always bring
juice boxes for the kids and we freeze them or refrigerate them (depending on
the weather). We put them in our backpack before we head to the park and by the
time the kids want them they are still cool or at least room temp, instead of
warm."
-- contributed by Danielle
G.
CONVENIENT CARDS
"On our recent trip
to Walt Disney World, I wasn't comfortable with having my children (ages 11 and
4) handling the fairly significant amount of spending money they had managed to
save. For a fee of $4.95 I had each of them put their funds onto a debit card.
This made for much easier and efficient transactions with the added bonus that
if one happened to get lost, we could simply call and have it replaced for a
nominal fee. We were able to check the balances as needed with a simple phone
call and we totally eliminated the 'Can I haves,' as we had been clear that we
were not adding to their money. Each kid managed to find souvenirs that they
most wanted and I was impressed with the discretion they used that we don't see
when it's Mom and Dad's money."
-- contributed by Heather
B.
HANGER HELPERS
"This is a tip for
use on a Disney Cruise: Unless you plan on living out of your suitcase, be sure
and pack extra (plastic) hangers. Drawer space in the stateroom is
minimal!"
-- contributed
by Angie J.
>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
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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:
"I've decided to
throw a little party for my many friends. Not being a great cook, I am seeking
a caterer. I came across an advertisement at the Studios for a chef that claims
to offer everything 'fršom qŸick cŸts to cšld cŸts.' He seems like the perfect
choice for my eclectic gathering. He even offers editing services, which could
come in very handy! Now, if I'd just remembered to make a note of his name.
Who is the chef offering editing
and catering services at Disney's Hollywood Studios? 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 Kevin
P. who was the winner of last week's trivia contest! Kevin was the first
person to identify the location of the Minnie's cheeses as in the
refrigerator in Minnie's House at Mickey's Toontown Fair and the price of "The
Big Cheese" as $2.11. 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
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:
Balloons on Main Street
contributed by akleos
View Photo: http://www.passporter.com/photos/showphoto.php/photo/5851
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 - 1054 photos
akleos - 568 photos
Meggera - 347 photos
Dopey007 - 270 photos
OffKilter_Lynn - 261
photos
====================================
Q & A WITH JENNIFER
& DAVE
====================================
Angileyze1 asks:
"What are the hours for Pleasure Island and Downtown Disney?"
Jennifer and Dave answer:
"Pleasure Island is officially open until 2:00 am, but there's little
happening most nights after about 1:00 am. The shops at Downtown tend to close
at around 11:00 pm with extended hours during busy seasons. The restaurants
tend to close a bit later than that. The last buses from the Marketplace bus
stop leave between Midnight and 1:00 am. The buses still run at the Pleasure
Island stop until well after 2:00 am. The last boats to the various nearby
resorts usually stop running around 11:30 pm."
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!
===================================
WANT TO GET PUBLISHED?
===================================
PassPorter News is
published weekly and we're always on the lookout for good quality Disney and
travel articles! We seek guest columnists who want to contribute articles to
this newsletter. No professional writing experience necessary, just a desire to
share your experience with others! Not only is this a great way to give
something back to the PassPorter community, but you get to see your name in
"print" and receive a $25 gift certificate.
===================================
OUR SPONSORS: We
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