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PassPorter News
News, Announcements, Updates, and Tips
May 1, 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: Soarin'
Back from California!
Travel
Feature: National Aquarium: Baltimore
Disney
Feature: Sprinkling Pixie Dust
Updates: What's New and
Changed
Tips: Magnets On The
Magic, Mattress Magic, Passport Scan
Captain's
Corner: Cuddlewinks
PassPorter
PhotoPick: Monorail and Spaceship Earth
Q and A: Which
itinerary do you prefer?
Our Sponsors: We
Recommend...
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FROM THE AUTHORS: Thank
You, Subscribers!
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Hi,
{{user("firstname")}}!
Dave returned on the red
eye from Los Angeles Monday morning, and set right to work on an article about
his experiences that is way too long for this newsletter. So, if you want to
know all the inside, Hollywood dish on the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books,
have a hankering for some good Cajun cooking in the LA area, or want Dave's own
version of soarin' over California, click here to read Dave's report at http://www.passporter.com/articles/los-angeles-times-festival-books.asp
PassPorter's Disney Cruise
Line and its Ports of Call 2008 is in stock! All orders of our cruise guide
ship the next business day.
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.
Will you be joining us for
PassPorter's Decade of Dreams Tour? PassPorter is celebrating our 10th
anniversary in 2009 in 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.
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.
* We have two
recently-added 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!
More details at http://www.passporter.com/club
In this issue, contributor
Erik Johnson, who recently took us on a jaunt to Mount Vernon, heads north from
Washington, DC to visit Baltimore's National Aquarium. Then guest contributor
Eileen Farnsworth shares her experiences Sprinkling Pixie Dust on a Disney
vacation, or anywere, for that matter. 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: National
Aquarium: Baltimore
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by Erik Johnson,
PassPorter Guest Contributor
Isn't the National
Aquarium in Washington, D.C.? Well, there is a National Aquarium in Washington,
D.C.; it is in the Department of Commerce Building near the Federal Triangle
Metro stop. However, the "official" National Aquarium is in
Baltimore, Maryland.
Prior to our visit, we
purchased our admission and dolphin show tickets on the Aquarium web site, with
a scheduled entry time of 10:30 am, and would be seeing the 11:30 am dolphin
show. Admission prices vary based on the package you choose.
The National Aquarium in
Baltimore is located downtown, at the Inner Harbor, convenient to other
Baltimore attractions. We parked in a garage located across the street. There
was no line when we got to the aquarium and we were directed to the kiosk where
the online will-call tickets are picked up. The process was both fast and
automated. We got inside quickly -- good thing too, as it was chilly! It was
nice that we do not need a stroller for our sons anymore, as they do not allow
them. However, the aquarium will loan you a backpack carrier, if you need one.
There is a reception area
that is staffed with nice cast members - whoops, I mean greeters - that get you
oriented so you can enjoy your visit. The aquarium was built on two piers in
the inner harbor. It is in sections and each section has its own theme (and
cafe and gift shop - of course). The sections are Glass Pavilion, the Pier 3
(main) Pavilion, and the Pier 4 (dolphin show) Pavilion. You take an escalator
up to the main level and approach the main stingray tank, where you may get to
see the keepers feed the animals! They have the rest of the main building set
up for one-way traffic, which is a good idea, considering the number of student
groups that go through here (this worked to our disadvantage later in the day).
You take an escalator to the second level and see the Maryland display,
Mountains to the Sea, which takes you through the waterways of Maryland with
special emphasis on the Chesapeake, as pretty much every drop winds up there!
You then loop around and over the main tank and get to the next level via a
moving walkway. On this third level, there is the exhibit, Surviving Through
Adaptation. You go up again to level four to see Sea Ciffs, Kelp Forest,
Pacific Coral Reef, and Amazon River Forest. We especially like the puffins!
The top level (Level 5) is the very warm and moist, glassed-in Upland Tropical
Rainforest exhibit. Here, the neatest thing is the poison dart frogs! Then, you
come back down and over one level to the top of the four-story Atlantic Coral
Reef tank. A winding ramp lets you see all the different kinds of sea life from
the top down to the bottom of the reef, ending at the Open Ocean section, which
is very dark and mysterious looking. This is where the sharks are! They have
such big teeth, and are so mesmerizing! At the lowest level you can sit, catch
your breath, and watch the rays swimming - very relaxing - it's like they are
flying!
From here you go up
another escalator, and cross the bridge to Pier 4 to reach the dolphin
pavilion. We timed it just right! We walked into the amphitheater, found seats,
and sat down without much wait for the show to begin. The dolphins performed
some nice tricks together and splashed the audience pretty well. At least we
had been warned! The presentation includes some nice educational bits using the
large video displays that are set on both sides of the pool. When I find myself
in a room like that with water, usually the chlorine is overpowering, but not
here. Because of the Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins, I am sure they have
something much better than good old chlorine and paper filters - it just smells
a little damp, but not musty.
The dolphin show is
certainly not comparable to what you would see at SeaWorld, but it was fun, and
the admission charge helps to support the programs of the aquarium. When you
leave the amphitheater, you can go down to a little area and watch the dolphins
underwater, or you can go to the neighboring food court. Can you guess which
one we chose? (Did I mention we have two growing sons?) We had cheeseburgers
and chicken sandwiches, which filled up the boys for a while.
Once we were done with the
best the aquarium had to offer, we got a couple of souvenirs and some pressed
pennies, as there were a couple of machines in that area. My dear wife decided
that she had to go back and enjoy the coral reef exhibit. So, in order to do
that, we had to go back through the rest of the main room and back up and
around to the top floor -- whew! At least they have escalators. After we had
our fill of the reef, we went over to the Glass Pavilion and enjoyed the Animal
Planet - Australia exhibit. Next door to this is the 4D Theater that is
currently showing Planet Earth - Shallow Seas, which we opted not to see on
this particular visit.
Some nearby attractions
are: The B&O Railroad Museum, the Baltimore Maritime Museum, Harborplace
Mall, Fort McHenry (of Star Spangled Banner fame), the Maryland Science Center,
the Maryland Museum of African American History and Culture, and the Top of The
World observation deck on top of Baltimore's World Trade Center. The restored
USS Constellation is berthed here, too, as is the Pride of Baltimore. Port
Discovery Children's Museum is here as well, that many with kids may find fun.
You might want to take advantage of the water taxi to travel between some of the
sites. In the summer, there are paddleboats you can rent. There are many hotels
nearby as is the convention center and Camden Yard (the home of the Orioles).
The National Aquarium is a
good way to spend a day with the kids, especially if you can combine it with a
nearby attraction or two.
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: Spreading
A Little Pixie Dust: Making Magic For Others
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by Eileen Farnsworth,
PassPorter Guest Contributor
Shortly before my last
Walt Disney World trip, I was perusing the PassPorter message boards and read a
post that both intrigued me and touched my heart. The poster stated that she
and her husband had taken small jugs of maple syrup from their native Vermont
to Walt Disney World, and had given them as gifts to cast members who had
"gone the extra mile" for them. I felt that this was a wonderful idea
and began thinking of up ways that I could do something similar on my own
upcoming trip. Just like many of you, I go to Disney destinations in the hopes
of receiving at least a little bit of "pixie dust." But I have found
that sprinkling pixie dust on others can be just as memorable! Some of the ways
in which I tried to do this on my last trip were by giving out little packages
to select cast members and fellow guests, by being a "Fairy
Godmailer," and by trying to perform "random acts of kindness."
I had fun putting little
care packages together before our trip. In each one, I placed a small Virginia
memento (since that is where I live), a heart lollipop, and a "Virginia is
for Lovers" postcard on which I wrote a message stating, "Thank you
for making our day a little bit more magical!" Then I put Disney character
stickers on the outside of each package.
Each day during our
vacation I placed three or four packages inside our backpack. When we met
someone who did make our day more magical, we gave them one of our little
gifts. Some we gave to cast members, others to fellow vacationers. In each
instance, the person receiving the gift seemed genuinely surprised and pleased.
I'd like to share the experience my husband and I had with two of the cast
members.
The first person to whom
we gave a package was Ame, the woman who checked us in at the Registration Desk
at Port Orleans Riverside. She was so nice to me and my husband Mark, making us
feel welcome and giving us big "Happy Anniversary" buttons when she
saw that we were there for a special occasion. As we were leaving the desk, we
thanked her and gave her the package. When we got to our hotel room later that
day, we found that it was rather smoky. When we called Guest Services to see if
we could switch rooms, we learned that the resort was completely sold out. A
mousekeeper was sent to spray our room with air freshener, but it really didn't
help. After a rough night's sleep, we woke up in the morning, determined to
find another room, even if it meant changing resorts. Imagine our surprise when
the cast member at the Registration Desk was Ame, the woman to whom we had
given the package the previous day! Ame went out of her way, placing several
phone calls in order to find us a more acceptable room. We hadn't given her a
gift the day before in order to gain anything, but we decided that the adage,
"You reap what you sow," really did apply to us in this case.
The other cast member we
gave a package to was one of the food court workers at Port Orleans Riverside.
Mark and I had been relaxing after breakfast, just enjoying a few quiet moments
together before we hopped onto a bus to one of the parks. We had been watching
this woman cleaning tables, and thought that she is probably one of many
behind-the-scenes cast members who don't receive enough recognition for all
that they do. After we thanked her for all that she does to make guests' visits
more enjoyable, we gave her one of our thank-you packages. She was so
surprised, and got a little teary-eyed while thanking us for doing something
nice for her. She said to us, "Stay here - I'll be right back." She
rejoined us a few minutes later, laden with Mickey stickers and Mardi-Gras
coins and necklaces. Again, we hadn't asked for anything - she just wanted to
repay a kindness. We found that just a little thank-you goes a long way, and
that people truly do appreciate being acknowledged.
Something else that I did
for the first time was to sign up on the PassPorter boards to be a Fairy
Godmailer. Several people messaged me asking me to send postcards to their
loved ones. I was really tickled when one of my requests was from a woman who
wanted to do something special for her 27-year-old sister who would not only be
visiting Walt Disney World for the first time, but who also would be taking her
first airplane ride!
I had such fun looking for
just the right postcards for each of my "Fairy God-children." I
browsed through gift shops with my list in hand, seeing who liked which
characters and trying to find something to please each one.
The last thing I did in
trying to spread pixie dust around was to perform small "random acts of
kindness." Nothing major, just things like keeping a positive attitude
while waiting in long lines, making sure to thank bus drivers for their
service, and straightening up the River Roost Lounge after a large group left
the room in order to maintain the sparkling clean atmosphere that Disney is
known for. I also noticed some children on the boat ride from Port Orleans to
Downtown Disney who were really well-behaved. I complimented them for it and
gave them some stickers. It was a small thing, but I wanted those children to
know that an adult was impressed with their good behavior.
Making an effort to
"spread the magic" at Walt Disney World really was fun and easy. I am
sure that the benefit I gained was much more than anything I could have done
for anyone else. Sprinkling pixie dust on others, whether you are doing it for
people at Walt Disney World, or just for the people you encounter in your daily
life, can really be a meaningful endeavor. Why not give it a try?
About the Author: Eileen
Farnsworth "discovered the magic" of Walt Disney World in 2005. She
and her husband Mark have 4 children. Eileen is secretly planning her family's
next trip to Disney World; at least she wishes she were!
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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:
Many cruise lines have
recently implemented fuel surcharges and Disney Cruise Line is the latest to
follow suit. The surcharge, applied to new bookings made after May 28, 2008, is
$8 per person, per day for the first two guests in a stateroom and $3 per person,
per day for all other guests. (So a family of four in one stateroom would pay
$22 per day.) Additionally, the surcharge will be capped at $112 each for the
first and second Guest and $42 each for each remaining Guest, though this would
only affect itineraries longer than 14 nights.
Disneyland Resort
President Ed Grier announced this week that Disneyland will be getting a
"Tinker Bell attraction" this fall in time to coincide with the
release of the Fairies DVD. Just what that attraction will be remains a
mystery, but rumors point to a meet & greet area as opposed to a ride.
Justin Muchoney of
Pennsylvania was named Disney's Chief Magical Official in a ceremony at Walt
Disney World last week. Justin competed against over 1,300 contestants in
Disney's online contest and received over 200,000 votes. His first official
duties will be the opening of Toy Story Mania at Disney's Hollywood Studios
later this month.
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:
MAGNETS ON THE MAGIC (AND
WONDER!)
"When you're on a
cruise you're overwhelmed with paperwork: daily Navigators (daily schedule),
excursion information and tickets, movie schedules, immigration forms,
debarkation forms, and on and on. There are only so many horizontal surfaces in
a stateroom and keeping track of everything can be a challenge. On our last
cruise we took along a variety of magnetic-backed clips, available at the
dollar store. We used them to secure paperwork to the inside of our stateroom
door. This kept us organized and eliminated scrambling for something buried in
a pile of papers on the dresser!"
-- contributed by Tish I.
MATTRESS MAGIC
"If you require an
accessible room and notice the bed is too high to get into, let Guest Services
know and they may be able to remove the box spring. They did this for my
mother-in-law. They came in, took out the box spring, and made a plywood platform
to put the mattress on so she could get in and out of the bed more
easily."
-- contributed by Barry R.
PASSPORT SCAN
"With more and more
destinations now requiring passports, travelers need to consider extra security
for these documents. An extra copy in your suitcase or carry-on is handy. But
imaging an online version that can be accessed at any time is even better.
Besides keeping your passport with you or in a safe at all times, I recommend
that you scan your passport as a color jpeg or other format image; then attach
the image to an email to yourself. If you use any of the most common email
providers (Hotmail, Yahoo, etc.), you will be able to recover it wherever you
are in the world in the event yours turns up missing."
-- contributed by Roger S.
>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
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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:
"Last night I was
ensconced in my favorite club and sipping a frothy tropical drink when an
unusual letter found its way to me by way of Graves our butler. The missive was
obviously misdelivered, as it spoke of strange things that made no sense: Gypsy
Moth, cologne, kimonos, and cuddlewinks. The letter was addressed to a Miss
Weggie Wishmeyer and, get this, dated July 23, 1933. I may have to search out
Miss Wishmeyer, as I'm now terribly curious about these 'cuddlewinks.'"
What club was Jack at and
who sent the letter?
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 Pat A.
who was the winner of last week's trivia contest! Pat was the first person to
identify the maximum score at Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin
as 999,999. Pat was also the first person to find the evidence in our
photo archive! To view the original clue, see last week's newsletter at http://www.passporter.com/news/news042408.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
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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:
Gold Monorail and
Spaceship Earth
contributed by akleos
View Photo: http://www.passporter.com/photos/showphoto.php/photo/5551
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 - 1310 photos
akleos - 568 photos
Meggera - 347 photos
Dopey007 - 270 photos
OffKilter_Lynn - 261
photos
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Q & A WITH JENNIFER
& DAVE
====================================
rlb38 asks: "We are
just beginning plans for our first ever cruise. We were wondering if anyone has
done both eastern Caribbean and western Caribbean and which they
preferred."
Jennifer and Dave answer:
"Each itinerary has its charms. Aside from the different line-ups of
islands (for which you may have a particular preference), the most distinctive
feature of the Eastern for me is that it includes one additional day at sea.
Since I love sea days, that's my choice."
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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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
Recommend...
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Thank you, sponsors!
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