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
May 27,
2005 * Issue 5.10
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:
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From the Authors: Memorial Day
Reflections and New York City Bound
Dining
Feature: Walt Disney
World's Overlooked Treasures: Disney's Wilderness Lodge and Artist Point
Restaurant
Disney World
Feature: What - No Parks?
Walt Disney World Outside the Theme Parks
Updates: What's New and
Changed
Tips: Crowd Control,
Catch Those Characters, Toon Town Tours
Q&A: Last Meal at WDW
vs. Orlando Airport?
====================================================
FROM THE
AUTHORS: Memorial Day Reflections and New York City Bound
====================================================
Hi,
{{user("firstname")}}!
As we write
this, we're certain most of you are looking forward to the upcoming Memorial
Day holiday. It's a weekend for barbecues, parades, the opening weekend at the
local amusement park, the big sale down at the mall, and just relaxing in a
hammock to bask in the glories of the previous day's gardening and lawn care
blitz. While the extra day off is a welcome respite, let's be sure to save at
least a few moments to reflect on those who have sacrificed everything so that
we can enjoy our enviable lifestyle. And if you happen to be at Walt Disney
World this weekend, you may want to make a point of attending the daily Flag
Retreat ceremony at Magic Kingdom's Town Square (usually at 5:00 pm or 5:3 0pm
-- check with a cast member for the actual time).
Next week will
be especially busy for the PassPorter team. We'll be loading up the minivan and
heading to New York City for BookExpo America,
the biggest book industry event of the year. We'll be arriving in town just in
time to attend the Benjamin Franklin Awards dinner - PassPorter's Field Guide
to the Disney Cruise Line is a finalist for
Travel Guide - 1-2 color interior! We'll be sure to let you know how
we did. Alas, Book Expo is not open to the general public, but if you
happen to be a bookseller, librarian, journalist or fellow publisher attending
the show please stop by booth 4411 and say hi! Deb Koma, co-author of the
upcoming "PassPorter's
Walt Disney World for your Special Needs" will also be here to
sign advance reading copies of the book (due out in August 2005).
Now, if
Memorial Weekend crowds at Walt Disney World get to be too much for you (or at
any other busy time, for that matter), we have a pair of fine articles by Matt
Armitage and Cheryl Pendry, who point out the joys of an out-of-parks
experience at Walt Disney World. Have a great holiday!
Your friends,
Jennifer and
Dave
Authors,
PassPorter Travel Guides
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DID YOU KNOW?
WDW and DCL
PassPorters Ship Next Day!
The 2005
edition of PassPorter Walt Disney World and PassPorter's Field Guide to the
Disney Cruise Line 3rd Edition are now shipping next business day when ordered
by 8:00 pm ET the night before. (Don't forget that Monday is a business
holiday, though.) If you've been waiting to order your copy, now is the perfect
time!
Everyone gets
a 15% discount and if you've already got a copy of PassPorter, you can register
it at http://www.passporter.com/register.htm 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/
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DINING
FEATURE: Walt Disney WorldÕs Overlooked Treasures:
DisneyÕs
Wilderness Lodge and Artist Point Restaurant
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By Matt
Armitage, Guest Columnist
My wife and I
were enjoying the last day of our mini-vacation (actually, I was on a business
trip and she had come along for a few days of relaxation Ð no kids!) when we
discovered one of Walt Disney WorldÕs overlooked treasures (at least by us!):
DisneyÕs Wilderness Lodge and the Artist Point restaurant.
After my
conference sessions had ended for the day, we were discussing dinner plans and
thought we'd take a chance and see if anything last minute was available at the
resorts. Recognizing our chances were slim at getting advance reservations, I
dialed away. After finding nothing available at the Polynesian's Ohana and the
Contemporary's California Grill, I was ready to give up when the cast member
asked, "Well, where are you right now?" Armed with the fact we were
at Downtown Disney, she did some searching and recommended Artist Point at the
Wilderness Lodge. We had never been to either Artist Point or the Wilderness Lodge,
so we figured "Why not?" I had heard the Wilderness Lodge was a nice
resort, and had for ages wanted to visit, but had never taken the time to.
Less than an
hour later we arrived at the Wilderness Lodge. For those of you who've never
been there, let me tell you, it is breathtaking! The spacious and grandiose
lobby (8 stories high) is reminiscent of Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge, with a
slightly different flavor to it. I had heard that the grounds were beautiful,
and we were a few minutes early, so we figured we'd check in with the maitre d'
and go for a walk. To our surprise the dining room was only half full and we
were seated immediately. In fact, we were afforded a window seat overlooking
Silver Creek Falls, a beautifully landscaped waterfall and stream.
Dinner was
wonderful not only for the delicious food, but for the dŽcor of the restaurant,
presentation of dinner, and high level of service that was provided to us. In
addition to the view out the window, the restaurant itself is tastefully
decorated, with a large mural on one wall serving as a backdrop. My wife chose
the "signature plate," Cedar Plank Roasted Wild Salmon with Celery
Root-Potato Puree, Pan-roasted Fennel, and Truffle-Honey-Brown Butter. When
brought to the table, it arrived on the cedar plank on which it had apparently
been cooked and was transferred to my wife's plate. The entire meal was
delicious -- I know because I helped her finish it!
I chose the
Grilled Buffalo Sirloin with Sweet Potato-Hazelnut Gratin and Sweet Onion Jam.
I could go on for hours about how good it was, but let me simply say this. It
was the most delicious dinner I've ever had. The buffalo was tender and
mouth-watering, and the sweet potatoes tasted like candy. If but for no other
reason, Artist Point is now one of my favorite restaurants because of that
meal!
Stuffed to the
gills as a result of cleaning our plates, we opted out of dessert. I should
mention one other detail about our dining experience. Not only was our server
attentive and helpful (he went the extra mile and got me the recipe for the
sweet potatoes), but the maitre d' stopped by a couple of times to check on us,
too. We were well taken care of!
After dinner,
we took the stroll we'd missed out on before. It was dark by this point, which
at first disappointed me, but for naught - the grounds were just as beautiful
after dark. In addition to the waterfall, lots of softly illuminated winding
paths, wooden bridges over a meandering stream, and rock landscaping
culminating in a geyser (we missed the eruption) created the atmosphere of
being in the American Northwest and the great outdoors.
We ended the
evening by heading down to the dock, where we boarded a boat that took us out
into Bay Lake, over to Fort Wilderness, out into Seven Seas Lagoon, and ultimately
delivered us to the Magic Kingdom. The cool, relaxing trip was the perfect
ending to a perfect night. We both decided that on our next trip to Walt Disney
World, not only would we be returning to Artist Point for dinner, but would be
staying at the Wilderness Lodge.
Our trips to
Disney World have traditionally been "go-go-go" and center on
figuring out how we can maximize our time at the parks. In fact, we typically
use whatever hotel we're staying at simply as a base for going to and from the
parks. Our experience that night taught us to seek out Disney's hidden
treasures and take advantage of what Disney has to offer outside the parks. A
nice meal, a quiet stroll, and a relaxing boat ride can offer just as much as
an attraction packed day at the parks.
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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 WORLD FEATURE:
What - No Parks?
Walt Disney
World Outside the Theme Parks (Part 1 of 2)
========================================================
by Cheryl
Pendry, Guest Columnist and PassPorter Message Board Guide
Not only does
Walt Disney World boast four theme parks and two water parks, but it's also
home to a myriad of other activities. Cheryl Pendry, a veteran Disney visitor,
has spent many happy days there without using up a park pass and here in the
first part of a two part article, takes a look at how the Disney resorts are
good for so much more than just accommodation...
Perhaps it's
your umpteenth visit to Disney World and you feel the need to get away from the
parks for a while. Perhaps you were just there a few months ago and feel you've
enjoyed all the attractions you want to this trip. Maybe it's just an
exceptionally busy time of the year and you can't face the crowds. Either way,
there's plenty to do at Disney, without needing admission to any of the four
main theme parks or a water park.
This is
something we've done many times in the past and will no doubt do again in the
future. One of the biggest attractions outside of the parks are the resorts.
Each is beautifully themed and having visited nearly all of them, with the
exception of the Caribbean Beach, I can tell you that they're all very
different from each other as well. Many happy hours have been spent touring the
resorts, finding out which are our favorites.
The easiest
way to get to each one is to drive, but if you don't have a car during your
stay, buses run from each theme park and Downtown Disney back to the resorts
and the Contemporary, Polynesian and Grand Floridian are just a monorail ride
away from the Magic Kingdom. There's plenty to see at each, with lobbies, shops
and restaurants all open to the public. If you want to see how big the rooms
are, then simply ask a cast member to show you. In our experience they're more
than happy to help if they've got rooms available and aren't too busy, and it's
a great way of judging whether you'd be happy staying a particular resort
before paying out any of your hard earned cash.
You can
usually look around the swimming pool area to judge at first hand how good the
facilities are and at many resorts, there are pleasant walks from the main
registration building to the outlying rooms. Particularly attractive walks that
we've enjoyed can be found at Port Orleans Riverside, the Grand Floridian and
Polynesian, while Pop Century enjoys some of the most fun walks on Disney
property. References to what happened in individual years and cultural icons,
such as Rubik's Cubes and Mr. Potato Head are scattered throughout the grounds,
bringing back fond memories for both young and old. It's a lovely way to spend
an hour or two.
And there's
much more to see at the resorts during the holiday season. We personally rate
the Grand Floridian, the Beach Club and the Wilderness Lodge as not to be
missed at this time of the year, although every resort has decorations to
enjoy, with many boasting amazing offerings from their resident chefs -- from
gingerbread houses to carrousels and African villages.
This brings us
to dining. The resorts also boast some of the finest and most entertaining
restaurants on Disney property. We never fail to enjoy a character meal at Chef
Mickey's at the Contemporary or at 1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian, the
burgers at the Beach Club's Beaches and Cream just can't be beaten anywhere on
Disney property, and who could fail to enjoy the exotic African offerings on
the buffet at Boma at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge?
If it's a more
upscale experience you're after, then each of the deluxe resorts boast at least
one fine dining option. Artist Point at the Wilderness Lodge, Jiko at Animal
Kingdom Lodge, the Contemporary's California Grill and Narcosees at the Grand
Floridian all offer first class food and a great atmosphere and are
consistently highly rated by Disney visitors. If it's a special occasion, the
unique Victoria and Albert's at the Grand Floridian, with menus that vary
daily, can't be beaten. When we ate there, we were able to forget that we were
even in a hotel. It's like walking into your own world of five star dining and
although it's expensive, it's worth every penny.
Some of the
resorts also offer their own attractions, meaning you may not have to venture
far from your room to find some entertainment, with the Animal Kingdom Lodge
being the best example. If you're not lucky to have a savannah room there or
you're visiting from another resort, you can still sample the wildlife either
at the Arusha Rock overlook or from various viewing areas on the third floor of
both the Kudu and Zebra Trail. There are even rocking chairs for you to sit and
survey the savannah.
Perhaps you
still want to be a bit more active on your vacation or have an exercise regime
you're keen to keep up with? Tennis courts with the best facilities are
available at the Walt Disney World Racquet Club at the Contemporary.
Maybe two wheels is more your style? Bikes can be hired at Old Key West,
Saratoga Springs and Fort Wilderness, allowing you to explore the resort
grounds.
Perhaps you
fancy heading out on the water? You can head out into the Seven Seas Lagoon in
front of Magic Kingdom and the neighboring Bay Lake on a Sea Raycer, pontoon,
canopy or sailboat, but a far more unique experience waits at the Yacht and
Beach Club marina. There, you can rent Breathless, a beautiful mahogany
reproduction of a 1930 powerboat. It's the fastest boat on property -- and
feels like it when the throttle is turned up - and can be hired during the day
for a trip around Crescent Lake and down to Disney-MGM Studios (a Disney
skipper is behind the wheel). If you're early enough and in luck, you may
even be able to venture to the edge of Epcot's World Showcase Lagoon. When we
did this in December, we entered by the United Kingdom pavillion, headed over
to Morocco and then out again through France.
Breathless is
also available for Illuminations cruises, but be warned -- these are among the
hottest tickets on property and sell out within minutes. If you want to book a
cruise, call 407-WDW-PLAY, but if it's an Illuminations cruise you're after, be
sure to be on the phone at 7:00 am Eastern time exactly 90 days out to stand a
chance of securing one.
Something else
offered by a number of resorts and often overlooked by many guests are the
health and fitness centers -- and they're not just for those who want to keep
up their exercise regime while they're away from home! Each of the fitness
centers at Coronado Springs, Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge, the Boardwalk,
Yacht and Beach Club and the Villas at Wilderness Lodge offer essentially the
same services.
As well as
offering state-of-the-art fitness exercise machines, you can also enjoy
massages at each site. Having been lucky enough to sample the 50-minute massage
at the Ship Shape health club at the Yacht and Beach Club and a massage at the
Grand Floridian spa, I can tell you that they're both very similar, although if
value for money is top of your list, then head for a resort fitness center,
rather than a "spa." The massages are cheaper there, although you
don't get the same relaxing atmosphere as you do at the two Spa resorts.
Having taken a
tour of the various Disney resorts and the activities offered at them, in the
second part, I'll be looking at what else you can enjoy on Disney property
outside of the parks, including teeing off amongst the dancing hippos,
cowgirls, and fire breathers on the BoardWalk and shopping until you
drop!
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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
==========================================
Here's a few
of the new developments at Disneyú
Tarzan Rocks!
at Disney's Animal Kingdom will close for good in early 2006. No exact date has
been specified but when the show closes the Theater in the Wild where the show
takes place will be renovated to become completely enclosed. No new show has
been announced, but when we recently spoke to Disney's live show chief Anne
Hamburger, she did say they were working on a new live show for Walt Disney
World (but didn't say which park would be getting it). It is rumored that
Tarzan may be destined for Broadway to follow in the footsteps of Disney's
other Broadway hits "Beauty and The Beat" and "The Lion
King".
Advance Dining
Reservations are now available for Liberty Tree Tavern and Tony's Town Square
for dinner during Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party and Mickey's Very Merry
Christmas Party. Call 407-WDW-DINE for more information.
Cruisers on
the Disney Magic's "repositioning" cruise to California report that
Disney Cruise Line president Tom McAlpin announced several upcoming changes to
the Disney Magic and a new feature at Disney's island, Castaway Cay. During the
Magic's bi-annual drydock this coming October, the ship will have a large
Jumbotron electronic display installed on Deck 9 overlooking the Goofy Pool, for
showing movies "under the stars." The ship's Vista Spa will nearly
double its size, by claiming the "air space" above the ship's bridge
(our sympathies to the Captain and his bridge crew, who will have a lower
ceiling). Part of the new spa space will be dedicated to "couples
massage" rooms, a very popular spa offering. Down on Deck 2, the existing
conference rooms will be converted to additional space for children's
programming. (If these changes are popular on the Magic, we can expect the Disney
Wonder to receive similar modifications in October 2006, during its next
scheduled drydock.) Finally, Castaway Cay is the latest island adding a
swim-with-stingrays excursion. This is a very popular shore excursion on every
island that offers it. Now that Disney cruisers can reserve their shore
excursions (and spa treatments, Palo reservations, and children's program
registrations) online at the disneycruise.com
web site, we suspect this one will be a tough "ticket" to
get. (Disney has not announced when this new excursion will become available.)
You can view
our page-by-page list of updates and corrections for the PassPorter Walt Disney
World 2005 Edition at 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:
CROWD CONTROL
"Avoid
the crowds? Yeah right! Part of the fun is the interaction between you and
complete strangers who very quickly become friends. Talk to one and all. You
never know where your most precious of memories is going to come from." --
contributed by Paul H. (sparhawk_65@...)
CATCH THOSE
CHARACTERS
"My
husband and I celebrated our first anniversary with a wonderful Disney Cruise.
The best thing we learned was to have our pictures taken with the characters
early on during the cruise. Then you have time to purchase the picture and find
the character again to have them autograph it before the cruise is over. I just
love our picture with Belle where she included Happy 1st Anniversary with her
autograph. It makes the pictures mean so much more to have them personalized
and tailored to the event you are celebrating. Plus you get to spend time with
the characters twice!" -- contributed by Dena Drake
TOONTOWN TOURS
"We just
returned from our Disney vacation with our 16 month-old daughter. We visited
the Magic Kingdom a couple of days during our visit. One morning we waited for
Mickey's Toontown Fair to open so our daughter could meet Mickey and his
friends. Once the rope was dropped from Fantasyland to let us into Toon Town we
noticed one family receiving a personal tour of Mickey Mouse's house by none
other than Mickey himself. We realized how this occurred and wanted to share
this "tip" with everyone. Instead of waiting to enter Toontown from
Fantasyland, we took the train around and got off at the Toon Town stop. This
put us on the backside of Toontown. There was also a rope up, but it was at the
front entrance to Mickey's house. We made sure we arrived about 15 minutes
before Toon Town opened. By taking the train and arriving early, we were first
in line at Mickey's house. Shortly before Toontown opened, Mickey came out and
greeted us and gave many hugs to our daughter. Then, once Toon Town opened,
Mickey gave a personal tour of his house to us and then held our daughter's
hand and walked with her to the big tent where we had a private photo shoot
with Mickey. This happened to be our last day at Disney World and we could have
not asked for a better ending to a wonderful trip." -- contributed by
MaryAnne Reilly (Legacytrio@...)
>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
====================================
Fistfamily
asks: "I am making the last of our Advance Dining Reservations for our
upcoming July trip. On our last day, we have a 5:30 pm flight booked at Orlando
airport. We will be having an early breakfast at Boma and then spending a few
hours in whichever park we didn't get to fully explore. Should I plan on eating
lunch at Walt Disney World or should we spend part of our waiting time at the
airport eating? Has anyone eaten at the airport? What choices are available and
how's the food?"
Dave answers:
"There's a relatively new food court in the main terminal situated close
to the center here's a map of the airport
with shop listings . There are a bunch of inviting choices.
Ultimately, I
think the question is whether you'll want to leave Walt Disney World early
enough to fit in a meal at the airport. Some folks want to spend every possible
minute at Disney. If that's you, then eat at Walt Disney World (this is usually
our preference, too). Others would rather arrive at the airport with lots of
time to spare. If that's you, don't waste your Disney time eating -- you'll do
fine at the airport. Do whichever will cause the least stress."
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!
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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 our
newsletter editor, Sara Varney, at news@passporter.com . Articles about Disney
and general travel are welcomed!
====================================
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2005 - MediaMarx, Inc. / PassPorter Travel Press, PO Box 3880, Ann Arbor,
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