==========================================
PassPorter News
News, Announcements, Updates, and Tips
July 3, 2003 - Issue
3.11
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: Happy Independence Day!
* Travel Today: The Importance of Being Lazy
* Disney Feature: Star Wars Weekends at Disney-MGM Studios
* Updates: What's New and Changed
* Tips: Free Taffy Souvenirs, Fireworks, Family T-Shirts
* Q&A: Kids Club Age Requirements on the Disney Cruise
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
DID YOU KNOW?
Disney World guide + Disney Cruise guide = more discounts!
You asked for a combo deal, you got it! Now when you order both a PassPorter
Walt Disney World guide and a PassPorter's Field Guide to the Disney Cruise
Line, you get a better discount! Just "add-on" the second guide when you
order your first to get the deal. For example, go to http://www.passporter.com/online-store/1587710102.asp
, scroll down a bit and look for the "Special Add-Ons at Great Prices" section,
click the "Guidebook + Disney Cruise paperback" option, and then click Add
to Cart. The combo deal is equivalent to a 30% discount on the second guide,
which is normally only available to our registered users. For more information
and ordering help, visit http://www.passporter.com/online-store/combodeal.htm
Tip: Order from us and get a free adjustable bottle strap with every order!
Our thanks to MouseEarVacations.com for making this possible for our readers.
Learn more and place an order at:
http://www.passporter.com/store/
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
====================================================
FROM THE AUTHORS: Happy Independence Day!
====================================================
Greetings!
A Happy Fourth of July to our fellow Americans! We'll be driving down to
Washington D.C. to catch the fireworks over the National Mall. We wish everyone
a happy and safe holiday weekend!
Those of you who've been following our recent travels may marvel that we're
bothering to go all the way to Washington D.C. for fireworks. Actually, we're
going to attend a wedding, but why not do both? We just returned from a delightful
vacation in Sint Maarten, Netherland Antilles. For the two weeks before that
we were in Southern California, and before that we were on the Eastern Caribbean
Disney cruise. Hey, we have an excuse -- we're travel writers!
We accumulated a boatload of helpful information on St. Maarten for our fellow
Eastern Caribbean Disney cruisers, which we'll share in upcoming newsletters
and future editions of our guidebook. For now, here's a tip: Pinel Island
is THE BEST! Disney offers an excursion, but don't bother with that -- just
hop in a taxi at the dock, have it take you to Pinel Island dock in Cul-De-Sac,
then board the $5/person ferry to Pinel Island. The little island is simply
delightful, with calm waters, a gorgeous beach, an excellent eatery, and
a gift shop tucked among the foliage. While Allie was playing, we hiked around
to the other side of the island to a deserted beach looking out to the Atlantic
Ocean. Beach chairs and umbrellas can be rented, and water sports are available,
too. On our visit, we saw some topless women, but no one blinked an eye --
it seemed entirely appropriate given that Pinel Island is on the French side
of St. Martin. Pinel Island was a highlight of our trip, and we highly recommend
it.
This newsletter sports an essay from Dave on the importance of being lazy,
and a feature article from a new guest columnist, Mary Albright. Enjoy!
Your friends,
Jennifer and Dave
Authors, PassPorter Travel Guides
========================================================
TRAVEL TODAY: The Importance of Being Lazy
========================================================
by Dave Marx
Whew! As Jennifer already mentioned, we just got back from a ten-day vacation.
That’s "vacation," as in, "all play and no work," not one of our frequent
working visits to places where other people vacation. So what did I do on
my summer vacation? Among other things, I read "The Importance of Being Lazy"
by Al Gini. I figured, what better way to get lazy than to read about it?
Alas, I was more frustrated than satisfied by this short (162 pages) collection
of essays. The author’s heart is clearly in the right place. In our Type
A, overworked world, we ought to learn better how to rest from our labors
and refresh our minds and bodies. That is the importance of being lazy. Unfortunately,
he spent most of the book proving just how much we overwork, just how tough
a time we have getting real rest and relaxation, how much better people have
it in other cultures and how much better we had things back in the good old
days. I kept hoping for helpful quotations from famous sybarites, philosophical
musings on the value of sloth, and solid tips on how to kick back and really
enjoy. He didn’t even quote from one of the classic proponents of "getting
away from it all," Henry David Thoreau. I kept silently shouting, "tell me
something I don’t know!"
Along the way the author mentioned Walt Disney World and Disneyland several
times-- sometimes with admiration, and sometimes as an example of how we
can’t manage to have relaxing vacations. As someone who makes a living helping
folks plan (or over-plan) their Disney vacations, there were times that I
felt just a wee bit defensive.
So, let me set the record straight!
We plan vacations so that we can actually get down to the hard work of relaxation
and enjoyment. There’s nothing more frustrating than standing on the threshold
of a good time and not be able to have a good time. If you get tense because
you’re wasting time making choices that could have been made weeks or months
ago, or if you’re stranded out in the cold when there’s no room at the inn,
there’s no way you can ever relax and enjoy your precious time off.
But no, I’m not a fan of "commando" vacations. When you try to get maximum
value out of your vacation time and/or dollars by planning and cramming every
waking moment with activities and getting less sleep than usual you miss
the real point of any vacation. You really do need to "stop and smell the
roses." It’s during those seemingly empty moments that your mind and heart
is free to unwind and you can rediscover yourself and those you love.
Occasionally, readers ask how they can guarantee their piece of "Disney magic."
My regular response is, "The harder you chase the magic, the harder it is
to find. You have to slow down, and let the magic find you." Magic (whether
it’s delight, relaxation, inspiration, togetherness, or what-have-you) is
just what Al Gini hopes we’ll find by "being lazy."
So leave a few hours in every vacation day for the unplanned. Sit on that
park bench and watch the world dash by. Spend more time snuggling and less
time struggling. Sleep in, or turn in early. Read the latest Harry Potter
novel. And don’t forget to gaze at the heavens and wish upon that star. Your
vacation dreams really can come true.
========================================================
DISNEY FEATURE: Star Wars Weekends at Disney-MGM Studios
========================================================
by Mary Albright, contributing writer and Walt Disney World fan
Can you quote from every Star Wars movie made? Are you a walking fountain
of Star Wars knowledge? Then a visit to Star Wars Weekends at the Disney-MGM
Studios might be right up your alley.
My entire family loves the Star Wars universe. When the dates were announced
for this year’s events and they happened to fall over Bryan’s birthday, I
knew we’d be making a trip to Walt Disney World.
Our plan was to spend Saturday at Disney-MGM Studios taking in the Star Wars
Weekend events. As a Walt Disney Resort guest, we had the privilege of Extra
Magic Hour at Disney-MGM Studios that day, allowing us to enter the park
one hour before the general public. As we walked toward the front gate, you
could hear the Star Wars theme music being piped through the park. It got
us even more excited! As we approached the front gate, off to the right side
was the banner for this year’s event with Yoda and Mickey back to back in
Jedi robes, light sabers ablaze. So of course we had to stop there for a
picture!
We entered the park and proceeded to head towards Star Tours, where the majority
of the Star Wars events would be happening. As we were walking around the
lake, we noticed the roped off areas for the Star Wars celebrities that would
be there signing autographs this weekend. Bryan didn’t have a clue what was
going on and asked me about it. He found out Peter Mayhew (who portrays Chewbacca)
was one of the celebrities and he says, "I want an autograph." Luckily, he
was number 12 in line. The first 50 people got wristbands for the first autograph
session at 12:00 noon. I stopped over at the table to sign up myself for
the adult Star Wars Trivia contest and get a flier on the other activities
for the day. The table was located across the walkway from the Sounds Dangerous
Stage and backed up against the foliage near the Indiana Jones Stunts Spectacular.
While Bryan was waiting in line, our daughter, Caitlin, stayed with him,
and I took our son, Stefan, to check out Tatooine Traders to check out the
pins. There was the main Star Wars Weekends pin with Yoda and Mickey, along
with different sets of pins released each of the weekends. Luckily for us,
there were extras from past weekends so Stefan got a few more to fill his
pin lanyard. My wallet got a lot lighter. We decided we’d ride Star Tours
before joining up with Bryan and Caitlin. It was a walk-on and as enjoyable
as ever.
We walked back to join Bryan and Caitlin and he’d just gotten his wristband.
According to the schedule, at 9:30am, the first Obi Wanna Be session was
going to be held at the stage just outside Star Tours. We were hoping that
Stefan would get picked because he is just a Star Wars-loving boy who would
so enjoy being a Padawan. Unfortunately, he wasn’t picked at the 9:30 am
session or the 10:15 am session. The poor kid was in tears, as he desperately
wanted to be a Padawan Learner.
As luck would have it, third time’s the charm. After catching the tail end
of the Star Wars parade, we headed back over to the stage for the 11:30 am
session. The Star Wars music began to play, and up on stage came a figure
in Jedi robes, his face obscured by the hood of his cloak. He walked slowly
around the edge of the stage as if surveying the crowd, "sensing the force",
if you will. He removed his robe and handed it to his assistant. He then
drew a "light saber" and demonstrated what I will just describe as a sword
dance. The crowd cheered and applauded. He introduced himself as Jedi Master
Jonas and he asked, "Who here would like to learn the ways of the Jedi?"
Immediately all the kids raised their hands in the air, waved and gyrated,
hoping the Jedi Master would select them. Stefan was the third child chosen
for this session and ran up on stage with another nine children. All the
children were given Jedi robes to don and asked to stand in their positions
on the stage to learn today’s lesson with the training light saber. Jedi
Master Jonas led the class several times through the lesson, which was, "Left
Leg. Right Leg, Step Back and Duck, Left Leg, Right Shoulder, Left Shoulder,
Cut to the Head." At each point, the students were to swing their light sabers
at their imaginary opponent’s features.
Then, Master Jonas stopped them." I feel a disturbance in the Force," he
said. Suddenly, you could hear Darth Vader’s theme music. Two storm
troopers came on stage, each brandishing a blaster. Master Jonas and his
assistant moved the class to one side of the stage just as Darth Vader mounted
the steps. The Dark Lord of the Sith walked the edge of the stage, seeming
to peer out at the crowd. He stopped right in front of Master Jonas. (Here
I am paraphrasing as I can’t remember his exact words.) "You won’t find any
apprentices here, Lord Vader. My Padawans will not serve the dark side of
the Force." Darth Vader paced to the middle of the stage. Master Jonas turned
to his class, (again, paraphrasing as I can’t remember exact words – too
excited!) "Padawans, now you must confront the dark side of the Force. You
must face Darth Vader, performing the light saber lessons you have just learned
today." Then each Padawan faced Darth Vader and ran through the light saber
sequence against him, complete with light saber sound effects. When Stefan
came up to face Darth Vader, I could hardly hold back my excitement. Had
Stefan not had to keep to the designated moves, I am sure Darth Vader would
have been shaking in his boots!
Once every Padawan had faced Darth Vader, Master Jonas said, "As you see,
there is nothing for you here, Lord Vader. I suggest you leave." And he pointed
off stage. Darth Vader swirled his cloak and stalked off stage. But those
two storm troopers were still standing off to the side. Master Jonas gestured
with his hand (a la Obi Wan Kenobi in the original Star Wars), "Maybe you
should leave." Then you heard a storm trooper voice, "Maybe we should leave."
Then Master Jonas waved his hand, "Have a nice day." The storm trooper
voice was heard again, "Have a nice day." The two storm troopers turned toward
the stairs. One storm trooper placed his hand on the other’s shoulder and
said, "Did you just say ‘Have a nice day’?" The other storm trooper stopped,
pointed his finger at his chest and said, "Who? Me? No!" and he pushed the
other storm trooper before they both finally went downstairs and off stage.
Master Jonas gathered his class together for some final words of advice and
congratulated them on completing his class. Each child received a diploma
and a goody-bag before leaving off stage.
This event was the highlight of our trip. There are many other activities
to participate in during Star Wars Weekends. We have pictures of the many
Star Wars characters that roam the parks including Han Solo, Luke Skywalker,
Princess Leia, Sand People (aka Tuskan Raiders), Ewoks, Boba Fett and Zam
Wesell, Shaak Ti and Kit Fisto (two of the Jedi Masters from Episode II),
Clone Troopers, Queen Amidala and many others.
- - - - -
Star Wars Weekends are generally held on Friday-Saturday on select weekends
in May and June. This year the weekends were on May 16-18, May 23-25, May
30-31, June 6-8, and June 13-15. If you're interested in attending Star Wars
Weekends in the future, here are some links you may find helpful:
Star Wars Weekends - http://www.wdwig.com/m_starwars.htm
Our Star Tours Ride-A-Thon - http://www.passporter.com/wdw/startoursrideathon.htm
What did you think of this article? Do you have experiences or tips to share?
Please e-mail us at editor@passporter.com
==========================================
UPDATES: What's New and Changed
==========================================
Magic Kingdom’s Diamond Horseshoe Saloon has reopened as Goofy’s Country
Dancin’ Jamboree. Goofy, Chip, Dale, plus Woody, Jessie and Bullseye from
Toy Story 2 are on hand to meet and greet guests and Goofy leads the crowd
for country-style line dancing in this 20 minute show. Food and drink have
been removed from the menu. The current show schedule is Tuesday through
Sunday, 11:00am, 12:00pm, 1:00pm, 2:00pm, 4:00pm, 5:00pm and 6:00pm (thanks
to Steve Soares WDW Entertainment Guide http://pages.prodigy.net/stevesoares
for the schedule).
While you’re in Frontierland you may also catch the Frontierland Hoedown
at 4:50pm and 5:45pm, out in front of Country Bear Jamboree and Pecos Bill’s.
This small parade features the Country Bears and a corps of dancers, and
guests are invited to join in the dancing fun. (Again, thanks to Steve Soares
for this news.)
Football fans will be happy to hear that the Super Bowl Champion Tampa Bay
Buccaneers are returning to Disney’s Wide World of Sports for their summer
training camp. The Bucs held their first training camp at WDW last year,
and went on to have a championship season, so they’re back for another helping
of Disney magic. Walt Disney World guests lucky to be on hand from July 19-28
and/or August 4-15 can observe the team’s twice-daily practice sessions (approx.
8:35-10:45am and 2:45-4:45pm). For details, check Disney’s Wide World of
Sports web site: http://www.disneyworldsports.com
The rumor mill has been hopping over the future of Disney-MGM Studios Residential
Street and the Osborne Festival of Lights. Residential Street has been hidden
behind construction fencing for some time, and is no longer part of the Studios
Backlot Tour. The scuttlebutt is that Residential Street will soon be demolished
to make room for a new car stunt show modeled on the very popular stunt show
at Disneyland Resort Paris. The trouble is, Residential Street is home to
the Osborne Festival of Lights, an incredibly popular Christmas season event
at Studios. Will the Lights go dark in 2003? Some sources report this all
as an accomplished fact, but no official announcements have been made by
Disney. Will the Osborne Lights be back this fall? Will the Lights move from
the suburbs to the big city (New York Street) in 2004? Has Residential Street
seen its last sitcom? Stay tuned for future developments!
Disney Cruise Line has announced several special cruise itineraries for 2004,
featuring several new ports of call. There will be two variations on the
7-Night Eastern Caribbean itinerary (substituting either San Juan, Puerto
Rico or Antigua for Sint Maarten), and, for the first time, a 10-Night Itinerary
during Christmas season! Here's the official low-down from Disney:
---------
7-Night Eastern Caribbean featuring St. Thomas/St. John in the U.S. Virgin
Islands and San Juan, Puerto Rico
Sails August 7, August 21, and September 4, 2004
Saturday - depart Port Canaveral
Sunday - at sea
Monday - at sea
Tuesday - St. Thomas/St. John
Wednesday - San Juan
Thursday - at sea
Friday - Castaway Cay
Saturday - return to Port Canaveral
---------
7-Night Eastern Caribbean featuring Antigua in the British Leeward Islands
and St. Thomas/St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands
Sails September 18 & October 2, 2004
Saturday - depart Port Canaveral
Sunday - at sea
Monday - at sea
Tuesday - Antigua
Wednesday - St. Thomas/St. John
Thursday - at sea
Friday - Castaway Cay
Saturday - return to Port Canaveral
---------
10-Night Eastern Caribbean Holiday Cruise featuring Key West, Sint Maarten,
St. Lucia, Antigua, St. Thomas/St. John, and Castaway Cay
Sails December 18, 2004
Saturday - depart Port Canaveral
Sunday - Key West
Monday - at sea
Tuesday - at sea
Wednesday - Sint Maarten
Thursday - St. Lucia
Friday - Antigua
Saturday (Christmas Day) - St. Thomas/St. John
Sunday - at sea
Monday - Castaway Cay
Tuesday - return to Port Canaveral
>Things To Do: Hear some news? Send it to us at
news@passporter.com
==========================================
DISNEY TIPS FROM FELLOW READERS
==========================================
FREE TAFFY SOUVENIRS
"For the past four years, my children and I make sure we visit Japan at the
World Showcase at Epcot. There is a little cart in front of the big store
where a young lady makes candy taffy suckers for the children. There is no
sign saying what the cart is for unless you know it is there. The young Japanese
lady puts a ball of colored taffy on a stick. She proceeds to stretch it
and cut it with a tiny pair of scissors into various animals. The best part
about this unique souvenir is that it is free! This year my children each
got one. One was a green dragon, another was a blue lizard, and the last
was a blue snake. They are placed in a clear plastic bag for others to view.
We were asked at least 50 times where we had bought the suckers, but I had
to tell them that they were free. FYI: the young lady who sculpts these magnificent
creations can make about 6-7 in a half an hour and only gives them to children."
-- contributed by Kimberly Watson
FIREWORKS AFTER THE FERRY
"If you are heading back to the Ticket and Transportation Center after an
evening at the Magic Kingdom, you can get a great view of the fireworks,
with the music piped right in, at a viewing area just to the left of the
exit ramp for the ferry." -- contributed by Amanda Parr
T-SHIRTS FOR TRAVELS
"I used Avery Dark T-shirt Transfers to make personalized shirts for all
five members of our family. I found inexpensive Hanes t-shirts in a different
color for each day and used Disney's Magic Artist software or clipart from
Disney web sites to create a different design for each set of shirts. I also
added some personalization to the designs - like "Powell Family Vacation"
or "Powell Family 2003" to the designs. The shirts worked great for helping
to keep track of my husband and three boys. We also got extra attention from
cast members who would say things like "Have a great day Mr. Powell!" etc.
At least ten different people chased us down to ask where we got our shirts.
The shirts looked almost professional and only cost around $6 each." -- contributed
by Kris P. (kpowell@indy.rr.com)
>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
====================================
In this column we answer your frequently asked PassPorter and Disney questions.
Angels asks:
"I noticed in the Personal Navigator that groups are in age groups for the
kids clubs on the Disney Cruise. One is 3-4 years and another is 5-7 years.
My kids will be 4 and 7 when we cruise. Would I be able to put my 4 year
old in the 5-7 year group so she can be with her brother? Or is Disney strict
with kids staying in the age group they are? (She'll be 4 and 3 months when
we cruise.)"
Dave replies:
"This decision is a judgment call by the Disney Cruise Line program counselors,
but at four years three months, they'd probably say no--they'd be more likely
to say yes if it were four years eleven months. Both your children will be
in the same room. They'll be able to see each other and interact during free
time or if they choose to not do an organized activity. They break the kids
into age-specific groups for organized activities, but most of the time even
those take place in the same room."
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!
====================================
PassPorter News is only sent to those who have subscribed to
it through our Web site or at the time of an order,
registration, survey, or contest.
If this newsletter was forwarded to you by a thoughtful
friend, please join us! You can subscribe at:
http://www.passporter.com/news.htm
Please ask your questions and help each other in our
Message Board Community:
http://www.passporterboards.com
Copyright (c) 2003 - MediaMarx, Inc. / PassPorter Travel Press, PO Box 3880,
Ann Arbor, MI 48106