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PassPorter News
News, Announcements, Updates, and Tips
July 7, 2005 * Issue 5.13
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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Frm the Authors: "Your
Special Needs" in Pre-Order!
Travel Feature: A Guided
Tour: The Anza Borrego Desert
Disney World
Feature: Taking a
Toddler to Walt Disney World (Part 2)
Updates: What's New
and Changed
Tips: Gobs of Great
Gifts, Fro-Yo on the Go, Bottled Beverages May Be Best
Q&A: Expedition
Everest Soft Opening?
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FROM THE AUTHORS: ÒYour
Special NeedsÓ in Pre-Order!
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Hi,
{{user("firstname")}}!
Maybe you're heard, and
maybe not... PassPorter's
Walt Disney World for Your Special Needs ( http://www.passporter.com/wdw/specialneeds/guidebook.htm)
is now available for pre-order! Authors Deb Wills and Debra Martin Koma and a
team of more than thirty expert "peer reviewers" have done a
wonderful job on this, the latest addition to our shelf full of PassPorter
guidebooks. You're going to love this book Ð it has something for everyone
(after all, we all have special needs of one sort or another)! We expect to
start shipping it on August 15, and you can reserve your
copy now at http://www.passporterstore.com/store/1587710188.aspx
. That way, you can be among the first to see it!
But we're not the type to
kick back and relax when a project is done. In a few more days we'll be at Walt
Disney World, working on the eighth edition of PassPorter Walt Disney World
(due out November 15, 2005), and we've got a whole team working on PassPorter
Disneyland and Southern California, which will also be out in November. Work on
both of those books is especially exciting at the moment - Allie will be a
full-fledged teen by the time the book comes out, so she's looking forward to
writing "Teen Tips" for her favorite thrill rides. We're also
upgrading both books to full color interiors, and so far, they're looking
great! Every photo, map and chart will be in color. (As they used to sing,
"The world is a carousel of color...") Then, as soon as we can get a
minute, it's back to work on PassPorter's Treasure Hunts at Walt Disney World,
our December "stocking stuffer," and that will be followed by work on
the next edition of PassPorter's Field Guide to the Disney Cruise Line. Oh, and
lest we forget, in December we'll be at Walt Disney World and on the Disney
Wonder for the PassPorter Gathering at MouseFest!
It's a good thing we're doing the California-to-Florida repositioning cruise on
the Disney Magic in August. Imagine, two weeks of total relaxation! Dinner at
Palo, lounging by the Quiet Cove Pool while baby Alex is at Flounder's Reef...
Well, we can imagine it, but we have to spend a bit of time researching there,
too, don't we? How about a week-and-a-half of relaxation? One week? Can we get
the weekend off? Please?
Speaking of vacation, what
about yours? Guest columnist Marley Braun has a great idea for a side-trip
during your next vacation at Disneyland, and Anna Totty finishes her
tip-filled, two-part article on toddlers at Walt Disney World. Happy reading!
Jennifer and Dave
PassPorter Travel Press
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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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Get Published in a
PassPorter Guidebook
Each annual edition of our
guidebooks features a new collection of magical memories from fellow readers.
We know most of you have had magical experiences ... and we'd love the
opportunity to include your story in an upcoming guidebook! To learn more and
submit a story for consideration, visit these pages:
Disney World Stories:
http://www.passporter.com/wdw/tipsandstories.htm
Disneyland and S. Cal
Stories: http://www.passporter.com/dl/tips.htm
Disney Cruise Line
Stories: http://www.passporter.com/dcl/tips.htm
Special Needs at Disney
Stories: http://www.passporter.com/wdw/specialneeds/tips.htm
We look forward to
receiving your magical stories!
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TRAVEL FEATURE: Guided
Tour: The Anza-Borrego Desert
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By Marley Braun, Guest
Columnist
Living on the East Coast,
our children had never seen the desert. Their biggest request, besides seeing
Disneyland of course, was to visit a desert sometime during our recent Southern
California adventure. We chose to visit the Anza-Borrego Desert, which covers
126 square miles and is about a 2 ½ hour drive from Anaheim. We chose to
take a day trip there and I must warn you that to enjoy it properly, it will take
at least an entire day. The scenic drive is lovely and serene but a little slow
winding in and out of all of the mountains. After our Hail-Mary day at
Disneyland, it was a welcome pleasure for us to unwind and enjoy the
view.
Anza-Borrego Desert State
Park is the largest contiguous state park in the United States, located on the
eastern side of San Diego County. It is home to wildflowers, palm groves,
Indian ruins, ancient fossil reefs, wind caves and several types of animals.
You can find detailed information regarding the park at http://www.anzaborrego.statepark.org.
After researching the web
site, I found that the best way to see it would be to find a guided tour. I
chose California Overland located in Borrego Springs, CA (866-6-EXPLORE or http://www.californiaoverland.com).
It is a brand new tour operation owned by Joe Rafetto. Joe offers easy,
moderate, and challenging tours that range anywhere from 2 hours to overnight.
Prices begin at $45 per person for a 2-hour tour. Each tour can accommodate up
to 17 people. He also offers boxed lunches and is in the process of adding a
wine tasting tour of the surrounding area. Trip availability does vary with
tourist demand and minimum participation requirements may apply.
I called Joe a few months
before our trip and he asked me many questions so that he could create a tour
that would be perfect for our family. We agreed a shorter tour (3 hours) would
be best for the ages of my children. My five-year-old son really wanted to see
dinosaur fossils and a scorpion. My eight-year-old daughter just wanted to see
how different the desert really was.
Armed with that
information, Joe created the perfect tour! It began as we pulled into the
parking area and were greeted by converted military transport vehicles. My
husband and son looked like they had died and gone to heaven! The vehicles are
fitted with cushy school bus seats, seat belts and a canvas roof overhead to
block out the heat of the sun. Joe had packed us plenty of water, snacks and
fruit for our tour and encouraged us to have plenty of sunscreen on.
With the wind blowing
through our hair, Joe drove us to our first stop. To our delight, he had
arranged for a private tour of the Paleontology Lab at the Visitors Center.
Park Ranger Frank Jee took us on an informative "behind the scenes"
tour of the hundreds of fossils that have been recovered from the surrounding
desert. The highlights were an enormous, ten foot complete mammoth tusk, a
giant sabertooth tiger skull, a clawed hand bone of a sloth, and a huge
tortoise shell reminiscent of the Galapagos turtle we had just seen at the San
Diego Zoo. The best part was that we actually got to touch everything and we
learned a tremendous amount about how they have collected and preserved all of
these wonderful treasures.
Our next stop was Clark
Dry Lake. On the way there, we saw a roadrunner (they are much smaller than you
would think) and several jackrabbits. As we stepped out onto the cracked earth,
we were surrounded by beautiful mountains. We ate the snacks Joe had packed;
made sure we drank plenty of water to stay well hydrated and kicked back and
enjoyed the view. We even got to witness a type of mirage effect that the kids
thought was really cool. It looked like a ripple going across the mountains
through the air.
Lastly, we went on the
truly rugged part of our adventure to Font's Point. The kids loved all of the
bouncing around they got to do, while my husband and I enjoyed the unique rock
outcroppings. Font's Point has a beautiful overlook that reminded me of a smaller
version of the Grand Canyon. It was very picturesque and Joe provided us with
binoculars so that we could fully take in the view.
Our trip culminated with
Joe presenting my son with a scorpion, who had unfortunately met his demise the
night before when he crossed paths with a cat. The scorpion got a new
"home" in an empty film canister and it is proudly displayed anytime
a guests visits!
The Anza-Borrego Desert is
well worth a day trip if you are visiting the Southern California area. It is
calm and peaceful and provided my family with a lifetime of unique
memories.
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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.
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WALT DISNEY WORLD FEATURE:
Taking a Toddler To Walt Disney World
(Part 2 of 2)
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by Anna Totty, Guest
Columnist
You've done the advanced
preparation, made stroller decisions, got your bag packed and you're at the
park. What do you do next? Pick up a map at the entrance and locate the Baby
Care Center(s). They will be a great retreat for you. They have changing
tables, rocking chairs, and if you've left something behind or run out of
diapers, the center will have exactly what you need. An added bonus is that
they are air conditioned so you can get out of the heat for awhile. The Baby
Care Center will also be your best friend if you are potty training your
child.
The Baby Care Centers have
small toddler-size potties that don't flush automatically, which are great for
potty-training toddlers. All the other restrooms have automatic-flush toilets
and they nearly ruined our first trip for our youngest. She's small and every
time she wiggled, the toilet flushed, loudly. She was terrified and refused to
use the bathroom anywhere but in the hotel room. She still asks if the toilet
is like Disney's every time we go to a new bathroom. But if you can't make it
to the special potties at the Baby Care Center and have to use a regular
bathroom, try this trick. Just cover the flush sensor with your hand or with a
small Post-It note until your child is finished so it doesn't flush until your
little one is done.
Now, you're ready for the
rides. Do you have older kids who want to ride Space Mountain but your younger
one is still too small? Disney has an answer. All of the rides that have height
requirements also have a baby swap option. What does this mean? One parent can
ride Splash Mountain while the other one waits with the baby. Then, the second
parent can ride while the first parent waits with the baby. Your older kids
will love baby swap. Disney wants to make sure everyone has a great trip so no
one has to ride alone. The older kids will get to ride with Dad and then ride
again with Mom, too. That's right; the older kids get to ride twice at the baby
swap rides.
One thing to keep in mind
with the baby swap is that all of the rides handle it differently. For example,
at Kali River Rapids we were able to take our sleeping baby in her stroller
through the FASTPASS line to a special waiting area with benches just for
people using the baby swap option. At Rock 'n' Roller Coaster, however, the
parent waiting with the baby is given a pass like a FASTPASS and waits outside
of the ride until the first parent comes out. Always tell the first cast member
you come to at each ride that you want to do the baby swap and they will tell
you how to handle it.
There are also some
special things that small ones can do while waiting for the bigger kids to ride
the big rides. For example, if some of you are riding Splash Mountain or Big
Thunder Mountain at Magic Kingdom, the others can take advantage of the toddler-size
playground located near the entrance to Splash Mountain, hop on the train at
the nearby station and ride the complete loop around the park, or go see the
Country Bear Jamboree. Is your group riding Space Mountain or Buzz Lightyear?
Then ride the Tomorrowland Transit Authority with your toddler. It goes through
both of these rides so you can play a game to see if you can find the rest of
your group.
Do you want to explore the
World Showcase at Epcot but you're scared your little one won't sit still? At
the first country, locate the Kidcot Fun Stop - there's one in each country.
One parent can stay with your toddler while she does the art project and makes
her mask, while the other parent explores. Then you can swap. If you explore
all of "the world" and your child gets stamps from all the Kidcot Fun
Stops, she will get a free poster at the last stop. My girls loved doing the
Kidcot Fun Stops. It really kept their interest.
Also in Epcot, are you
doing Mission Space or Test Track? If so, there's a small playground in the
Mission Space building and, to make it even better, it's air conditioned. Go
through the regular queue and pre-show, and ask a cast member to show you the
way. Are your older kids spending lots of time in Innoventions? There are a few
computer games for smaller kids near the Toontown game.
Disney-MGM Studios is a
little trickier. There's nothing for little ones to do near Rock 'n' Roller
Coaster or Tower of Terror but wait outside in the sun. I suggest going back
down Sunset Boulevard to the open air Sunset Ranch Market and buying a snack
and waiting for the rest of the group there at a table in the shade. If you
think the Studios Backlot Tour is too intense for your little one, you can wait
at the very convenient Honey I Shrunk the Kids Playground. When it comes to
Star Tours, baby swap allows you to go all the way up to the ride and wait on a
bench outside the entrance. While your child will have to wait, it will give
you a nice break in the air conditioning.
Disney's Animal Kingdom is
very toddler friendly. If your group wants to ride Primeval Whirl, the baby
swap occurs at the ride platform at the loading gates. It has benches and is in
the shade. If part of your group is riding Dinosaur or It's Tough to Be a Bug
and you decide it's too much for your little one, your toddler will love the
convenient Boneyard playground. It has toddler-sized slides in addition to the
big climbing areas, and a huge, shaded sand box where you can dig up fossils.
Here are some other things
you can do to make your trip less stressful and more memorable:
* When checking in at your
resort take advantage of the fact that only the person whose name is on the
reservation has to stand in line. Take the kids to explore the hotel. Go look
at the pool or some of the special things at your resort such as the animals at
Animal Kingdom Lodge, the giant paddlewheel at Port Orleans Riverside, etc.
* Take things with you to
the parks to keep your toddler happy while waiting. Some easy things to carry
are pipe cleaners in multiple colors that can be used over and over to make
anything your child imagines, bubbles, the small, travel-sized Magna-Doodles
that can be attached to your stroller, Playdoh, etc.
* If you are going to
Disney's Animal Kingdom and your child won't drink without a straw, make sure
you bring a sippy cup. Straws are taboo at Animal Kingdom for the safety of the
animals, but disposable sippy cups work wonderfully well.
Finally, take a break in
the afternoon. That advice is so basic, and it's also the advice that's most
often ignored. If you are staying onsite, hop on Disney transportation and take
the short ride back to the hotel. You will feel so much better, and your
toddler will, too. If going back to the hotel isn't an option, find a quiet
place at the parks to rest such as one of the chairs on Tom Sawyer's Island in
the Magic Kingdom, or watch the boats and have a snack at the Cantina de San
Angel at Epcot.
Your vacation is going to
be great. Don't rush; take time to experience the magic of Disney. Your toddler
won't care if she didn't get to ride everything in the park. Toddlers like the
small things and Disney is a great place for making magical memories. We've
found that it's often the small, unexpected things that children, especially
toddlers remember most vividly.
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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.
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UPDATES: What's New and
Changed
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Here's a few of the new
developments at Disneyú
Disney has implemented a
new resort room rate program for Annual Passholders. It is called the "Passholder
Best Rate Program" and is
available for stays at a Walt Disney World resort through December 19, 2005
that are booked online at least 120 days in advance and must be booked online
at http://www.disneyworld.com/
passholders. Disney
guarantees that AP holders will receive the best room rate available at that
time (except for offers that are specific to certain groups such as AAA members
or Florida residents) and will automatically apply any further discounts to
your room rate as they become available. A non-refundable room deposit of one
night's stay (room rate plus tax) must be paid at the time of booking and
passholders may only book one room per reservation.
The first ever
"animated" balloon will appear in the 2005 Macy's Thanksgiving Day
Parade. JoJo, from Playhouse Disney show JoJo's Circus will be featured in the
parade actually juggling a set of three balls, one of which is a completely
separate balloon. JoJo is the first Disney Channel character to be featured in
the Macy's Parade.
We heard through the cast
member grape vine that Ice Station Cool at Epcot will re-open in late 2005 as Club
Cool. No official announcement from Disney as of yet, but for those of us who
are big fans of this Coca-Cola sponsored exhibit, this is great to hear!
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
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DISNEY TIPS FROM FELLOW
READERS
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Our readers are a wealth
of information! Here are the winners in this month's tip contest:
GOBS OF GREAT GIFTS
"The gift store in
the Toon Town Hall of Fame (at Magic Kingdom) has a wide variety of gifts for
the younger recipients on your list, a good selection of items for both boys
and girls and many things for the under 12 age group we didn't see anywhere
else. Even Disney employees were asking us where we found a few of the
items."
-- contributed by Michelle
S.
FRO-YO ON THE GO
"For a great and easy
frozen yogurt after a day in the parks, freeze portable yogurt in a tube such
as Go-Gurt. It's easy for kids to eat, not as messy as frozen yogurt with
a spoon, and the kids love them."
-- contributed by Jennifer
Z.
BOTTLED BEVERAGES MAY BE
BEST
"If you've been to
Walt Disney World before, you may have noticed the water fountains have an odd
sulfuric taste to them. First-time travelers often learn the hard way to steer
toward bottled water instead. But not everyone knows that the same is true for
soft drinks at the Walt Disney World restaurants. Because they're mixed with
the same water, their taste may seem off to many travelers too. When in doubt,
not only stick to bottled water, but the bottled soft drinks as well."
-- contributed by Jon
Severson (hansco@...)
>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
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Q & A WITH JENNIFER
& DAVE
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GATechGal asks: "I
just read on another board that there may be soft openings in Sept. for the
Expedition Everest ride. Any one else heard this?"
Dave answers: "I
recently came across a rumor that they'll delay the ride's official opening
until the park's anniversary date in April '06 (two years after they announced
the attraction). If that's true, then I can't imagine a soft opening as early
as September. My sympathies are for sooner, rather than later. Let's
hope!"
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?
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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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