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PASSPORTER NEWS
News, Announcements, Updates, and Tips
November 05, 2009 * Issue 9.45
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: E-Books, Facebook, and Bookings at Disney!
Travel Feature: Counting Down to Disney (Part 2)
Disney Feature: Disneyland Paris for the Holidays
Updates: What's New and Changed
Tips: Fabulous Planning Folder, Faster FASTPASS, Fantasmic to IllumiNations,
Cool Links: Disney Stuff and Services
Captain's Corner: Pontchartrain Way
PassPorter PhotoPick: Disney Magic "Cake" Towel Sculpture
Q and A: How much money should I budget for onboard spending on a Disney cruise?
Our Sponsors: We Recommend...
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FROM THE AUTHORS: E-Books, Facebook, and Bookings at Disney!
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Hi, {{user('firstname')}}!
This is traditionally the off-season for theme park travelers, but you wouldn't know it by following what's going on in Disney's world. The newest is word on the progress of the Shanghai Disneyland Resort (see What's New and Changed). You may recall that last week Disney Cruise Line finally gave us a detailed look at the new Disney Dream and announced that ship's 2011, inaugural year sailing schedule. This week, Gold and Platinum members of DCL's Castaway Club have been gobbling up stateroom reservations for the initial cruise in late January 2011 and subsequent sailings. Come Monday, it's everyone else's turn! Since other business took Dave to Los Angeles this week, he took some extra time to visit various sights in the area with an eye towards updating both PasssPorter's Disneyland, and the 2011 edition of PassPorter's Disney Cruise Line. Read more about his trip later in this letter!
Bulletins in this letter include:
- New E-Book: PassPorter's Walt Disney World for British Holidaymakers
- New PassPorter's E-Books Browser
- PassPorter on Facebook!
- Sneak Peek at PassPorter's Walt Disney World 2010
- Dave's California Trip Musings
New E-Book: PassPorter's Walt Disney World for British Holidaymakers
As well as looking at all the Walt Disney World resorts, PassPorter's Walt Disney World for British Holiday Makers has details on some of the hotels most commonly featured in British holiday brochures for Lake Buena Vista, the International Drive area, Kissimmee, and Universal Orlando. PassPorter's Walt Disney World for British Holiday Makers also explores the other Orlando theme parks that British visitors head to, with detailed information on the attractions and dining options at Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure, Universal CityWalk, SeaWorld, Discovery Cove, Aquatica, and Wet 'n Wild. Two of the most popular day trips from Orlando—Busch Gardens in Tampa and Kennedy Space Center in Cocoa—are covered, too. Among the e-book's other features are a look at the chain restaurants in Orlando, coverage of the shopping options around the area, and information on airport hotel and parking packages so you can start your holiday in a more relaxed frame of mind. Plus, handy clip-and-save currency conversion rate tables give you a guide to how much your pound might buy you in the States.
So how do you get a copy of PassPorter's Walt Disney World for British Holiday Makers ? The e-book is currently available as a regular membership benefit for members of PassPorter's Club (this is a great time to join!). You can also purchase this e-book at the PassPorter Store. Want a peek inside the e-book? You can browse a bit of it online at http://www.passporter.com/wdw/brits.asp.
New PassPorter's E-Books Browser
Ever wish you could browse PassPorter's e-books like you do one of our print books? Now you can with PassPorter's E-Book Browser, a new and nifty online feature that offers sneak peeks of all our e-books to anyone! To see it in action, visit http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/view.php?pg=ebooks-browser . Each of our eleven e-books is available, and each has a sneak peek offering anything from 7%-10% of the actual e-book! The E-Books Browser has fun features like the ability to "flip" pages as you would in a real book, amazing search capabilities, print functions, and the ability to share the sneak peeks with a friend! Another neat thing about the E-Books Browser is that if you're already a PassPorter's Club passholder, you can view the FULL version of the e-books in all their glory right there -- just be sure you're logged in when you view e-books. It's as easy as that! !
PassPorter on Facebook
After many reader requests, we've finally created an official PassPorter page on Facebook. Drop by and signup as a "fan" -- we'll add updates and news to it, and perhaps we'll find something more interesting to do with it in the future. See you there!
Sneak Peek at PassPorter's Walt Disney World 2010
We've posted a cool sneak peek of PassPorter's Walt Disney World 2010 on the PassPorter.com front page. We're using a new technique for displaying the sample pages -- the pages actually flip! -- and we think you'll really enjoy it! Meantime, as we reported last week, the real books have been delayed on their way out of Hong Kong. The current estimated arrival at our warehouse is around Thanksgiving. Let's hope that schedule works out, because we'd really rather not feel like turkeys. If you've pre-ordered the new edition and are traveling in November or December of this year, contact us so that we can properly prioritize your shipment or change your order. We also thank all of you in advance for your loyalty and forbearance.
Note: For those viewing this newsletter online or in another Flash-friendly location, here's that sneak peek of the 2010 edition we mentioned above. Can't see it, go here to PassPorter.com's front page!
Dave's California Trip Musings
Disney's California Adventure is going through a multi-year metamorphosis, as its entrance area is re-themed, a new land is built, the park's lagoon is readied for an all-new nighttime extravaganza... and much more. Maybe he'll even have time to cross the plaza to Disneyland and catch one of his favorites, Haunted Mansion Holiday. The Disney Wonder will be permanently home-ported in San Pedro (the Port of Los Angeles) starting in 2011, so he's spending some time there, checking out hotels and attractions near the cruise terminal. He's also looking wistfully into the distance at the cranes of the Port of Long Beach. In about a week, a ship will arrive there from Hong Kong carrying three shipping containers full of PassPorter's Walt Disney World 2010 guidebooks! From there, the containers hit the steel rails of the Santa Fe Southern Pacific, bound for warehouses in the Heartland. And while he's so near the water, he's been pursuing his passion for seafood at eateries in Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, and Huntington Beach. Yum!
PassPorter's Club Update
- More than 1500 vacationers are now enjoying access to all our e-books, e-worksheets, and super-sized photo archive images. Thank you for your continued support!
In this issue, PassPorter Guest Contributor Nicole Courson shares tips on Counting Down to Disney (Part 2). Then PassPorter Featured Columnist Cheryl Pendry gives us a glimpse into Disneyland Paris for the Holidays. Finally, Jack Skatt is back with a brand-new Walt Disney World Treasure Hunt.
Jennifer and Dave Marx
PassPorter Founders and Authors
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DID YOU KNOW?
MouseEarVacations.com - Special Onboard Credit Offer for the Disney Dream!
Visit them at http://www.mouseearvacations.com/web/
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TRAVEL FEATURE: Counting Down to Disney (Part 2)
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by Nicole Courson, PassPorter Guest Contributor
Last week we looked at the things you "Must Get Done" while counting down to your Disney trip. This week we'll look at the "Fun Stuff" to do to help count down the days!
We took our first family trip in 2008 and I truly, truly believe it was the massive success it was because we were ready for it. We'd not only planned, we'd had fun doing it, and here are some great ways for you to do the same:
- Disney Dinners. Once a month, we set aside a Friday or Saturday evening and had a family night in with dinner and a movie. If the kids picked the movie we picked the food and vice versa; just so there was a "theme." My personal favorite was Finding Nemo (husband's choice -- he loves that Dorie!) with my kids' menu of Shark Blood Soup and Grilled Crustaceans -- if we'd just called it grilled cheese and tomato soup, it wouldn't have been the same! The other great thing about the Disney Dinners was that some of the older movies that my boys had never seen (like, say, Cinderella) were all new to them -- but then familiar by the time we got to Florida.
- Pin Bingo. I loved the idea of the lanyard pins before I'd ever actually seen one, and we bought a lot on eBay. Then we printed out bingo cards with characters on them and played bingo, using the pins as prizes. Jamie’s favorite is Stitch and Austin collects the Star Wars pins, but no one was too upset with getting Dumbo or Daisy Duck because they knew that once they hit the parks, they were ready to trade. Dining Reservations. Okay, we went over this already in last week, but it can be fun, too. I let the guys read over the PassPorter's brief restaurant descriptions to get an idea of where they wanted to go, then looked at menus from AllEars.net for the whole family to review before deciding what the best places were for us to eat. Had we not researched restaurants so well, we never would have selected 1900 Park Fare in the Grand Floridian and therefore missed out on what was definitely my husband's favorite meal for character fun. Now, food-wise, we heard all about Le Cellier over in Epcot, but without the great dessert photos (Chocolate Moose, anyone?) our kids might have been reluctant to go there. See what I mean?
- Countdown calendar. I’m a sicko for scrapbooking, so I couldn't wait to use all those cute Disney-themed stickers. One year out, we woke up to a "ONE YEAR TILL DISNEY!" page on the refrigerator and mouse-ear pancakes for breakfast. We did the same thing a few more times, till a "NINETY DAYS TILL DISNEY" sheet took over three months out. Those pages went into my scrapbook with photos and journaling, both making and helping to keep memories for all of us. By the time we got to "ONE WEEK TILL DISNEY!" we were able to post packing lists by the boys' names.
- The Tigger Box. Okay, it doesn't have to be Tigger, it can be pretty much any of your favorite characters. A co-worker gave me the funniest toy she found at a garage sale, a battery-operated singing Tigger that ordinarily my too-grown-up-for-Pooh boys would have scoffed at. My husband and I put a note on it ("Ready to ride the Teacups, kiddos?"), wrapped it up in a box, and when the kids opened it they thought it was hilarious. We re-wrapped it and took it to Grandma’s, since she was going with us. The second time we did it, we taped $5 Disney Store cards to Tigger. Once when Austin had the flu, the Tigger box showed up with cough drops and magazines. We got more use out of the Tigger box than any age-appropriate things we might have found at full price ... and tied in more reminders of the fun to come!
- Magical Music. Believe it or not, I still have my original LPs (that’s a record album, for those of us who are old enough to remember such a thing) for Cinderella, Snow White, and Mary Poppins. I loved putting them on our old turntable stereo on Sunday mornings for brunch. So why not take it a step further, right? With the help of a more technically savvy Disney buff I soon had some great CDs for in the car. The first was called "Classic" with all the oldies but goodies from "Heigh Ho" to "So This Is Love", "Step In Time" and "When You Wish Upon A Star." The Second was "Kids" and was made up of my boys' well-known favorites such as "You've Got a Friend in Me," "Hakuna Matata," and music from the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise. And finally, he compiled a special disc of "mood" music, or songs that reminded us of our impending trip. Since it was over the Christmas holidays, we had Goofy singing "Jingle Bells," he found the "Good Morning" song from the Magic Kingdom's opening, and some "pop" songs since we'd be staying at Pop Century. We played those discs in the car, during chores, and practically every day the last week or so before we left for vacation.
- Surprise! Presents. Some days, just for the heck of it, we’d surprise the kids with a wrapped gift on their breakfast plates -- nothing too big or pricey, just little things that they needed for the trip anyway. The Disney Outlet online is wonderful for marking down last year's (or even last month's!) character-printed t-shirts, and we snagged a ton of them for just $5 each. Blank autograph albums with Mickey Mouse pens? Under $3 each! Also at the Disney Store, we scored with beanbag characters for $4.99 each that the kids loved. Really, who doesn't love Stitch in their cereal bowl?
- Disney Dough. For our boys, we set a goal of $100 for each of them to take on vacation, figuring they'd be in the parks five days, so that was $20 per day. They got regular allowances, but we amped up the excitement by posting a chart for Disney Dough; additional chores they could do for small amounts (carry out some recyclables for a quarter, or fold towels for a dime each). Each time they reached a dollar we put a sticker on it, and this helped them save without cutting into their usual allowance money. They didn't get the Disney Dough till we reached Florida, and it was non-transferable -- strictly spending money.
- Customized Maps. Walt Disney World offers free full-color, beautiful maps to all vacation planners! Visit DisneyWorld.com and all you have to enter is your basic info (including reservation number) and you can personalize an absolutely gorgeous set of park maps that come right to your door -- free of charge! My boys spent hours poring over them before we left, and after the trip they made a wonderful addition to our scrapbook.
- Packing. Yes, I said packing. Sure, no one’s excited about packing for a week-long trip unless there's something in it for them, right? We had a packing scavenger hunt at the local discount store (sunscreen, sunglasses, hand sanitizer) first, then upon arriving home we gave the boys just fifteen minutes to pack their carry-on bags and the results were hilarious. We found everything from beach towels to the dog's dish (no, she was not going with us) to a can of soup (in case my nine year old got hungry). It was a really fun, free activity that had us all laughing and ready for the trip.
So ... are you ready yet? Excited? I am! I hope that your trip is as magical and wonderful as ours was. Happy planning!
About the Author: Nicole Courson lives in the magical kingdom of Pittsburgh, PA, with her two growing Mouseketeers and Prince Charming. They’re planning their next trip to Walt Disney World in December of 2010 – this time, with Mike’s family.
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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. Also check out our Article Collection for more great information!
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DISNEY FEATURE: Disneyland Paris for the Holidays
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by Cheryl Pendry, PassPorter Featured Columnist
Christmas is a magical time anywhere in the world, but even more so when you’re at a Disney park. With that in mind, and having enjoyed four Christmases at Walt Disney World in the last decade, we decided it was about time to enjoy a Disney Christmas a little closer to home, at Disneyland Paris.
It’s a pretty well documented fact that Disneyland Paris, although still exceptionally popular, has perhaps failed to meet the expectations that were set for it when it first opened in 1992. Despite the fact that the parks attracted more than 15 million people in 2008 and is, by far, the most visited theme park anywhere in Europe, it struggled for many years when it first opened and this perhaps helps to explain why it places so much importance on additional events throughout the year.
Brochures for Disneyland Paris are filled with details of their extra activities during the school summer holidays, Halloween and Christmas and, realizing the British tourism market is one of their major draws, they even celebrate the British tradition of Bonfire Night in early November.
Christmas at Disneyland Paris runs from early November to early January, just like at Walt Disney World, with its dates for this year’s Disneyland Fairytale Christmas set for Sunday, November 8, 2009 through Wednesday, January 6, 2010. So what can you expect to find at Disneyland Paris during that time?
The celebrations are really centered around the Disneyland Park, which is the Parisian version of the Magic Kingdom. Having said that, it’s still worth heading to the other park at Disneyland Paris, Walt Disney Studios, as that also has Christmas decorations throughout, which look particularly appealing at night. But if it’s extra activities you’re looking for, Disneyland park is the place to be.
This year, when you arrive, they’re promising that you’ll be welcomed by Goofy dressed as Santa, along with some of his famous friends. Along Main Street, you can also enjoy the guarantee that snow will be falling everyday, thanks to a bit of Disney magic. And, unlike the Disney parks in the States, there’s even the distinct possibility that you could see snow for real during that time of the year – certainly the temperatures can be cold enough! When we visited last year, it was a beautifully cold and crisp day, which made for some stunning photos, although we did have to ensure that we were well wrapped up to enjoy our time outside.
Leaving Main Street, the place to head to enjoy the holiday fun is Frontierland. In the Chaparral Theatre there, you’ll find Mickey’s Winter Wonderland performing several times a day. A show set on ice, this features all of your favorite Disney characters, decked out in their festive finery. Minnie, in particular, looks absolutely stunning in her Christmas outfit! As we watched the show, we couldn’t help but marvel at the skating abilities of the various characters. I won’t spoil it, but there are some surprise guest appearances from Disney characters you perhaps may not expect to see – of course, Goofy, Donald, Chip and Dale are all present, as you would expect. Do be warned that this is a very popular show. We got in line for it about 20 minutes before they opened the theatre up and already, the lines were huge. The theatre holds a massive amount of people, so don’t be put off by the lines, but make sure you don’t miss this.
Frontierland's also home to Santa Claus Village, where you can meet the main man himself in his workshop. There’s also the opportunity to send Santa your letters. It’s all beautifully laid out, just like a traditional Christmas market in any of the major European cities and the same can be said of Belle’s village, which is set up for Christmas in Fantasyland. Snow-covered paths here are more than likely to lead to a wonderful encounter with Belle and the Beast.
As you’d expect from a Disney park, there’s also a special Christmas parade during the day – the Once Upon a Dream parade and anyone who’s been to Walt Disney World will spot some similarities to their parade, with elves and toy soldiers and of course Santa amongst those putting in an appearance. At night, you can enjoy Disney’s Fantillusion parade and the park’s castle is also illuminated nightly, when it’s transformed into a stunning palace of ice. Again, that’s an effect that anyone who’s been to Walt Disney World for Christmas in the last couple of years will be familiar with and it certainly makes the castle even more beautiful than it is during the day.
As night falls, you can also enjoy the Christmas tree lighting ceremony and if you’re there on a Saturday night, an additional, extra-cost ticketed event is Mickey’s Christmas Dinner, held in the Pavilion. It’s a buffet with Disney characters that runs from 7pm to 9pm on Saturdays in December – the 5th, 12th and 19th, 2009.
If you’re there on New Year’s Eve, then Disney will bring in 2010 with style, with fireworks planned and the parks will stay open until 1am.
One thing you do need to bear in mind is how popular Disneyland Paris is around Christmas time. We visited the weekend before Christmas and the parks were absolutely packed, with long lines for the most popular attractions. If you can visit during the week, you’ll notice a huge difference, with crowd levels in the parks much lower. However, like all Disney parks, there are so many wonderful extra things to see and do during the festive season that you can easily visit at the busiest of times and still enjoy yourself by taking in the Christmas celebrations.
There is certainly a lot to discover at Disneyland Paris during the festive season and their web site is evidence of that – you can step inside a snow globe that shakes every time you visit a new page to learn more about the celebrations.
About the Author: Cheryl is the author of the new e-book, PassPorter's Walt Disney World for British Holidaymakers, as well as Co-Author of PassPorter's Disney Vacation Club Guide: For Members and and Members-To-Be. Cheryl and husband Mark live in England and love to travel, particularly to Disney, and they have made numerous visits to destinations across America and Europe. They recently completed their tour of every Disney theme park around the world, which culminated in their visit to Japan, including the Tokyo Disney Resort.
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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. Also check out our Article Collection for more great information!
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DID YOU KNOW?
Quicksilver Tours & Transportation - $5.00 off airport round-trip town car!
Visit them at http://www.quicksilver-tours.com/
You Can Arrive at Walt Disney World in Style!
Airport Meet & Greet, luggage help, free car seat
Free 30-minute grocery stop with airport round-trip
Special! $5.00 off airport round-trip
Use Discount Code: PassPorter News
Call 888-GO TO WDW or visit quicksilver-tours.com
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WHAT'S NEW AND CHANGED
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Here are a few items of relevant news:
Disney Cruise Line's New Ship Begins Booking on November 9. The general public can make reservations on the Disney Dream, DCL's newest ship, beginning Monday, November 9, 2009. Gold and Platinum Castaway Club members (guests with 5+ previous Disney cruises) were able to book beginning this past Monday, November 2, 2009. This updates page 018 of PasPorter's Disney Cruise Line guidebook
2010 Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival Dates Announced. The 17th annual Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival will be held March 3 - May 16, 2010. This is the earliest the Festival has ever begun which will give Disney's expert gardeners a head start on featuring plants and flowers with vivid colors. The Flower Power Concert Series also returns each Friday, Saturday and Sunday during the Festival. This updates page 230 of PasPorter's Walt Disney World guidebook
Disneyland Shanghai Takes a Big Step Forward. The Walt Disney Company and Shanghai's local government received approval from the Chinese central government to complete negotiations to build a new Disney Resort in Shanghai. The new, Disneyland-style park could open as soon as 2014, on a 1,000 acre site. If successful, the resort could grow to be 1,700 acre, multi-park facility. Disney is expected to have approximately 40% ownership, with the rest in the hands of a consortium of Chinese companies. This updates page 255 of PasPorter's Walt Disney World guidebook
Book an Adventures by Disney trip, get a Disney Cruise Free. Guests who book an Adventures by Disney vacation between now and January 15, 2010 will also receive a certificate for a free three-night Disney Cruise to be taken between February 1, 2010 and December 15, 2011! Government taxes and fees as well as ground transportation are not included. This updates page 255 of PasPorter's Disney Cruise Line guidebook
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! 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
FABULOUS PLANNING FOLDER
'I began planning for our last trip to Disney about 7 months in advance. I started a folder on my computer called 'WDWPlans' where I began storing information that would be helpful before and during our trip. Every time I saw a piece of information on various websites I thought would be useful, I copied and pasted it into a document to be saved in my WDWPlans folder! I would copy information on discount park tickets and compare the discounts for the best one possible; I copied information that would save money on meals - special dining discounts for Disney property dining and area grocery deliveries; I would copy information on 'free' things to do at Disney (such as the Coke tasting at Epcot, e-postcards); information about little known but fun things to try (like Chip and Dale's Campfire Singalong); I would even copy information about the Orlando airport terminal and getting to the Magical Express Service from our arrival gate! I am saving the file and plan to keep adding to it, making changes where necessary -- and using it to plan our next trip in 2010!'
-- contributed by Heidi
FASTER FASTPASS
'If you are headed back to your resort for a break in the afternoon, make sure to get a FASTPASS ticket for one of the busy rides before you go. When you come back later, you can skip the line and enter the ride right away! The same holds true for sitting down for a table service meal; make sure to get a FASTPASS before you go to eat so that when you return -- no wait.'
-- contributed by Jake
FANTASMIC TO ILLUMINATIONS
'View Fantasmic at Disney's Hollywood Studios. After Fantasmic, avoid the crowds leaving the park and choose to walk along river path to the BoardWalk. Enjoy dinner at one of the BoardWalk restaurants. Then walk to Epcot in time to see IllumiNations. The best night to do this on a night with extra magic hours for Epcot and you can avoid the craziness of going home after IllumiNations.'
-- contributed by Michele
>>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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COOL LINKS: Disney Stuff and Services
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We encounter many Disney- and travel-related products and services. From among those we try, a few are good enough to use ourselves and recommend to you:
KidsFlySafe.com: CARES FAA-approved safety harness for planes -- you can visit them at http://www.kidsflysafe.com/?utm_source=PASPTR&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=affiliate
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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:
"I bumped into a old friend the other day from back home in Louisiana. We had a grant time reliving our childhood and exchanging tales of our adventures. He invited me over to his hotel room, and jotted the details of where he was staying down on a piece of paper. I stuffed it into my pocket and gave him a big hug. But when I got home and read the paper, it just said 'Pontchartrain Way.' Where the heck is Pontchartrain Way?
Where at Walt Disney World will you find Pontchartrain Way?"
For bonus credit, locate the photo in the PassPorter Photo Archive and post a comment with the photo!
Congratulations to no one who was the winner of last week's trivia contest! no one was the first person to identify the answer to last week's clue as Kelly Michelle Narvaez in Sneak Peek Flip-Book of PassPorter's Walt Disney World 2010 on the PassPorter.com home page. Bonus credit goes to No one as the first person to locate the photo in our PassPorter Photo Archive. To view the original clue, see last week's newsletter.
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!
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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:
Disney Magic "Cake" Towel Sculpture
Photo by MickeyWatch
Photo Link: http://www.passporter.com/photos/showphoto.php?photo=16908
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 - 5108 photos
Dopey007 - 1393 photos
Meggera - 736 photos
akleos - 568 photos
Disneydiana - 536 photos
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Q & A WITH JENNIFER & DAVE
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singhsongs asks: "How much money should I budget for onboard spending on a Disney Cruise?"
Dave answers: "Basically, you need to budget for alcoholic beverages, shore excursions, recreational equipment rentals at Castaway Cay, spa services, photos by the ship's photographers, bingo, souvenir/merchandise purchases, and gratuities. Almost nobody spends money on food in Nassau (usually, it's either included in their excursion, or they return to the ship for lunch). Obviously, except for gratuities, everything else is totally optional.
Standard gratuities for the 'core' -- stateroom attendant and dining room staff - should be budgeted at $11-$12 per person per day. Room service at about $1 per gratuity. 15% is automatically added to all alcoholic beverage purchases. Figure $1-$2 per suitcase for each time it's handled by a porter (twice at the pier, plus anything at WDW and/or the airport).
The best way to budget shore excursion prices is to shop for them at the DCL web site. Same is true for spa services. Now, lots and lots of people on the Bahamas itineraries never spend on either shore excursions or spa. You certainly won't be out of step if you skip them, too. There's plenty to do at Castaway Cay at no extra charge, and a lot of folks just walk around Nassau for an hour or so, and return to the ship (plenty to enjoy on the ship at no charge, too). Unless you start buying wine by the bottle, you can expect drink prices on the ship to be similar to those at moderately-priced restaurants on land. Some cruise lines gouge, but DCL is quite fair. Expect to spend between $30 and $70 per session if you play bingo. There is an art auction on board, but unless you're already an experienced art buyer, it's best not to budget for that. Prices in the ship's gift shops are also in line with prices at WDW.
This should cover most of it.
Overall, you could spend as little as $25 per person per day on the ship (or even less) including a drink or two and gratuities. If you start adding shore excursions, spa services, etc., you could hit $100-$150/person/day very easily, and you'd also find it easy to spend many hundreds per day if you were in the mood to splurge."
Did our message board members agree with Dave? To see other answers that singhsongs received, check out the rest of the thread on the PassPorter Message Boards..
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