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PassPorter News
News, Announcements, Updates, and Tips
December 13, 2007 * Issue 7.50
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: Back
From MouseFest!
Travel Feature: The
Terracotta Army Invades London
Disney Feature: How To Be
An Adult (But Act Like A Kid) At Walt Disney World
Updates: What's New and
Changed
Tips: Tag Sale Treasures,
Lost Child Labels, Potato Chip Power
Captain's Corner:
Goofonium
Captain's Corner: Photo
Hunt
Q&A: How Often to Use
Flounder's Nursery on a Disney Cruise?
Our Sponsors: We
Recommend...
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FROM THE AUTHORS: Back
From MouseFest!
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Hi,
{{user("firstname")}}!
To paraphrase Samantha
Sterling of Walt Disney World's Adventurers Club,
Home, we're home, it's
great to be here
'Though adventure keeps
calling our name
Yes, we're back from
nearly two weeks at Walt Disney World and on the Disney cruise, and boy, do we
have a lot of laundry! MouseFest 2007 was a smashing success, if we say so
ourselves (and we certainly hope the more than 1,000 who joined in the fun
agree). We welcomed so many new faces and had such a great time reuniting with
so many of our old friends that it was all quite overwhelming at times. From
our first gathering in the Disney Cruise Line terminal on Sunday, December 2,
to the Mega Mouse Meet on Saturday, December 8, to the last
PassPorter-sponsored meet this past Monday, December 10 at Epcot's Biergarten
... it's hard to know where to begin.
You can get an idea of the
great time we all had at MouseFest at PassPorter's Window Seat, a real-time
photo trip report Jennifer made with her new iPhone at http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/window-seat-real-time-photo-trip-report-passporter/
. Throughout MouseFest (and afterwards, as we took a few days of much needed R
and R), she was busy snapping more than 280 photos, composing captions, and
immediately uploading them to the blog and the PassPorter message boards
concurrently. Jennifer found her iPhone to be such an amazing travel companion
(it's so much more than just a phone!) that she's working on a feature travel
article for next week's PassPorter News. If you're curious how the iPhone can
improve your travels (and life in general), check out the new section on our
web site -- iPhone, I Travel -- with Jennifer's tips on enhancing your trip
with an iPhone: http://www.passporter.com/iphone-itravel.php
We have a whole lot of
people to thank in the wide, Disney Internet community, and we promise we will
do that properly in the weeks to come, but for now we want to say a special
thank-you to you, our PassPorter community, for the phenomenal turnout at
MouseFest and for everything you did to help make it such a great success.
Hundreds of PassPorter readers were in attendance (we gave out a whole lot of
our "PassPorter Pal" pins). More than a dozen PassPorter message
board Guides and their families attended -- many of them hosted wonderful
meets, and all brought their enthusiasm and camaraderie to the festivities.
Newsletter Editor Sara Varney (Belle*) was on hand for both cruise and land,
and took on the gigantic task of coordinating the volunteer effort for Mega
Mouse Meet, with help from Lesley (WDWfan). The event's success is in no small
part due to her efforts. PassPorter Guide Chrissi couldn't make it herself, but
she put great spirit and effort into organizing the PassPorter meets and
keeping the pre-MouseFest discussion flowing. We hope you can join us some day,
Chrissi! Pre-MouseFest, Chad and Nikki Larner, the brother-sister team that
keeps the PassPorter office humming, spent many long hours helping us prepare
for the event, assembling and mailing many hundreds of MouseFest registration
packets to attendees and helping with all sorts of other tasks. Chad and his
family (Jennifer's sister Kim and our nieces Megan and Natalie) also joined us
at MouseFest, which left Nikki (also known on our message boards as "Poor
Eeyore," appropriately enough) to mind the office all on her own. Thanks,
guys! Finally, a special word of thanks to Jennifer's mom, Carolyn Tody, who
accompanied us throughout MouseFest and did an amazing job of taking care of
Alexander so that we could focus on our MouseFest activities. Thank you, thank
you, thank you to everyone!
We're pleased to announce
our latest e-book, "PassPorter's Festivals and Celebrations at Walt Disney
World," by Thomas Cackler, which is now available in the PassPorter Store
as well as through the PassPorter's Club. This new e-book is a 83-page overview
of all the wonderful and magical festivals, celebrations, parties, and holidays
at Walt Disney World. Included are beautiful color photos and tips on
maximizing your experience at the festivals and celebrations. Congratulations
to Thomas Cackler and Carrie Hayward on their first project with PassPorter! To
learn more about the Festivals and Celebrations e-book, get a sample page, and
view the table of contents, visit http://www.passporter.com/wdw/festivals-celebrations.asp
We're also delighted to
report that the new PassPorter's Walt Disney World 2008 guidebook is off to a
rousing start in the bookstores. It has been on the travel bestseller list for
the past two weeks and is setting new (PassPorter) sales records in the bargain.
Naturally, we think PassPorter guidebooks are a fabulous holiday gift, and
whether you order them directly from the PassPorter store, or pick them up from
your favorite bookseller, there's still time to slip one under the tree or into
a stocking (in the case of our stocking-stuffer-sized Treasure Hunts at Walt
Disney and on the Disney Cruise Line). Order from the PassPorter Store by
November 17 with UPS Ground or Priority Mail shipping to get it in time for
Christmas: http://www.passporter.com/store/2008.aspx
PASSPORTER'S CLUB UPDATE
* More than 1000
vacationers (wow!) are now enjoying access to all our e-books, e-worksheets,
and super-sized photo archive images -- thank you for your continued support!
* Our latest e-book,
"PassPorter's Festivals and Celebrations at Walt Disney World by Thomas
Cackler," is available for Club Passholders to download free of extra
charges: http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/passporters-club-gallery/144369-new-e-book-passporters-festivals-celebrations-walt-disney-world.html
* Two new screen layouts
-- Winter and Christmas (complete with falling snowflakes) -- are available for
Club Passholders: http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/passporters-club-gallery/144250-new-layouts-winter-christmas.html
* More details at http://www.passporter.com/club
In this issue, PassPorter
Feature Columnist Cheryl Pendry takes us to London and the "Invading"
Terra Cotta Army, and PassPorter Guest Contributor Heather MacDonald gives us
tips on how to enjoy Walt Disney World with child-like enthusiasm. Finally,
Jack Skatt is back with a brand-new Walt Disney World Treasure Hunt. Enjoy!
Jennifer and Dave
PassPorter Publishers and
Authors
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Rates are available at MouseEarVacations.com!
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TRAVEL FEATURE: The
Terracotta Army Invades London
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by Cheryl Pendry,
PassPorter Featured Columnist
There are some things that
it's worth traveling halfway around the globe to see. Disney's theme parks are
a good example of that and something else that has been attracting visitors
from all over the world is China's Terracotta Army. So when you find out that
some of the discoveries from that army will be arriving at the British Museum
in London, right in your own back yard, there's only one thing to do - book
tickets to go and see the exhibition!
That's exactly what we did
and, judging by the problems we had getting tickets, it's an exceptionally
popular attraction that's drawing more crowds every day. The exhibition started
in mid September and runs until 6 April 2008 and if tickets were limited when
we managed to snag ours, they're almost impossible to come by now, with very
few days over the next few months showing any availability on the British
Museum's web site at http://www.britishmuseum.org/whats_on/all_current_exhibitions/the_first_emperor/exhibition_overview.aspx
. 500 tickets are made available to buy in person at the museum every day at
9:15 am if you can't find anything online.
Entry into the exhibition
is timed and your ticket will give you a 10 minute slot when you can enter.
(Not unlike a Fast Pass!) As you'd expect, there are security checks and you
can't take large bags in with you and they are very strict about checking that
you turn your cell phones off before you enter. As well as ensuring that no-one
disturbs the atmosphere of the exhibition, it also helps to keep photographers
at bay. There are NO photos allowed and understandably so, as everything is
kept under very low lighting levels.
The exhibition itself is
in the Reading Room, which dates from the 19th century. As you walk in, if you
look up, you can catch glimpses of volumes of books piled high on shelves above
you, behind the newly erected black interior walls that frame the exhibition.
Projected on to these are images of the Terracotta Army and stories of their
history and how they were discovered.
The Army, which includes
around 8,000 soldiers and their horses, protects the First Emperor of the Qin
dynasty in his tomb on the outskirts of Xi'an in China. During his reign, the
First Emperor achieved much and that's the focus of the first part of the
exhibition, as it explains how he unified much of China and introduced many new
ways of working, including a system of coins and weights and measures.
But he was determined
about one thing - he did not want to die, trying out all sorts of medicines to
try and prolong his life. Sadly, none worked, but at least he had made plans.
Almost as soon as he became First Emperor, work started on his tomb complex and
it's estimated it took 36 years to complete. Of that, so far only a fraction
has been uncovered, but what has been found is staggering.
The Terracotta Army was
found completely by accident in 1974 by a farmer who was digging a well. Many
of the figures uncovered were, unsurprisingly, in different pieces. After all,
they do date back more than 2,000 years. Painstakingly, archaeologists have
restored them piece by piece and you can see that, as you gaze at some of them.
This tour was never about bringing one or two items over to the British Museum.
As we walked through the exhibition and got to the end section, where the
figures of soldiers, acrobats, horses and strongmen are the obvious attraction,
we counted at least 20 different pieces to feast your eyes on.
From generals, with their
long coats, to standing and kneeling archers and the charioteers and their
horses, every single soldier on display was different. The detail is amazing,
with even the heels of the shoe on the kneeling archer textured and resembling
today's footwear. The detail of the armor and the hinges holding it together
can be clearly seen, as can details on the faces, including mustaches.
Pigments of color still
remain and you can start to imagine what these life-size figures would have
once looked like, complete with their war paint on. Having said that, the one
example of a figure fully painted looked strangely eerie and somehow the way the
Terracotta Army looks today, in just the color of the clay they were molded
from, seems more fitting.
The exhibition is about
more than warriors though. The First Emperor would need lots of things in the
afterlife, so he was also surrounded by civil officials, unarmed and with
knives to carve out writing on strips of bamboo, acrobats, musicians, a
strongman and even a bird. Sadly, many of these figures are in a worse state of
repair than the soldiers, with some missing arms or even heads, and here you can
clearly see how they were put back together. Even so, it's still fascinating to
see these figures, all of which tell us a little bit about the world all those
thousands of years ago.
As we stood and stared at
the figures, there was a hush in the room, as if everyone in there was just
taking in the scene in stunned silence. The figures are displayed in the center
of the room, so you can walk around them and study them from all sides, but
they're also well protected by security measures and every so often, the
quietness would be broken by the sound of alarms as someone strayed a little
too close. It was a truly moving experience to be so close to such a wonder of
the world and everyone is allowed to linger for as long as they want to
carefully inspect the figures. That's certainly something we took full
advantage of.
As we left the exhibition,
I couldn't help but think about the work that's still going on today in Xi'an
to excavate the First Emperor's tomb complex. Archaeologists are finding more
and more every year and they believe that there is more than a generation's
work still to do. You can't help but feel very small when you think about the
vast size of the site and everything that's been discovered so far. No doubt I
won't be the only visitor to this exhibition to be left with a real desire to
head to China and see the rest of the Army for myself.
The exhibition costs 12
pounds ($24) for adults, 10 pounds ($20) for 16-18 year olds, students, and
disabled people, while children under the age of 16 are free of charge,
provided they're accompanied by a full-paying adult.
Tip: If you cannot get to
London before the exhibit closes but you are visiting Walt Disney World, check
out the "Tomb Warriors: Guardian Spirits of Ancient China" exhibit in
the China pavilion at Epcot. The exhibit features a large collection of
miniature replicats of the Terracotta Army, as well as other historical
artifacts.
About the Author: Cheryl
and husband Mark live in England and love to travel, particularly to America.
They were on the first 11 night sailing of the Disney Magic around the
Mediterranean and are currently in Walt Disney World enjoying the holiday
season.
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Did you enjoy this
article? Have questions? E-mail us at news@passporter.com or visit http://www.passporterboards.com
to discuss your Disney travel plans. Also check out our Article Collection at
http://www.passporter.com/articles for more great information!
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DISNEY FEATURE: How To Be
An Adult (But Act Like a Kid) At Walt Disney World
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by Heather MacDonald,
PassPorter Guest Contributor
Hello, my name is Heather
and I'm a twenty-seven year old Disney-holic. People ask me all the time if I
go to meetings. I don't, I just call my travel agent. I just recently returned
from Walt Disney World and this trip I realized that there are some things that
I'd always assumed were just for kids. Boy was I wrong! Here are some things I
learned about how to bring out the kid in me.
The most important thing
to remember is this: Don't be embarrassed! The cast members (CMs) have all seen
people doing something sillier than whatever it is you're doing. Trust me.
They've seen me skipping through Fantasyland with a fist full of balloons!
My first recommendation to
bring out the 8-year-old in you is to head to the Magic Kingdom and make your
first stop The Chapeau shop, which is tucked down the side street near Tony's
Town Square. Pick out your favorite set of Mouse Ears and have the very
talented cast member embroider your name on the back. Personally, I love my
Jack Sparrow pirate ears, but the classic black are a close second. Now you are
dressed and ready to go!
Next stop, if you can
manage to get the much sought after reservation, is breakfast at Cinderella's
Royal Table. Have your picture taken with Cinderella and then head on up to
breakfast. On our last visit we were the only people without children at
breakfast and the cast members gave us a pirate sword and a magic wand to
participate in the special "Wishes" ceremony performed by the Fairy
Godmother. (Things like this also make great gifts for people back home that
are jealous that they didn't get to go to Disney with you. My favorite
bartender is currently using the magic wand to disappear customers from the bar
at closing time!) If breakfast with Cindy and friends doesn't work out for you,
I would recommend either Pooh & Friends at the Crystal Palace or Chef
Mickey's at Disney's Contemporary Resort. Just find out where your favorite
characters are eating breakfast and make sure you take lots of pictures. Cast
members have been very good about taking group photos for me!
After breakfast, plan to
take my favorite tour: Mickey's Magical Milestones. This tour is all "on
stage" (no backstage access) and takes you through Walt and Mickey's
history. You might even get to meet the big guy up close and personal! While it
might sound like the Mickey Mouse tour is for kids, it's mostly a history
lesson and perhaps better suited for adults. The tour takes about two hours and
is cheap by Disney standards: only $25! Contact Guest Services or call 407-WDW-TOUR
for information on booking this tour.
By now it's mid to late
morning and it's time to ride some rides! Quick -- run (or skip) from Space
Mountain and Buzz Lightyear to Frontierland to hit Big Thunder Mountain
Railroad and Splash Mountain. Don't forget to take your Mouse Ears off on the
rides! Right about the peak of lunch time is the best time to ride Dumbo The
Flying Elephant if you don't do it first thing in the morning. Yes, I said ride
Dumbo! If actually riding Dumbo is a bit much for you, at least have someone
take your picture sitting in the Dumbo photo spot next to the ride. I have mine
hanging up on the refrigerator. Stop by Pirates of the Caribbean and visit with
Jack before heading off to lunch. You ate a big breakfast, so you can wait until
after the lunch crowds have subsided to grab a hot dog at Casey's and listen to
the piano player or leave the park for something more civilized!
After lunch it's time to
grab a spot to enjoy the parade. Don't be afraid to interact with the
characters as they pass. Some truly magical moments can be had simply by waving
or smiling at the right character!
After the parade, plan to
head out of the park. Afternoons in the World get hot and crowded. All of those
people who do have little kids are now awake and active and wanting to ride the
rides. I vote we leave the parks for the day and relax! After a busy day in the
parks I love a round of mini-golf at either one of Disney's fantastically
themed putt-putts. Finally at the end of day retire at the pool bar for a nice
relaxing cocktail after a quick trip down the slide into the pool! If you still
have energy or have gotten your second wind, you can always head back to the
park of your choice later in the evening once the crowds have thinned out.
With a little planning and
the right attitude, there is magic to be had at Walt Disney World for everyone.
Leave your self-consciousness at the front gate and plan to enjoy!
About the Author: A self
proclaimed "Disney-holic," Heather recently returned from Walt Disney
World and is already looking forward to planning her next trip.
Did you enjoy this
article? Have questions? E-mail us at news@passporter.com or visit
http://www.passporterboards.com to discuss your holiday plans. Also check out
our Article Collection at http://www.passporter.com/articles for more great
information!
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UPDATES: What's New and
Changed
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Here's a few relevant news
items:
Some lucky guests report
having the opportunity to ride Spaceship Earth over the last week. The ride is
still technically closed for rehab but if you are in the right place at the
right time, you may be able to get a sneak preview! PassPorter message board
Guide statelady01 reports: "For those of you heading to the World soon,
they seemed to be opening doors in the barrier walls in intermittent time
frames, letting a large group in before closing them. I don't want to spoil any
future experiences for anyone but the ride is very interactive in the last
portions (even though we experienced glitches- it's all good!) and the audio
animatronics have GREATLY improved. Painted scenes got a much needed freshen
up. And one of my favorite "little" things -- the chariot running in
the back streets of Rome -- has remained."
Disney has announced that
Best Friends Pet Care, Inc., a Connecticut-based pet boarding, day care and
grooming company (where PassPorter News Editor Sara Varney boards her dog Max
while they are in Walt Disney World) will be taking over the operation of the
five existing kennels as well as creating a new "resort" for pets.
Expect to see price increases as well as added "extras" for pets such
as play times, grooming and bottled water.
The 2008 Epcot Flower and
Garden Festival will take place March 19 - June 1, 2008. Several artists
performing at the festival's Flower Power Concerts have already been announced,
subject to change:
March 19 - 22 The Guess
Who
March 23 - 24 Petula Clark
March 25 - 29 Paul Revere
and the Raiders
April 6 - 9 Herman's
Hermits Starring Peter Noone
April 10 - 12 The Grass
Roots Starring Rob Grill
April 14 - 16 The
Happenings
April 17 - 18 Peter &
Gordon
April 19 - 23 Starship
Starring Mickey Thomas
April 24 - 26 The Ventures
April 27 - 30 B.J. Thomas
May 4 - 5 The Searchers
May 6 - 10 The Tokens
May 11 - 15 Davy Jones
May 16 - 17 Jose Feliciano
May 21 - 24 Gary Puckett
May 25 - 27 The Cowsills
Our thanks to AllEars.net
and MousePlanet.com from which we get some of our news leads.
Hear some news? Be a
"PassPorter Reporter" and send it to us at http://www.passporter.com/report.asp
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DISNEY TIPS FROM FELLOW
READERS
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Our readers deliver a
wealth of information! Here are the winners in this month's tip contest:
TAG SALE TREASURES
"Over the summer, I
collected anything Disney I could find at yard sales. I bought a photo album,
stuffed animals, Monsters Inc characters, backpacks, etc... all for very little
money, usually less than 0.50 cents for each thing. I packed all of them in my
suitcase and brought them with us on our trip. Each evening after the parks, I
would give my kids their "gift." They loved it and I saved huge
amounts of money."
-- contributed by Helen R.
LOST CHILD LABELS
"Before our trip to
Disney World, I print out a sheet of address labels that say "If I can't
find my parents, please call them at ___." I then list our cell phone
numbers. I print out enough for each day, and stick a label to the inside
bottom hem of my kids' shirts. If they get separated from us, my kids know to
find a cast member and show them the label."
-- contributed by Dana H.
POTATO CHIP POWER
"People have said to
use tennis ball containers to put your maps, napkins, etc. in so they don't get
wet. I bought some potato chips in the plastic containers. You just eat the
chips and you keep the container for your trip. I even removed the label and
decorated mine with Disney stickers."
-- contributed by Laura R.
>Notes: Send us your
tips! You may see them in this newsletter and win a copy of PassPorter! Visit:
http://www.passporter.com/customs/tipsandstories.asp
>>Want more Disney
tips? For Walt Disney World fans, we've collected 500 of the best tips
submitted by readers over the past six years. All have been edited for accuracy
and categorized. For details, visit the PassPorter Disney 500 info page at http://www.passporter.com/wdw/disney500.asp
>>For Disney Cruise
Line fans, we have an e-book with 250 cruiser tips, as well as a special cruise
line comparison section and seven customized packing lists. For information,
visit the Disney Cruise Clues info page at http://www.passporter.com/dcl/cruiseclues.asp
==========================================
CAPTAIN'S CORNER: Treasure
Hunting Game
==========================================
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:
"Ah, what a vacation.
I had so much fun, I need a vacation from my vacation. Since I'm not going to
get another vacation for a while (that Jennifer is such a taskmaster!), I'm
stocking up on pick-me-ups like coffee, tea, and SUGAR! I happen to know my pal
Goofy has a great stash of candy, so I headed over to his place to stock up.
While there, I discovered that Goofy is quite the scientist. He's discovered
the actual chemical make up of Disney characters, creating unique elements for
each and categorizing them in the Goofy Periodic Table of Elements. For
example, Goofy himself is composed of Goofonium! Makes sense!"
Where is the Goofy
Periodic Table of Elements posted and what is the Atomic Symbol for Goofonium?
For bonus points, locate the photographic evidence in the PassPorter Photo
Archive and post a comment with the photo!
Send your full answer to jackskatt@passporter.com -- the winner will be notified by e-mail
and announced in a future newsletter, along with the correct answer!
Congratulations to
Oldersis1 who was the winner of last week's trivia contest! Oldersis1 was the
first person to identify the location of the painting as the Solarium at the
Beach Club Resort. She was also the first person to find the photo in the Photo
Archive and post a comment. To view the original clue, see http://www.passporter.com/news/news112907.htm#captain
If you enjoy treasure
hunts, we've got an entire book with over 100 distinct treasure hunts and over
1500 questions, complete with clues and contributions from Captain Jack Skatt.
Get more details on "PassPorter's Treasure Hunts at Walt Disney
World" book at http://www.passporterstore.com/store/1587710269.aspx
==========================================
PASSPORTER PHOTOPICK
==========================================
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 PhotoPick:
Epcot Christmas Tree
Contributed by chezp
PhotoPick Link: http://www.passporter.com/photos/showphoto.php/photo/2805
You can nominate photos
for 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 at http://www.passporter.com/photo-upload-guidelines.asp
Top 5 Photo Contributors:
chezp - 536 photos
Meggera - 347 photos
Dopey007 - 173 photos
imadisneygirl - 171 photos
bradk - 171 photos
====================================
Q & A WITH JENNIFER
& DAVE
====================================
shruley asks: "During
our upcoming Disney cruise, we'd like to put our daughter in Flounder's Reef
Nursery several nights around dinner time for about 2 hours so we could enjoy part
of dinner or the shows without having to hold up the jumping bean. (Besides
that she'll love it I'm sure.) I know they have a 10 hour limit. Can I reserve
5 nights for 2 hours each? We will obviously first try to coordinate Flounders
with whatever Palo reservations we can get. Someone mentioned just putting her
on a waiting list for every night of the cruise, that they had no problems
getting their kids in. Anyone done this?"
Dave and Jennifer answer:
"Flounder's Reef has an initial limit of 10 hours, to make sure there's
opportunity for all. However, we've never had trouble getting more time if
necessary once aboard.
Once you have your Palo
reservation, Flounders will make room for your child at the appointed time. I'd
allow at least three hours in Flounders for a Palo dinner - the meal itself
never takes less than two hours, and often more, and you need some time before
and after dinner.
Two hours is a bit brief
for meal and/or show, though. Dinner will usually take at least 1.5 hours (we
usually take closer to two). The shows run about an hour, but you need time to
get from place to place, arrive and find a seat, etc. I suggest you think in
terms of three-hour bookings, rather than two. You may just find that regular
dinners with the "jumping bean" go better than expected - the servers
do a lot to help out. Plan on bringing your child to the first dinner on board,
so your dining room team gets to meet her."
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