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January 11, 2007 * Issue 7.02 |
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 In
This Newsletter
From the Authors:
PassPorter's Sidekick
Travel Feature:
The Poconos
Disney Feature: Animal
Trekking at Animal Kingdom
Updates: What's
New and Changed
Tips:
Hook It Up, Stateroom Signs, Bring Bingo
Captain's Corner: Tanks a Lot!
Q&A: How
important are dining reservations at Disneyland?
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Updates:
What's
New and Changed
Here are a few items of relevant news:
The elevator that helps guests with mobility issues
at Cinderella's Royal Table will be closed for repairs April 15 - 28,
2007. During this time guests must climb 40 steps to access the restaurant.
Please make note of this before making Advanced Dining Reservations!
Annual Passholders, Florida residents and Disney Vacation Club members who
purchase a regular price Pleasure Island multi-club admission from
January 1 through March 31, 2007 will be receive unlimited visits to Pleasure
Island until June 1, 2007. Guests who purchase a Pleasure Island Annual Pass
will receive an additional three months admission, making the Annual Pass a "15
month" Pass. Guests must be 21 or over to purchase the tickets.
The Annual Passholder preview of the new Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor
Comedy Club that had been scheduled for January 19 - 21, 2007 has been
cancelled. The opening of this attraction is now listed as Spring 2007. New
preview dates have not been announced.
Our thanks to AllEars.net
from which we get some of our news leads.
>Things To Do: Hear some news?
Send it to us at
news@passporter.com
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Disney
Tips:
From Fellow Readers
Our readers deliver a wealth of information! Here
are the winners in this month's tip contest:
HOOK IT UP
"3M makes a variety of Command Strips reusable hook-type items. I use them
during Christmas to hang up our stockings. While hanging up my stockings this
year I realized we could take them to Walt Disney World on our next trip. We can
use them to hang up towels, shower poufs, wet washcloths, etc. Those of you who
go during the holidays can use them to hang up lights and/or stockings. They are
easy to use and can attach to just about any surface without damaging it. It can
make your hotel room more organized."
-- contributed by Shelby J.
STATEROOM SIGNS
"Many cruisers decorate their stateroom doors with homemade signs. Sometimes
these artistic pieces identify a family reunion or a group of Internet pals;
other times they just offer personal expression (or a way to help the kids
locate the stateroom when they all look the same!) We have started a tradition
of making a new, destination and date-specific sign to go along with our
original "who we are" sign we recycle for each voyage. The "who we are" sign
shows our Disney history (met at Disney Institute, honeymooned at Walt Disney
World, etc.) For
the destination sign, we use photos of our own mingled with pictures, stickers,
place names and icons cut from Disney or destination travel brochures. Peel and
stick magnets help the signs cling neatly to our stateroom door.
Because we use a sheet of 12x12 scrapbook paper for our sign and laminate it,
after the cruise it becomes the cover page of our vacation scrapbook! We always
notice people admiring our signs, and they are great conversation starters to
meet your neighbors."
-- contributed by Denise P.
BRING BINGO
"After Christmas the Disney Store has lots of stocking stuffers for $1 or
less. I pick up about 10 of the stocking stuffers (candy, washcloths, pins,
etc) and put them away for our upcoming trip. I also have a Disney Bingo game
that we bring on every trip with us. Every time we cross into a new state we get
to play one game of bingo. Since the bingo caller is on DVD, everyone but the
driver can play (the adults love it as much as the kids). Whoever wins the game,
gets a Disney stocking stuffer. It builds the excitement and keeps the "how much
longer until we are at Disney?" at bay. Now I hear "how far until (fill in state
name here)?" Driving in peace, gotta love it!"
-- contributed by
Kyle L.
>Notes: Send
us your tips ! You may see them in this newsletter and win a copy of
PassPorter!
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 or the PassPorter store. 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.
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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:
"Alas, my hunt for a new journal to replace my current one is going exceedingly bad. Not only did I find no
suitable journals at the Writer's Stop at Disney-MGM Studios, but I've struck out everywhere else I've looked to date.
While I continue my search for a journal, I've decided to snap a few more photographs -- it will help me preserve what little
journal space I have remaining. Here's a particularly fun photograph
I took while on a walkabout yesterdays. I wonder if the "Tanks a Lot Dive Shop" has journals?"
Where is this signpost?
Send your full answer to jackskatt@passporter.com
-- the winner will be notified by e-mail and announced in the next newsletter,
along with the correct answer!
Congratulations to Kerry Moroney who was the winner of
last week's treasure hunt game! Kerry correctly identified
the writer's shop as the Writer's Stop at the Disney-MGM Studios. To view the original clue, see
last
week's newsletter.
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
Skatt. Get more details on "PassPorter's Treasure Hunts at Walt Disney World" book
at http://www.passporterstore.com.
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Q
& A:
With Jennifer and Dave
EmpressLizBunny asks: "How important is it to make Priority Seatings
at Disneyland since they don't have
the Dining Plan? When should I make them?"
Dave & Jennifer answer: "Since
there are relatively few table service theme park restaurants, Priority Seatings
(PS) are still a good idea, since there are relatively few tables to go around.
PS for Blue Bayou is strongly recommended whenever you visit. For other park
restaurants, use your judgment. However, if you want to dine anywhere in the New
Orleans Square area on a night when they have Fantasmic, definitely get PS.
Dining in the hotel restaurants is more variable. Certainly yes for any
character meals and for the most popular spots - Napa Rose and Storyteller's
Cafe in particular. Even if it's not actually essential, I'd make PS at the
resort restaurants simply because it can be a long walk to an alternative
restaurant if it turns out the wait is particularly long."
Have a question? Check out our new "Ask PassPorter" Q & A blog at
http://ask.passporter.com. We're still working on getting the blog ready
for prime time, but we welcome your comments and questions! You can also post questions 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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Future
Newsletters:
Want
To See Your Name in Print?
PassPorter News is published
weekly, and this means we're always in need of articles! We're on the lookout
for guest columnists who want to contribute articles to this newsletter.
No professional writing experience is necessary, just a desire to share
your experience with others! 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 use at
www.passporter.com.
For details and our article submission guidelines,
please e-mail news@passporter.com.
Articles about Disney and general travel are welcomed!
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From
the Authors: PassPorter's Sidekick
Hi, {{user("firstname")}}!
There's always something new cooking here in
the PassPorter office. Here's our latest batch of news:
New E-Book: The last few days have brought a flurry of final activity
on our latest e-book, PassPorter's Sidekick to the
Walt Disney World Guidebook. This 109-page Adobe Acrobat (PDF) file is
bursting at the seams with new planning worksheets (including eight "Stuff To Do
Before You Go" pages), journal pages in a variety of designs, an electronic
version of PassPorter Walt Disney World's Web Site Index (so you can click the
links and go), duplicates of every planning worksheet and checklist in
PassPorter Walt Disney World, luggage tags, and much more! What's really
exciting (at least, to us) is that many of these pages are completely
interactive -- you can type-in your information and check-off your check list
items on your computer, than print-out the filled-in pages to insert in your
PassPorter. As with all our e-books, these pages are formatted to be printed-out
to fit a PassPorter deluxe ring binder, and will fold and fit neatly in your
PassPorter's PassPockets. Get all the details at
http://www.passporter.com/wdw/sidekick.asp
Cruise Guide Arriving Earlier: The new edition
of PassPorter's Field
Guide to the Disney Cruise Line is so close, we can taste it! The book is
coming off the press earlier than expected, and we hope to start shipping
pre-orders next week! This is the biggest edition ever, with more than 70
brand-new pages, most of them dedicated to this summer's Mediterranean
itineraries. To be among the first to get your copy, pre-order now at the
PassPorter Store.
Bestseller's List: Sales of PassPorter Walt Disney World
2007 are setting new records in the bookstores! For the first week of 2007 our
little baby was #18 on the Bookscan Travel Bestsellers list, which measures
actual in-store book sales. The list, compiled by the A.C. Nielsen Company
(famed for its TV ratings), includes guidebooks, map books and travel narratives
(like Bill Bryson's "A Walk in the Woods"). If you subtract the literature and
road atlases, we come in at #9. Pretty darned cool!
15,000th Board Member: Sometime when we weren't looking, the
PassPorter Message Board signed-up
its 15,000th member, and the community's friendly members have made nearly 1.5
million posts! You aren't a member? Please, pop on by! It's a great place
to get your travel questions answered, share your own knowledge, and hang out
with a great bunch of folks.
PassPorter Public Appearance Calendar
Here's an update on where you can see/hear/meet PassPorter's
authors in the upcoming months:
Coming soon:
Friday, January 26, 2007 at 1:10 pm -- PassPorter
co-author Dave Marx will be a guest on The Charlie Profit Radio Show, on WXCT AM
990 in Southington, Connecticut |
In this issue of the newsletter, PassPorter message board Guide
Sue Kulick extolls the virtues of her home turf, Pennsylvania's
Pocono Mountains, and Cheryl Pendry dons her pith helmet
to take us Animal Trekking at Disney's Animal Kingdom. Enjoy!
Jennifer and Dave
PassPorter Authors
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MouseEarVacations.com!
Disney
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Book your MouseFest 2007 Cruise (Dec. 2-6) before January 20, and receive up
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Click here to request a quote!
*Offer based on double occupancy.
Ships' Registry: The Bahamas CST2058090-40
www.MouseEarVacations.com 800-886-8601
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Travel
Feature:
The Poconos: Not Just For Honeymooners
by
Sue Kulick, Guest Contributor and PassPorter Message Board Guide
Surely you've heard of the Pocono Mountains, nestled in the heart of Northeast
Pennsylvania? A beautiful and scenic area, the Poconos gained a reputation in
the 50s and 60s as the "Honeymoon Capital of the World." And the resorts that
peppered the green and tranquil landscape bore out that identity; from heart-shaped hot tubs to champagne glass-shaped spas, from signs proclaiming "Dears Crossing"
to the entrance proclaiming, "Welcome to the Land of Love." As the years went by,
the honeymoon glow faded, and the resorts that were once the heartbeat of the
Poconos' tourist industry took on a faded and slightly antiquated look. The
resorts needed to adapt and change with the times. Some became family resorts,
like Caesar's Brookdale, others became housing developments, like Penn Estates,
and some, like Echo Lake Farms and Birchwood Resort, closed their doors forever.
The Poconos were in serious need of a makeover. The 80s brought a multitude of changes, including the
sale of large chunks of
land to be turned into housing developments. The Poconos of the 80s and 90s
became little more than a suburb of larger cities like New York and
Philadelphia. It was time for the Poconos, much like Orlando in the 70s, to
reinvent itself in order to survive!
As with any change, it brought, and still brings, challenges and resistance. But
what started out as pure destruction of the landscape for the reason of profit
has slowly evolved into a thriving and growing community.
The Poconos still has a lot of scenic, natural beauty. In addition to the
beautiful open spaces, many protected by legislation and history, we offer
Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. This is a National Park,
offering hiking, boating, biking, camping and relaxing, all along the beautiful
Delaware River. Spend a lovely afternoon at
Kettle Creek Environmental Education Center, or enjoying the trails at
Bushkill Falls. You can pack a picnic lunch and go to any of these places
for a look at nature's beauty!
How about a little history? Take a step back in time at
Quiet Valley Living Historical Farm. This living, working farm depicts life
as it was in the early 19th century in Pennsylvania. Or take a trip
to
The Pocono Indian Museum and learn how it all got started in the Poconos!
Take a relaxing drive up Route 191 into beautiful
Barrett Township, where small town life is still abundant!
Maybe you're looking for something a little more urbane? Do you like shopping?
Well, the Poconos has come a long way from the little Mom and Pop stores that
sold a little of everything. Oh don't worry, we still have those! Try East
Stroudsburg Hardware Store for a slice of Americana, or Gary's Meat Market for
the freshest cuts of meat. For a really local shopping experience, you can't
beat our candle shops,
Pocono Candle Shop and
American Candle Company. These stores provide rooms and rooms full of ... no,
not just candles! Pocono Candle has a huge selection of decorations for every
room in your house, as well as a large variety of collectibles. And American
Candle has a whole room devoted to ... CANDY! You can buy it by the bag, by the
pound or just a few pieces to eat right there.
Still want more to do? How about the ever- growing
Stroud Mall? You can shop at Sears, Bon Ton, JC Penney, New York and
Company, Deb Shop, Foot Locker...;in fact there are over 50 stores to choose from.
And you'll notice that small town hospitality in a big town mall. If outlet
shopping is your thing, you've got to try
The Crossings Premium Outlets. Set against the backdrop of Camelback
Mountain, you can get anything from shoes to clothes to china to chocolate.
Bring your walking shoes and prepare for a day of fun!
So, maybe you're the adventurous type? In the late 60s, the Pocono's began to
evolve in yet another direction -- as a ski area. It started when a group of
businessmen purchased a mountain, and a dream was born. Now
Camelback Ski Area is one of the biggest ski resorts in the area, followed
closely by
Shawnee Mountain Ski Area. You can play, stay and have winter fun and in the
summer, Camelback is open as
Camelbeach Waterpark, a fun filled family water park.
So, is all of this activity making you hungry? There is no shortage of good
restaurants here, catering to every taste and palate. Italian? Try Peppe's.
Irish? Try
Siamsa Irish Pub. Good old-fashioned cooking? Try
Mollie's! Best diner food in the area? Try the LandMark Restaurant! Steak?
Try
Bailey's Steakhouse! Of course, there are several of the usual chains -
Friendly's, Garfield's, Ruby Tuesdays, Perkins and KFC, to name a few. You will
never go hungry in the Poconos!
The change from a sleepy little honeymoon resort area to a full-scale vacation
destination and year round thriving community is still a work in progress. But
with each new chapter, progress and the environment are learning to work side by
side, and the result is a new and wonderful Poconos. Drop by and see us... we'd
love to have you!
About the Author:
Sue Kulick is a resident of the
Pocono Mountains and an avid Disney fan. She and her husband, Steve, live in a
log home with their Golden Retrievers, Cody and Belle and their cat Tigger.
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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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- As to Disney artwork: ©Disney
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Disney Feature:
Animal Trekking at Animal Kingdom
by
Cheryl Pendry, Guest Contributor and PassPorter Message Board Guide
Animal Kingdom. It's a simple enough name and tells you
everything you need to know about the fourth theme park at the Walt Disney World
resort - you're going to find animals there. Amazing then, that so many people
who head for this park end up bypassing attractions that are home to some of
the planet's most beautiful animals.
It's probably fair to say
that nearly everyone who visits Disney's Animal Kingdom makes a beeline at some
point during the day to Kilimanjaro Safaris. They set out on their "two week"
trek into the African savannah, see hundreds of amazing animals and then as
they leave the safari, they completely miss the signs for the Pangani Forest
Exploration Trail -- or worse, choose to ignore them. As with everything else
Disney does, it's no accident that the signposts are there. They're encouraging
you to continue with your expedition, and this is quite some expedition!
A walking trail suitable
for everyone, the Pangani Trail first takes you past the okapi, a striking and
stripy animal, similar to Zebras. A beautiful deep brown color, the white
stripes are on their legs, but perhaps the most stunning thing about these
animals is their tongues! Stand there long enough and you may be lucky enough to
see it flip out, although these are shy animals, so you may have to be patient.
From there, you head into a
research building and the highlight here is the Naked Mole Rats, of Kim Possible
fame. You may be able to see them burrowing around in their underground habitat.
Then it's into the aviary area, one that I will confess, we used to walk through
quickly. At first glance, you probably won't be able to spot anything, but keep
looking and something will move -- maybe on the ground, maybe above your head --
and you'll realize that it's one of the beautiful birds that lives here.
Now for something that
everyone comes to see. As you see the glass with the water beyond, you might
first wonder what is contained in the murky depths, but when you see a bulky
shape move, you realize what it is -- a hippo! If you ever wonder why you can
never see these beautiful animals, this underwater viewing area gives you the
answer. Hippos spend most of their time in the water and they're quite a sight.
Your next stop will
undoubtedly include delighted cries of "Timon" from children, as they spy the
meerkats, which can usually be found happily basking in the sun. These guys make
for some delightful photos.
As you'd expect, Disney
saves the best for last. Your final stop takes you to the Gorilla Research Camp.
The first time we visited, we were mesmerized by the glass-protected viewing area and
couldn't believe how close we could get to the gorillas. You'll usually find
Cast Members here who can answer any questions you have about the gorillas. It
took us a while to realize that we could move on and enjoy more sightings around
the corner on the swaying suspension bridge -- although watch out for energetic
youngsters who seem to enjoy bouncing you around on this!
There's so much to see on
the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail that you should allow at least 30 minutes
to take it all in. The time will fly once you start spotting the animals and
it's easy to stand in one section for 10 minutes, without realizing it. If
there's a long wait for Kilimanjaro Safaris, it might be worth grabbing a
FastPass and checking out the Trail while you wait for your FastPass time to
roll round.
But this isn't the only
animal trail that this park has to offer. Head to Asia and you'll find the
Maharajah Jungle Trek, where you can wander through ancient ruins and encounter
animals on the way. Of the two, this is perhaps the better themed and we always
stop to take time to look at all the Asian architecture and artifacts around us.
The first animals you'll
come across are the gibbons, members of the ape family. Just around the corner
is the first animal viewing area. This is one area where you may have to search
for your prey. The Komodo Dragon, the world's largest lizard, is not always the
most camera-friendly beast, but it's very rewarding when you find him. The
striking Tapir is also worth searching out and with half of him white and half
black, he's easier to find in the undergrowth.
Next is an area that I can
guarantee you'll either love or want to avoid altogether -- the bat viewing area.
These guys don't do a lot for me, so we usually hurry past them, but there's a
good collection of Asian fruit bats if you're a bat lover.
Perhaps the real reason I
want to hurry past this section is because I know what's coming up next -- Tiger
Forest, complete with some beautiful pools for them to drink or play in.
Whatever time of the day you visit, you can usually find the tigers somewhere,
so if they're not at the first viewing spot, keep going to the next one.
Fortunately, even when these big cats are tired, they usually manage to pick an
area right by the glass-protected viewing areas for a sleep, giving you amazing views of
them. If you see them active by the pool though, stay put -- it's worth it if
they head into the water to play, as that's a stunning sight and, as someone
near us commented, "They're just like my cats at home... only a bit bigger!"
This isn't the final stop
on the Jungle Trek. You'll see Elds Deer and Blackbuck next and then you'll
head into the free-flying bird aviary. Again, it's worth taking your time here,
as that thing that you originally thought was a leaf could turn out to be a rich
green-colored bird.
As with so many
of Disney's attractions, there are two ways to enjoy the trails in the Animal
Kingdom. You can hurry through, perhaps only stopping to see the most obvious of
animals, such as the tigers and the gorillas, or you can linger and explore it
more fully. Nearly always your patience will be rewarded and you'll find a whole
new world of animals that you hadn't previously realized even existed.
So while
Expedition: Everest, Kilimanjaro Safaris or the Festival of the Lion King may be
calling your name when you visit the park, try and find time in your schedule to
stop by and enjoy the animals that gave their name to this wonderful Disney
Kingdom.
About the Author:
Cheryl
and husband Mark live in Kent and love
to travel, especially to America. Their most recent visit to Walt Disney World
was in November 2006 and they are currently planning their next visit over
Christmas 2007.
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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 vacation plans. Also check out our
Article Collection for more great information!
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