From the Authors: Snowbirds

Disneyland Feature: Discover the Magic: Disneyland's Newest Behind the Scenes Tour 

Disney World Feature: Creating a Family Tradition: Dining at Coral Reef

Updates: What's New and Changed

Tips: Easter Mickey Baskets, Water Park Wind-Down, Secret Stroller Gate 

Q&A: Group Dining, Flounder's Reef Nursery
 

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Updates:
What's New and Changed

Here's a few of the new developments at Disney·

The NFFC, The Club For Disneyana Enthusiasts, is excited to announce a variety of Disney related activities on January 15 & 16th at the Radisson Resort Parkway (just minutes from Walt Disney World), 2900 Parkway Boulevard, Kissimmee, FL 34747. 

Special Saturday Evening Event: Meet Disney Artists
The fun begins Saturday evening at 7:00 pm with light refreshments, pin trading fun and a presentation by Disney Design Group artists, Alex Maher and Brian Blackmore. Tickets will be available at the door for $10. Following this event, you're invited to participate in an NFFC tradition, room-hopping. Disney fans staying at the hotel will open 
the doors to their room to showcase and sell their various collectibles including pins, sculptures, magazines, postcards and more. Perhaps you'll find that special something needed to complete your collection.

Strictly Disneyana Show & Sale
Sunday, January 16, 2005, 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
On Sunday beginning at 10a, the Radisson Resort Parkway Convention Center will host our Show & Sale featuring Disney items from theme parks and Disney Stores around the world. In addition, pin trading will take place on Sunday afternoon from 1:30 - 6:00 pm.  We have 
arranged a special room with big round tables with plenty of prize giveaways and games for pin traders.  This room will be adjacent to the Show & Sale room. Pin trading will be included on a complimentary basis along with paid admission to the Show & Sale.  NFFC members will be admitted free, the general public will be charged $3.00 and all Disney cast members with valid ID get in for just $1.00.
For more information please visit  http://www.nffc.org/florida.htm

Disney's Magical Express offers free transportation to and from Orlando International Airport and WDW! Beginning May 5, 2005 guests of Disney Hotels who sign up for this service will be able to check their bags when they depart from their home airport and upon arrival at the Orlando airport, skip baggage claim and proceed directly to a Disney Motor coach (similar to those used by the Disney Cruise Line). Your luggage will "magically" appear at your resort when you check-in! This service is FREE to guests of Disney Hotels who register at least 10 days in advance either through their travel agent,  by calling Disney Reservations at 407-W-DISNEY or online at www.disneyworld.com. 

The Disney Dining Experience, previously only available to Florida residents, is now available to WDW Annual Passholders regardless of where you live! In addition AP holders are receiving $25 off the usual price of $75. This membership provides a 20% discount on food and beverage at participating WDW restaurants. (Discount is good for a party of up to 10 people.) For more information, contact Disney  at 407-566-5858. (Please note that the discount is not available on major holidays such as Mother's Day, Christmas, etc.)

>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 are a wealth of information! Here are the winners in this month's tip contest:

EASTER MICKEY BASKETS
"This year we are planning a trip to Disney around Easter. To help add to the Disney magic I have started picking up Disney items such as pins, autograph books, a Hidden Mickey guide and mouse ears to fill my boy's Easter baskets with. I have even found Mickey shaped lollypops at the Disney Store. Buying these items ahead of time will save you some money and help make the Easter bunny's job a little easier!!"
--  contributed by Scott Candage (lcandage@...) 

WATER PARK WIND-DOWN
"Try planning a Disney water park for your first day. It's a much slower pace and quite relaxing. Since the water parks usually close early, we've planned a dinner show, shopping at Downtown Disney, or 'early to bed for the next Park day' for that evening. The relaxing atmosphere helps ease jet-lag and crankiness due to the long flight from Oregon." -- contributed by Angie O. 

SECRET STROLLER GATE
"Traveling with a bulky double stroller can be very difficult, even in a place as stroller-friendly as Walt Disney World. The gates at the Magic Kingdom, although wide enough to accommodate wheelchairs, are a smidge too tight for some side-by-side double strollers. There is one gate that is a hair wider than the others, however, and your stroller may be able to fit through it: mine did! It is the third or fourth handicapped-accessible gate from your left as you stand facing Main Street, U.S.A. However only a few Cast Members seem to know that this gate is the widest. So if you have an extra-wide double stroller, head to your left and look for an experienced Cast Member to help you find the secret, "magic" gate."
-- contributed by Kimberly Oehrlein

>Notes: Send us your tips ! You may see them in this newsletter and win a copy of PassPorter! 

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Q & A:
With Jennifer and Dave

MagicMickey asks: "I am taking my varsity softball team to Disney for spring training from March 20-25. I do not get our practice schedule until Feb 7 and I am a bit concerned we will never get a Priority Seating (PS) for a group of 20 that close to the trip. Any info you could provide would be appreciated!"

Dave answers: "Very few restaurants accept PS for a group of this size. In most cases, if you ask for a PS for 20, you'll be immediately transferred to the Group Dining department.

At Group Dining, except for those few restaurants that do take PS for 20, you'll be expected to make a firm reservation and place a nonrefundable deposit. That's a big price to pay, just to have everyone seated in the same place.

So, definitely keep things simple. Go counter service wherever possible, and for restaurants that take PS, break your group of 20 down into smaller pieces (tables for 6 or 8), with each PS naming a different chaperone. They won't be able to guarantee that the various tables will be close to each other, but you can certainly request that they do that when you arrive at the podium. "

cc123 asks: "Any suggestions on which we should do first on our Disney Cruise - make Palo and Spa Reservations and THEN Flounders (or vice versa)? Could I be running back and forth between Palo/Spa and Flounders trying to coordinate mutual times? Thank you!"

Jennifer answers: "What we did on our last cruise was Palo then Flounders. It worked out just fine and I didn't have to return to Flounders to readjust any times. If your cruise seems to be full of babies and toddlers, you may want to consider Flounders first so you can get the slots/times you want then call them up later and adjust the times. You can just call Flounders from your stateroom later in the day to make changes. "

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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Future Newsletters:
Want To Get Published?

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 news@passporter.com. Articles about Disney and general travel are welcomed!

It's the end of the year and we've got a great deal on our popular Disney cruise guide. Enter code LOVE2CRUISE (just as shown, no spaces) to get 35% off the list price of our paperback edition. It's a great deal, but it won't last! We have only a limited quantity of paperbacks left. 

Order today at:
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1587710161.aspx

Discover the Magic: Disneyland's Newest Behind the Scenes Tour
By Vince Deveney, Guest Columnist

Dateline Disneyland: Cast Members and Guests are reporting mysterious, odd, and even sinister sightings around the park! The classic Disney villains smile, while the Princesses try to help, but the guest's have taken up the challenge to seek the truth. What is going on?  Why it's Disneyland's newest tour, "Discover the Magic." Unlike previous tours, this tour relies on spunky guests to solve a baffling mystery.

It all begins when you check in just outside Disneyland's Main Gate, at the tour wagon located to the left of the Main Entrance. After picking up your tickets at Guest Services (20 yards to the left of the tour wagon), you present your tickets to the Cast Member guide who takes your lunch order: your choice of beef, chicken, or veggie taco for adults and chicken nuggets or a bean burrito for the kids. A beverage is also included. 

At 10:30 am you are led to a special entrance gate not available to the general public. You must present your admission ticket to enter. You are led through the left tunnel to the patio behind the AAA service kiosk. 

At the patio you are introduced to your tour guides (our wonderful guides were Holly & Monique). As you settle in for a fascinating lecture on the Disneyland Resort Recycling program, you start questioning the wisdom of purchasing your tour.

Suddenly the lecture is interrupted by none other than Pluto, carrying a large book! Your guides explain that Pluto was out digging for a bone and discovered the book, but does not know to whom the book belongs.

Pluto asks you (through the guides) to help locate the owner. And so begins a 3 hour tour that finds you parading down Main Street, U.S.A., on a fox hunt in Fantasyland, matching wits with Pirates in New Orleans Square, and treasure hunting on Tom Sawyer Island! 

You will encounter Beautiful Princesses, Sinister Villains, Helpful Heroes, and even Tom Sawyer and his best friend Huck Finn! 

Lunch is served in the reserved seating section of Rancho del Zocalo Restaurante in Frontierland. 

You will discover many secrets about Disneyland, such as: How many rides are there at Disneyland? Where can you find the first and only full length hidden Mickey?  Which King Arthur Carrousel horse was Lily Disney's favorite? Where is the exact center of Disneyland? You will learn how to cross a bridge, in fact every bridge, in Disneyland.

You will discover a hidden pirate map, capture a raft to Tom Sawyers Island, fly the Jolly Roger from the flag pole at the top of the island, and plunder hidden pirate treasure! Through it all you will get closer to unraveling the mystery of whose book Pluto found, until at last you find and return the book to its rightful owner. 

This tour is available most days the park is open, and can be reserved up to 30 days in advance by calling 714-781-4400 or purchased the day you visit before 10:30 am. 

Cost is $49 per guest for the first two tickets (two ticket minimum), and $39 per guest for additional tickets (must be purchased during the same transaction). 

The "Discover the Magic" tour is recommended for children ages 5-9 (guests under 18 must be accompanied by an adult), and includes lunch and a special surprise at the completion of the tour. 

It is a walking tour, but includes a raft ride to and from Tom Sawyer Island and rides on King Arthur's Carrousel and the Disneyland Railroad. For information about this and other tours at Disneyland call Guest Relations at 714-781-7290.

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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 Disneyland plans.

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Creating a Family Tradition: Dining at Coral Reef
by Jill Pekarek, Guest Columnist 

Every time we head to Walt Disney World, I vow to experience something new and different when it comes to eating. There are so many wonderful restaurants in the theme parks and resorts that I set a goal for myself and my family to eat at each one. We travel to Walt Disney World quite a bit and have never tired of the astonishing selection of eateries ranging from the quick and inexpensive to the unhurried and exotic. 

Unfortunately, my goal falls by the wayside whenever we consider where to dine at Epcot. Prior to leaving home for our most recent trip, I announced that we would not be eating at Coral Reef on this visit. Raising my voice above the objections and outright hostility, I persuaded everyone involved that we needed to look beyond what is familiar and take pleasure in something new and exciting. There are plenty of fantastic places to eat at Epcot and the variety is limitless. 

My 12 year old daughter was not so easily convinced, so I reminded her of San Angel Inn in Mexico. How wonderful it would be to enjoy queso fundido and plato mexicano under a night sky dimly lit with Mexican lanterns. Or we could sample platters of couscous with lamb and chicken at Marrakesh in Morocco while dancers demonstrate the beautiful (and painful looking) art of belly dancing. How about Les Chefs De France, I tell her, hoping to sway her from the traditional to the innovative. She has always expressed the desire to visit Paris and enjoy the fantastic cuisine, not to mention the mouth watering pastries. I explained to her that since jetting off to Paris is not in the near future, she can still enjoy braised beef prepared in a tempting red Burgundy sauce and experience the amazing confections only the French could create. 

She reluctantly agreed that maybe it would be reasonable to enjoy some new and exciting restaurants. Since we have been to Coral Reef about five times, we could decide on a different dining encounter. Happy that I have succeeded in convincing my daughter to broaden her horizons, I soon came to realize that I had underestimated the 12 year old mind and their mysterious gift of persuasion. 

She began to recall all of the memorable moments we had at Coral Reef starting when she was just six years old. Bringing to mind the beautiful decor and the calming lights that radiate cascading water on the ceiling, I began to drift into the softly lit atmosphere that is exclusive to this enchanting restaurant. 

She reminded me of the time she created animals with her peanut butter play-doh dessert (no longer served much to our sadness). Or the time when her Shirley Temple included an overabundance of cherries, not to mention the blue florescent ice cubes. I recalled the fantastic service and cast members, like Scott, Blanca, and Jose, who have made every visit memorable. Or the time my mother-in-law got a little wink from a bus boy. To this very day it still makes us laugh. The moment my daughter's best friend caught the eye of a very large fish who stared at her for half an hour. The time the chef came to our table to talk with us about our meal and we hadn't even asked. All we did was compliment the outstanding food to our waitress and all of a sudden there he was willing to take a few minutes of his time for a guest. Or when my youngest daughter fell sound asleep after being in the restaurants tranquility for just a few short minutes. We had a very peaceful meal that afternoon minus the frustrated whining of a one year old. My son actually ate a complete meal at this restaurant without complaining. That was the first and last full meal in public. 

Before I knew it, she had convinced me she was right! For years we had enjoyed Coral Reef with our entire family or quietly by ourselves. I found myself becoming sentimental and thinking of how much I would miss another visit to this cherished restaurant. The fact was that this eatery had become a Walt Disney World tradition for the entire family. Being a mother who would never consider denying her family such a magical custom, I succumbed to the pressures of my charming daughter and agree that Coral Reef is the one restaurant we should never go without. Variety is highly overrated!

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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 family traditions.