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 In This Newsletter
From the Authors: It's Spring! (Are We There Yet?)
Travel Feature: Eurostar
Disney Feature: Tokyo DisneySea
Updates: What's New and Changed
Tips: Super Snacks, Preparing With Pictures, Sneaky Scrapbooks
Captain's Corner: Great Old Clock
PassPorter PhotoPick: Flower & Garden Festival
QandA: Are the doors to our verandah child-proof?
Our Sponsors: We Recommend...
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Updates:
What's New and Changed
Here are a few items of relevant news:
Easter Services at Walt Disney World will be held on Sunday, March 23, 2008 in the Fantasia Ballroom at Disney's Contemporary Resort. Catholic Mass will be held at 8:00 am and 10:15 am, Protestant service will be held at 9:00 am. Please note that the resort's parking lot will be restricted to guests of the resort and those with dining reservations. Disney Resort Guests should utilize Disney transportation to the Magic Kingdom, then either walk or take the bus to the Contemporary.
The dates for the 2009 dry dock of the Disney Wonder have been changed. The Wonder will now be in dry dock from September 27, 2009 through October 15, 2009. (The dates were previously announced as September 6, 2009 through September 27, 2009.)
New babies at Disney's Animal Kingdom! First time giraffe mom Malaika gave birth to a baby girl named Makena on February 29 -- a leap year baby! Also the first Hartmann's Mountain Zebra (an endangered species) born at the Animal Kingdom, a male named Kidani, was born to mother Kari on March 8.
Figment's Place, the character meet and greet area located near the Imagination pavilion, has closed. Figment reportedly will no longer be available to meet either as a walk around character or at the Innoventions West Character Spot. However, Figment fans can still see their beloved purple dragon in the Journey Into Imagination with Figment attraction.
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!
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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:
SUPER SNACKS
"This year, we're having some groceries delivered to the room. Specifically, it will be diapers and healthy snacks. We try to eat organic at home so I was thrilled to find an online grocer that will deliver organic snacks and milk to the room while we're there. It will save me packing so much stuff. Also we are coming from Canada and you can't take a lot of snacks over the border, things like dairy or produce. Since we fly and don't rent a car, this is a great, healthy and economic way to have snacks on hand when we're in the parks!"
-- contributed by Beth N.
PREPARING WITH PICTURES
"My four-year-old son is on the Autism Spectrum with a diagnosis of PDD (Pervasive Developmental Disorder). He does very well with Disney vacations, he has been on seven trips already and his eighth is scheduled for later this year. When he was about three years old, we made him a book using pictures of him at Walt Disney World on previous trips so he could anticipate what would be happening on his future trip. We still update the book for each trip we go on. He loves watching DVDs of the actual attractions so he'll know what to expect when he rides them. He also loves reliving his favorite attractions!"
-- contributed by Kristen B.
SNEAKY SCRAPBOOKS
"To add Disney magic to my scrapbook, I place hidden Mickeys on all the Disney pages. Some are obvious, some are very well hidden, but it makes the scrapbook much more fun to look at. Everyone really enjoys searching for the hidden Mickeys!"
-- contributed by Leanna M.
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. (Please note: Players can win once every 3 months.)
Here is this week's journal entry:
"The body clock is still having trouble adjusting to the daylight savings time change. I find myself constantly surprised by the time on the clock ... it always seems to be different from what I expect. As a result, I've been checking the clocks around the World much more frequently than usual. I had no idea there were so many clocks about until now! One of my favorites is an old, ornate four-sided clock in what appears to be walnut or mahogany. It's really quite striking, and I'm sure it helps arrivals and departures stay on time, too."
Great Old Clock
(click for a larger image)
Where can you spot this clock? For bonus credit, 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 Steve Russo who was the winner of last week's trivia contest! Steve was the first person to identify the location of the messy desk as the one of the new scenes in Spaceship Earth. DeBestWife was the first person to find the photo on our web site. 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 Jack Skatt. Get more details on "PassPorter's Treasure Hunts at Walt Disney World" book at http://www.passporterstore.com.
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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 PassPorter PhotoPick:
Epcot's International Flower & Garden Festival
contributed by Dopey007
(click the photo or link to see a larger photo with details)
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.
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Q and A:
With Jennifer and Dave
dvschem asks: "We have a category 6 stateroom booked for our next cruise and I've been looking for some information on the doors to the private balcony. We'll have a 3 year old and a 5 year old with us. Is there any chance that they might be able to unlock the door and make their way out onto the balcony without us knowing (for example, early morning if we are still asleep)?"
Dave and Jennifer answer: "It's dangerous to call anything 'childproof.' I do consider those doors very child-resistant, though. The door is heavy, and the door handle's operation is very counter-intuitive. If the handle is twisted (as is easily done by someone who doesn't know it has to remain in a particular position), then the door doesn't open -- I suspect holding the handle in the right position takes more wrist strength than small children possess."
Have a question? 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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Our Sponsors:
We Recommend...
PassPorter only accepts advertising from services of the highest quality -- we recommend these companies because we use them ourselves. Please support our sponsors and, in turn, support this newsletter! This week's sponsors are (in order of appearance):
MouseEarVacations.com -- Disney Cruise Line Special Offers
Mouse Fan Travel -- Exclusive Disney Cruise Line Offer
ALL STAR Vacation Homes -- Choose from more than 150 homes within 4 miles of Disney World
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From the Authors: It's Spring! (Are We There Yet?)
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Yes, the Vernal Equinox is upon us, and tomorrow daylight gets the upper hand over night (at least, for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere)! For those of you in somewhat warmer climes, congratulations! Alas, the view from our office windows here in Michigan still includes some lingering patches of snow, and the weather forecast says we might get a few more inches of the white stuff tomorrow. Hope "springs" eternal, though -- some early bulbs have started pushing shoots up through the remnants of last autumn's leaves, and our typical daytime temperatures have broken above the freezing mark. Of course, with spring upon us, other holidays are close at hand. Our best wishes for a good holiday go to all of you who observe Good Friday and Easter!
PassPorter's Disney Cruise Line and its Ports of Call 2008 is in stock! All pre-orders of the paperback edition and Deluxe Refill Kits have shipped, and by Monday (March 24) the last of the Deluxe Starter Kit pre-orders will be out the door! At this point, we can safely say that new orders of our cruise guide will ship the next business day (no shipping tomorrow, Good Friday).
Our next e-book, PassPorter's Answer Book: Expert Answers to Common Disney and Travel Questions debuts to PassPorter's Club passholders this Monday. It'll become available for sale in our store several days later to those who are not Club passholders.
The 25,000th member of the PassPorter message boards arrived earlier this week! It's hard to believe our little community has grown so much, and we're especially happy to see that the warm welcome and friendly spirit of our community seems to grow right along with the membership numbers. If you've haven't joined us yet, we invite you to take a look around!
Will you be joining us for PassPorter's Decade of Dream Tour? PassPorter is celebrating our 10th anniversary in 2009 year-long celebration from coast-to-coast! Everyone is invited and all are warmly welcome to join us at all or part of our celebration. We are combining small parties (meets) with grand, multi-day trips, including a 7-night Disney Cruise, a 4-night stay at Walt Disney World, and a Disneyland visit that includes park time and an Adventures by Disney expedition. See our Tour Schedule for the latest details.
We're happy to announce that PassPorter Travel Press will be exhibiting at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books on April 26 and 27, 2008 (next month). Dave will be on hand to represent us. He'll have selected PassPorter books available for sale, autographing pen in hand, and we're planning a PassPorter Meet sometime during the event (day and time to be announced). Admission is free (parking is $8.00), so it's quite a deal! If you can get to the UCLA campus, we'd love to see you there! We're in booth 657, in Zone F - Dickson Court North.
In this issue, Featured Columnist Cheryl Pendry takes to the rails and through the Channel Tunnel to report on Eurostar, England's rail link to the rest of Europe (and vice versa). [We remember fondly our own jaunt from Paris to London and back via Eurostar.] Then, first-time Guest Contributors Donna and Roger Sauer share their impressions of Tokyo Disneyland's "other" park, Tokyo DisneySea. Finally, Jack Skatt is back with a brand-new Walt Disney World Treasure Hunt. Have a great week!
Dave and Jennifer Marx
PassPorter Authors
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Travel Feature:
Eurostar
by Cheryl Pendry, PassPorter Featured Columnist
I don't know about you, but as someone who doesn't often travel by train, I get a great sense of excitement when I board a train that's actually heading for another country.
For aeons, the United Kingdom was completely cut off from all the countries surrounding it, with no way of traveling to continental Europe unless you got on a boat -- and then later, when they were invented, a plane. But that all changed in the 1980s, when plans were unveiled for a tunnel underneath the English Channel, the stretch of water that separates the UK from France. It was completed in 1994 and since then, train services have traveled through the tunnel, operated by Eurostar.
We're lucky enough to live in the southeast corner of the UK, which makes Eurostar a great way to travel to the continent. There are three stations now in this country, as a result of a massive programme of work, which saw new high speed rail lines arrive, along with two new stations and the closing of another one.
For anyone who's been to London before, you may have been aware that Eurostar services ran from London's Waterloo Station over to France and Belgium, but that all changed in November 2007, when that station closed and was replaced with a brand new terminus at St. Pancras in the north of London. It's a switch that makes more sense, as St. Pancras is where trains from the Midlands, north of England, and Scotland all arrive. At around the same time as that station opened, so did another one, called Ebbsfleet International, just southeast of Greater London. There's also another station a bit further southeast of Ebbsfleet, Ashford International, which still has Eurostar trains calling at it, although those services are a lot more limited with the opening of Ebbsfleet.
As for the other side of the Channel, the services run to four main points - three in France: Paris, Lille, and Disneyland Paris (perfect for a quick weekend break there!); and Brussels, the capital of Belgium. Travel times vary, depending which station you're leaving from, but from St. Pancras, the average travel time to Lille is around an hour and a half, two hours to Brussels, two and a half hours to Paris or Disneyland Paris, although be warned, there's only one direct service to the theme park each way in a day.
We're located in a fortunate position, almost halfway between both Ebbsfleet and Ashford stations, so we can easily get to either and we've taken full advantage of that over the years to enjoy a number of journeys into mainland Europe. One of the reasons we enjoy the Eurostar so much is that it's nothing like catching a plane. For starters, you only have to be at the station and through security checks 30 minutes before your train departs. In fact, there's something to be said for not getting there much before that time, as unlike major airports, there isn't a huge amount to do at the stations, with just a couple of shops and restaurants, which you'll enjoy browse in a few minutes.
Of course, you still have to go through security checks and border controls in the same way that you would at any airport, but the lines are never very long and you always seem to move quickly.
Just a few minutes before your train arrives, you'll be called from the waiting area to the platform and you'll find that the carriages are neatly marked out when you get there. This is especially important for the stations en route, such as Ebbsfleet, Ashford and Lille, as the train doesn't stop for long and it's a good way of ensuring everyone is in the right place and able to board quickly before it gets there.
As happens on many trains, there are different classes -- Business Premier, aimed very much at the business traveler, Leisure Select, and Standard. We've traveled in both of the latter two classes and they're both very comfortable. Even in Standard, you'll find your seats are probably at least as big as you're used to in economy class on a plane and probably a bit bigger. In this class, there's no food included in your fare and they don't bring any round to your seat. Instead you'll have to make your way to the buffet car -- and of course, as in any environment where it's the only option available, don't expect it to be cheap!
With Leisure Select, you will get a meal included, either breakfast, lunch or dinner, and that includes free alcohol, plus of course the seats are a bit larger and everything is just that touch more luxurious.
Perhaps the highlight of any Eurostar trip is actually heading through the Channel Tunnel itself. It's probably best here to clear up any misconceptions. You won't see anything as you travel through it -- it will just be exceptionally dark outside with the occasional light. When the service first started, apparently the most frequently asked question they got was "Why can't you see the fish?" so let's just deal with that one now - it's because there are no windows put into the tunnel! The time in the tunnel is around 35 - 40 minutes and to be honest, it's all over and done with before you know it.
Taking a trip on Eurostar is certainly a unique experience and it's opened up a whole new world of day trips, weekend breaks and longer stays for people in France, Belgium and the UK. It's something worth doing at least once and the prices are reasonable -- fares can be as low as #60 round-trip (about $115 at the current exchange rate) and there are often good deals to be found on their website www.eurostar.com. So if you happen to be heading for Paris, Lille, London, Brussels or even Disneyland Paris in the near future, it's a mode of transport worth keeping in mind. It will certainly open up new opportunities and new countries to you.
About the Author: Cheryl and husband Mark live in England and love to travel, particularly to America. They were on the first sailing of the Disney Magic around the Mediterranean and have recently returned from 19 nights in Walt Disney World.
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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:
Tokyo DisneySea
by Donna and Roger Sauer, PassPorter Guest Contributors
PassPorter Guest Contributors Donna and Roger Sauer recently traveled to Tokyo DisneySea and share with us some of their impressions:
First, some general orientation issues. Like its Hong Kong counterpart, Tokyo's Disneyland Resort is built on a landfill in what used to be a large bay. Space, being what it is in Japan, is valuable and there was no extra space when the park was designed 25 years ago. As it is, the area that is now adjacent to train tracks, highways, and a busy bay tries its best to show its separation from the Tokyo metropolis. A train from downtown takes about 15 minutes and costs about $1.50. From the airport, one can take a shuttle for about $25.00 (about $45.00 round trip).
The Maihama rail station is the entrance to the park and features a three level shopping mall, Ikspiari, as well as a suitcase-shaped Disney shop featuring (as do all Tokyo Disney shopping venues) a plethora of what we found to be too "cute" selections of character items, snack foods, and toys. Forget pin trading -- pins were few and far between, and a sign in one shop stated the resort does not participate in pin trading.
The largest structure at the entrance to Tokyo Disneyland is the new Disneyland Hotel. This is a massive hotel in the French style and looks like the Las Vegas Paris resort; blue mansard roofs and gold-toned masonry. It will be open later this year.
The resort monorail runs around the entire resort servicing each of the two parks -- Tokyo Disneyland Park and Tokyo DisneySea Park, two (soon to be three) Disney hotels, and the seven non-Disney hotels. We stayed at the Sheraton Grand Tokyo Bay Hotel. Transportation is either by the monorail (cost is about $2.00 per ride but passes are available) or by Disney Resort Cruisers, very retro silver buses with large Mickey ear windows and other features inside. These buses are free to Disney area hotel guests.
First of all, when we visited the parks, it was very cold -- a high of 47 and, in the shade, it was about 35 degrees Farenheit. Sunday is a big park day and the initial crowds were huge, but once they were absorbed into the park things eased up a bit. It is not unusual for parks to be filled and then closed for periods of time, and patrons cannot easily move from one park to the other as there are no park-hopping privileges.
A few observations and comparisons about Tokyo Disneyland park, before we move on to DisneySea:
The covered Main Street area is nicely planned and even allows for easier access to areas left and right of the castle. The crowds are not forced to the end of the street to disperse into other areas.
The open area in front of the castle is very large and allows for large gardens and staging of events. (Cinderellabration was being featured during our visit.) Interestingly, unlike the other parks, this park runs north to south, so it was surprising not to see the morning sun hit the front of the castle.
Space Mountain's interior and ride effects beat out Disneyland (Anaheim) and Walt Disney World's versions, but not Disneyland Paris. FastPasses are available.
Pirates of the Caribbean and Jungle Cruise rides are about the same as in the U.S., but we had the fastest talking cruise pilot on the planet.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Haunted Mansion were closed, and there was a lot of refurbishment going on.
The set up for Star Tours is much more dramatic as there is a hanger type building where one can see the vehicle from the outside.
We never made it to Toontown as the crowds in the area were large. This is a very child-centered park- the toys, character greetings, and shows really appeal to the local visitors who tend to celebrate small children.
Food is basically Japanese or Chinese with huge lines for the curry popcorn.
Prices are steep for food and merchandise, but park admission is reasonable at about $50 per day. One day would not be enough for this park on a busier (and warmer) day.
We visited Tokyo DisneySea Park on a Monday, so the crowds (and number of small children) were smaller, despite a large number of high school-aged children. All day I kept asking myself as I walked around Tokyo DisneySea, "Why can't we have a park like this in the U.S.?"
Comparing this park to its US counterparts isn't fair as the original models are too iconic to permit objectivity. But something within me says in big letters, "THIS MAY BE THE BEST DISNEY PARK." The scale, theming, and attention to detail are phenomenal. Mysterious Island, the land that hosts E-ticket rides Journey to the Center of the Earth and 20,000 Leagues is so massive and such a great park hub that it deserves a place somewhere in the U.S.
Journey to the Center of the Earth is a great ride that moves from a land rover-type vehicle to roller coaster in seconds. The vehicles seem to be modified Test Track cars with more decoration, a la Jules Verne. 20,000 Leagues is reminiscent of the Walt Disney World ride except the only water is in the windows of your mini subs that move beneath a track suspended above the roadway (seaway?).
The new Tower of Terror (in the American Waterfront) lacks some of the elevator car lateral movement we know from Walt Disney World, but the theming is great -- all about a curse on the hotel owner and explorer Harrison Hightower who (spoiler alert) looks remarkably like Senior Imagineer Joe Rohde in a phony white beard! It can't be a coincidence. Apparently, the Japanese audience would not understand the Twilight Zone references but would be savvy about rapacious American capitalists.
In Lost River Delta, Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Crystal Skull and its neighboring Raging Spirits coaster are like rides in Disneyland (Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye) and Disneyland Paris (Indiana Jones et le Temple du Peril) respectively.
The Arabian Coast has a show we did not see (Magic Lamp Theater, a 3-D film featuring Genie), but Sinbad's Storybook Village was cute -- think Small World with a plot and better animatronics. We did not get over to the rides or shows in Mermaid Lagoon but the exteriors were colorful and fit well against the backside of Mount Prometheus.
The Legend of Mythica water show out in the lake between the hotel and Mount Prometheus was fun to watch despite the cold. I am not sure about the story, but the watercraft, large floats, and fireworks in the daytime and music were impressive. Mt. Prometheus exploded with fire every few minutes in the evening. Due to the cold there were no fireworks or evening water show.
We hope this cursory view of these parks and its environs will be helpful.
About the Author: Natives of Oregon, Donna and Roger Sauer are retired from the banking industry and school administration respectively. Since retiring they have traveled to Europe for Paris Disneyland, China, and Tibet, and, most recently, Japan. They have been members of Disney Vacation Club since 1993 and have traveled to Florida once or twice a year since joining. They have three children and five grandchildren. Their next trip to the World will be in December.
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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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