From the Authors: We Have Cruise Guides

Travel Feature: Cambridge

Disney Feature: Disney's Port Orleans Riverside

Updates: What's New and Changed

Tips: Souvenir Savings, Lovely Lollipops, Child's Choice

Captain's Corner: Flowers in the Attic

Q&A: When will the new PassPorter Disney Cruise Guide be available?
 

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Updates:
What's New and Changed

Here are a few of the new developments at Disney·

A new indoor Segway riding area  has been built at Epcot in the Innoventions West building to accommodate the popular Segway tours. The tours, which last two hours and cost $80/person, include an hour of instruction in the indoor space and an hour-long guided tour of the World Showcase. These tours were held once daily but beginning Friday April 7, a second tour has been added to the schedule. A one hour indoor-only tour is also available once a day for $45/person.

Expedition Everest will be closed to the public for a press event all day, Thursday, April 6 and the morning of Friday, April 7. The attraction will re-open in the afternoon on Friday. 

Dates for Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, a separate ticketed event held in the Magic Kingdom in late September and October, have been announced for 2006. The event will be held on: September 29, October 2, 5, 6, 10, 12, 16, 17, 19, 20, 23, 24, 26, 27, 30 and 31. Tickets for this event are expected to go on sale in late April. 

Our thanks to AllEarsNet.com for some of these 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:

SOUVENIR SAVINGS
"For a great FREE souvenir, don't miss the Kodak Incredible Picture Lab at the end of the Journey into Imagination ride. At any of the numerous computers you can take a digital picture and then play around with it by adding silly facial features or morphing your face into an animal or flower, etc. It's a lot of fun and when you're done you can e-mail a copy of your picture  to yourself (or to friends). I just returned from a 7-day visit to Walt Disney World and printed the pictures we made of our 3 boys. They were so cute and a great free souvenir from our trip."
-- contributed by Kris Powell (kpowell@...)

LOVELY LOLLIPOPS
"For the past 4 years, my children and I make sure we visit Japan in the World Showcase at Epcot. At certain times during the day, there is a little cart in front of Mitsukoshi where a young lady makes candy taffy lollipops. The young Japanese lady puts a ball of colored taffy on a stick. She proceeds to stretch it and cut it with a tiny pair of scissors into various animals. The best part about this unique souvenir is that it is free! This year my children each got one - one was a green dragon, another was a blue lizard, and the last was a blue snake. They are placed in a clear plastic bag for others to view. We were asked at least 50 times where we had bought the suckers, but I had to tell them that they were free. The young lady who sculpts these magnificent creations can make about six or seven in a half an hour."
-- contributed by Kimberly Watson 

CHILD'S CHOICE
"Last year we decided to travel with our best friends that have a 7 year old and I bought our PassPorter. I took sticky "post-it" tabs that were of different colors and marked the parts of the PassPorter that pertained to the adults and then the 7 year old. When the 7 year old wanted to choose an activity, he just took my PassPorter and flipped to the pages that were color coded for him. From there he picked an attraction that he could do. This allowed EVERYONE the feeling that they had input during our trip. We never had a complaint out of him the whole 5 days."
-- contributed by Jennifer McGhinnis (jenmcghinnis@...)

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

Want more Disney tips? We've collected 500 of the tips submitted by readers over the past six years -- most have never been published before. All have been edited for accuracy and categorized. The "Disney 500" are available in e-book form for immediate download. For details, visit the PassPorter Store.

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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 upcoming 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 treasure from Captain Skatt's Journal:

"Spring is sprung and the flowers are in full bloom. However, now that I ruminate on it, the flowers are always blooming at Walt Disney World. Nonetheless, the flowers are particularly lovely these days and they bring to mind another set of flowers. There's an old mansion nearby with a truly creepy attic. On my last visit I observed the ghost of a bride in this attic -- she was still carrying her bouquet of bridal flowers. Despite the gloom and eerie light, I was able to determine that the color of this old bouquet of flowers was... (rest of text obscured by decaying petals) "

What color are the bride's flowers? 

Congratulations to Rosalyn Hedgepath who was the winner of last week's treasure hunt game! Rosalyn correctly identified the name of the company offering the Hobie Cat deal as Windy Sails Inc. To view the original clues, see the last newsletter.
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!

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. We will release the book -- "PassPorter's Treasure Hunts at Walt Disney World" -- on April 12, 2006. You can pre-order the new book today at http://www.passporterstore.com.

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Q & A:
With Jennifer and Dave

Kimmielee asks: "Will the new version of PassPorter's Field Guide to the Disney Cruise Line be available before April 14? I'm leaving that day and would love to know if I can buy it by then!"

Jennifer and Dave answer: "That's a close call. We start shipping the paperbacks tomorrow (Thursday, April 6) and the deluxe starter kits and refill kits will ship sometime next week (after they are assembled). If you've pre-ordered and we have a note of your travel date, we'll put a priority on your shipment. After that, it's up to the postal service/UPS. The farther you are from our Michigan facilities, the riskier your order becomes, as shipping takes time.

I suggest you phone-in your order (877-929-3273) during regular business hours (Eastern time) later this week. By then we may have a better idea of whether we'll have the books in time, and we can discuss your shipping options with you."

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 See Your Name in Print?

Big News! PassPorter News is now published weekly. This means we need more articles than ever! 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!

University Towns: Cambridge (Part Two of Three)
by Cheryl Pendry, PassPorter Message Board Guide and Guest Contributor
 

The world’s top universities attract more than just students these days. They are also magnets for visitors, with hundreds of years of history on display in buildings still used for learning. Institutions like Oxford and Cambridge in the UK and Harvard in Boston have plenty worth seeing. 

Having already taken a detailed tour of Oxford in the first part of these features, it’s only right that we look at Oxford’s biggest rival – the University of Cambridge. 

Like Oxford, Cambridge is about an hour north of London on the train and it too is often referred to as the “city of dreaming spires." Like Oxford, if you have a car, the only realistic option is to abandon it to a park and ride bus service, as parking fees are high and getting around the narrow streets is not a simple task, with many closed to traffic. 

Perhaps all these similarities with Oxford can be traced to Cambridge’s history. Founded in 1209 by scholars who left Oxford after a fight with local townsmen, a fierce rivalry grew between the two universities. That rivalry remains to this day and is put to the test each year in sporting fashion with the Oxford Cambridge Boat Race along the River Thames. 

This year’s Boat Race was on Sunday, April 2.  It was the 152nd in the series and more than a century on; the results are always close. Oxford’s victory this year was their fourth in five years. Despite that, overall Cambridge is still in the lead, having won 78 races since 1829, compared to Oxford’s 73. 

Perhaps Cambridge’s success on the water is partially explained by the River Cam, which flows past most of the University’s main colleges. This offers visitors a unique view of the colleges that you don’t really get in Oxford. In the summer months, the river is full of punts, a flat bottomed boat without a keel, which is propelled by pushing a pole against the river bed. 

First introduced as pleasure craft in the early twentieth century, punting may sound simple and you can hire your own, but trust me, it might be safer to hire one that’s chauffeured for you. We’ve seen the problems that some people get into, with their punt going round and round in a circle. There are many companies offering punts for hire, some of which are crewed by students in the summer months. If you want an extra bit of tradition, then go for a company where the chauffeurs wear straw hats and waistcoats. It’s like stepping a hundred years back in time. 

And as you cruise along the River Cam, you’ll cruise back in time even further, seeing colleges that date back more than 550 years. Operating in a similar system to Oxford, Cambridge has 31 colleges, with a population of around 20,000 students. 

Of these, the most visited is King’s College, mainly due to the spectacular chapel, which took over a century to build. Today it’s the home of the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, a Christmas Eve tradition that is broadcast across the world and often sees people queuing for up to 12 hours to get in to see it live. There’s a lot to see at this college and there is a charge for admission. 

Another world famous Cambridge college is Trinity, where Sir Isaac Newton made calculations that changed our understanding of the universe, although the actual falling apple incident is said to have happened at his home some miles away! Like Christ Church in Oxford, this college has also taken a starring role in films, most famously in the Oscar winning Chariots of Fire, where it was the setting for the race around the courtyard. 

Something else similar to Oxford is the Bridge of Sighs, based on the original in Venice. The difference here is that while Oxford’s spans a street on dry land, Cambridge went for the more traditional approach and built theirs over the River Cam. It's part of St. John’s College. They had to adapt the design slightly though, adding bars to stop students trying to climb back in after a late night out! 

Other colleges can be seen from the River Cam and the fields behind the river, which are known as the Backs. Clare College, first founded in 1326, had to be completely rebuilt between 1638 and 1715 after the mediaeval buildings were destroyed by fire. At the south end of the Cam is Queen’s College, home to the Mathematical Bridge. Originally built in 1749, it was rebuilt to the same design twice, most recently in 1905. At first, it was believed that this wooden bridge was built without screws or bolts, but that’s not actually the case. Other myths include the idea that Isaac Newton was responsible for this bridge – something he’d have been hard pressed to do, as he died 20 years before it was built! It’s also been claimed that the odd design of this bridge is something to do with students taking the bridge to pieces and then being unable to put it back together again, but there’s no foundation to those claims either. 

Away from the River Cam, as there is in Oxford, there’s the option to head upwards and get a bird’s eye views of the city spires. To do so means climbing up 123 steps to the top of the Church of Great St. Mary’s in the main market place, but it’s a climb worth making for the superb view. 

In the square below, there’s a market every day of the week and although offerings do change from day to day, there’s usually food and crafts of some kind available daily. On Saturdays, this market is complimented by a market in All Saint’s Garden, opposite Trinity College, which is full of artists and craftspeople selling their homemade goods. 

This is one of the main differences that we noticed between Cambridge and Oxford. Although Oxford seems to have a better range of big name shops, it lacks the unique markets that Cambridge offers. Cambridge seems to be a more vibrant city, whereas a lot of Oxford life is based around the colleges. Although the colleges do dominate parts of Cambridge, it’s a city that attracts a lot of local people, as well as being home to students and welcoming visitors. On our visits to Oxford, it seems to have a bigger proportion of visitors and students. 

So which of the two do we prefer? This is a difficult question to answer. My heart will always lie with Oxford – and I’ll certainly always support them in the Boat Race – something to do with having a close friend who studied there.  If I had to just pick one of the two beautiful university cities to visit on a day trip out from London for example, I think Cambridge would just edge Oxford out for its vibrant markets and the amazing views from the Backs and the River Cam, something that Oxford sadly can’t boast. 

Whichever you choose to visit, you’ll certainly be swept away by the dreaming spires of the colleges in each city, something very different to Harvard, but there are similarities between all three, as we’ll explore in the final part of this series. 

Cheryl is a PassPorter message board guide and lives in England. She loves to travel and enjoys exploring her own country, the rest of Europe and America. A frequent visitor to both Oxford and Cambridge, she also took a trip to Boston in 2005, where she was able to explore Harvard.
 

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.

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Disney's Port Orleans Riverside
by Sean Prescott, Guest Contributor
 

One of my favorite resorts at Walt Disney World is Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside. This unique resort gives you the feeling of stepping back in time to a slower pace. Port Orleans Riverside is a grouping of smaller buildings as opposed to the large single building that is typical of many deluxe resorts. Some of the buildings such as the Magnolia and Arcadia houses are designed in a plantation manor house style, while others in the Alligator Bayou district look a bit more rustic. Room layouts are the same, but room decor is in keeping with the building's style. The property is enormous - there are a total of five swimming pools, Boatwright’s Dining Hall, the Riverside Mill Food Court, a lounge, an arcade, horse drawn carriage rides, boat rentals and so much more. You can literally spend a whole day at the resort and be entertained without ever stepping foot in a park.

(Note: The Port Orleans resort is made up of two sections, Port Orleans Riverside described here, and Port Orleans French Quarter. You can specify either when you make your reservations - room rates are the same. French Quarter's food court, pools and recreational facilities are freely available to guests at Riverside, and vice versa.)

My wife and I are Florida natives and of course, Walt Disney World is a major part of our lives. Our first visit to Port Orleans Riverside was in December 2004. We spent 4 days and 3 nights and attended Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. Anyone who has been to Walt Disney World during the holidays knows that they go all out, and Port Orleans Riverside is no exception. When we arrived to check-in around 3:30 pm, we were greeted by a group of carolers singing Christmas songs. The lobby was fully decorated with garlands hanging from the ceiling and an enormous Christmas tree. 

We planned the trip to be a romantic getaway and this is a perfect resort for that. There is almost a mile of paved walking and jogging trails that follow the Sassagoula River. Port Orleans Riverside also offers a horse drawn carriage ride in the evenings (booking early is a necessity). We have seen the route that the carriage follows and it’s beautiful. Surrounded by huge Oaks and the Sassagoula River, the trail is a wonderful way to slow down after a busy day of park hopping. It truly takes you back in time. 

Port Orleans Riverside has many different things for people to do on the water. You can rent Sea Raycer personal power boats by Sea Ray®, kayaks, canopy boats or pontoon boats and make your way up and down the river. The rates for all rentals vary by time of year, so check with the resort or call (407) 939-0754 to reserve in advance.  You can also reserve a fishing excursion on the Sassagoula by calling that number, and for a far smaller fee, there is an old fishin’ hole (catch and release only) in the Ol' Man Island recreation area.

For something more than "basic" transportation, a free ferry runs frequently from Port Orleans Riverside to Port Orleans French Quarter and then on to Downtown Disney. Though you can make the trip faster by taking the bus or driving yourself, the ride down the river is very nice. You will enjoy a view of one of the Lake Buena Vista golf course and you will also pass by the Saratoga Springs resort. The trip is nice if you are not in a hurry. Transportation from the resort to all parks is available by bus from the resort. If you're bound for another resort, you can take the bus or ferry to Downtown Disney and transfer there to buses to all resorts. 

Another thing that is always important to talk about is the food. Boatwright’s Dining Hall, Port Orleans Riverside’s table service restaurant, serves breakfast and dinner. It is a mix of American and Southern comfort foods. For breakfast there are choices ranging from Eggs Benedict to banana-stuffed  French toast, and of course, the ever popular Mickey waffles. Prices range from $7.00-$15.00 for breakfast and you get a good amount of food. 

The other option is the cafeteria-style offerings at the Riverside Mill food court. Here you can get a la carte items such as pastries or bagels or complete meals for dine-in, or boxed to go back to your room. The seating area is very spacious. They have a kid’s corner near the working water wheel with a low table for coloring and a TV playing one of Disney’s animated classics. The food here is just as good as Boatwright's, without as much of a wait and at slightly less expense. There is also a very wide variety of food available, so even the pickiest of eaters should be able to find something they will enjoy. Also available from Riverside Mill is fresh pizza, delivered to your room (for a small delivery charge) until midnight. This is great for those late nights after you get back from enjoying the evening Extra Magic Hours that are one of the perks for staying at a Disney resort. 

(If you have not been a Guest at one of the Walt Disney World resorts, the Extra Magic Hours are a special time every morning and/or evening when one park will open an hour early or stay open up to three hours later for resort guests only. It is a fantastic benefit that you get just for being a guest at any Walt Disney World resort.  For more information on the Extra Magic Hours check out the Walt Disney World web site for all the details and schedule.)

I think that one of the best ways to enjoy a Walt Disney World vacation is to be able to get away from the parks and crowds at some point and just relax. The Port Orleans Riverside Resort is one of the best places I have found in the "World" to relax. You have all the benefits of staying at a Disney resort with out feeling like you have to be on the go all day, every day. This resort is great for couples or families. If you want a romantic getaway or just a nice place to rest between parks, this is the place. With the beautiful grounds and all the activities, you can stay at this resort many times over many years and still not get to see and do everything they have to offer. In my opinion it is the “Happiest Resort in the World.”

Sean and his wife live in Florida, where he is a realtor. They had a Fairy Tale Wedding at Disney's BoardWalk Resort in May 2005. 

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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.