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In This Newsletter
From the
Authors:
New Cruise Guide is Here!
Disney Feature:
Earth Day Around
the "World"
Travel Feature:
Airlines Reducing
Baggage Weight Limits
Updates:
What's New and Changed
Tips:
Send cruise news, stay on budget, reconnect with family
Q&A:
Military pass
discounts, DCL buses from resorts
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Updates:
What's New and Changed
Here’s a few of the new developments
at Disney…
Expect an announcement of the new Disney Cruise
Line itineraries for summer 2005. We anticipate that Disney will break the
news in the afternoon of May 5. We’ll be at the Disneyland media event awaiting
the news, but we won’t have access to our computers to make an update for
a while – visit our Disney Cruise Line forum, where our board members will
surely break the news!
We hear that Walt Disney World is testing metal detectors
at its park entrances during off hours. If all goes well, we may be passing
through these metal detectors as we enter the parks. Time will tell!
Early Magic Hour is expanding to include evenings between May 9 and 22! Yep,
you heard right – Walt Disney World resort hotel guests can stay up to three
hours longer at certain parks on certain days. The ability to enter the parks
an hour early remains, but only on select days. Here’s the current schedule:
* Sunday: Epcot (evening)
* Monday: Disney's Animal Kingdom (morning)
* Tuesday: Disney-MGM Studios (evening)
* Wednesday: Epcot (morning); Magic Kingdom (evening)
* Thursday: Disney's Animal Kingdom (evening)
* Friday: Magic Kingdom (morning)
* Saturday: Disney-MGM Studios (morning)
Only certain attractions are open during Early Magic Hour – check the World
Update flyer you receive upon check-in for the official schedule, hours,
and open attractions. Will this new schedule remain in place after May 22?
We don’t yet know – we’ll keep you updated!
Did you know Disney-MGM Studios 15th anniversary is this year? Annual Passholders
can get a free commemorative coin celebrating Disney-MGM Studios’ anniversary
– just show your valid annual pass at the Sorcerer Hat Shop between May 1-13.
Available while supplies last; limit one pin per passholder.
This year’s Grad Nights are right around the corner – April 23, 24, 30, and
May 1 (from 10:00 pm to 4:00 am). Those of you who will be at Walt Disney
World during this period, this is something to keep in mind – you may see
more traffic and more teens about in general. Plus there’s a grad party at
Pleasure Island from 6:00 to 8:30 on each of those evenings.
Cinco de Mayo is being celebrated at Pleasure Island this year on April 30,
May 1, and May 5. The party includes live Mexican music, piñatas,
and other fun stuff. There’s no extra charge (other than regular admission).
Celebrity Eyeworks Studio at Downtown Disney West Side, mentioned on page
181 of the PassPorter Walt Disney World 2004 guidebook, has been replaced
by ICON, a new shop selling high-end sunglasses).
Finally, here are some special holiday dates to mark on your calendars:
* Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party (MNSSHP) is being held
this year on October 1, 3, 8, 12, 14, 17, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 29, and 31,
2004
* Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights (see page 158 of your PassPorter)
is back this year (location yet to be announced). Its five million lights
are on in the evenings between November 24, 2004 and January 2, 2005.
* Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party (MVMCP) is being held this
year on November 28, 30, and December 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12, 14, 16, and
17, 2004.
At Disneyland Resort, their new Twilight Zone Tower of Terror officially
opens on May 5!
>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:
SEND CRUISE NEWS
"In October, we are taking our second Disney cruise but it will be the first
for our extended family. To get them excited about the trip and to
help them prepare for what the cruise is like, my children (ages 4 and 7)
and I created "Disney Cruise News". It is a 4-page newsletter that
we send out every 50 days to our family members to help them with their countdown.
Features have included: what to expect, top activity picks by each
of the kids, an advice column to their younger cousin on what not to miss,
itinerary highlights, and helpful hints. We include photos from our past
cruise and drawings the kids have made to complement what they have written.
All of our family members really look forward to receiving their newsletter.
The kids have had a great time putting it together and it gets them excited
for our next cruise by reminding them of how much fun they had the first
time!" – contributed by Marley Braun (Marley@…)
STAY ON BUDGET
"Here’s a good tip for people on a budget. Use travelers’ checks instead
of credit, debit cards, or cash. Allocate an amount of money to spend each
day and only take that amount with you, leave the rest in a safe place. That
way you never go over budget. The travelers’ checks are better than cash
because of the ability to get replacements if they are lost or stolen." –
contributed by Mark Zeis (zeismb@…)
RECONNECT WITH FAMILY
"When planning a trip to Disney with more than one family, plan to order
PassPorters for each individual family. It was the best thing we ever did!
In November 2003 my husband and I planned a ‘Four Family Fun Fest’ for our
children and grandkids at Disneyworld. Our families live in FOUR different
states, so we rarely have a chance to get together in one place. Previous
to announcing our ‘Four Family Fun Fest’ I accidentally discovered your web
site. I immediately purchased a copy of your 2003 PassPorter; it was shipped
amazingly fast and naturally, I planned to read over it over time. Once I
opened your guide I had a hard time putting it down. I was fascinated not
only with the layout but also amazed at the depth of information. I immediately
had the urge to share another copy with the families we were taking. I asked
you to ship the second copy to my oldest daughter in CO. My intention was
that they could pass it amongst themselves. That backfired on me! When my
first daughter received it she immediately fell in love with it, too. Even
her children did not want to give it up, so she offered to purchase two additional
PassPorters for her sister's families in Arizona and North Carolina as an
early Christmas present. Over the next several months all of our family members
were chatting weekly on the phone sharing ideas from our PassPorters. Even
the grandchildren were marking pages and on the phone talking to cousins,
aunts, and uncles who were coming. It was amazing! We were reconnecting as
a family long before our arrival in Disney. Could it get any better than
that? It also helped the grandkids to realize that family time was as important
as Disney time. The PassPorter unknowingly helped us to basically create
ahead of time a ‘no-fail environment.’ Your travel and packing suggestions
were a great help too! Prior to returning home we asked everyone what they
loved the best. It was our family dinners. Even the youngest grandchild agreed.
Your wonderful dining suggestions made it so easy for us to spend precious
family time at the end of the day even when we were tired. We had no restless
children at the dinner table. Five months later the kids are still talking
about being with family. Kudos to Jennifer and Dave for coming up with such
a fun, easy-to-read, unbelievable guide book!" – contributed by Nancy Kavaky
(njkavaky@…)
>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
Katie asks:
"Hi, on page 117 of the 2004 PassPorter, there is a link to military discounts
for active military personnel, but the page would not come up. Is there
an alternate for military discounts? Thanks!"
Jennifer answers:
"It looks like Disney took down that web page -- oh well! And I don't believe
they are offering any military specials right now. Keep in mind that you
can get discounted tickets from your MWR Office (Morale, Welfare, and Recreation).
You can also purchase an annual pass at a great military discount. Visit
the Shades of Green web site at http://www.armymwr.com/shades or call them
at 407-824-1014 for rates and more information."
izmir68 asks:
"I am planning on going on my first Disney cruise with my mom. Since the
4-night cruises leave on Sunday, we were thinking are going down on Saturday
and spending the night at one of the Disney hotels, maybe Wilderness Lodge.
Will the bus to the cruise ship still pick us up at the hotel since we will
not be doing a land/sea cruise?"
Dave answers:
"Yes, you should be able to make reservations for the Disney Cruise Line
bus. When you select a resort, be sure it's a Land/Sea package resort, as
those are the only ones serviced by the buses: Grand Floridian, Beach Club,
Polynesian, Animal Kingdom Lodge, Swan, Dolphin, Port Orleans, and Caribbean
Beach. If you stay anywhere else, you'll have to get yourself and your luggage
to another resort in the morning.
Another option is to stay at an airport-area hotel overnight. There's no
Disney magic, but it's convenient and economical. You can often get a great
deal on Priceline.com, and the hotels have free shuttle service back and
forth to the airport (return to the airport in the morning to catch the DCL
bus). You can save the cost and bother of travel to WDW, you save about 20
minutes travel time on Saturday, and again on Sunday."
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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From the Authors: New Cruise
Guide is Here!
Hi, friends!
First, a big thank-you to all who sent congratulations
to us for our "new edition"! We received over 500 touching messages regarding
our pregnancy – your outpouring of warmth and kindness has overwhelmed us.
We’ve added a couple of new "chapters" to our baby story, including a new
one today. You can read them at http://www.passporter.com/babya
In the meantime, we’re pleased to announce that the new edition of our Disney
Cruise guide has arrived in our warehouse and we’re now shipping out pre-orders.
We expect to ship out all pre-orders before the end of this week, so expect
to see your package next week or the week after (depending on your shipping
method). If you haven’t placed an order, you can order today and we’ll ship
your book within a day or two – get info and order at
http://www.passporter.com/dcl/guidebook2e.htm
We’ll be attending a media event at Disneyland on May 3-5 and we’re anticipating
that, along with word of Disneyland’s upcoming 50th Anniversary celebration,
Disney will announce the new Disney Cruise Line itineraries for summer 2005.
(Can you say West Coast cruises?) If you’re eager to nab one of these itineraries,
we hear you can contact your favorite travel agent and note your cruise preferences
now – then when the new itineraries are announced, your travel agent should
be able to jump on the dates you want. (Don’t forget about the MouseEarVacations.com
coupons in your PassPorters, too!)
Note: The two of us be offline between April 29 and May 9 – all orders will
be processed directly by our warehouse during this time. If you have questions
or concerns while we’re gone, please feel free to e-mail us and we’ll get
back to you as soon as possible on May 10. Thanks!
Jennifer and Dave
PassPorter
Travel Press
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Did You Know?
You Can Save When You Buy Both Guides Together
Get a 25% discount off the list price
of both a Disney Cruise guide and a Walt Disney World guide when you buy
both together (paperback/spiral/refill kit/deluxe kit). Just use discount
code DCLWDW during checkout in our online store! (One discount/coupon
per order.)
To order your copies, visit:
http://www.passporterstore.com/store/
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Disney
Feature:
Earth Day Around the "World"
by
Dave Marx
Thirty-four Earth Days have come (and nearly gone) since
the first observance in 1970. While Earth Day 2004 is nearly over, it’s still
fun to reflect on the various ways we might have observed Earth Day if we
were at Walt Disney World. For that matter, Walt Disney World might be considered
a year-round Earth Day – maybe you’ll hold your own, merry un-Earth Day the
next time you visit.
First off, the
Epcot Flower and Garden Festival
is in full swing from April through early June. You could easily have spent
all of Earth Day at Epcot, visiting the many temporary festival exhibits,
enjoying numerous special events, as well as visiting the year-round pavilions
and horticultural displays throughout the park.
Epcot’s Future World offers two permanent pavilions where environmental consciousness
is a full-time pursuit - The Land and The Living Seas. The manatees inside
the Living Seas are part of the many wildlife rehabilitation programs at
Walt Disney World. While often overlooked, The Land’s short film, The Circle
of Life, would have been an entertaining-yet-consciousness-raising choice
today. The Universe of Energy, while not particularly conservation-oriented
inside, is covered outside in mirror-like solar cells, a huge demonstration
of "green" energy. Over in the World Showcase, you might have visited Disney’s
homage to Vancouver Island’s Butchart Gardens at the Canada pavilion. But
why stop there, when every nation of the World Showcase has a garden to show
off, most of them enhanced in honor of the Flower and Garden Festival? Among
the smaller, less-heralded delights are the bonsai (miniature trees) at the
Japan pavilion, the butterfly garden in the U.K. pavilion, and as part of
the Flower and Garden Festival, WaterFULL World Garden near Germany, which
highlights wetlands and wetland conservation.
Earth Day is a day to remember the wild world, so naturally (so to speak),
our thoughts turn to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Environmental consciousness-raising
opportunities abound at this park, where even the thrill rides remind us
to care for our environment. Consider how Kali River Rapids ride takes us
from a lush, jungle setting to the smoking, stark ruins of an illegal logging
operation. Kilimanjaro Safaris transports us to an African wildlife reserve
where we’re recruited to save elephants Big Red and Little Red from poachers.
The Flights of Wonder bird show makes its own points about endangered wildlife,
and It’s Tough to be a Bug! does its best to increase our sympathy for some
of the world’s less sympathetic creatures. Earth Day is also a particularly
good time to visit the wildlife on the Pangani Forest Trail, Maharajah Jungle
Trek and the Discovery Island Trails that surround the Tree of Life. Perhaps
on Earth Day your first stop could be Conservation Station, where environmental
consciousness-raising is a year-round pursuit.
Of course, Walt Disney World is built on Central Florida wetlands. While
environmental laws weren’t very stringent in the early days of the Florida
Project, new construction has to respect the ground (solid or otherwise)
upon which it has been built. As a result, a large percentage of the undeveloped
areas of Walt Disney World will remain undeveloped, and when land is developed
it often means that Disney must "replace" lost woodlands and wetlands elsewhere
on property (where else can you find a wetland created within a highway cloverleaf?).
While it’s hardly on most visitor’s itineraries, the
Disney Wilderness Preserve
, a 12,000 acre reserve 15 miles south of Walt Disney World property would
be another great Earth Day destination. Its 2,500 acres of wetlands are part
of the headwaters of Florida’s Everglades. Purchased by Disney and now owned
and operated by
The Nature Conservancy
, the preserve is open daily to visitors from October through May, and open
Mondays through Fridays the rest of the year. Guests can enjoy the Disney-designed
Conservation Learning Center, miles of hiking trails, and off-road buggy
rides.
"Environmentality" is a Disney-created term that sums-up the company’s dedication
to the environment. You’ve probably seen at least one Environmentality message
while at Walt Disney World featuring Jiminy Cricket, the program’s official
spokes-insect. The
Environmentality web site
and the
DisneyHAND Environmentality site
highlight some of Disney’s many environmental activities, including Disney’s
Wildlife Conservation Fund, programs in the public schools, and the many
ways Disney strives to reduce resource consumption throughout the company.
The company’s
"Enviroport"
offers a fascinating look at the company’s efforts, in downloadable PDF
format. Long ago, Disney learned that environmental awareness can bring substantial
financial benefits.
For example, some adjustments to the compressed air-operated ride mechanism
under Epcot’s Honey I Shrunk the Audience resulted in $96,000 worth of annual
energy savings, and the rehab of the Crystal Palace restaurant at Magic Kingdom
included installation of double-glazed windows and special "low-emittance
panels" that nearly doubled the glass building’s energy efficiency. Other
"green" efforts include a research project into the design of "green" hotels
involving Walt Disney Imagineering and UCLA’s Anderson School of Business,
and the elimination of phosphorous from the fertilizer used on over 500 acres
of lawns around the Walt Disney World Resort – less phosphorous means healthier
waterways throughout the property.
Walt Disney was fascinated by mass transit in all forms, and as a Los Angeles
resident was all too conscious of the automobile’s negative environmental
impact. His original plans for the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow
reflected his concerns, creating a city where the use of cars and trucks
would be minimized. See a model of EPCOT as you ride Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland
Transit Authority, and/or visit the "Project X" exhibit that’s part of Walt
Disney: One Man’s Dream at Disney-MGM Studios. Although Walt’s original concept
for EPCOT was never built, Walt Disney World’s transportation system is testament
to Walt’s interests and is daily, working proof of how convenient mass transit
can reduce traffic and pollution.
While one can also make the point that you can’t operate a facility like
Walt Disney World (or a world-wide media company) without damage to the environment,
overall I find Disney’s interest in running a clean, environmentally safe
ship to be quite impressive. If you have the time, I encourage you to visit
the various web sites I’ve highlighted above. Happy Earth Day!
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Travel Feature:
Airlines Reducing Baggage Weight
Limits
by Jennifer Watson
Are our bags too heavy for our
airline? Are we trying to check too many bags? A recent topic of conversation
on the PassPorter message boards regarding recent restrictions got us wondering
about our luggage weight limits. In the past, we knew that we could each
check up to two bags at 70 lbs. per bag (and, yes, occasionally we exceeded
our limit and had to pay an extra charge). But had anything changed recently?
We checked with ten of the most popular airlines flying into Orlando International
Airport. Here are the surprising results (per passenger):
AirTran Airways – Three checked bags at up to 70 lbs. each, plus one carry-on
(no specified weight limit) [overweight bags are $65 each; excess bags are
$50 each]
American Airlines – Two checked bags at up to 50
lbs. each, plus one carry-on up to 40 lbs. [overweight bags are $25-50 each;
excess bags are $80 each]
Continental Airlines – Two checked bags at up to
50 lbs. each, plus one carry-on [overweight bags are $25-50 each; excess
bags are $80 each]
Delta – Two checked bags at up to 50 lbs. each,
plus one carry-on up to 40 lbs. [overweight bags are $25-80 each; excess
bags are $40-80 each]
Northwest Airlines – Two checked bags at up to 50
lbs. each, plus one carry-on up to 40 lbs. [overweight bags are $25-50 each;
excess bags are $80+ each]
Spirit Air – Two checked bags at up to 70 lbs. each,
plus one carry-on up to 40 lbs. [overweight bags are $50 each]
Song – Three checked bags at up to 50 lbs. each
[overweight bags are $25-80 each; excess bags are $40+ each]
Southwest Airlines – Three checked bags at up to
70 lbs. each, plus one carry-on (no specified weight limit) [overweight bags
are $35-70 each; excess bags are $60 each]
United – Two checked bags at up to 50 lbs. each,
plus one carry-on (no specified weight limit) [overweight bags are $25 each;
excess bags are $80 each]
US Airways – Two checked bags at up to 50 lbs. each,
plus one carry-on up to 40 lbs. [overweight bags are $25-80 each; excess
bags are $80 each]
As you can see, the mainstream and usually more expensive airlines (American,
Continental, Delta, Northwest, United and US Airways) allow two checked bags,
but at a weight limit of only 50 lbs. each. The low-cost airlines (AirTran,
Spirit, Song, and Southwest), on the other hand, had much more lenient restrictions
– checked bags can weigh up to 70 lbs. each, and a few even allow you to
have as many as three checked bags!
A little research into the history of weight limits revealed that most airlines
had allowed checked bags at up to 70 lbs., but the mainstream airlines began
revising this policy in 2003. Why? There are some claims that airlines want
to reduce workplace injuries from lifting heavy bags, but there is little
doubt that these new restrictions will give some added revenue to the airlines
in question. Another possibility is the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
policy change in 2003, which says that airlines must add 10 pounds to the
estimated weight of each passenger and 5 pounds for each checked bag to ensure
that planes do not take off overweight and unsafe.
It’s unclear why the budget airlines have better baggage policies, but for
now we’re happy. Just keep in mind that if your air travel requires more
than one airline, you’ll need to keep your bags under the weight limit of
the airline with the most restrictive policies.
Tips for Those Flying With Lots of Luggage:
1. We strongly recommend you contact your airline (by web or phone) to check
their current baggage limits before you pack.
2. Balance the weight between your bags to prevent one from exceeding your
airline’s weight limit. It may also help to redistribute luggage between
your travel party (i.e., your kids’ bags probably don’t weigh all that much).
3. Weigh your bags at home (you can use your bathroom scale—first get on
to get your own weight, then pick up your bag and weigh yourself again, then
subtract the first number from the second to get the bag’s weight).
4. If your bags will be overweight, consider shipping packages ahead to your
hotel. Compare the prices between shipping and the excess baggage charges
to determine which is more cost effective.
5. Be aware that excess luggage could be removed from the plane and sent
on a later flight to keep the airline from being overweight. Excess luggage
is usually pulled off a plane first.
6. If you’ve got too much stuff, pay a visit to the Travelite FAQ at
http://www.travelite.org
for tips on how you can travel with just a carry-on.
7. Head to your destination with underweight baggage – you’re sure to buy
some souvenirs during your travels. Dave remembers the time that an overweight
baggage fee tripled the price of the preserves he’d bought at Knott’s Berry
Farm.
Discuss airline weight limits on the
PassPorter Message Boards
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