For a text-only version of this newsletter, visit http://www.passporter.com/news/042607text.htm.
PassPorter News Brought to you by PassPorter Guidebooks
  April 26, 2007 * Issue 7.17
 
In This Newsletter

From the Authors: Free Shipping Weekend

Travel Feature: Globe Theatre

Disney Feature: 
Unexpected Pleasures & Treasures of Walt Disney World


Updates: What's New and Changed

Tips: Pack Extra Power, Luggage Locator, Awesome Autographs

Captain's Corner: Real Slow Mower

Q&A: How do I avoid over-packing for my seven-night cruise?

Our Sponsors: We Recommend...
 
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Updates:
What's New and Changed

Here are a few items of relevant news:


The Patina Restaurant Group has been announced as the operators of the table service restaurant replacing Alfredo's at Epcot's Italy pavilion. The Patina Group currently operates a number of restaurants at Disneyland's Downtown Disney, including Naples Ristorante e Pizzeria, and Catal. The restaurant is scheduled to open on September 1 although the name and the menu have not been announced. 

The Sounds Like Summer Concert Series, featuring cover bands, returns to the America Gardens Theater at Epcot this summer from June 11 - August 12. The schedule (subject to change):

June 11--17 - Kevin White (Garth Brooks)
June 18--24 - Stayin' Alive (Bee Gees)
June 25--July 1 - Slippery When Wet (Bon Jovi)
July 2--8  - Charlene Bedassie (Aretha Franklin)
July 9--17 - Bjorn Again (ABBA)
July 18--24 - Hotel California (The Eagles)
July 25--29 - 52nd Street (Billy Joel)
July 30--Aug. 5 - Captain Fantastic (Elton John)
Aug. 5--12 - Transit Authority (Chicago)

A Mother's Day Champagne Brunch will be held on Sunday, May 13, 2007 from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm at Epcot's World ShowPlace pavilion. (The pavilion is located between the Canada and United Kingdom pavilions.) The brunch includes one complimentary glass of champagne for guests 21 and over, as well as omelet and carving stations, breakfast foods, and a children's buffet. The price for guests age 10 and up is $45.99 (gratuity included) and for guests ages 3-9 is $19.99. Guests on the Dining Plan can use two table service credits per person for this meal.

Disney Cruise Line and Meyer Werft Shipyards of Germany have signed the formal construction contract for the two new ships announced in February. The ships, each weighing in at 124,000 GRT (gross register tons), will be 50% larger than the cruise line's Magic and Wonder, and are scheduled to be delivered in 2011 and 2012.


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:

PACK EXTRA POWER
"I always bring an extension cord or power strip on vacation to charge all of our electronics: cell phone, camera, laptop, DVD player, iPods, etc. The rooms don't always have enough outlets and they are often in inconvenient places."
-- contributed by Julie P.


LUGGAGE LOCATOR
"When packing your suitcase, put some type of Identification on the inside of the case. Tape it to one of the sides. Luggage tags may come off and this way there is a way to contact you in case your luggage is lost."
-- contributed by Buffy B.


AWESOME AUTOGRAPHS
"Have you ever wondered what to do with the autographs our kids collect at Disney? Well, I scan them into my computer and use them as the background for our scrapbook pages of our trip. I also made my daughter a great shirt with all the signatures. I just printed them on special T-shirt transfer paper and ironed them on! And the best part is that I can remake the shirt as she gets bigger, or if something happens to the other one!"
-- contributed by Jennifer M.


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:

"I've come down with spring fever and I want to spend all my time outside. I've even got the urge to mow some grass ... any grass will do. I asked Billy Bowlegs if he'd let me use his lawn mower, but he says he left it somewhere and can't find it. He says his mower was too slow, anyway."

Where is Billy Bowlegs real slow mower?

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 Janiejake who was the winner of last week's treasure hunt game! Janiejake correctly named the Harmony Barber Shop in the Magic Kingdom as the location of Alexander's and the Captain's 'Mickey Head' hair-dos. 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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Q & A:
With Jennifer and Dave

rescuesk asks: "I learned a few thousand trips ago to make a packing list, edit it and then stick to the edited version so that I don't overpack. Always worked in the past. Then along comes this seven-night cruise and blows my whole theory up! So ... how do you decide what to take and what to leave home?"

Dave & Jennifer answer: "I always overpack, but I never exceed my one-bag self-imposed limit. One trick is to select items that will mix-and-match so you can re-use items you'll only be wearing for a couple of hours at a time. Another is to choose casual items that will be as suitable in the evening (changing after dinner) as they are during the day. Don't forget you can run a load of laundry or buy something in the gift shop or in port if it turns out you packed too little.

You probably can get away with the same amount of "emergency" extras as you carried for shorter trips (for those white capri/red fruit punch moments) - you don't need a fresh emergency change for every day of the trip (unless you're a real klutz). As a guy, I manage to get along with fewer items by bringing only "sport shorts" that double as swim suits.

I also apply a discipline I learned as a backpacker -- set a limit, gather all the stuff you think you'll need, then start paring away items until you get down to your limit. "Do I really need this? How can I get more use out of each item I carry?" One backpacking trick that can work is to plan on only shorts for daytime use, but carry one pair of lightweight, windproof pull-over long pants to cover those times when wind or temperatures dip a bit (in evenings, on cool, windy days, etc.) They rinse-out and air dry very quickly, and it never gets so cold on a Caribbean cruise that you need greater warmth. They may even be enough for a wintertime flight home, assuming you'll only be out in the cold for a few minutes. You can pack several pair of these in the space occupied by a single pair of jeans.

Good luck!"

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 -- Magic Your Way with FREE Dining

ALL STAR Vacation Homes -- Choose from more than 150 homes within four miles of Disney World


Thank you, sponsors!

From the Authors: Free Shipping Weekend

Hi, {{user("firstname")}}!

Rather than mope about April's rain showers, we're celebrating them (and our return to spring) with a free shipping weekend! Here are the details:

Get free USPS Media Mail shipping in the PassPorter Store from now to Monday, April 30, 2007. Just select Media Mail as your shipping method -- no coupon or discount code needed. Free Media Mail shipping expires at midnight ET on Monday and is only valid for shipment within the U.S. This is a great time to get a new cruise guide, pick up the 2007 edition of PassPorter Walt Disney World, or upgrade to a deluxe. This offer only applies to orders placed between 12 pm ET (noon) on Thursday, April 26 and 11:59 pm ET on Monday, April 30 -- we cannot apply this offer retroactively. Order your new books at: http://www.passporterstore.com/store

PassPorter's Club recently celebrated its first month anniversary and we're amazed to report that we now have nearly 450 Club passholders! Once again you've surprised us with your enthusiasm for our projects. Here are some of the comments we've received from passholders about PassPorter's Club:
"What an awesome addition to the in-hand PassPorter ... you rock!" "The ebooks and worksheets look fantastic -- what a wonderful reason to have to plan maaaaany more future WDW holidays." "I just signed up and am already loving the worksheets." "Thanks for all the e-worksheets, this is great!!" "This is A+." "I just said to DH, 'This is SOOOOO COOL!'" "Wow, this is just amazing. Outstanding job!" "This was a great idea. There is so much helpful information!" "This is awesome. I can't believe I put off joining up for so long."
Thank you, Club passholders, for your support! We'd love to hear from YOU with your thoughts on PassPorter's Club -- whether you have yet to join, are currently a passholder, or have unsubscribed. You'll find a quick survey at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=445793700189

Not entirely sure what PassPorter's Club is all about? PassPorter's Club is "all-you-can-read" access to ALL of our popular e-books (currently five, including our just-released "PassPorter's Free-Book" with 150+ free and low-cost things to do at Walt Disney World), access to a huge library of interactive e-worksheets that you can fill-in and print-out to make your vacation planning and park time even more effective and enjoyable, and more. A one-month subscription to PassPorter's Club costs the same as just one e-book ($4.95). You can save even more with an annual membership at $44.95, which gets you every e-book we release and e-worksheet we create for a full year plus the right to invent and commission a customized e-worksheet for the e-worksheet library, all at no extra charge! Get all the details at:
http://www.passporter.com/club

Meet us in person: Will you be at July's MagicMeets event in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania? We sure will! We'll be on hand to meet, greet, and maybe put on a presentation or two. Alas, if you aren't already registered for MagicMeets, you won't be able to join us there. The event sold-out in ten short days (before we could even announce our participation). But if you did sign-up, surprise! We'll be seeing you there!

Hear us on the radio: Dave Marx makes a return visit to KGNO 1370 AM in Dodge City, Kansas on May 8. Tune into "Live & Local" with Keith Tallent, at 8:05 am Central time. Be ready with your Disney questions -- we will be taking call-ins.

In this issue, Feature Columnist Cheryl Pendry visits London's reconstructed Globe Theatre to commune with Shakespeare's legacy, and Disneyland "native" Kath Davis revels in Walt Disney World's Unexpected Pleasures & Treasures. Enjoy!

Jennifer and Dave
PassPorter Publishers and Authors
 

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Travel Feature: 

The Globe Theatre
by Cheryl Pendry, PassPorter Feature Columnist


William Shakespeare is a name that's known throughout the world. Regarded by many as the best writer in history, his work has been translated into just about every language in the world. Many of us no doubt studied one of his plays at school and perhaps some of us even performed them.

Of course, the plays were also performed in Shakespeare's day and if you were in London in the early 1600's, the chances are if you wanted to catch a play, you'd have headed for the Globe Theatre on the banks of the River Thames, just opposite St. Paul's Cathedral. Now 400 years on, visitors to London can once again head for the Globe and see how it would have looked in Elizabethan times.

That's due to the vision of one man. American actor and director Sam Wanamaker came to London in 1949, expecting to find some sort of monument to the Globe Theatre, but instead he found nothing to mark the site where the theatre had once stood. From then on, it became his life’s mission to put that right. However, Sam didn’t just have some simple statue in mind as a memorial to what was there 400 years earlier. He had a much grander vision, one that involved bringing the Globe back to life for a new generation of theater goers.  

It's often easier to have an idea than make it a reality, and that proved to be the case with the Globe. I won't spoil the story, as it's beautifully told in the visitor exhibition at the Globe, but let's just say that building work didn't start on site until 1987, with the construction of the theatre only getting underway six years later in 1993. Sam Wanamaker lived long enough to see that construction start, but sadly he died the same year, without seeing his project completed.  

Construction took another four years, but since 1997, every summer has seen performances of some of Shakespeare's greatest works in exactly the same way that they would have been viewed in the days of Elizabethan England. The original Globe was burnt to the ground in 1613, after a fire started in its thatched roof. A mere 50 years later, much of the capital suffered a similar fate in the Great Fire of London. Ever since then, no thatched roofs had been permitted in the city, until the Globe that is. Just another example of the faithfulness of this reconstruction is the fact that there's no roof over the middle of the theatre. So, when you go to see a play there, you're at the mercy of the Great British weather -- and anyone who's ever been to London knows that can mean rain at any time of the year. If you're seated, it shouldn't be too much of a problem, but for those standing, they could get wet during a downpour!  

So how does the theatre work? There are seats, arranged in three semi-circular tiers, costing between £12 and £32 ($24-$64 at the current exchange rate), or if you really want to experience a taste of theatre in days gone by, you can buy tickets for as little as £5 ($10) and stand in the "Yard" in front of the stage to watch the action. Even if you pay for a seat, you're welcome to wander down and join the standing crowd at any time you want to, but it's not for the faint of heart.  

It's not just the building that's been recreated to how it would have been in Shakespeare's day. The plays have been as well, and that means interaction between the actors and those in the standing area. According to the guide who showed us around the theatre, this can mean some jokes at your expense, especially if you're near the stage. It's certainly a unique theatre-going experience. Where else in the world can you get taunted by the people you've gone to watch? 

As well as theatre performances during the summer months, visitors can learn more about the Globe all year round. The Globe Exhibition is the most extensive in the world dedicated to Shakespeare and takes you back in time to give you an idea about the man himself, those who performed in his plays, and the way of life at that time. Once you've learned about the history of the original Globe, you then find out about the struggle to build the new Globe Theatre.  

As part of the exhibition, you'll also be taken on a guided tour of the theatre and this is perhaps the most fascinating part of any visit to the Globe. Your guide explains how plays are performed and points out how things would have been in Elizabethan days. Let's just say after hearing her descriptions, I feel very glad that we have modern restrooms!  

Tours begin every 15-30 minutes during opening hours, and once you've finished your tour you can go back into the exhibition and spend as much time as you wish. It’s a good idea to allow at least 1.5 hours for the exhibition and the tour. If you're interested in the history of London and England's greatest writer, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre should definitely be on your list of places to visit.  

The exhibition is open all year, except for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Outside of the summer season, opening times are 10 am until 5 pm, with theatre tours at all times. During the summer performance season, which this year runs from May 6 until October 9, the exhibition is open from 9 am until 5 pm, but if you want to take the theatre tour, you'll have to arrive in the morning. During the afternoon, when matinee performances are taking place in the theatre, visitors are instead taken to the nearby site of the Rose Theatre.

Admission for the exhibits and tour costs £9 for adults, £7.50 for seniors and students, £6.50 for children aged 5 -- 15, with family tickets for two adults and three children £25. For more information, visit
http://www.shakespeares-globe.org


About the Author: Cheryl and husband Mark live in England and love to travel, particularly to America. They're regular visitors to London and are now looking forward to setting sail on Disney's first cruise around the Mediterranean in May.

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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: 
Unexpected Pleasures & Treasures of Walt Disney World

by Kath Davis, PassPorter Guest Columnist


My husband Randy and I have only been home for one week from our first trip to Walt Disney World. We still haven't had a chance to organize the 900+ pictures that we took into a (much) smaller slide show to present to family and friends. But we are still talking about some of the unknown treasures that we discovered in Walt Disney World. 

Don't get me wrong. We bought our first PassPorter about a year before our trip, and then bought the new edition when it was available. (Having two PassPorters made those long planning evenings much easier.) But even with our careful study of the PassPorter books and message boards, we "discovered" a few things that either were not uncovered in our research, or that we thought were undervalued. Read on to learn about some of the things we think you should be sure to seek out at Walt Disney World.

Future World's "Inventor's Circle"
Why isn't this on any map? As you pass from Epcot's fountain plaza to Future World West and approach The Land, look down. Set into the pavement are concentric circles. Within these circles are round plaques celebrating great inventions, from the wheel all the way through the microcomputer. There is a central hub with four fascinating quotes from scientists, and the inventions radiate from there, like planets in a solar system. We spent quite a while wandering back and forth, with our gaze downward, exclaiming over dates we didn't know, or even disputing a few allegations. I am sure we looked crazy to the people who had to maneuver around us, but we were amazed that no one stopped to see what it was that had captured our attention so keenly. If you are at all interested in science, you need to go find this!

The posters in the queue for Mickey's PhilharMagic at the Magic Kingdom
We had to let people in the queue pass us, because we were more interested in getting photos of these posters than in getting to the main event, and later we went back to get a few more! Mickey's PhilharMagic ended up being one of our favorite attractions at Walt Disney World, and these posters really "plussed" the package. Imagine old-style theater posters, with familiar Disney characters spotlighted for musical performances: "Genie Sings the Blues," "I Pagliacci" performed by Willy the Whale, and "Ariel's Coral Group." Classic Disney art with tongue placed firmly in cheek, and not to be missed.

Canadians really are the friendliest people in the world ... or in the World.
OK, we could be prejudiced on this one; Randy is from Canada. But one of the reasons I fell in love with him is that he is so darn nice! We found that the students who work at the Canadian pavilion and its Le Cellier restaurant were the friendliest group in any of the parks, and particularly in World Showcase. We actually had one negative encounter with a cast member in the World Showcase (I won't tell which country), but even in the upscale Le Cellier, where you might expect some reserve, I saw the wait staff interact in ways that went above and beyond the call of duty with all the tables around us. Our server directed us to excellent wine pairings, discussed his upcoming plans for a road trip to California, and cheerfully took our picture. Who cares if the Canada film is outdated when the people are so wonderful?

Those fabulous cameos in the ride pre-shows
We were not surprised to find more of Hollywood signing on to add "plus" to the ride pre-shows (and sometimes into the rides themselves). Being Disneyland "natives," we already had enjoyed actor Patrick Warburton as the chief steward in Soarin' Over California, and we were pleased to see that he worked Epcot also. I can remember the days when Disney used mostly unknown voice-over actors for their feature animation; now, half the fun of the movie is figuring out who does that voice. With the ride pre-shows, at least you sometimes get to see the actors, but even then, it took us a few minutes to place them out of context. There's Ileanna Douglas as Aerosmith's manager at Rock 'n' Roller Coaster, and John Michael Higgins as the head test engineer in Test Track. But the most inspired cameo has to be Gary Sinise in Mission:Space. Who better to add credibility to your space mission, than the very man who talked Ron Howard's Apollo 13 astronauts through their dangerous re-entry procedure?

Port Orleans horse-drawn carriages
Here is one delight that is mentioned in PassPorter, as well as in the resort literature that you receive upon checking in. But mere words can not describe the sound of the carriage wheels and the horse's hoofs clopping on the pavement within the buildings of the resort. We did not have the time to take a ride ourselves, but we were fortunate enough to be in our room, changing for dinner, when we heard the horse go right by our door! Our room in the French Quarter was at the corner of two small streets, streets just wide enough for the horse and carriage. I had imagined that the carriage ride would be along the riverbank, between the resorts, but it actually wends through the resort buildings, and in the French Quarter at least, it was unspeakably romantic. A carriage ride will go to the top of my list for our next trip!

Mosaics inside Cinderella Castle
Although Cinderella Castle dominated our experience of the Magic Kingdom, we did not take the time to walk through it until we were leaving the park, technically after the park had closed. We were delighted and amazed at the gorgeous mosaics that tell Cinderella's story. Five large mosaics composed of small glass tiles, set in arches in the wall of the walkway, tell the story of Cinderella. The colors are breathtaking and the level of detail is astonishing. Many shades of blue are used to give the texture of running water to a stream; the ball gowns have intricate patterns "woven" into the fabric; the floor of the ballroom is multi-colored parquet. Some of the tiles are as small as a centimeter, and many fuse real gold and sterling silver with the glass to give Cinderella the "royal" treatment. Again, we spent many minutes here, drinking in the colors and artistry. We had to take pictures of the the whole mosaics and close-ups of the details. I look forward to seeing them by daylight next time.

One quality that keeps us constantly delighted at Disneyland and Walt Disney World is the detail that the company puts into the experience. When I was on Sunset Boulevard in Disney-MGM Studios, I knew that Hollywood in the 1930s looked just like this ... at least, I hope it did! Many of the treasures mentioned here aren't what we'd call attractions; we think of them as things that enhance the experience, which Walt always strove for. I think he would have enjoyed reading my list, and knowing how much we appreciate that extra effort.


About the Author: Kath Davis is the executive director for a non-profit youth orchestra in Orange County California. Randy telecommutes as a global test analyst for a company based in New York, and spends a lot of time in Tokyo. They haven't wrangled at trip to Tokyo Disneyland yet, but there is still hope!

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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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