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 In This Newsletter
From the Authors: 2009 Already?
Travel Feature: Maui
Disneyland Feature: Dining Review: River Belle Terrace
Updates: What's New and Changed
Tips: Super Scales, Straps, and Scrapbooks!
Captain's Corner: The Cay
PassPorter PhotoPick: Gateway to Earth
Q and A: Should I use a Visa Gift Card on my Disney Cruise?
Our Sponsors: We Recommend...
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Updates:
What's New and Changed
Here are a few items of relevant news:
All 23 Walt Disney World Resorts have achieved certification as "Green Lodging" resorts as part of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's Green Lodging initiative. The program is designed to encourage the lodging industry to actively conserve and protect Florida's natural resources.
A mobile animatronic Wall-E, from Disney's upcoming movie, has been spotted at Disney's Hollywood Studios. For video of a recent Wall-E sighting, check out Screamscape.com.
A new attraction opening this fall at Innoventions in Epcot will allow guests to experience a simulation of Hurricane Charley, one of the strongest storms to ever hit the continental United States. StormStruck: The Tale of Two Homes, will allow guests to experience the leading edge of the storm in a virtual "safe" house then give them a chance to make improvements to the house during the "eye" of the storm and see how it holds up when the second half of the storm comes. The attraction is part of a partnership with the non-profit organization, Federal Alliance for Safe Homes.
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 SCALES
"Look into purchasing a portable digital scale before you leave. They are relatively inexpensive, but it will save you time, frustration and possibly money in overweight baggage fees! My husband found a portable digital scale at Bed Bath and Beyond last fall. It was about $20 and worth every penny. It is very light, compact, sturdy, easy to use, and can display the weight in pounds or kilos. Getting a digital one is important, the reading stays on the screen so you can put your bag down and then read it. Also, you can weigh your bags in advance to see how far over you are and decide if you want to ship home your extra souvenirs instead of buying more luggage. Shipping your extra stuff home might be cheaper than the expense of buying extra luggage and having to pay the airline a fee for extra bags. Just don't forget to pack it with you so you can weigh your bags for the trip home!"
-- contributed by Heather S.
SUPER STRAPS
"I found multiple uses for luggage straps! After you've packed, make sure you wrap a luggage strap around your suitcase. These ensure that if your luggage comes open (think hard side suitcase w/ latches) or unzipped that the strap will keep most of your contents inside. And when we went on a Disney Cruise, we used our luggage straps to hold open the connecting doors to our staterooms. You simply wrap it around the door handle and thread it through the rail on the chest behind the door. If you want to close your door, you can just slip it off and reattach it the next morning. This way I had one item doing double duty!"
-- contributed by Michelle B.
SUPER SCRAPBOOK
"After our last trip we purchased the Disney PhotoPass professional scrapbook. This was great because I'm a guy and not a scrapbooker, but she let me do the book. I worked on it when I got home from work, which kept the magic alive after the trip. It was a lot fun picking the pictures and designing the pages. We are going to take it back in December of this year to get the autographs of the characters in the book. We love the book and it's definitely a great souvenir. The pages are thick (like the yearbook pages), professionally bound and the front cover is engraved. It was nice to be a part of the memory-making instead of just the memory-paying part of the trip!"
-- contributed by Kyle L.
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:
"I've been so engrossed in my treasure hunting as of late that I've been neglecting my sleep. As a result, I fell asleep on a friend's bed yesterday. The bed was quite large and comfortable, and best of all, located right inside the Magic Kingdom. The only drawback was all the stuff strewn across my friend's bed, such as his book, reading glasses, and red-and-white striped pajamas. The baseball-themed lamp next to the bed is a nice touch, though."
Where is this big bed in the Magic Kingdom and to whom does it belong?
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 Alisa N. who was the winner of last week's trivia contest! Alisa was the first person to identify the location of the fortified island where Captain Jack took a nap as Caribbean Cay at the Caribbean Beach Resort. Bonus points to Keating who was the first person to identify the photo in our PassPorter Photo Archive 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:
Spirit of Aloha Dancer
contributed by Dave Marx
(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
1DisneyMom asks: "I am thinking about purchasing a Visa Gift Card for our cruise, but I am not sure whether or not they are worth the hassle. Can I throw in a Disney Gift Card as well or should I just stick to a real credit card? This is my first cruise, so any info you guys have will help."
Jennifer and Dave answer: "The biggest advantages have nothing to do with the cruise line. Since you're spending the equivalent of cash, you won't have any interest to pay when you get back home.
The biggest disadvantage, is that, since it is cash, once/if you exhaust the cash value, you must return to guest services to deposit additional funds. If you put down a credit card, it'll be like the Energizer Bunny; you can just keep spending, and spending, and spending.
You'll need a minimum of $500 to deposit. Look at your overall budget - gift shop, alcoholic beverages, spa services, shore excursions, gratuities, etc. It could very well add up to more than $500. If I were planning to go with cash-equivalent instead of a credit card, I'd make sure my cash equivalent (gift card) was big enough to cover the entire budget, with a bit of wiggle-room added in.
If the gift card will cover only part of your estimated expenses, put down a credit card as your main source of funds, and visit guest services soon after you board to apply the gift card to your account. That way, when the cash is gone, you won't have one of those embarrassing moments when you're not allowed to spend more money - your credit card will pick up the slack."
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):
Mouse Fan Travel -- MouseFest Cruise Offer
MouseEarVacations.com -- Disney Cruise Line Special Offers
Quicksilver Tours &Transportation -- Save $5 off airport round-trip transportation in a town car
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From the Authors: 2009 Already?
Hi, {{user("firstname")}}!
2009? Did you unwittingly take a long snooze, like Rip Van Winkle? Don't worry! It's just that last week's special deal on pre-orders of PassPorter's Walt Disney World 2009 (due in October 2008) went over like gangbusters! So well, in fact, that we've decided to extend the offer five days more and give more folks a crack at it!
Deal? What deal? We've rolled back prices for pre-orders for a limited time -- until May 29. With the rollback price, our spiral edition of PassPorter's Walt Disney World 2009 is a mere $19.95 "list" price (the same as it was for our original, 1999 edition). What's more, you can apply any discounts or coupons you may have to that reduced price. So a 2009 spiral edition is just $15.96 (with a 20% newsletter subscriber coupon -- see bottom of this newsletter) or $13.96 (with a 30% coupon for registered readers and message board members). Deluxes are an even better deal.
As we explained last week, sales of PassPorter's Walt Disney World 2008 have been so good that we have none left in the warehouse (although there are plenty in stock - for now - at book stores around the country).
If you can't wait for October to get a book from us, you may purchase a 2008 electronic edition (download only) or get a 2007 edition at a close-out price. Refer to the 2008 electronic edition for the most up-to-date info, and print-out the pages you'll need when you travel. Rely on the 2007 edition for all our great planning features, PassPockets, and info that's still pretty darned accurate and useful.
Some of you may know we'd been temporarily out of stock on PassHolder Pouches, too. Fortunately, those are much easier to get back in stock. In fact, we've got them right now! Not only that, but we upgraded the printed PassPorter logo to a full-color version that we think is much more attractive than the old, all-yellow version. Order at http://www.passporterstore.com/store/0966899437.aspx.
PassPorter's Disney Cruise Line and its Ports of Call 2008 is in stock! All orders of our cruise guide ship the next business day.
Will you be joining us for PassPorter's Decade of Dreams Tour? PassPorter is celebrating our 10th anniversary in 2009 in a 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.
PassPorter's Club Update
Nearly 1400 vacationers are now enjoying access to all our e-books, e-worksheets, and super-sized photo archive images.Thank you for your continued support!
Our newest e-book, PassPorter's Answer Book is now available for download. This 85-page e-book is full of the detailed, up-to-date information on the topics that really matter to you.
We have two recently-added e-worksheets for you to use to plan your next trip (click the link to go directly to them): the Daily Meal Log e-worksheet and the Deluxe Dining Plan e-worksheet!
More details at http://www.passporter.com/club
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In this issue, first-time contributor Roger Sauer takes us to one of his favorite places, Kapalua, Maui. Then, Kath Davis reports on the new sandwich-focused menu at Disneyland Park's River Belle Terrace. 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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Did You Know?
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PLUS! Book a 3+ night trip by 5/31/08
& get a Mini-Mickey Pocket Guide – FREE
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*Offer is limited, subject to availability and restrictions apply - CST207807440
Click for full details. As to Disney artwork: ©Disney Ships' registry: The Bahamas
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Travel Feature:
Kapalua, Maui
by Roger Sauer, PassPorter Guest Contributor
With airfares getting higher and higher and the economy slowing down, a trip to Maui in the Hawaiian Islands might seem a little unrealistic. But dreams are dreams and some dreams are worth waiting for.
Long rated one of the world's best islands by Conde Nast Traveler magazine, Maui remains one of the best vacation spots in the United States. Due to its small size but unique shape and geography, Maui has many different facets and some areas seem very unlike others, from the more urban Kahului and Wailuku, to far remote Hana with its rain forest in the east, to the barren moonscape of Haleakala, to Kapalua with its quiet elegance and view of the neighboring island of Molokai in the distance.
Where is Kapalua? Imagine Maui as an hourglass tilted to the left about 45 degrees, with its top half slightly smaller than its bottom half. Kapalua is toward the top of the upper half of the glass. The larger, lower section is dominated by Haleakala volcano and its Upcountry region, with the town of Hana on its bottom shore. Kahului and its airport are at the narrow space between the two halves. (Maui was originally two islands until volcanic activity from Haleakala joined the two.)
Situated in an area that was once pineapple fields and rocky coastline, Kapalua is a community and resort built around the three world-class courses of the Kapalua Golf Club. Most of the development is on the ocean side of the highway. Some expensive homes and the Plantation course (home of the PGA season opener, the Mercedes Classic) are on the mountain side of the highway on the outskirts of town.
A short distance past the Plantation course we turn right onto Office Road. A small shopping area featuring Guest Services for the Kapalua Resort and the Honeloa Store, which has been in operation since the early 1900s when it served the pineapple crews and few residents of the area. A bit farther down Office Road on the right is the Ritz-Carlton Resort, and straight ahead are the Kapalua Resort's Bay Villas, Ridge Villas, and Golf Villas. Most of the resort'srental units are in these villas, though some homes are available as well.
One reason the tourist crowd prefers Kaanapali Beach five miles to the south is that most of Kapalua Resort's villas are not right on the beach. The trade-off is in Kapalua's having about one-tenth the crowd of Kaanapali. However, there are several beach access paths, including one to a public beach on Kapalua Bay, an easy stroll from most units. Snorkeling in Kapalua Bay is exquisite, with schools of fish including the striking Moorish Idols and occasional honu green sea turtles. An activity station offering kayaks and other gear (a remnant of the former Kapalua Bay Hotel) can service your equipment needs.
While the hotel pools at the busier Kaanapali hotels are generally filled to the brim with tourists during most of the year (high season lasts all year with Christmas being even higher!), staying at Kapalua Resort's villas allows a guest to use one or more of the many smaller pools around the resort. Many times my wife and I were the only persons by a pool for most of the day. And each pool area has a covered patio, some with barbecues and other kitchen amenities. Each guest's room key allows entrance to each gated pool area. There are many units in each building and all buildings have been situated on the slopes overlooking the bay to allow ocean views. There are one, two, and three bedroom units, all with lanais (patios). Only the Golf Villas are air conditioned, but the steady breeze generally makes cooling unnecessary. All units have full kitchens and many have sleeper sofas, so even a one bedroom unit can sleep four.
While these facilities were built in the 1970s and 1980s, they are kept in great condition. Even the smaller one bedroom villas are selling at about $1 million when they are put on the market. (Keep that checkbook ready!)
There are a few restaurants in Kapalua. The Plantation Restaurant in its namesake course clubhouse features great Asian fusion cuisine with panoramic views of the golf course, ocean, and Molokai. Sansei is one of a local chain of seafood restaurants. Sansei is noted for its early hour (4 to 6 PM) dinner specials. There are upscale restaurants in the Ritz Carlton Hotel, and the Honeloa Store has a snack bar and a la carte items.
Because Kapalua is on the far northwest coast of Maui's smaller half, day trips to places like Haleakala National Park and Hana on the far eastern shore require the better part of a day.
Whale watching is a big attraction from November through March. On our last trip we took a snorkeling cruise to Molokini and saw dozens of whales jumping, slapping their fins, and cavorting on our way back to Maalea, our port. Later in the evening from our lanai we could hear whales slapping their fins and flukes in the dark waters between Maui and Molokai.
If you want the busy crowds of Kaanapali and enjoy having access to a concierge and full hotel amenities, the Villas are not for you. But if you want a little privacy, a leisurely walks to the beach, or luxuriating in a near-private pool, Kapalua may be your cup of tea. What's our choice? My wife and I own two time share units in Kaanapali; we rent both out and prefer to stay in Kapalua.
Some money saving tips:
Kapalua has its own airport but flights from the mainland are routed through Honolulu. Airfares are generally $100 additional to fly to Kapalua rather than Kahului.
Car rental is a necessity, though there are shuttles from Kahului Airport (OGG) to Kapalua. The trip from Kahului takes about 45 minutes, although the traffic through Lahaina can cause long waits.
Most of the rental units in Kapalua are privately-owned condos, with the exception of the Ritz-Carlton that has partially become a "fractional ownership" property. The Kapalua Bay Hotel featured in some earlier tour books has been torn down and is being replaced by high end fractional ownership condos.
Condos can be rented through Kapalua Resort, which manages the privately owned units, though there are third party agencies such as Sullivan Properties (www.MauiResorts.com) and Vacation Rentals By Owner (http://www.vrbo.com) where prices are generally lower, with one bedroom units as low as $150 per night and two bedroom units as low as $225 per night. There is one season in Maui, with Christmas holidays featuring higher rental rates.
Staying for a while? Just outside the Kahului Airport is a Costco warehouse. Load up the groceries!
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 Disneyland Paris, to 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 travel plans. Also check out our Article Collection for more great information!
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Disneyland Feature:
Dining Review: River Belle Terrace
by Kath Davis, PassPorter Guest Contributor
The River Belle Terrace in Disneyland Park has recently reopened with an exciting new menu. We had seen the menu posted a month or so earlier (although the restaurant was closed at that time), and we had been waiting for an opportunity to sample it. We got our chance one lovely April evening.
The River Belle Terrace is a triangular restaurant at the intersection of Adventureland, Frontierland and New Orleans Square. It is one of the "1955 Originals," in place when the park opened, and is billed as casual dining. One entrance faces Tarzan's Treehouse, and the other is along the Rivers of America. The apex of the triangle points right at Pirates of the Caribbean. There is fairly limited seating inside, but lots of outdoor seating on the Frontierland side. Some of the outdoor tables have umbrellas.
We'd spent a wonderful day at the Anaheim parks, and had just enjoyed the "Remember... Dreams Come True" parade from a premium spot on Main Street. We'd planned to eat late at the River Belle (it stays open until 10:30 pm on Friday nights in the spring, but the hours do vary with the time of year). Our plan was to get an outdoor table, and linger over dinner long enough to watch the 10:30 showing of Fantasmic! from comfortable seats.
We did get one of the last tables (about 40 minutes before Fantasmic! would start), and my husband Randy went in to order. The new menu consists of Signature Sandwiches (prime rib, turkey, barbecued pork, or vegetarian) and salads (also with prime rib or turkey). A children's menu includes smaller versions of the prime rib or turkey sandwiches, as well as peanut butter and jelly. We both ordered the prime rib sandwich; it was a very hearty sandwich with plenty of meat, but could have used more flavorful bread. (I find that the bread at the resort is rarely up to the rest of the ingredients in a sandwich.) It was not clear from the menu outside that a side dish is included with your sandwich. Randy chose a pasta salad for me (since I was defending our table and two chairs from latecomers), and he had coleslaw. Naturally we sampled from each other. Both were quite tasty, and I thought the pasta salad with artichoke hearts was delicious. Other side choices include a bean salad and a fruit salad. Portions were generous, and I left some of my sandwich behind (but finished that great pasta salad!).
We shared dessert, a strawberry shortcake concoction made with light custard. There are other dessert choices, such as chocolate cake. The meal for the two of us was under $30, and even at the late hour, the food was fresh and the service prompt. There are two service lines (one starting at each entrance), but only one was open at 10:00 pm.
The seating area became quite crowded, as other people took advantage of unused chairs to view Fantasmic!. It was an excellent viewing spot for the show, and I would advise anyone who can wait that late for dinner to do the same. The umbrellas were closed for better viewing.
The River Belle Terrace is also open for breakfast, offering "Mickey" pancakes, scrambled eggs, fruit, meats and pastries.
One area where Disneyland suffers a little in comparison to Walt Disney World (in our opinion) is dining. With the new menu at the River Belle Terrace, Disneyland comes just a bit closer to the dining opportunities in the Magic Kingdom. The food is tasty, hearty and offers some fairly healthy choices.
About the Author: Kath Davis is the executive director for a non-profit youth orchestra in southern California. Her husband Randy telecommutes all over America and Asia. He enjoys researching restaurants!
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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Did You Know?
You Can Arrive at Walt Disney World in Style!
Airport Meet & Greet, luggage help, free car seat
Free 30-minute grocery stop with airport round-trip
Special! $5.00 off airport round-trip
Use Discount Code: PassPorter News
Call 888-GO TO WDW or visit quicksilver-tours.com
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