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PassPorter News Brought to you by PassPorter Guidebooks
 June 9, 2005 * Issue 5.11
 
In This Newsletter

From the Authors: New York Report

Family Feature: Taming the Beast: Taking the Scare Factor Out of Walt Disney World

Disney World Feature:  What - No Parks? Walt Disney World Outside the Theme Parks, Part 2

Updates: What's New and Changed

Tips: Getting There Gifts, "Big Kid" Bags, Double Your...Dry Sneakers? 

Q&A: Cruising with a cast?
 


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Updates:
What's New and Changed

Here's a few of the new developments at Disney·

Star Wars Weekends have been extended to go through Sunday, June 26, 2005! Jerome Blake (Rune Haako) and Brian Gernand (Model Supervisor) will be appearing this weekend, June 10 - 12. No information is available yet on who will be appearing the following weekends. Interesting...

"Twice Charmed: An Original Twist on the Cinderella Story", the new show onboard the Disney Magic, premiered during the Magic's Inaugural West Coast cruise which set sail on May 28, 2005. Picking up where the movie left off, at the wedding of Cinderella to her Prince Charming, the show includes 6 new songs as well as two familiar tunes from the movie. "Twice Charmed" will be performed on the Magic through 2005. 

You can view our page-by-page list of updates and corrections for the new PassPorter Walt Disney World 2005 Edition at http://www.passporter.com/
customs/bookupdates.htm.

>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:

GETTING THERE GIFTS
"My wife and I give our kids 100 mile gifts to keep them excited and upbeat during our travels.  They might get candy or a toy, but they really like it when they get a bonus surprise like a Disney CD or DVD. This year my wife and I decided to get join in on the fun and buy 100 mile gifts for each other. This helps to break up a long drive."
-- contributed by Christopher Graves

"BIG KID" BAGS
"I bought my daughter her own little lightweight cloth purse that she could hang around her neck.  Inside the purse, I put band-aids, a pin, and a disposable camera. Lauren could get her own band-aids out if she felt she needed one, a pin for character autographs, and a camera to take pictures of whatever she wanted for her own personal photo album. My five-year-old daughter felt like such a big girl on her very first trip to Walt Disney World."
-- contributed by Andrea D.

DOUBLE YOUR...DRY SNEAKERS?
"Always pack two pair of sneakers. If it rains request extra towels from housekeeping. Stuff one towel in each of your wet sneakers. The towel will help the sneakers dry faster. Each day you will be guaranteed dry sneakers for walking in the parks."
-- contributed by Marcy F. (marsaroosky@...) 

>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

lenzs4 asks: "We are going on the West coast cruise this month. Yesterday my 4 year-old broke her arm. Does anyone have suggestions about cruising with a broken arm? Any concerns we may need to address or ways to make the situation a fun/special occasion? I am worried about swimming and excursions (no one in my family has ever had a cast so I know nothing about the care I will have to have with it.) Thanks!" 

Dave answers: "Pixie dust for your daughter (and some for her parents, too!)

Your daughter may already have her cast by the time you read this, but if not....

Generally, they give children fiberglass casts, which are lightweight and fairly waterproof. They'll give you care instructions when they apply the cast and you can ask your care-related questions at that time.

Kids generally adapt very quickly to casts, and generally won't be very mindful of them, so you'll want to be especially watchful of any situations about which the doctor warns you.

Most shore excursions that are open to four year-olds will either be bus tours (boring for a child) or beach/swimming related. So, there are no special guidelines beyond any medical cautions you receive.

Presuming your child's cast is water-friendly, invest in her own life jacket for those beach excursions - one that's comfortable and provides good freedom of movement. You can't be sure what kind of equipment will be available on an excursion, and with the restricted mobility she'll have in a cast, a good life jacket that you know how to fasten and fits properly will be a great comfort to you.

Be sure to carry a good permanent marker (Sharpie) for character autographing opportunities on board the ship. She'll probably get a bit of special attention from characters and crew, so a camera will be especially handy, too."

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 Get Published?

We're on the lookout for guest columnists to contribute articles to this newsletter. 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 details and our article guidelines, please e-mail news@passporter.com. Articles about Disney and general travel are welcomed!


 

From the Authors: New York Report

Hi, PassPorter Friends!

Oy, are we busy! We're back from our trip to New York City for Book Expo America. Jennifer is back at her desk, completing editorial work on PassPorter's Walt Disney World for Your Special Needs (due out in mid-August) and continuing work on PassPorter Disneyland and Southern California Attractions (now due in early November). We've also just begun to work in earnest on PassPorter Walt Disney World 2006. And we're going back for a second printing on our Disney Cruise Guide -- we've almost sold out and it's only been available for a month! Meantime, Dave has been busy following up on some exciting business prospects generated at Book Expo that will, we hope, bring PassPorter to an even wider audience.

We promised we'd tell you how we fared at the Benjamin Franklin Awards dinner - PassPorter's Field Guide to the Disney Cruise Line finished-up as a finalist for Travel Guide - 1-2 color interior. The gold ring went to a truly excellent hiking guide to the Lake Tahoe area, so next year's edition of our cruise guide will sport a silver medallion on its cover. Not too shabby, eh?

At Book Expo we had the pleasure of meeting many PassPorter friends within the book business, and introduced our books to many more booksellers and librarians. Jennifer, Dave and Allie autographed nearly 100 copies of PassPorter Walt Disney World on Friday; Deb Koma, co-author of our upcoming Special Needs book autographed a special preview edition of that book on Saturday, and Jennifer and Dave autographed copies of our Disney Cruise guide on Sunday. Folks were especially excited to learn about the Special Needs guide and the new Library Edition of our Walt Disney World book - our future is looking very bright indeed! That's especially good news for baby Alexander, who charmed folks whenever he made an appearance in the PassPorter exhibit.

But enough about New York! What about Disney? Well, we have a pair of fine articles for you. Tavel Cowan-Bell shares some fine tricks of the parenting-at-Disney trade, and Cheryl Pendry completes her two-part series on the joys of an out-of-parks experience at Walt Disney World. We're sure we'll enjoy them!

Jennifer and Dave
PassPorter Travel Press

 


 
 

Did You Know? WDW and DCL PassPorters Ship Next Day!

The 2005 edition of PassPorter Walt Disney World and PassPorter's Field Guide to the Disney Cruise Line 3rd Edition are now shipping next business day when ordered by 8:00 pm ET the night before. (Don't forget that Monday is a business holiday, though.) If you've been waiting to order your copy, now is the perfect time!

Everyone gets a 15% discount and if you've already got a copy of PassPorter, you can register it to get a discount coupon good for 30% off the list price of any PassPorter guidebook.

Order your copy today at:
http://www.passporterstore.com/store

Family Feature:

Taming the Beast: Taking the Scare Factor Out of Walt Disney World
By Tavel Cowan-Bell, Guest Columnist

Combine huge characters, loud noises and indoor attractions with a preschooler's overactive imagination, and suddenly Walt Disney World can be the scariest place on earth.

Unless you want to restrict your vacation to riding Dumbo the Flying Elephant and the Mad Tea Party teacups, some tips are necessary to help your children enjoy "the World." While your 5-year-old won't necessarily be ready for Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, preparation can open up a "World" of opportunities for your family to enjoy.

During a recent trip, my oldest son, age 4, started to get the worries about any indoor ride or show, prompting my youngest son, age 2, to get scared as well. But with a little Pixie Dust and a lot of work, we were able to enjoy almost every no-height-requirement attraction and had a wonderful time with minimal drama.

Do Your Homework
Before you leave for Disney, give your child a head start about what to expect. The free Vacation Planning DVD gives glimpses of several popular rides, shows and parades. We watched the video together, talking to my sons about rides I knew they would enjoy and reminding them that wilder rides like Space Mountain would wait until they were older. 

The Disney Sing Along Songs video series often feature favorite attractions as well. I was lucky to find an older video, Disneyland Fun, at a yard sale; we were able to explore Tom Sawyer Island, the Jungle Cruise and the Haunted Mansion from the safety of our playroom. The more recent video, Flik's Musical Adventure at Disney's Animal Kingdom, shows a tour of the entire park, prompting my preschooler to veto Dinosaur, but helping him to bravely try the It's Tough to be a Bug! 3-D movie.

Once the boys were familiar with several attractions, we pulled out our maps of the four theme parks from our last trip. As they pointed out each site, I read the description of each from my PassPorter, focusing on Allie's Kid Tips at the end. We made a list of things to try, separated ones to think about, and put others in a "when I'm bigger" category.

Start With the Familiar
My children have been surrounded by Winnie the Pooh since their birth, so it was easy to transition from nursery décor to Magic Kingdom fun. The Teacups recall other spinning rides, so we were able to remind them of their previous successes before they got worried. The Playhouse Disney and Voyage of the Little Mermaid attractions at Disney-MGM Studios offered live performances of shows they knew.
 Once the boys made it through the first 3-D movie, getting them into others wasn't much of a struggle. After Dumbo, the Magic Carpets of Aladdin and TriceraTop Spin were welcomed as well.

When visiting characters, we started with the cuddly and familiar. Character meals, like our breakfast with Pooh and friends at Crystal Palace, are excellent opportunities to meet characters in a relaxed setting. 
Sometimes it's the sheer size of the character that is frightening. Our youngest son was happy to meet heroes and villains alike as long as he was being held by a parent and was eye-to-eye with the characters.

Add Some Fairy Dust
Prior to our visit, my 4-year-old son was so excited about riding Pirates of the Caribbean. He learned the song from a Disney Sing-a-Long video and would turn a ruler and a cowboy hat into a pirate costume. But walking down the dim and somewhat eerie entryway made him change his mind -- he was terrified!
 I pulled him aside and brought out a special light-up necklace (bought at home). The soft light of the "bravery medal" did the trick, as he was able to hold it during dark portions of the ride. And he loved Pirates and immediately wanted to go again!

I also purchased Pooh and Lion King squeezable flashlights for the trip and a small clip-on light for our backpack. Having access to a light is invaluable if you get caught in an unexpectedly dark area (as we did for 10 minutes on Spaceship Earth at Epcot). Discount stores offer a variety of inexpensive light-up jewelry, especially during holidays like July 4th and Halloween. Small tubes of bubbles or a small toy can help distract children during the potential worrying time before a ride or show. Parents may also want to consider buying a magic wand or a stuffed "hero" to provide "extra bravery." 

Save It For Another Trip
The Great Movie Ride at Disney-MGM Studios is a pretty tame attraction to most, but my 4-year-old just couldn't deal with it after a few doses of the Alien preview in the queuing area. The Barnstormer at Goofy's Farm had a frightened crying child ahead of us in line. Rather than push our luck, we opted to leave those attractions before riding.

Although these were rides we knew he would eventually enjoy, sometimes you have to follow your child's lead. Some rides we opted to skip altogether; I just don't think our children would be interested in anything titled "scary" or "haunted." 

By using a combination of Fast Pass and the baby swap, my husband and I were able to enjoy more mature rides like Mission:SPACE and Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. The other parent would occupy the boys by visiting characters or getting a snack. 

Eventually these same scared preschoolers will become teens who can't get enough of Rock 'n' Roller Coaster. So if your child gets too worked up about a particular attraction, save it for another trip -- you'll have a perfect excuse to return to Walt Disney World!

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Did you enjoy this article? Have questions? E-mail us at news@passporter.com or visit http://www.passporterboards.com to discuss your travel plans.


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Walt Disney World Feature:

What - No Parks? Walt Disney World Outside the Theme Parks (Part 2 of 2)
by Cheryl Pendry, Guest Columnist and PassPorter Message Board Guide

In this second part of a two part article, veteran Disney visitor Cheryl Pendry takes us through the delights of Walt Disney World outside the main parks. 

Having explored the Disney resorts and all they have to offer in the first part of this article, it's probably already clear that there's more than enough happening on Disney property to ensure that you never have to leave during the course of your vacation. But for the adventurous among you who want something other than just parks and resorts, there's a lot more to explore. 

Although connected to the resorts, the two spas on property are really entities unto themselves, each set in their own relaxing building. As with spas around the world, the moment you enter, you're in a relaxed atmosphere, one that offers a huge range of spa treatments. Facials, pedicures, massages and body treatments can be booked at either the Grand Floridian or Saratoga Springs spas, but each has their own specialty. 

At the Grand Floridian its water therapies and soaks, including different types of baths, while Saratoga Springs has a slight twist on the water therapy, offering hydro-massage therapies, which massage you as you bathe. I can personally vouch for the soothing tired legs treatment, stress recovery facial, and head, shoulders and back massage and I fully intend to explore the other options on offer at both spas in future visits! 

To find out more about the treatments on offer, check out http://www.relaxedyet.com and if you're an Annual Pass holder or a Disney Vacation Club member, keep an eye out for special offers. Although offers can never be guaranteed, there have been a number over the past year. 

The spas do offer couples relaxation packages, but more often than not, it tends to be only women who are seen at the spa. So what can the men do while the women are busy relaxing and indulging themselves? Mini-golf is one option, with four courses available -- two at Fantasia Gardens by the Swan and Dolphin hotels and the other two at Winter Summerland, next door to Blizzard Beach. All courses have superb Disney detail on them, although my personal favorite is at Fantasia Gardens. There's something very fun (and very surreal!) about trying to score a hole in one in amongst dancing hippos! And it's located conveniently close to some excellent restaurants and entertainment along Disney's BoardWalk. 

Evoking memories of a bygone coastal town, the BoardWalk boasts restaurants, night-time entertainment in the shape of the ESPN Club and the dueling piano bar Jellyrolls, along with shops and street entertainers, including a fire breather and a cowgirl. On a warm evening, it's a lovely place to stroll round and we've spent many a magical time just browsing in the shops, enjoying the wonderful aromas from the restaurants as we wandered past, and taking in the sights. If you're lucky, you may even catch some of the highest fireworks from Illuminations and Fantasmic! from one of the bridges. 

If you're feeling energetic, you could grab some help from your fellow travelers and take a ride round past the Yacht and Beach Club on one of the surrey bikes available for hire. They are a popular choice, but be aware -- those hills up to the bridges around Crescent Lake are steeper than they look and have been the undoing of many families. Be very sure that you've got enough pedal power to get up them!

But if it's nightlife you're really after, you'd best be heading for Downtown Disney, where everything is on your doorstep -- albeit a rather large doorstep! With three intertwined areas - the West Side, Pleasure Island and the Marketplace - you can see one of the most unique shows in the world in Cirque du Soleil's La Nouba, take a trip into a virtual reality world in DisneyQuest, dance the night away at one of the clubs or shop until you drop at a range of stores. 

Our personal favorites at Downtown Disney include La Nouba, which we rate as "not to be missed" -- a show that's almost impossible to describe and is certainly unforgettable. And now, having discovered the unique Adventurers Club on Pleasure Island, a trip wouldn't be the same without an exploration of the Mask Room and the Library and a meeting with the Club President and the French Maid! Like La Nouba, this is another show that's impossible to describe. The best way is to experience it for yourself! 

Something that many people somehow manage to overlook is the massive 24 screen cinema at Downtown Disney. It may sound like an unusual idea to take time out of your precious Disney vacation to watch a movie, but if the latest blockbuster opens while you're away, as happened to us one year when the new James Bond movie came out, then it's an enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours, especially if the weather is less than perfect. 

But for many, an even more enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours is dropping dollars at the many shops at the Marketplace. World of Disney is the starting point for most -- and for some, that's where the shopping ends as well. That's fair enough, as it is the world's largest Disney Store, but our other favorites include Disney's Days of Christmas, especially magical in the holiday season, but worth a visit at any time of the year, particularly if you've always fancied having your own Disney-inspired Christmas tree. The Wonderful World of Memories is paradise for scrapbookers like myself and Pooh Corner is always somewhere we have to go into, just to see the latest Eeyore merchandise! 

And away from the Marketplace, if you want a CD or DVD, the chances are it's in stock at the Virgin Megastore on the West Side. Although we can never afford to buy any of the collectibles in Starabilias, it's great fun browsing around the shop and dreaming of what a lottery win could buy you. More affordable is Magnetron, home to the biggest selection of refrigerator magnets I've ever seen -- a number of which now adorn our fridge, helping to keep various Disney postcards in place! With so many places to choose from, it's easy to see how you could spend a whole day (and a lot of money!) simply shopping at Downtown Disney! 

For our final Disney stop outside of the parks, it's time to head off property to a little slice of Walt's dream just along the 417. Although the town of Celebration has been in existence for a little over a decade, as you drive into it you can't help but think that this is exactly the sort of turn of the century close-knit community that Walt wanted to create.  It's obviously a town that's been carefully created, with plenty of landscaping and some lovely designs to the houses. 

It's a treat to drive round and see, what was to us, a dream place to live. But beware -- there are no traffic lights on many of the crossroads and there are low speed limits, mainly to try and give priority to pedestrians. You can easily spend a couple of hours in Celebration, browsing the variety of shops in Market Street and enjoying a meal at one of the many restaurants and cafés to be found there. If you happen to be at Disney in the run-up to Christmas, don't forget that magic comes to Celebration as well, with snow on the hour every hour between 6:00 and 9:00 in the evening. 

As you can see, magic can be found everywhere on Disney property -- and even off property. It doesn't just exist at the theme parks. There's a lot more to explore at Walt Disney World and for us, a vacation there simply isn't complete without some time enjoying the resorts, the recreation and relaxation that's also on offer. 

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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 planning your Disney vacation.

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