| June 14, 2012 * Issue 9.24 |
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 In This Newsletter
From the Founders: Get Your Photo Published!
Travel Feature: Lessons Learned From Our Cruise on the Disney Dream
Disney Feature: Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique for Boys
Updates: What's New and Changed
Tips: Take A Pic of PhotoPass Card, Autograph Address Book, Pack Pipe Cleaners
Captain's Corner: Spread Some Magic
PassPorter PhotoPick: Disneyland Fireworks
Q and A: basketball courts at Disney World Resorts
Our
Sponsors: We Recommend...
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 Cool Links:
Stuff and Services
We encounter many Disney- and travel-related products and services. From among
those we try, a few are good enough to use ourselves and recommend to you:
Orlando Scooter Rentals - http://www.scootarama.com
Owner's Locker - The Purple Place for Storing Your Vacation Stuff!
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Updates:
What's New and Changed
This week we have 3 news bulletins:
Disneyland Testing Smartphone Ticket Purchase During busy times, Disneyland guests now have the option to purchase admission through their internet-enabled phones. Visit m.disneyland.com, select the "buy tickets now from your mobile device" link, and choose from a 1-Day 1-Park base ticket or 1-Day Park Hopper ticket. (2-day tickets to be added soon!) Once your purchase is complete, you will see a barcode that will be scanned at the gate, where you will be given a paper ticket (which you will need for park hopping, re-entry, FASTPASSes, etc.).
Comments: 49
This updates page 082 of PassPorter's Disneyland Resort guidebook
Wild Africa Trek Discount For a limited time, guests who opt to do the Wild Africa Trek VIP Tour at Disney's Animal Kingdom at 11:45 am or later, will save $50. This offer valid on select Treks until August 25, 2012. Visit DisneyWorld.com/Trek for details or call 407-WDW-TOUR to book.
Comments: 49
This updates page 273 of PassPorter's Walt Disney World guidebook
Mickey Check Highlights Healthy Food Options As a continued part of Disney's Magic of Healthy Living initiative, Disney has unveiled a new "Mickey Check" logo that will appear on menus, food items, select websites and even online on recipes on Disney.com and Family.com. The Mickey Check helps identify foods that comply with Disney's new nutrition guidelines. In addition, new options have begun to appear around the Disney theme parks such as flatbreads at Pinocchio Village Haus and broccoli as a side at Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe, both at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom.
Comments: 49
This updates page 228 of PassPorter's Walt Disney World guidebook
Tip: Need more news? Read, sort, and search all the PassPorter news bulletins at the PassPorter News Desk!
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! Send us your tips! You may see them in this newsletter and win a copy of PassPorter! And you never know -- your tip could even appear in a future edition of a PassPorter guidebook.
TAKE A PIC OF PHOTOPASS CARD
'I don't know if this has been shared before, but I think it's important to take a picture of your PHOTOPASS cards after you get them. That way if you lose it, you will still have the numbers and be able to get all your pictures. '
-- contributed by Crystal
 Save This Tip
AUTOGRAPH ADDRESS BOOK
'We have been Disney Vacation Club members since 2007 and have loved every bit of the magic. My kids make friends at the resorts and on the cruises we have been on, with kids from different states and countries. A great way to keep in touch with new friends is to use an extra Disney autograph book for addresses or e-mails. Few kids actually have a phone to put numbers in on a cruise, but everyone can get a hold of an autograph book for new buddies. '
-- contributed by Denise
Save This Tip
PACK PIPE CLEANERS
'Flying with twin 5 year olds meant we were well prepared with crayons, small notebooks, soft books, craft store Disney paper crafts and Pipe cleaners. The soft chenille twisting wires were a welcome quiet activity on the plane and the resulting critters, flowers, and colorful folks helped everyone easily identify our rooms as they sat in the window sill or hung from the curtain rod.'
-- contributed by Nancy
Save This Tip
Want more Disney
tips? Look for the concierge bell icon in future newsletters and throughout the PassPorter.com site. When you see the bell, tap it to view and save the tip to your personal tip collection!
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. (Please note: Players can win once every three months.)
Here is this week's journal entry:
"I'm back again to remind you to consider contributing a special photo from your Walt Disney World vacation because and it could get picked to be published in the next edition of the PassPorter guidebook! Not only will this get you a free copy of the book when it comes out, but you get to show off, er, see your awesome photo in full, vibrant color published in a bestselling book. You'll be the talk of your neighborhood! To upload a photo, check out the photo upload guidelines at http://www.passporter.com/photo-upload-guidelines.asp"
For bonus credit, locate the photo in the PassPorter Photo Archive and post a comment with the photo!
Congratulations to who was the winner of last week's trivia contest! was the first person to
identify the answer to last week's clue as in . Bonus credit goes to as the first person to locate the photo in our PassPorter Photo Archive. To view the original clue, see last week's newsletter.
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!
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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:
Disneyland Fireworks
Photo by runnerrae
(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
lmg24 asks: "Hi, my entire family will be in Walt Disney World in July for the American Celtic festival and my nephew had asked me about which Resorts have basketball courts. I was wondering if anyone knows and what it cost to rent equipment for the court? Thanks!"
Dave Marx answers: "There are just three resorts with basketball that I know of: Fort Wilderness Campground, Old Key West, and Saratoga Springs. There's no charge for the use of the basketballs."
Did our message board members agree with Dave Marx? To see other answers that lmg24 received, check out the rest of the thread on the PassPorter Message Boards..
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 -
Adventures by Disney 2013
Mouse Fan Travel -
We have great rates for Late Summer Travel!
Quicksilver Tours & Transportation -
$5.00 off airport round-trip town car!
Orlando Scooter Rentals -
http://www.scootarama.com
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| | | From the Authors: Get Your Photo Published!
Hi, {{user('firstname')}}!
The last several year's full-color photo supplements have been so popular that we're planning another special photo section for our 2013 edition of PassPorter's Walt Disney World! If you have an extra-magical photo of Walt Disney World you'd like to see in gorgeous color in our guidebook, please share it with us -- we think reader photos really expand our scope and make PassPorter more magical! The best way to contribute a photo is to upload it to the PassPorter Photo Archive and type "2013photocontest" as a keyword so we can identify it. Photos needs to be uploaded by July 15, 2012 to be eligible for consideration. If your photo is chosen, the photo will appear in our 2013 guidebook attributed to you and you will receive a free copy of the guidebook. We look forward to seeing your magical photos! To learn more about uploading photos, please visit PassPorter Photo Contributions.
PassPorter's Club
UpdateMore than 1500 vacationers are now enjoying access to all our e-books, e-worksheets, and super-sized photo archive images. Thank you for your continued support!
- A revised version of PassPorter's Disney Weddings and Honeymoons e-book is ready for download. Updates include changes to Disney’s policy on outside vendors for floral, decor and entertainment; changes to Disney Fine Art Photography’s photo and video packages, more details on the “free night” policy for room blocks, information on mail-away marriage licenses for UK residents, and revised pricing throughout.
You can purchase the PassPorter's Disney Weddings and Honeymoons through the PassPorter Store or get the e-book free of charge as a PassPorter's Club Passholder. If you have already purchased PassPorter's Disney Weddings and Honeymoon from our online store, you can download the updated version for free by going to the PassPorter Store, logging into your account, locating the e-book in your Order History, and clicking the download link. PassPorter's Club Passholders can download the latest version using the Concierge Desk.
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In this issue, PassPorter Featured Columnist Cheryl Pendry shares information on Lessons Learned From Our Cruise on the Disney Dream. Then PassPorter Guest Contributor Tiffini Porter gives us a glimpse into Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique for Boys. Finally, Jack Skatt is back with a brand-new Walt Disney World Treasure Hunt.
Jennifer and Dave Marx
PassPorter Founders and
Authors
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Travel
Feature:
Lessons Learned From Our Cruise on the Disney Dream: A Disney Cruise Line Review
Cheryl Pendry, PassPorter Featured Columnist
Last week, I recounted the lessons learned during our recent visits to Walt Disney World.
In this article, I'm turning my attention to the lessons that we learned from sailing on the Disney Dream for the first time.
I really wasn’t sure what to expect during our first cruise on the Disney Dream, despite the huge amount of photos I’d already seen of this beautiful new addition to the Disney Cruise Line. Would the ship just be too overwhelming for us? In all honesty, no, although as we drove up to Port Canaveral, the size of the Dream was impossible to take in. It almost came across as a bit intimidating. However, what we quickly learned was that the Dream looked bigger from the outside, than it felt once you were actually on board.
What was immediately apparent the moment we arrived at the Disney Cruise Line Terminal was how packed this cruise was going to be. I peeked at the Disney Cruise Line website a little beforehand, and was pretty sure that we were going to be sailing quite full, as there didn’t seem to be many staterooms available for online booking. Now, while Disney tends to handle crowds very well, there were certain points where it didn’t work out so well, and one of those was in the terminal.
Another was at the Sailaway Party, where literally every spot of deck overlooking the party was crammed full of people. As a result, one thing I quickly learned is that I’m not that keen on sailing when the ship is going to be this busy. I’d never seen anything like it, and while the Dream could just about handle the numbers, during those two periods, it wasn't much fun. As a result, any thoughts we had of sailing on the Disney Fantasy over Christmas disappeared. I will confess that also had something to do with the price tag of that particular cruise as well.
I think we already knew this, but our cruise on the Dream proved that three nights just isn’t long enough. It had been fine for our first Disney cruise all the way back in 2004, but now it didn’t work for us. We felt that there was so much to see and do on board, and so little time to do it. We came off the cruise promising ourselves that we would never be back on a three-night cruise, as we needed more time on board.
Something else we know for our next cruise is that we’ll definitely be purchasing another length of cruise pass to the Tropical Rainforest area of the spa. We were very impressed with what we saw during our tour on the first afternoon on board, but as the cruise wore on, and we enjoyed more relaxation time there, we really found it to be a superb value for the money. Yes, it was expensive, but so worth it. Where else can you sit in a hot tub on your own private, enclosed deck, and just watch the world outside, especially when that view includes Castaway Cay?
Another lesson we took away was to get the Main (first) dining seating for our cruises. I’ve never been sure which would work better for us, as I could see benefits to both. On this cruise, we wanted to dine in all three main restaurants, and fit in both Palo and Remy, too. A demanding itinerary for sure, but how else were we going to do it? With the earlier dining time, we were able to at least sample a small amount of food, and the atmosphere at each dining room, before heading off to the real star turn of the evening. It turned to be the perfect compromise, and something we’ll be doing again on the Fantasy.
Perhaps the timing of our Fantasy cruise tells you something about what we learned next, and that also fits into the discovery we made while at Walt Disney World, both before, and after the cruise. We’ll be cruising in mid-December, and some of that has to do with the fact that it was just far too hot for us during April. However, we even learned from that, working out that we needed to head ashore to Castaway Cay as soon as we were allowed. We did so, and literally a couple of hours later we’d had time to enjoy the island, and specifically the wonderful peace of Serenity Bay. At that point, we packed up, and headed back to the ship.
This was where we made our next discovery. If you want to ride the AquaDuck water coaster with very little, or possibly even no wait, then it’s worth getting up and at ‘em early, getting out to your destination when your ship is in port, and then returning to the ship. We were there not long after the AquaDuck opened at 11:00 am that day, and we waited barely 10 minutes each time, so we were able to enjoy it twice in quick succession.
Despite the fact that we were only on board for three nights (again far too short a time!), we still came away from this cruise having learned a huge amount about what to do, or not do again, on a future cruise, and we’ll be applying that experience to the Fantasy when we meet her for the first time later this year.
Next in this series of articles, I’ll be looking at what we learned on our last Disneyland visit.
Reader Comments (49) - Comment on this article
View Article Online | Download Free Article PDF
About the Author: Cheryl is the author of the e-book, PassPorter's Walt Disney World for British Holidaymakers, and is the co-author of PassPorter's Disney Vacation Club Guide: For Members and Members-To-Be. Cheryl and husband Mark live in England and love to travel, particularly to Disney, and they have travelled around the world, visiting every Disney theme park on the way.
Questions, feedback, or
corrections about this article, or just want to give kudos to the author? Share a comment here or e-mail
us at news@passporter.com. Also check out our Article Collection for more great information!
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Disney Feature:
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique for Boys: Not Just for Princesses!
Tiffini Porter, PassPorter Guest Contributor
Who would have thought the best and most exciting moment of my nephews' first Walt Disney World trip would take place somewhere seemingly reserved for up-and-coming princesses?
Well, it did. The Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique made my four- and six-year-old nephews into the most handsome little princes in the Magic Kingdom.
The boutique offers “The Knight Package” for little guys that includes a hair style, a shield, and a sword. I booked the appointment for the location inside Cinderella Castle by calling the boutique at 407-WDW-STYLE about two months before our visit. Reservations are strongly recommended and a valid credit card is needed at the time of booking. The card is not charged unless you cancel the appointment, at least it wasn’t in our case, and you can pay cash at the boutique. The package is also available at the Downtown Disney location (inside the World of Disney store). Theme park admission is required to get into the Magic Kingdom location, but you can visit the Downtown Disney location at any time.
Before we left home, and because there can never be too much magic, I created a letter that I intended to give to a cast member, who would then (hopefully) hand it off to the boys at some point during the day. The letter was from Mickey Mouse, inviting the boys to become the newest knights of the Magic Kingdom and telling them to hurry to Cinderella Castle for their knighting.
We were visiting in mid-February, so the parks were pretty empty and my plan went even better than expected. I tracked down Peter Pan and secretly asked him to give the letter to the boys. He did an amazing job, and the looks on their precious little faces were priceless. Needless to say, we quickly headed to the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique to check in and get the magic started.
The boutique is tucked in the back of the walkway that passes through Cinderella Castle. There is a small waiting area and a podium to check in. The waiting area was pretty full at the time, so we had to wait just outside the door, which was fine because the waiting area decor was a little pink for our boys’ taste.
The boutique itself was pretty full, but there seemed to be enough seating for all the parents and other onlookers. Of course, the chairs were filled with lots of little princesses, but the boys didn’t seem to notice the lack of other little guys in the room.
Their Fairy Godmother-in-Training was adorable but very soft spoken. The boutique is bustling so I wish she had been a little more outgoing so we could have all heard her a little easier. For us, the style portion was the most fun, as it included a choice of hair gel color, a cool spiked hairdo, Mickey Mouse confetti, and a classic Mickey Mouse silhouette painted on the back of their heads with hair gel. The boys got a lot of attention from cast members and other guests for the rest of the day. Everyone commented on how cute they looked. They loved it, and it made the adults in our family smile, too!
The package, which costs a mere $15.95 (plus tax), is probably one of the best deals on site. After their makeover, we saw the exact same sword and shield they were given being sold in the gift shop for $11.00 each. We got the sword, shield and hairstyle for less than the cost of the sword and shield alone! Plus, you can’t beat the price for the memories we got.
Walt Disney World seems to be lacking in the area of special events for little boys, but this experience was an affordable alternative for little ones who related more with the idea of becoming a prince or a knight than a pirate. The experience wasn’t just magical for the boys, either. My mother, sister-in-law, and I each got a healthy sprinkling of pixie dust and a little magic of our own while in the boutique. It was probably one of the most magical things I’ve had happen to me in my many visits to Walt Disney World.
In all, the Knight Package at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique is an exceptional value, a magical time, and a sweet way to make your little guys feel just as special as all those little girls donning their glitter lip gloss and princess dresses.
Reader Comments (3) - Comment on this article
View Article Online | Download Free Article PDF
About the Author: Tiffini is a journalist, photographer, and Walt Disney World College Program Alumni. She is a self-proclaimed Disney-addict and delights in all things related to Walt Disney World vacations. She is looking forward to her next trip in September of 2012!
Questions, feedback, or
corrections about this article, or just want to give kudos to the author? Share a comment here or e-mail
us at news@passporter.com. 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 quicksilvertransportation.com
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