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PassPorter News
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PassPorter News is available by free subscription to over 7500 readers and friends of PassPorter -- everyone is welcome! Each newsletter includes a feature article about Disney or travel in general, news and updates for Disney, reader tips, Q & A with Jennifer & Dave, and a letter from the authors. Newsletters may also offer special deals and coupons for our guidebooks, or announcements about new books or products. Newsletters go out once every two weeks, usually on Wednesday or Thursday.

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Updated 11/21/03

Copyright 1999-2004
PassPorter Travel Press, an imprint of MediaMarx, Inc.

Questions? Problems? E-Mail Us!

Newsletter 2.11

==========================================

PassPorter News
News, Announcements, Updates, and Tips

August 2002 - Issue 2.11

PassPorter.com - http://www.passporter.com
==========================================

Welcome to PassPorter News, an online newsletter
about PassPorter travel guidebooks and the
Walt Disney World Resort!

PassPorter News is available by free subscription
to all readers and friends of our labor of love --
PassPorter Walt Disney World: The unique travel
guide, planner, organizer, journal, and keepsake!
Learn all about it at:
http://www.passporter.com/wdw/2002.htm


==========================================
In This Newsletter:
==========================================
* From the Authors: Updates, Trip Report, and Upcoming Trip
* Feature: Caribbean Beach to Close Temporarily
* Updates: What's New and Changed at WDW
* Tips: Maps, Countdown Charts, Dining on a Budget
* Q&A: Resort Info, Kids on Attractions


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
DID YOU KNOW? (a little word from our sponsor -- us!)

The PassPorter 2003 editions will be released in January
2003. If you wish to pre-order your spiral, deluxe, or
refill kit, you can now do so at:
http://www.passporter.com/store/

Tip: Use the coupon code "summer" to get 20% off the list
price of our guidebooks. (Code expires 7/31/02)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


==========================================
FROM THE AUTHORS: Updates, Trip Report, and Upcoming Trip
==========================================
Whew! What a busy summer this has been for us! While we're
up for air, let's give you a run-down of how things are
going out our way. We've been hard at work on the new Disney
Cruise Line guidebook we hope to have out later this year as
well as the 2003 edition of our Walt Disney World guidebook.
The new PassPorter Villa in our message boards is swinging
along and we have a new Guide (moderator) for The Backyard
forum -- thanks, Beaner! Please visit our message boards at
http://www.passporterboards.com

And for those of you who've been awaiting the next
installment in our Disney Cruise Trip Report, we've posted
Day Five (Grand Cayman) at:
http://www.passporter.com/wdw/trip0502.htm

We've also scheduled a short trip to Walt Disney World from
September 8-11. (Yes, we got one of those free flights on
Spirit Air for 9/11.) We'll be checking out the new Princess
Breakfast at Restaurant Akershus, Once Upon a Toy, the Pin
Trader shop, and a few other things for our 2003 edition. If
you'll be around during this time, drop us an e-mail --
we'll plan to arrange a small gathering for our PassPorter
readers and friends while we're down.

Thanks,
Jennifer and Dave
Authors, PassPorter Walt Disney World 2002


==========================================
FEATURE: Caribbean Beach to Close Temporarily
==========================================
Resort to Sport a New Restaurant and Updated
Food Court When it Reopens

by Dave Marx

Walt Disney World's popular Caribbean Beach Resort will be
shutting its doors during the slow fall season to facilitate
a major renovation of the resort's food service facilities.
According to PassPorter's official Disney sources, when the
resort reopens in late December, the Old Port Royale
restaurant and shop complex will sport a brand-new
full-service restaurant, redesigned food court check-out and
seating areas, and some small changes to the gift shop.

The resort will be closed from September 8, 2002 until
December 28, 2002. This is cutting it quite close to the
extremely busy Christmas-New Years week. For everyone's
sake, we hope the work is finished well ahead of schedule.

Why Close the Resort?
The renovation work is so extensive that there will be no
way to offer food service at the resort. This would be a
huge inconvenience to most resort guests, especially those
dependent on Disney transportation. For example, it would be
very difficult to eat breakfast prior to park opening time,
or to get a snack following park closing. Rather than
alienate its guests by offering a substandard experience,
Disney chose to transfer guests to other resorts during this
traditionally slow season. For Disney, this has the added
benefit of reducing the number of guest rooms available
during the off-season. This is likely to reduce the need to
offer deep discounts to keep the remaining rooms filled.

Hello to Shutters at Old Port Royale
Serving "American cuisine inspired by the flavors of the
Caribbean," this new, 120 seat, casual family restaurant
will have a "comfortable and cozy" atmosphere, decorated in
"playful colors ... reminiscent of the historic Caribbean."
A full bar will feature a variety of tropical drinks. The
new restaurant replaces the existing Captain's Tavern, and
like Captain's Tavern, the new restaurant will be open only
for dinner. While menu details and approximate prices aren't
available at this time, it's likely that the restaurant will
also be priced similarly to Captain's Tavern (entrees in the
$14-$22 range). Although the current Captain's Tavern menu
can also be described as "American cuisine inspired by the
flavors of the Caribbean," we hope Disney's chefs take the
opportunity to update the menu to match the imaginative
offerings that have become a hallmark of other Disney resort
restaurants.

Farewell to Captain's Tavern
As part of the renovation, the resort's current full-service
restaurant, Captain's Tavern, will close permanently, and
the space it occupies will be converted to food court
seating and retail space. This is one of our least-favorite
restaurants on Disney property (we rate it "2" and "3,"
respectively), but PassPorter Readers give it a very
respectable rating of 8 out of a possible 10.

Our Disney spokesperson explained that the new restaurant
will be built elsewhere in the complex to enhance its "sense
of arrival." Presumably, we can translate that to mean,
"location, location, location." Captain's Tavern's current
location opposite the heart of the food court, and its dark,
unassuming entrance apparently didn't "sell" very well.

New Food Court Checkout Area
A most welcome change, from our point of view, will be the
new check-out area for the food court. Caribbean Beach was
the first Disney resort with a food court, and Disney has
learned a lot since then. Caribbean Beach's Market Street
food court has six separate food stations, each with its own
cash register. If guests want items from more than one food
station (and isn't that the idea of a food court?), they
have to pay separately at each station. This proves quite
cumbersome, especially for families. All subsequent Disney
food courts have been built with a centralized check-out
area. A family can split up, obtain their selections, and
rejoin to pay once at the check out. Finally, this
convenient check-out scheme is coming to the old Granddad of
Disney's food courts. The new checkout, however, is the only
significant change coming to this very popular food court,
according to our official Disney spokesperson. The menu
offerings and food stations are not expected to change. The
food court's seating area will also change, but presumably,
seating capacity will remain close to what it is today.
Let's hope that they do introduce those nifty digital video
menu boards Disney has been using at The Mara at Disney's
Animal Kingdom Lodge and at the All-Stars resorts' food
courts--we love those things!

Guests Offered Alternate Accommodations
Guests with Caribbean Beach reservations affected by the
closure will be telephoned by Disney reservation agents, and
offered comparable rooms at Disney's other moderate
resorts--Port Orleans and Coronado Springs, at the same
price. Guests who check into Caribbean Beach Resort on or
before September 7 will not be affected. They can complete
their stay without disruption.

Should Guests Call to Make New Reservations?
Guests with existing reservations will be contacted by
Disney several weeks prior to their scheduled arrival date
to be offered alternate accommodations. Officially, Disney
only promises to provide equivalent rooms -- a Moderate for
a Moderate, so to speak. However, as Mary Waring at
MouseSavers.com points out
(http://www.mousesavers.com/cbrclosing.html), the agents
placing those phone calls have the flexibility to offer very
low-priced upgrades to Deluxe resorts, should you find
Disney's offer unattractive (just remember to be nice--you
catch more flies with honey than with vinegar). However, if
you call Disney Central Reservations or the Disney Travel
Company on your own, the sales agent you reach can only
offer the currently available rates, with no regard to your
current status or discount, and the agent has no obligation
to "make good" on your inconvenience. If you've already
received a good discount on your Caribbean Beach
reservation, we suggest you hold on to it until Disney
calls. If you booked at "rack rate" (list price), why not
try to make a new reservation? You have very little to lose,
and perhaps a better discount to gain. If you can't wait for
Disney's call and must know where you'll be staying, we
suggest you keep the reservation you have and make a second
reservation as a back-up. You will have to pay another one
night, refundable deposit on that second reservation, but
the added peace of mind may be worth it. When Disney finally
calls you about your Caribbean Beach reservation you can
make your final decision, and get back one of those
deposits. (Note: If you have a Disney package vacation, the
deposit and cancellation policies differ, so this strategy
may not be feasible.)


==========================================
UPDATES: What's New and Changed at Walt Disney World
==========================================
The roof at Cinderella Castle is being repainted from August
18 to September 4. This means there is a rather large crane
on the roof. (Thanks to Elliot's Dragon for this update.)

Next week (August 19-28) is Disney week on the Travel
Channel. Spotlights of Animal Kingdom Lodge and Yacht and
Beach Club are planned, among other treats -- such as a peek
at Tokyo DisneySea. For the schedule, visit
http://www.travelchannel.com. (Thanks to mattjs for this
update.)

A new swimwear shop -- Summer Sands -- opened at Downtown
Disney Marketplace on August 1. It opened in the former
location of Toys Fantastic. (Thanks to All Ears newsletter
for this update.)

[A big thanks to All Ears (http://www.allears.net), in which
many of these updates were first announced!]

>Things To Do: Hear some news? Send it to us at
news@passporter.com.


==========================================
DISNEY TIPS FROM FELLOW READERS

==========================================
Get Around Orlando with Ease
"If you're having trouble getting around Orlando, try this:
Get some apartment guides -- they are everywhere. There are
maps in all of the apartment guides. Most of the maps are
divided into quadrants. Learn one or two streets in each
quadrant and you're set! You'll never get lost and spend
three hours asking gas station workers where you are."
-- Contributed by Jeremy Ferris (tetoboy@hotmail.com)

Create a Countdown Chart
"Before every trip to Disney World we make a countdown
chart. We purchase a piece of white posterboard and decorate
it with Disney stickers, pictures, or the names of our
favorite attractions. We start 200 days before our next
trip and each night before bed we each make one line to "x"
out a box! On our countdown calendar we also keep track of
important dates like when our final payment is due, when to
make priority seating arrangements, and to confirm any other
reservations. We also mark special days with Disney stuff to
do. Like, watch the travel video again, look at our
scrapbooks from past visits, or home movies from Walt Disney
World. Not only does it help us keep track of the important
dates, but it reminds us every day of how much closer we are
to Disney World!"
-- Contributed by Jessica Sims (disney@btc-bci.com)

Doing Disney On a Budget
"To save money, we are taking groceries with us for
breakfast, lunch, snacks and drinks, and eating only one
meal a day in the parks or in a Disney resort restaurant. In
addition we are making priority seating arrangements for
each of the restaurant meals so the older kids who break off
from the group can meet us once a day at a designated time.
We are virtually guaranteed they will show up for their
dinner!!"
-- Contributed by Kathy

>Notes: Send us your tips! You may see them in this
newsletter or on our tip-a-day mailing list. Two lucky folks
will win a copy of PassPorter each month, too! Visit:
http://www.passporter.com/wdw/contest.htm


====================================
Q &A WITH JENNIFER & DAVE
====================================
In this column we answer your frequently asked PassPorter
and Disney questions.

Sue writes:
"I'm looking for details on the Disney resort hotels.
What kinds information does PassPorter offer on the
resort hotels?"

Dave responds:
You'd be hard-pressed to find better resort information in
any other guidebook. We believe that selecting your Disney
resort is the toughest choice you'll have to make while
planning your Disney vacation, so we've focused extra
special attention on our 87-page Staying in Style chapter.

We include a four- to six-page detailed report for each of
Disney's resorts, including Disney's new Pop Century resort
(opening postponed indefinitely, but ready to open on as
little as three month's notice, so we're ready, too). Each
resort description includes a detailed, two-color map of the
resort, a room layout illustration, and detailed information
on nearly any aspect of resort life you can think of. There
are organized sections dedicated to the resort's ambiance,
layout & room descriptions (including decor, room size,
furnishings and amenities), dining and lounging options,
playing & relaxing (recreation, organized activities,
special hotel services), transportation to Disney
destinations (including travel times via Disney
Transportation), tips for enjoying the resort, notes about
distinctive resort features, ratings supplied by the
PassPorter authors and PassPorter readers, best location
recommendations to help you select the right accommodations,
rates, and general info including addresses and telephone
numbers. Whew! To that, add another 14 pages of general
information and advice about selecting and booking a Disney
resort, and what to expect when you get there. Included in
that section is a Resort Comparison Chart, comparing the
resorts based on more than 30 different criteria. I'm tired
just writing about it! And if we've forgotten something,
please let us know. We're always listening.


McMouse writes:
"I think my 9 year old daughter may be ready for a few more
rides this year than she was a couple years ago. She does
not like big drops so Splash Mountain is out of the
question, but I was thinking she might really like Big
Thunder Mountain. Are there any big drops on this ride? What
is the scariness factor considering she thought Goofy's
Barnstormer was intense last time? Also, can anyone tell me
about the Dinosaur ride at Disney's Animal Kingdom? I know
it's not like a coaster, but more bumpy and jerky. How
intense is that ride? She definitely isn't the bravest of 9
year olds but really wants to try some new things this
trip."

Dave responds:
My daughter (and PassPorter co-author) Allie will be 10 in
October. Her attitude about thrill rides changes
dramatically with each passing year. Rides she has refused
to go on again until she was "much older" have become her
favorites just one year later.

Check out Allie's Kid Tips in the 2002 PassPorter Walt
Disney World. She was 8 1/2 when she wrote them, so that
should be about right for your daughter.

Big Thunder Mountain doesn't have many drops of any
description (mostly tight, swooping curves), and the drops
that exist are very brief. In many ways, it's a grownup
version of Barnstormer.

Although Dinosaur is a very turbulent ride (and does have a
couple of very short drops), darkness and aggressive
dinosaurs are the real fear factors.

Just to put a spin on what scares kids, Allie loves the
drops on Tower of Terror, but is scared by the spooky parts
that come before the drops.

>Things to Do: Send us your questions about PassPorter or
Walt Disney World and we'll do our best to answer them!
E-mail: questions@passporter.com


====================================
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Copyright (c) 2002 - MediaMarx, Inc

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