From the Authors: Book Updates

Travel Feature: San Francisco

Disney Feature: Tokyo DisneySea

Updates: What's New and Changed

Tips: Photocopy Park Passes, Candid Camera, Plant PassPorters

Captain's Corner: Painting Place

Q&A: What activities are at Tri Circle D Ranch?
 

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Updates:
What's New and Changed

Here are a few items of relevant news:

The restrictions placed on carry-on luggage last week in the wake of the London terror threat have been updated. A new list of prohibited items and exceptions can be found on the TSA web site. These security measures are causing minor delays at some major airports so as always, check your airlines web site prior to departing for updated information on how far in advance you should check-in.

The schedule of celebrities scheduled to narrate this year's Candlelight Processional at Epcot has been announced.
Nov 24-26 David Robinson
Nov 27-29 John O'Hurley
Nov 30-Dec 2 Rita Moreno
Dec 3-5 TBD
Dec 6-8 TBD
Dec 9-11 Steven Curtis Chapman
Dec 12-14 Maureen McGovern
Dec 15-17 Kirk Cameron
Dec 18-20 Lou Diamond Phillips
Dec 21-23 Cuba Gooding Jr.
Dec 24-26 Gary Sinise
Dec 27-30 Marlee Matlin
Performances are held every evening at 5:00 pm, 6:45 pm and 8:15 pm in the America Gardens Theatre. (Those of us attending MouseFest this year will need to wait a little longer to learn who we will have the opportunity to hear!)

The Candlelight Processional Dinner Package can now be reserved by phoning 407-WDW-DINE

With the heart of Hurricane Season upon us, Walt Disney World has announced a new Tropical Weather Policy, which allows guests greater flexibility in canceling or re-scheduling their trips in the event of severe weather. If a hurricane warning is issued by the National Hurricane Center for either the Orlando area or your home area within seven days prior to your scheduled arrival, you may call Disney to reschedule or cancel your trip without penalties. This policy does NOT apply to airfare or other third-party services booked through Disney, so be sure to check with individual providers for their cancellation policies.

Our thanks to AllEarsNet.com 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:

PHOTOCOPY PARK PASSES
"Make copies of the front and back of your park tickets before you leave home and keep it in your PassPorter and maybe even leave a copy with a friend or family member that they can fax to you just in case you lose a ticket. This will be especially helpful with parents of teens and preteens that insist on holding their own things but have problems keeping track of them." -- contributed by Felicia S. (shaniasmom@...) 

CANDID CAMERA
"Remember to take lots of candid photos of children and family members. The memories are far more sentimental when you see a natural smile or laugh instead of a posed one." -- contributed by Sarah P. 

PLANT PASSPORTERS
"I have three children, ages 13, 15, and 2. I was really excited about planning our trip to Walt Disney World and checked out all the books available at the library, including the PassPorter. Although I tried to get my older girls involved, they were not interested. Instead of forcing the issue, I left copies of the books in different areas of the house and in the car. The girls started glancing at the books. Then one night my oldest started reading the PassPorter and got excited about the ride descriptions, reading them off to me and checking off all the ones she wanted to see. Now they are as excited as I am to plan our family vacation!" -- contributed by Peggy W.  

>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 new 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 treasure from Captain Skatt's Journal:

"I've decided to refine my artistic skills, if one can call my chicken scratches and finger painting skills. Looking about, I found the perfect place! It has a place to draw and paint, and even these 'magical' bottles of paint that are so vibrant they seem to glow from inside!"

Where can you find these "jars of paint" at Walt Disney World?

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 Terri Daugherty who was the winner of last week's treasure hunt game! Terri correctly the shark in last week's photo as hanging from the ceiling in the pre-show area of "The Voyage of the Little Mermaid" show at the Disney-MGM Studios. To view the original clues, 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 Skatt. The new "PassPorter's Treasure Hunts at Walt Disney World" book is now available! You can order the book today at http://www.passporterstore.com.

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Q & A:
With Jennifer and Dave

luvmygrlz asks: "Has anyone visited Tri Circle D Ranch at Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground lately? What would you suggest as the best time to visit? What sort of activities are offered and did you enjoy them? Do I need to call ahead of my schedule for any of the activities? I thought this might be a fun filler/rest activity to get away from the parks for a while with my daughter."

Jennifer and Dave answer: "Yes, we were last at Tri Circle D Ranch in June. The ranch is split between two areas of the resort. The trail rides are out by the front entrance. Reservations are a good idea. You probably don't have to call that far in advance, though. The rest of the 'ranch' is the petting farm, which is at the opposite end of the resort, near Pioneer Hall (site of Hoop De Doo). There's nothing you need to reserve, and a half-hour to an hour is about as much time as you could manage to spend there. There are pony rides, but otherwise, the only activity is walking around the ranch, visiting the animals.

There are lots of other things to do at Fort Wilderness Campground, but if you try to find them listed under "Tri Circle D Ranch" you'll be out of luck. There are also hayrides, carriage rides, all sorts of boat rentals, fishing excursions, the nightly campfire singalong (and free movie), Hoop De Doo Revue, Mickey's Backyard BBQ, and I'm probably forgetting something. Many of these do require reservations, but some are walk-up. Check with WDW Recreation (407-WDW-PLAY) for most activities, and Disney Dining (407-WDW-DINE) for reservations for Hoop De Doo and the Backyard BBQ. "

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 See Your Name in Print?

Big News! PassPorter News is now published weekly. This means we need more articles than ever! 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!

Hi, {{user("firstname")}}! 

Looking for updates for your PassPorter? We now have recent updates for the PassPorter Walt Disney World 2006 edition and PassPorter's Disney Cruise Line (4th Edition) online. You'll find both (as well as updates for earlier editions) at http://www.passporter.com/customs/bookupdates.htm. Our thanks to Nikki and Chad who worked hard to get these updates together!

In a recent newsletter, we mentioned that we recently added a discount code just for you -- our wonderful newsletter subscribers! We claimed that you could find the 20% discount code at the very bottom of your E-MAILED copy of the newsletter, but it turns out the code only appeared to those subscribers who received text versions of the newsletter, not HTML versions. The good news is that we've fixed this problem and your code is now at the bottom of this and every newsletter (look for the words "NEWSLETTER COUPON CODE"). This code won't show up in the online newsletter copies (if you're reading this online, sign up for our free weekly newsletter!). The code does appear in your subscription confirmation e-mail if you subscribed after 8/1/06. The 20% discount code should be entered during checkout at our Online Store to receive 20% off the list price of PassPorter guidebooks.

We're hearing that staterooms are going fast for the MouseFest Cruise 2006 (Disney Wonder, December 3-7). If you've been considering this cruise, we urge you to look into booking very soon.

This edition of the newsletter takes you to the Pacific Rim. Frequent contributor Cheryl Pendry handles the American side, with a visit to San Francisco. Sharon Lin takes us to Japan, for a tour of Tokyo DisneySea. Then, back on the East Coast, Captain Jack Skatt serves up a new treasure hunting game at Walt Disney World. Enjoy! 

Jennifer and Dave
PassPorter Authors and Publishers
 

A San Francisco Treat
by Cheryl Pendry, PassPorter Message Board Guide and Guest Contributor

Travel to most cities in the world and the first thing that usually strikes you is how bustling they are. New York, London, Los Angeles – all busy places with lots going on. So when you first get to San Francisco, it’s a bit of a culture shock.

San Francisco was the city that thousands of people flocked to during the original “Summer of Love” in 1969 to “turn on, tune in and drop out” and perhaps that’s why it maintains a laid back feel today. No-one seems to be in a hurry, except for the tourists, trying to cram in everything that there is to see here.

Apart from the laid-back way of life, the other thing you notice soon after arriving here is the geography of the area. Hills are everywhere here and although it’s a compact city to walk around, the hills can be exhausting. What may only appear a couple of blocks away on the map can become a hike that leaves you gasping for breath if you end up having to head up one of the city’s infamous hills.

For exactly that reason, it’s a good idea to make Lombard Street one of your first stops. Head to the top of Lombard Street and then walk down the world’s most crooked street. With a 27° incline, if you do decide to try and struggle your way up this road, then spare a thought for vehicles. The eight twists and turns had to be added in the 1920s to lessen the gradient, so that cars could use this street. These days, it’s somewhere that any visitor with a car should make a beeline for. Nearly every car you see going down Lombard Street has passengers on board with cameras or video cameras in hand. Pedestrians can make their way down – or up if you’re feeling very active – on the steps at the side of the street.

If you don’t have a car to experience Lombard Street – and with the sky high parking charges in San Francisco, that’s no bad thing – you can even turn your journey there into a tourist attraction, by using San Francisco’s unique cable car system. First launched in 1873, the cable cars were developed to help deal with the amazingly steep hills in the city. Working on a system of moving cables that run under the ground, the real star on each car is the gripman. He's the one who starts and stops the cars, requiring a lot of strength and good reflexes. It’s perhaps not surprising that only a third of candidates pass the training course.

These days there are three lines, two of which start off from the turntable at Powell and Market Streets, to the south of downtown, by Union Square. Both take you up towards the Fisherman’s Wharf area. The other line runs east to west through the Financial District and Chinatown. Both routes offer plenty of sights along the way, as well as helping to get visitors around the city and, for the bravest, there’s added excitement from jumping on board, standing on the boards and clinging on to the poles on the outside of the car. It’s something that everyone should experience on their trip to the city.

Tickets are $3.00 each way for everyone over the age of five. Seniors and the disabled can get a discounted rate of $1.00 between 9pm and 7am, but the more cost-effective way to get around is to buy a passport, which also allows you to ride on the bus and streetcar systems. They cost $9.00 for one day, $15.00 for three days and $20.00 for seven days.

Perhaps the most popular cable car destination is Fishermen’s Wharf. Although some people feel that this area has become too commercial, it still has a lot of charm. You’ll never go hungry or be without a souvenir for long in this part of the city! The less commercial attractions include the sea lions that bask on the famous Pier 39, and San Francisco Maritime, a historic park run by the National Park Service, which includes a range of historic maritime vessels, a museum, and a fascinating visitor’s center.

Walk a little further along and you’ll come to Ghirardelli Square, a definite “must-do” for every chocolate lover. Although you won’t find candy bars made here now, they’re still for sale, are certainly worth sampling, and may prove to be an excellent source of souvenirs for everyone back home!

This area offers some superb views out to what may well be San Francisco’s best known landmark – the Golden Gate Bridge, although count yourself lucky if you can see it without the famous fog that often enshrouds it. The fog is formed where cold ocean water meets the heat of the Californian mainland. When the Golden Gate Bridge opened in 1937, it was the world’s longest and tallest suspension structure and today around 40 million vehicles use its six lane highway each year. You don’t need a car to cross the bridge, though. Pedestrians and cyclists can use the sidewalks during daylight hours, but bear in mind the bridge is 1.7 miles long, so be sure to wear comfortable shoes!

For many years, the Bay Bridge, which connects San Francisco to Oakland, has been the poor relation to the Golden Gate Bridge, but now that’s all changing. At a cost of $6.3 billion, a new bridge is being built and is due to be completed in 2012. In the meantime, traffic continues to use the old Bay Bridge, damaged in the 1989 earthquake, and it’s a fascinating drive, allowing you to see how construction is progressing.

Having now mentioned the dreaded “E” word, it’s worth saying something about the prospect of earthquakes that constantly haunts this city. It’s no doubt on the minds of many visitors to San Francisco, but there are plenty of words of advice as soon as you arrive. We found our TV in our hotel had an entire channel dedicated to earthquake preparation and much of it is common sense. If you’re inside and in bed, then stay there. If not, keep away from windows, hanging objects or tall furniture and try and find cover under a strong table or desk or drop to the floor and cover your head and neck with your arms. If you’re outside, then move to a clear area and try to not to stop under power lines, near trees or buildings. It’s also worth keeping a set of clothes by your bed to be fully prepared – and it helps to get you moving in the morning!

San Francisco really is unlike any other city in the world - easy going, but full of hills that really are hard work, a unique transport system that is one of the city’s biggest tourist attractions, and it’s definitely a place not to be missed on any tour of California.

(Next week, Cheryl will devote an entire article to Alcatraz. Will she and her husband Mark escape "The Rock"?)

About the Author: Cheryl and husband Mark live in England and love to travel, particularly to America. They’ve recently returned from a two week tour of the west coast, which included Disneyland, Las Vegas, San Francisco and San Diego.

Tokyo DisneySea
by Sharon Lin, Guest Contributor
 

Less than a week after my visit to the newly-opened Disneyland in steamy Hong Kong, I am standing outside Tokyo DisneySea as the early April breezes blow in from the ocean.

Tickets and Getting There:

Tokyo Disneyland Resort (DisneySea and Disneyland are separate parks) offers an After Six ticket for only ¥2900 (~$26USD.) It costs about ¥410 (~$4USD) to get to DisneySea from the central Tokyo Station, so for a night's entertainment in Japan it's not a bad deal. Tokyo Disney ticket centre, a little slice of Disney in downtown Tokyo with familiar music and princess paraphernalia, is located in the Hibiya area. The friendly Cast Members there tell me that After Six tickets go on sale after 5:00 pm at both the centre and the parks. I take an English map and walk to Ginza, take an MTR (one of Tokyo’s sleek high-speed trains) to Tokyo Station, a Keiyo train to Maihama, and the Disneyland Resort rail to the park gates. As I felt in Hong Kong, I think Walt Disney would be so pleased to see the lovely high-speed trains going to his parks.

At 5:48PM, we are herded into double-file lines by a cast member named Kondo, who clearly has the Disney spirit even though I don't understand much of what he says. He has everyone else in stitches and when a little girl laughs at him, he comes back to shake her hand and plays around with her and others some more. The security check is efficient because they come to you with a flashlight; it's not done at a table. 

After only twenty minutes inside the gates of Tokyo DisneySea, I already think that it's the most detailed, themed park of them all. It's gorgeous at night, but I bet it's beautiful in the daylight. The central feature is Mysterious Island, a volcanic peak rising beside the sparkling Mediterranean Harbor, with its water and light shows. The park has sections devoted to various seaports—the American Waterfront (a big steamship and shops), Lost River Delta (exotic thrill rides), futuristic Port Discovery, Arabian Coast (think Epcot's Morocco but bigger and even more oasis-like), and Mermaid Lagoon (tamer children's rides.)

Warning: Ride Spoilers ahead!

For my first ride I jump in the single rider line at Raging Spirits, which cuts a 50-minute standby wait to just five minutes - for a two minute ride. Probably the park’s most extreme ride, it has three medium drops and one loop through mist, but otherwise it's just a faster Space Mountain. Tokyo DisneySea is on the water, and the wind is really starting to kick up. I'm wishing that I had my scarf. I have a 50-minute, warm, indoor wait for Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Crystal Skull, which is well worth the wait. The track is similar to Dinosaur at Animal Kingdom but the vine-covered temple theming is incredible, especially the sound effects. The ride is very dark, with lots of skulls, snakes, and screaming. Of course, I don't understand what Animatronic Indy says, but that is OK. I just don't know what to expect, which can be fun.

Next up is Mysterious Island—20,000 Leagues Submarines, one of my late, lamented Walt Disney World favorites, is great and different here, with a sea alien storyline at the end. I figure out that it's just a “sitting and looking at things ride” with bubbles between the double-paned windows. There are controls like in Mission:Space (I am position #9), but just for show. The design of this attraction is just so amazing that the Walt Disney World classic is almost weak in comparison.

The highlight of the night is Journey to the Center of the Earth, one of the best rides EVER. It starts out with a queue similar to Tower of Terror, and for a brief moment in the elevator I think it's a standing-up version of Tower of Terror, and wonder where the safety restraints are. But it's just an "elevator" (like the former "hydrolators" at The Living Seas in Epcot) to the loading area. The ride vehicles are like Indy or Dinosaur, but very stylized. I get a front seat. It starts off innocently enough, riding through scenes from the Jules Verne story such as the Mushroom Forest, but it soon turns rough. (I think that it's notable that in Japan, there are only safety warnings, nothing about dark or scary situations. At least not in English or Chinese. I guess for a population that's faced Godzilla and Mothra so many times, there's not much left to be scared of!) There are more chambers, then a big roaring monster. At least I think that's the big thing sticking out at the end à la Dinosaur (my eyes were sort of closed.) But it doesn't end there! The drop is HUGE, plunging into complete darkness. There are some other sizable drops before and after but the big one feels as long and steep as Splash Mountain—except dry. I don't know how they do that in this vehicle. The drop goes OUTSIDE and around Mysterious Island mountain. It’s an awesome ride.

Shaking with glee, I head to the jewel-like Arabian Coast and do Sindbad's Seven Voyages, which is like a technologically-advanced, non-politically-correct It's a Small World. Then I do Flounder's Coasters, a roller coaster for kids similar to Goofy's Barnstormer. I can't find the Jumpin' Jellyfish ride, and although I would love to do Journey to the Center of the Earth again, in the interest of research and variety, I head to gleaming Port Discovery.

By now it is quite windy, appropriate for StormRiders, a motion simulation ride with water effects. The story is typical Disney—a renegade American captain disobeys higher-ups, takes guests on an unauthorized mission, and disaster threatens but is averted. At least that's what I gathered from the shouting and my limited grasp of Japanese. I get pretty soaked because there's a constant drizzle after the audience flies into the storm. StormRiders ends up being my last attraction because by the time I exit, Journey to the Center of the Earth is on FastPass-only and I want to end on a high note.

Looking back at the map of that park, it seems like an amalgam of Walt Disney World in Orlando and the original Anaheim Disneyland, with an extensive Fantasyland, Critter Country, and a World Bazaar instead of Main Street. Tokyo DisneySea is not a very “Disney” park in that I didn't see any character meet-and-greets or Hidden Mickeys like I found in Hong Kong Disneyland, but it maintains a very Disney (and very Japanese) atmosphere of incredible theming and fine service.

In short, Tokyo DisneySea is an amazing Disney property that any fan should try to see at least once. I know that when I visit Japan again, I may try to see Disneyland as well, but I will definitely go back to this Disney gem by the sea.

About The Author: Sharon Lin has been to Walt Disney World 10 times and is looking forward to her next trip in October 2006.

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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.