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 In
This Newsletter
From the Authors:
Going, Going...
Travel Feature:
Buckingham Palace
Disney Feature: The
Rest of the "World" For Kids
Updates: What's
New and Changed
Tips:
Rediscover Your Resort, Magic Carpet Ride, Pin Presents
Captain's Corner: Fontana di Nettuno
Q&A: Do
many cruisers wear Pirate gear for the theme night?
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Updates:
What's
New and Changed
Here are a few items of relevant news:
The list of celebrities appearing at this year's Super
Soap Weekend, November 11 & 12, has been announced.
From All My Children: Justin Bruening - Jamie
Martin, Alexa Havins - Babe Chandler, Thorsten Kaye - Zach Slater, Michael E.
Knight - Tad Martin, Susan Lucci - Erica Kane, Cameron Mathison - Ryan Lavery,
Cady McClain - Dixie Martin, Alicia Minshew - Kendall Hart, Eden Riegel - Bianca
Montgomery, Aiden Turner - Aidan Devane, Jacob Young - JR Chandler, Colin
Egglesfield - Josh Madden
From One Life to Live: Kristen Alderson - Starr Manning, Kathy Brier -
Marcie Walsh, Kamar de los Reyes - Antonio Vega, Kassie DePaiva - Blair Cramer,
Michael Easton - John McBain, David Fumero - Cristian Vega, Melissa Gallo -
Adriana Cramer, Renee Goldsberry - Evangeline Williams, Trevor St. John - Todd
Manning, John Paul Lavoisier - Rex Balsom, Forbes March - Nash Brennan, Erika
Slezak - Viki Lord, Bree Williamson - Jessica Buchanan
From General Hospital: Julie Marie Berman - Lulu Spencer, Scott Clifton -
Dillon Quartermaine, Genie Francis * - Laura Spencer,
Anthony Geary * - Luke Spencer, Rebecca Herbst - Elizabeth Webber,
Kimberly McCullough - Robin Scorpio, Kelly Monaco - Sam McCall, Jason Thompson -
Patrick Drake, Greg Vaughan - Lucky Spencer, Laura Wright - Carly Corinthos
(* Luke & Laura will be appearing exclusively at a special "Love In The
Afternoon" event on Friday, November 10.)
For an article and updates on Super Soap Weekend, check out a 2004
article from PassPorter News by Lisa Simons. Lisa has posted an update for
this year's event!
TSA has once again updated security
regulations for domestic travel. Passengers may now carry travel-sized
toiletries in their carry-on luggage provided they fit in a single, clear,
one quart sized plastic bag. Passengers may also carry on beverages or other
items that have been purchased in the secure boarding area.
Dream Squads are already out and about in Disney Theme Parks granting
wishes in preparation for the launch of Disney "Year of a Million Dreams"
celebration on October 1, 2006. Are you one of the lucky recipients? Let us
know! E-mail us at news@passporter.com
with the details.
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:
REDISCOVER YOUR RESORT
"While touring the parks is fun, make sure you take time to enjoy all your Walt
Disney World resort has to offer. On our last trip we stayed at the Polynesian.
My daughters (age 5) took hula dancing lessons, my son (age 12) learned how to
make a lei and towel animals, and our whole family got to participate in the
Tiki Lighting ceremony as the 'Family of the Day.'"
-- contributed by Pamela E. (mrsscootersmom@...)
MAGIC CARPET RIDE
"My
husband and I just finished another fantastic Disney trip and I wanted to share
a little tip we've discovered to make waiting for parades and light shows a tad
more comfortable. We each carry a small, lightweight rag rug (just 89 cents at
your local "big box" store). After we map out our favorite viewing spots, we
plop down our rugs and have a nice cushy sitting spot to rest until the show
starts." -- contributed
by Karen M (kmurburg@...)
PIN PRESENTS
"My husband and I just got back this week. We
purchased some pins from our home city and took them along and gave them out to
Cast Members that did something special for us. The big smiles and hugs we
received from them made us feel like we helped give back some of the magic that
we always receive when visiting Disney. It was also a nice way to talk about
where we were from too." (Editor's Note: Please note that Cast Members cannot
trade pins that are not official Disney pins but can accept them as
gifts.)-- contributed by Sue S. (srubyrose@...)
>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:
"In honor of my dear friends Jenny, Davey, and Junior (as I affectionately
call them) and their upcoming adventure to the Mediterranean, I wandered about the World Showcase
today visiting France and Italy. (Oh, why isn't there a pavilion for Spain?) In Italy, I discovered the
delightful Fontana di Nettuno fountain, which I took as a good omen for my friends' journey.
Upon closer examination of the fountain, I noticed that Neptune holds an interesting
item in his hands -- it's a ... (rest of text obscured by water droplets)"
In the Fontana di Nettuno, what does the god have in his hands?
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 Ami Gore who was the
winner of
last week's treasure hunt game! Ami correctly identified Card Walker's "office"
as being on the second story of a building on Main Street U.S.A. in the Magic
Kingdom. 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
ktkwebb asks: "We
are going on our first cruise - the 7 night Disney cruise with 2 stops in Castaway Cay.
We are so excited and can't wait! We are thinking of dressing as pirates for the
Pirates dinner, but friends who have gone before said that no one does. We want
to be festive but not embarrassed to be the only ones dressed up. How many
actually dress up as pirates for the dinner?"
Dave answers: "As
one of the families that does dress-up for Pirates Night, I can assure you that
even if you happen to be the only folks in costume in your dining room at your
seating, you won't be alone in spirit, and it's highly unlikely that you'll be
alone on the cruise. Your servers, who will also be in pirate garb, will be very
welcoming indeed. It's true that many folks who cruise won't be aware of Pirates
Night, or won't think to bring appropriate costumes with them. That tends to be
more true of the three- and four-night cruises, as there are more Disney Cruise Line
first-timers on board. Repeat cruisers know what to expect and those who want to
"play" come prepared. Since you'll be on the seven-night (where repeat cruisers
are more common), you'll probably be in very good company.
There's plenty of pirate gear sold in the gift shops, and more than a bit of it
is worn on Pirates Night.
This is a Disney cruise. Nobody's going to think less of someone for getting
into the Disney spirit. If it makes you feel good, go for it! Besides, what
pirate ever worried about what other people think?"
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?
PassPorter News is now published
weekly, and 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!
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From
the Authors: Going, Going.... Hi, {{user("firstname")}}!
As John Denver once wrote (and Peter, Paul
and Mary sang), "Our bags are packed, we're ready to go..." Our
Mediterranean research trip
begins tomorrow with our flight to Barcelona. The office has been abuzz with
last-minute preparations and the tying-off of loose ends, and now it's time to
say goodbye to all our company... See ya real soon!
We're having a little
warehouse clearance sale at the PassPorter Store. We've been clearing out some
old editions of our Deluxe guidebooks at incredible savings. For less than the
cost of a new, empty PassPorter deluxe binder you'll have a binder, a complete
set of PassPockets, and a historic (2003 or 2005) edition of PassPorter Walt
Disney World. We have those, and a variety of other bargain-priced close-out
items (including our $1 2005 spiral editions) at our special Close-outs Page.
2007 Walt Disney World
pre-orders -- The new edition will be here before you know it, and a pre-order
ensures you'll be among the first to have it! Remember, you can register any current or previous edition of PassPorter (including e-books)
and receive a 30% returning reader discount coupon for use in our online store. Register now at
http://www.passporter.com/register.htm
Dave already has several radio/TV interviews
lined up for after we get back from Europe. On October 11 he'll be taping an
interview on NewsChannel FM 105.5 & AM 1240 in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Chances are, it'll be heard later in the day on "The Drive Home" with Dan
Cochell and Mike Lewis. On October 16 he'll be on the Dick Wilson Show on WSLB
1400 AM in Ogdensburg, NY, at 8:30am. Then, on October 24 at 12:40pm CT, Dave
makes his first TV "appearance" on WYAM TV 56 in Decatur, Alabama and
Huntsville, Tennessee (well, you'll see the books, and a picture of Dave). He'll
be a guest of Suzie Wiley on Talk of the Town - The Lighter Side of the News.
After several articles
describing her travels in the U.S., frequent contributor Cheryl Pendry is back
on home turf, reporting on London's
Buckingham Palace. Ann Weber reveals how kid-friendly Epcot and Disney's Animal Kingdom really are in
The Rest of the "World" For Kids. As always, our very own treasure hunter Captain Jack Skatt serves up a new
treasure hunting game
at Walt Disney World.
Enjoy!
Jennifer
and Dave
PassPorter Authors and Publishers
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You Know?
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Travel
Feature:
Buckingham Palace
by
Cheryl Pendry, PassPorter Message Board Guide and Guest Contributor
It’s amazing how something terrible can sometimes lead to such good things. I
guess it’s the saying that every cloud has a silver lining and that’s the case
with the fire at Windsor Castle.
One night in November 1992, a blaze swept through the castle, damaging more than
100 rooms. Initial estimates to repair the damage were put at between £40 and
£60 million (about $75 to $113 million US). As the property is owned by the
Royal Family, there was considerable debate about who would fund the repair
work, with a decision eventually taken by the Queen that part of the money would
come from opening up the State Rooms at her home in London, Buckingham Palace,
to the public for a few weeks in the summer.
Thousands lined up in the summer of 1993 to visit the Palace and the tours became
such a success that, even once the restoration work at Windsor was complete, the
decision was made to continue with the summer opening for visitors. This summer,
I decided it was finally time that we should join the millions who’ve already
taken the tour around the Palace and see what it’s all about it.
Buckingham Palace has been the official London residence of Britain’s kings and
queens since 1837, when Queen Victoria reigned. It evolved from a town house
that was originally bought in 1761 by King George III. In the following years,
it was remodelled and it was King George IV, a man known for his extravagance,
who decided that it should be turned from a house into a palace.
As you’d expect, tickets are not cheap. A visit to the State Rooms in 2006 cost
£14 ($26) for adults, £12.50 ($23) for those over the age of 60 or students, £8
($15) for under 17s, with those under the age of five admitted free. Family
tickets (two adults and two children) were £36 ($68). Of course, there’s every
chance that those prices could increase for the 2007 summer opening season.
The State Rooms are open daily from
9:45 am, with the last admission at
3:45 pm. Generally the
palace is open from late July each year through until mid September but this
year, the tours were extended to September 26. There’s a timed ticket
system, with admission every 15 minutes throughout the day, so if you plan to
buy in advance – and it’s always a good idea, as you never know when dates might
sell out – you really do have to plan your day and think about what time you’d
like to take the tour.
So what do you get for your money? The tour takes you through a selection of
State Rooms, nearly 20 in total. Most of them are used throughout the year by
the Queen to receive visiting dignitaries from around the world, be they members
of other royal families, presidents or prime ministers. The rooms are also used
to welcome members of the diplomatic service who work on Britain’s behalf in
embassies around the world, and for those fortunate enough to receive awards in
either the Queen’s Birthday Honours List or the New Year’s Honours List. Suffice
to say that without paying the money for the tour, most of us would never be
lucky enough to see the inside of these rooms.
Without a doubt, the highlight of the tour is the magnificent Ballroom, an
enormous room 14 meters high, 34 meters long and 18 meters wide – that’s 46 feet
by 112 feet by 59 feet in non-British measurements! The room can accommodate more than
1,000 people and quite often does on various occasions, but it can also seat 160
guests at a long horseshoe-shaped table.
What strikes you almost as soon as you enter Buckingham Palace is that the whole
building is beautifully understated, compared to some of the lavish palaces that
Europe has to offer. Many of the State Rooms have a theme of gold and red, in
keeping with most people’s ideas of the
colors that most
represent royalty. That’s the case in the Ballroom and in the
neighboring
State Dining Room, which offers stunning views over the Royal grounds.
Other highlights on the tour include the Blue Drawing Room, complete with the
Table of the Grand Commander. It becomes apparent on your visit that one of the
Kings, George IV, was a great collector of art and this is a good example. At
first glance, the table doesn’t look that special, that is, until you realize
that it’s made out of porcelain. Once you know that, you can’t take your eyes
off it, as you can’t believe that anyone could do such intricate work on
porcelain.
You get to see examples of royal history everywhere. The Music Room is where the
Queen’s three eldest children, along with Princes William and Harry, were
baptised and the Throne Room is where the official wedding photos were taken
when the Queen married the Duke of Edinburgh in 1947. Perhaps the most
interesting snippet we learned was that the White Drawing Room comes complete
with a disguised entrance through to the Queen’s private apartments. The door is
hidden in an ornate cupboard at one end of the room and we only spotted it
because the door was open ajar at the time we visited!
The tour is self guided, using an audio tour, so you can linger for as long as
you like in each of the rooms. Once you complete your tour of the palace, you
exit out to the West Front of the palace and finally you’re allowed to take
photographs again. It’s a shame that no photos are allowed inside, but it’s not
a surprise, it’s the same in most palaces and historic homes we’ve visited.
Of course, there’s the obligatory gift shop on the palace grounds, but as you
exit, you walk through some of the grounds and you can just picture the more
private side of life here. The walls are all over eight feet high here, with
spikes on top of them, so it’s completely secluded from watching eyes and we
could just imagine the youngsters in the family running around in the gardens,
enjoying the space.
If you’re planning a trip to London during the summer months, it’s well worth
checking out the opening dates for Buckingham Palace at
http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/Page555.asp to see if you’ll be able to visit
the State Rooms during your stay. They are something that anyone who’s
interested in royalty or history shouldn’t miss on a trip to
London.
About the Author:
Cheryl and
husband Mark live in England, just over an hour’s drive from London, and are
regular visitors to the country’s capital.
They are looking
forward to their next visit to Walt Disney World in October, when they’ll also
be heading north to visit Hilton Head Island for the first time.-
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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.
| Did
You Know?
This is your last chance to save on
the February 3, 2007 cruise!
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Disney Feature:
The Rest of the "World" For
Kids
by
Ann Weber,
Guest Contributor
When heading to Walt Disney World,
everyone thinks about Magic Kingdom when taking younger
children. And MGM has become Pre-school Central with the new Playhouse Disney character
meals. So we don’t need to plan a lot of time for Epcot and Animal Kingdom,
right? We thought this as well on our first trip and did not plan nearly enough
time for these other two parks.
We discovered Epcot's Kidcot fun stops on our
second trip and our children, then 8 and 10, thoroughly enjoyed them even though
Disney lists Kidcot fun stops as an attraction for preschoolers. Kidcot fun
stops are located in each of the 12 countries in Epcot. When you stop at your
first country, your child will receive a paper mask on a wooden stick. They will
have the opportunity to start decorating it. Then as they move around the World
Showcase, they will receive an additional charm to attach to the mask as well as
a stamp on the handle at each country visited. You can also purchase “passports”
at many of the stores in Epcot which you then have stamped at each stop. Older
children may enjoy the passports more than the masks. Although the masks were
inconvenient to carry around all day, my children (now 13 and 15) still have
them in their rooms. Some of the Kidcot stations are difficult to find but you
can ask any cast member in the country to direct you. You may also find that the
stops can be crowded during the busy season.
In addition to the Kidcot Fun Stops, your children will probably enjoy some of
the live entertainment offered at the World Showcase. For our children, the
Dragon Legend Acrobats in China and Matsuriza the Taiko
drummers in Japan were their favorites. You can find information about the different
performers and their schedule at
http://pages.prodigy.net/stevesoares/. Our children did not enjoy Off Kilter
or the British Invasion even though they typically like musical shows.
As far as rides in the World Showcase go,
Maelstrom in Norway and the Rio del
Tiempo in Mexico offer boat rides with
enough visual interest to keep children engaged. You should prepare your small
ones for the troll in Maelstrom that makes your boat start going backwards.
As you wander around the World Showcase, there are also many places to stop and
have fun. At The Outpost between China and Germany there are drums to play when a
presentation is not going on and hard-to-find characters such as Belle and
Jasmine can be found near France and Morocco respectively. Last but not least,
if your children are school age, they will enjoy seeing a country they studied
about in school. My daughter had just finished studying Mexico before our first
trip. She was able to share a lot of what she learned in school with us as we
toured. She was then able to take additional information back with her to her
classmates. This aspect of our trip was especially helpful when we were asking
about having an excused absence from school for the trip.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom is another park with many options for younger children
to have fun and learn. In the Animal Kingdom you will find six Kids Discovery
Clubs, which are spread across the park. Each location has an interactive
activity and a special booklet used to collect stamps at each location. If your
child completes all six stops (this is difficult due to the large size of the
Animal Kingdom) they receive special stamp. If you hope to
complete all six stops, be sure to check what time the Kids Discovery Clubs
close. Traditionally they close at 4pm even on Extra Magic Hour evenings. My
kids loved exploring the Kids Discovery Clubs. They were able to learn something
new while having a great time.
Another fun area for kids in Animal Kingdom is the Boneyard. The Boneyard is
full of places to climb and slide. It also has a large sand pit where your
children can dig for "fossils." Yes, they will get dirty here, so make sure you
plan ahead for this. Although the playground is covered, it can still be quite
warm since it is not enclosed or air conditioned. When we were there, we noticed
a lack of space where parents could sit and rest while keeping an eye on their
little ones.
Another hidden treasure we found on our last trip to Animal Kingdom was GI-TAR DAN in Camp
Minnie-Mickey. If your kids
watch Barney or other sing-along type children’s programming, they will jump
right in with GI-TAR DAN’s animal sing-along. If your children are not shy, make sure they
are up front so they can interact with him. We stumbled on his act by accident
(it is very close to the restrooms in this area) and left with smiles on our
faces (and aches in our stomachs from laughing so hard). He was teasing the kids
and my usually shy daughter was fully involved and having the time of her life.
Later in the day GI-TAR DAN moves to Conservation
Station at Rafiki's Planet Watch. You can find his latest schedule at Steve Soares’
web site.
Another fun stop for your children is the Affection Section at Rafiki's Planet
Watch. You children will have the opportunity to pet and see
animals up close and personal. My children let mom and dad pet the animals
first, and then they joined in as well. Disney provides
sinks and hand sanitizers so you can clean up after the encounter.
Although this list is nowhere near all-inclusive of the things your children
will enjoy at the Animal Kingdom and Epcot, it has hopefully helped you see
there are many things there for them to experience. Just remember that when you
are looking at your guide maps, both the Kidcot Fun Stops at Epcot and the Kids
Discovery Clubs at the Animal Kingdom are marked on their respective park maps
with a “K” in a red box. They are worth stopping at!
About the Author:
Ann Weber is an avid vacation planner.
Now that the two years of planning the Alaska adventure is behind her, Ann is
diving into plans for her family's upcoming Disney Christmas vacation.- - - - - - - - - - - -
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.
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