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 In This Newsletter
From the Authors: A Fun Giveaway!
Travel Feature: Planning a Girls-Only Vacation
Disney Feature: Rediscovering Nine Dragons
Updates: What's New and Changed
Tips: Character Prep, Bag It!, Make Magic For All,
Captain's Corner: Forgetful Days
PassPorter PhotoPick: Main Street USA at Halloween
Q and A: When will DCL announce the prices for the 2011 Bahamas cruises?
Our Sponsors: We Recommend...
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Updates:
What's New and Changed
Here are a few items of relevant news:
Hoop Dee Doo Revue Price Increase. As of October 4, 2009, pricing for the Hoop Dee Doo Revue at Fort Wilderness is: Category 1 - $61.99/adult, $31.99/child, Category 2 - $56.99/adult, $27.99/child, Category 3 - $52.99/adult, $26.99/child. This updates page 285 of PassPorter's Walt Disney World guidebook
Valet Parking Price Increase. Continuing our theme of price increases, valet parking at Disney resorts has increased from $10 per day to $12 per day. Almost more surprising is that Disney Vacation Club members no longer receive free valet parking at DVC resorts. This updates page 285 of PassPorter's Walt Disney World guidebook
D23: Holiday events for members. D23 members can attend special events this holiday season - one in Walt Disney World, and two in California. Tickets go on sale for all events today, October 15, 2009. For details, visit the D23 web site. This updates page 285 of PassPorter's Walt Disney World guidebook
D23's Magic & Merriment at Walt Disney World. This event is being held December 12 & 13. This event costs $195/member and includes VIP opportunities and special presentations. This updates page 285 of PassPorter's Walt Disney World guidebook
Disney & Dickens. This event is at the El Capitan Theatre and Tam O'Shanter restaurant in Los Angeles is being held on December 10, 2009. This event costs $95/per member. This updates page 285 of PassPorter's Disneyland guidebook
D23's Candlelight Spectacular at Disneyland. This event is being held on December 6, 2009. Tickets cost $275/member and include VIP seating, private dinner and dessert and more. This updates page 285 of PassPorter's Disneyland guidebook
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.
CHARACTER PREP
'We go to Disney every other year and on our past trip we decided to take my cousin and her 3 young sons. I was worried that my cousin's youngest son, who had never been to an amusement park before, might be scared of the characters. Before we left, we went to a costume store and tried on a bunch of the full-body character suits to prove to him that they weren't scary. We even took his picture with them to "practice." It worked like a charm. The first day we were there, he ran right up to Mickey for a photo op. This is a great time of year to do this since it is around Halloween and lots of costume shops are open.'
-- contributed by Erin
BAG IT!
'I'm a big zip-lock bag person, but have found a new way to use them on this past trip. A great way to keep your entire day bag dry on rides such as Kali River Rapids or Splash Mountain is to bring one of those extra large zip-lock bags (like one's used to store blankets, clothes or toys). Throw your entire day bag in that, then seal it up. This way everything stays completely dry.'
-- contributed by Monica
MAKE MAGIC FOR ALL
'If there is a special celebration for one family member in particular make sure that kids in the group don't feel left out. Plan a special day or moment for everyone. Nothing can ruin family bonding quicker than jealousy or hurt feelings.'
-- contributed by Kerry
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 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 having one of those forgetful days when I just can't remember anything. Here's a little something I saw somewhere in one of the Disney parks but I just can't put my finger on where. "We do not inherit the earth from our parents -- we only borrow it from our children." Now where was that?"
Where at Walt Disney World will you find the quote mentioned above?
For bonus credit, locate the photo in the PassPorter Photo Archive and post a comment with the photo!
Congratulations to Alison F. who was the winner of last week's trivia contest! Alison F. was the first person to identify the answer to last week's clue as Disney in 50s Prime Time Cafe at Disney's Hollywood Studios. Bonus credit goes to Alison 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:
 Main Street USA at Halloween
Photo by home4us123
(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
msnoble asks: "Does anyone know when to expect the posting of the October 2011 Bahamas cruises on Disney Cruise Line?"
Dave answers:Ê "I'm thinking we just might learn something about the '11 schedule on October 29, when DCL makes some big announcements about the new ship. After all, we already know the schedule for the Magic and Wonder."
Did our message board members agree with Dave? To see other answers that msnoble 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):
Mouse Fan Travel - Mouse Fan Reunion by Land - Dec 10 - 14, 2009!
PassPorter Travel Press - Pre-Order Your PassPorter 2010!
ALL STAR Vacation Homes - Choose from more than 150 homes within 4 miles of Disney!
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From the Authors: A Fun Giveaway!
Hi, {{user('firstname')}}!
Our Decade of Dreams Disneyland event is upon us! Jennifer and Alexander will be in California by the time you read this, getting ready for a weekend of fun. Meantime, Dave gets to stay home and mind the store (and maybe rake some leaves).
Printed PassPorter Sheet Giveaway!
Remember those poster-sized "printed sheets" we have of the new edition of PassPorter's Walt Disney World, with 32 pages of the book arrayed on the front and back of each sheet? We've decided to give four of these sheets out, autographed, to four lucky members of the PassPorter community. All you have to do to enter the drawing is post a reply in the specially-created topic in the Using Your PassPorter: Tips and Answers forum of the PassPorter message boards.The message can be as simple as, "Me, me! Choose me!" We'll then choose at random from the entries, and get back to you via e-mail. It's one entry per person, so please don't make multiple posts and please, no discussion within that topic -- it's not going to help and makes our job a bit harder. Entries are open from now through Monday, October 19, 2009 at 11:59 pm Eastern time. If you're not already a member of our message board community, it's very easy to join -- more than 37,000 vacationers already have! Not only will you get a crack at a fun souvenir, but you'll find that our message boards are a wonderful place, full of lots of great info and a warm, helpful, and supporting community.
New e-Book!
Well, the information isn't new or revised, but for the benefit of folks planning to sail the Mediterranean next year with DCL, we've re-packaged the port-of-call information from our 2007 (5th Edition) of PassPorter's Disney Cruise Line and its Ports of Call as an e-book for your reference. If you don't have a copy of that edition on your shelf, this should help take the "edge" off your curiosity while you wait for the 2010 edition of our DCL guide (due out in early 2010), which will have new/fully-updated info on all the ports DCL will be visiting. The new e-book is available at "retail" in the PassPorter store, and is also available to members of PassPorter's Club as a no-extra-charge benefit of club membership!
Decade of Dreams Disneyland Event!
Our Decade of Dreams 10th anniversary is taking PassPorter to Disneyland over the weekend of October 16-18, 2009! Everyone is welcome to join us for our festivities, which tentatively include a Mickey's Trick or Treat Party, Disneyland Quest Afternoon, and breakfast at Storyteller's Cafe (limited seating -- only 3 seats left now!). To learn more, check out our meet schedule and let us know if you can attend! We promise a great time for all. See you there!
PassPorter's Disney Weddings & Honeymoons E-Book Updated
A fourth revision of PassPorter's Disney Weddings & Honeymoons: Dream Days at Disney World and on Disney Cruises e-book is ready for download. Changes include new ceremony and reception venues (including a scuba wedding!), new venue pricing, new requirements for the complimentary room night, and the discontinuation of printed save-the-dates for the Wishes Collection. If you purchased the e-book from our online store, you can download the revised version by going to the PassPorter Store, logging into your account, locating the e-book in your Order History, and clicking the download link. If you're a member of PassPorter's Club, just head over to the Club and download from The Reading Room, as always.
Contribute To Our 2010 Disneyland Edition
We're working new Disneyland edition of PassPorter for 2010! And, as always, YOUR input is very important -- it's one of the things that makes PassPorter unique and valuable. We encourage you to take some time to contribute a tip, story, photo, and/or rating -- it really makes a difference! To learn how to contribute, please view the details on our message boards. We look forward to seeing your contributions!
PassPorter's Club Update
- More 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!
- PassPorter's Mediterranean Port Guides are now available to you as an e-book -- download it free of extra charges in the Reading Room!
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In this issue, PassPorter Featured Columnist Sue Kulick shares information on Planning a Girls-Only Vacation: Tip and Tricks. Then PassPorter Featured Columnist Cheryl Pendry gives us a glimpse into Rediscovering Nine Dragons: An Epcot Dining Review. 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:
Planning a Girls-Only Vacation: Tip and Tricks
Sue Kulick, PassPorter Featured Columnist
Okay, ladies -- stressed out and cranky? Tired of your other half's constant complaining? Don't want to spend another moment doing somebody else's laundry? Sounds like you are ready for a girl's trip!
Just you and some of your best gal pals getting together! You can eat in fine dining, or grab a quick bite for dinner. You can spend an entire vacation without one single order of chicken fingers! You can do a spa treatment, or swim after dinner. You can relax with a glass of wine. And, you will come back relaxed, happy and ready to face the mountain of other people's laundry again.
So how do you begin? It's easy! First, pick a destination. Walt Disney World is a natural selection, but it's not your only choice. You can go scrapbooking in Minnesota or to Cape May, New Jersey to enjoy the beach. You can go shopping in Connecticut, or spend a weekend in a bed and breakfast on Long Island's North Shore.
Once you have your destination in mind, you need to consult your gal pals and pick a date. This is not as hard as it seems. Once the idea is planted, come up with a few choices and go from there. For logistics' sake, it's best to keep the group of planners relatively small, say 3 or 4. You can open it up to other friends if you like, but it's much easier to pick a place and a time with a finite group. Then you can invite more pals if you want.
Decide where you want to stay and be prepared to be flexible. Designate one person to make the hotel arrangements, unless there are several credit cards involved. It's much easier if it's done by one, that way, rooms and reservations can be linked if need be. Also, now is the time to discuss budget. If this is a budget trip for you, say so! There is nothing that will take the enjoyment out of a fun trip faster than going over your budget because one of your group has a bigger budget than the others. Don't be afraid to say "No, I really can't swing the spa this time, you guys go. I will be in the lounge with my wine waiting for you!" Your gal pals will understand, and it will stop any problems that might arise.
Once you've got your dates, destination and your resort secured, the fun really begins! Everyone should make their travel plans to the destination on their own. If you can carpool or travel with someone else, all the better! Discuss what you would like to do (or maybe, what you want to avoid doing!) and again, be prepared to be flexible. If you have chosen a Disney destination, think about things like parks, shows, and extras. (We'll get to food later.) If it's not a Disney destination, are there things in the area you want to see, or do you want to relax on the beach all day? Pre-planning these things makes the trip run smoothly. For instance, maybe your family always spends a large chunk of time in the Magic Kingdom, but you've always wanted to spend the day browsing the shops at Epcot. Now is the time to do that! Bring it up, throw it into the mix and see where it fits into your plans.
Keep in mind that a group vacation doesn't mean you will do everything together all the time. You are still separate individuals, and everyone will have slightly different ideas. Be prepared to spend some alone time, too, or time with one of the group but not all. This is not a bad thing. Let me repeat that, THIS IS NOT A BAD THING! Just because you don't spend 24/7 together doesn't make you are not friends! Think of how little alone time you get in your day-to-day life. Your gal pals get pretty much the same amount of alone time. They totally understand that you want to go back to the room for a nap, or want to go browse that funky little book shop for an uninterrupted hour or two. It's all good!
Now, onto dining! Whether you are at Disney, or another vacation destination, you will have a plethora of choices, some of which are not options when you are traveling with your family or spouse. Decide what you would like to do, and again, be flexible. If one of the group wants seafood but you are more of a pasta gal, go to seafood one night and pasta the next. Also, there will be times when you may not all eat out together. Two of the group may want to try that little corner bistro you passed on the way in, but the other two really just want a burger and fries. It's OK to do both and meet up for ice cream later. If you have a funky suggestion, such as waffles for dinner, this might be the perfect time to try it. On a recent girls' trip, one of my friends and I split a sandwich and fries. My husband, a meat-potatoes-pasta guy, was appalled! He couldn't believe that was all we wanted for dinner, because that wasn't "real food" (read: guy food). To me, it was a great treat and a really fun night! If you are staying somewhere where you need to make dinner reservations, again, I would suggest that one person make them all, to avoid confusion.
Keeping in touch with your gal pals during the planning is vital. It's pretty easy in the age of e-mail and texting to keep in touch, and all the details can be downloaded into one file or spreadsheet. That way, you will have everyone's travel information, contacts, preferences and details in one spot.
Something else to include in your planning: it is important to know everyone in your group's emergency information, including family phone numbers, allergies, medications, and medical history. If something should happen and one of your group needs emergency attention, you need to be able to tell the paramedics medical information, as well as who to contact. While this scenario seems unlikely, it can and does happen, and a little knowledge can help out a lot.
For a little more peace of mind, take some time before you leave home to get everything in order. Take care of child or pet care issues (for instance, I have my nephew double check on my cat's status!), fill the refrigerator with enough food to avoid unnecessary trips to the grocery store (accompanied by the ever-present whining), and make sure the bills and check book are up to date. You might want to have all the laundry done, too. Leave phone numbers and contacts, and leave your significant other the names of your traveling buddies. I like to clean the house before I go, that way my husband feels obligated to keep it somewhat clean while I am gone!
Let's see, we covered planning, destination, resort, travel, activities, dining...did I forget anything? Oh yes...have a great time! Don't worry about a thing ...the laundry will still be there when you get home!
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About the Author: Sue Kulick is a resident of the Pocono Mountains and an avid Disney fan. She and her husband, Steve, live in a log home with their Golden Retrievers, Cody and Belle and their cat Tigger.
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:
Rediscovering Nine Dragons: An Epcot Dining Review
Cheryl Pendry, PassPorter Featured Columnist
I don't know about you, but for me, there's nothing more depressing than hearing consistently bad reports about a restaurant at Disney. It certainly puts me off from either going there or returning, but things can change -- and for the better -- as I discovered on my most recent trip.
We last ate at Nine Dragons, the table service restaurant in China, on our 2002 visit and we immediately put it on the "to be avoided at all costs" list. It had nothing to do with the food, which was very good, but everything to do with the prices in there. I seem to recall that, at one time, in the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World, it scored an F when it came to value for money and the scale ran from something like A, which was excellent value, right down to F. No other restaurant was graded so poorly and our experience backed up that rating. It's hard to remember now, but I think our lunch there came to something like $75 for the two of us and we didn't order the most expensive items from the menu! We were stunned when we got the bill and, ever since we've avoided it.
That all changed on my last trip, when our plans for our final day altered and we were discussing where to go for lunch at Epcot. We tried Le Cellier, more in hope than expectation, and unsurprisingly, it was full, so after a discussion, we thought maybe we'd give Nine Dragons a go and were rewarded with a noon booking for lunch the next day.
When we arrived, it wasn't yet open and, on a baking hot day, we were reduced to waiting outside, which is very unusual for any Disney restaurant. Usually there's somewhere shady to wait, but not here and that's something that really does need addressing, as it was pretty unbearable outside that day, even though it was still only early May.
When we were admitted, we were greeted and immediately checked in, along with the three or four other people who were waiting. We quickly took a seat, but barely had a chance to sit down before our name was called and, feeling very much like royalty, we were led past a row of servers, all bowing to you as you passed.
The first thing I noticed as we were led to our table was how dark it was in here, but in a beautiful way. It's full of mahogany furniture and finishes here, but brightened up by brilliant red and yellow lights. It's actually a very pleasant contrast from outside, particularly on a sunny day. Although you get an Oriental feel from the decor, it's very subtle and the feeling you do get is that you're in an exclusive restaurant. The theming wouldn't be out of place in some of the more expensive places that we've eaten at.
However, that slight moment of panic disappeared as soon as we were presented with our menus and we opened them. My eyes went straight to the prices to see just how much this meal was likely to cost us, and I liked what I saw.
You're presented with a choice of hot or cold appetizers and soups and salads and my eye instantly went to the shrimp summer rolls, which were excellent, very tasty, and just the right size. Other choices included pot stickers, sautéed pork and vegetable dumpling with a dipping sauce, which I'm told were very good, fragrant chicken, spicy beef, shrimp and chicken egg rolls, and Chinese chicken salad. Non meat-eaters could opt for the Dioa Yu Tai cucumber salad or vegetarian fried rice. Prices range from $4 for soup to $12 for the appetizer sampler for two.
The choice of entrees for lunch wasn't as extensive as the choice of appetizers, but having said that, it was still more impressive than some of the other restaurants we'd sampled earlier in the week. As someone who doesn't eat meat, my eyes instantly went to the fragrant five-spiced fish, which was superb with some beautiful flavors to it. I couldn't fault how much there was on my plate either. I was expecting just one piece of fish -- and at $22 -- I wouldn't have been too upset at that, so imagine my surprise when the plate arrived complete with two massive pieces of fish!
Other choices for entrees include honey sesame chicken, sweet and sour pork, vegetarian stir fry, peppery shrimp with spinach noodles, and Kung Pao chicken. Everything was reasonably priced, with entrees generally ranging from $14 to $17, with just my fish more expensive than that.
As it was such a hot day, all we wanted was ice water and we consumed a fair few glasses of that. Here, I have to compliment our wonderful server, who did an excellent job of ensuring those glasses were kept full. At the speed we were drinking, I can tell you that was no mean feat! You really got the feeling that nothing was too much trouble and our server was always there whenever we needed him.
Without dessert or drinks, our meal came to around $55, which we both thought was excellent value. The fact that it was a cheaper lunch than the last time I'd dined here seven years earlier tells you exactly how much the value for money has improved here.
I'll certainly be heading back – with plans to re-visit Nine Dragons on our next Disney trip, it was that good. Don't let yourself be put off my poor reviews of this restaurant any longer, as it's improved significantly and is now one of the hidden dining jewels at Epcot.
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About the Author: Cheryl and husband Mark live in England and love to travel, particularly to Disney, and they have made numerous visits to destinations across America and Europe. They recently completed their tour of every Disney theme park around the world, which culminated in their visit to Japan, including the Tokyo Disney Resort. Cheryl is the co-author of PassPorter's Disney Vacation Club Guide and is a regular featured columnist for PassPorter news.
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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