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 In This Newsletter
From the Authors: That Slow Boat From China
Travel Feature: Ice! at Gaylord Palms
Disney Feature: Making The Most of The Single Rider Line As A Family
Updates: What's New and Changed
Tips: Better Blister Bandages, "Adult" Entertainment, Dietary Do's (Instead of Don'ts!)
Captain's Corner: The Dip
PassPorter PhotoPick: Chip and Dale Dance at Cinderella Castle
Q and A: What is the first cruise after dry dock like?
Our Sponsors: We Recommend...
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Updates:
What's New and Changed
Here are a few items of relevant news:
Will you be trick or treating on the Disney Cruise Line this year? Both the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder will feature trick or treating onboard on Halloween as well as a Halloween Costume Party near the Goofy Pool, special showings of the movies The Haunted Mansion and The Nightmare Before Christmas, and many other special treats. For the grown-ups on board there will be a costume contest held in the adults-only entertainment districts.
And speaking of holidays, if you will be in Walt Disney World for New Year's Eve, you can ring in 2009 at the Magic Kingdom or Epcot, both of which will remain open until 1:00 am. A special showing of the Fantasy In The Sky fireworks at the Magic Kingdom will take place at 11:50 pm and a special New Year's version of IllumiNations will begin at Epcot at 11:40 pm. Disney's Hollywood Studios will be open until Midnight with the Lights! Cameras! New Year's! fireworks show kicking off at 11:50 pm. Disney's Animal Kingdom will close at 8:00 pm.
T-Rex: A Prehistoric Adventure, the new restaurant in Downtown Disney was scheduled to open on Wednesday, October 15, 2008. If anyone was lucky enough to enjoy a meal there, e-mail us at news@passporter.com and let us know what you thought!
Congratulations to Giraffe Mama Nikki who gave birth to baby boy Bonsu on September 28. Bonsu weighed 155 pounds and was 6 feet tall at birth! Bonsu is the fourth baby giraffe born at Disney's Animal Kingdom this year.
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! Here are the winners in this month's tip contest:
BETTER BLISTER BANDAGES
"I discovered this tip by accident on our last trip to Walt Disney World. After a day of walking in the parks, I developed the beginnings of a blister on the underside of one of my toes. I had no moleskin, so I used what I did have: one of the new Band Aids with antibiotic ointment on the pad. It worked, and the blister actually just went away. I thought maybe it was a fluke, but I had the chance to try it again as I developed a another, worse, blister on the other foot. Once again, the blister disappeared. The antibiotic ointment makes the pad soft and slightly sticky, cushioning the blister. And, if the blister pops, the medicine is already there!"
-- contributed by Myra F.
"ADULT" ENTERTAINMENT
"When it comes to Disney, sometimes the only difference between adults and kids is the price of their admission to the parks! By that I mean even adults like to be surprised and entertained during the trip to Florida. I plan and coordinate the Disney trips for my husband, my brother and his wife, and my parents. As silly as it sounds, my family is overjoyed when I surprise them with treats and games for the flight to Orlando. I found pirate-themed containers! I fill them with each couples' favorite candies and gum -- perfect for snacking on the plane and in the parks. I also seek out word searches and other Disney-themed puzzles on the Internet to help pass the time in the airport and on the plane. It's just another way to make our all-adult Disney vacation even more magical and to keep us young at heart!"
-- contributed by Beth C.
DIETARY DO'S (INSTEAD OF DON'TS!)
"If anyone in your family has dietary restrictions, let Disney know ahead of time and they will work endlessly to make dining an enjoyable experience. My husband has a gluten allergy and can't eat bread. We made this known to Disney when we made our dining reservations. At every restaurant the chef came to our table and talked with my husband about what he could and couldn't eat. If we were at a buffet the chef would make Paul something special to eat to accommodate his diet. They were also able to offer my husband gluten-free bread. That was definitely a treat, since he hasn't had bread for over three years. I give Disney an A+ for all they did to make him feel comfortable."
-- contributed by Sharon B.
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 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 3 months.)
Here is this week's journal entry:
"My sojourn at Disneyland is almost at an end. Today is my last day at the happiest place on earth. I took one final stroll through the Disneyland park and discovered several little details I had overlooked before. For example, while waiting in line to ride Roger Rabbit Car Toon Spin, I happened across the secret formula for the dreaded Dip that toons fear so much! Knowing what is in 'The Dip,' I now know why it is so deadly!"
What is the formula for "The Dip" at Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin?
For bonus credit, locate the photographic evidence in the PassPorter Photo Archive and post a comment with the photo!
Congratulations to Janice P. who was the winner of last week's trivia contest! Janice was the first person to identify the spot in the photo as the entrance to the Disneyland Dream Suite in New Orleans Square. Bonus credit goes to tamistl who was 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!
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 Jack Skatt. Get more details on 'PassPorter's Treasure Hunts at Walt Disney World' book at http://www.passporterstore.com.
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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:
Chip and Dale Dance at Cinderella Castle
contributed by purduealvin
(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
JKSWonder asks: "We are booked on the first cruise after the Wonder comes out of dry dock in October 2009. I am worried about this now ... about whether or not things will be 'ready.' I read a trip report on another board about the Magic after dry dock and it was not pretty. Has anyone here been on the first cruise after a dry dock stay? Was it good, bad or ugly?"
Dave answers: "Each dry dock is different. Generally, folks report very good experiences after dry dock. However, every so often, the cruise line and ship yard don't get everything done in the alloted time, and it affects the first cruise following dry dock. They bust their guts to avoid that, though. Most cruisers over the years report great experiences with the "new car smell."
Did our message board members agree with Dave? To see other answers that JKSWonder received, check out the rest of the thread on the PassPorter Message Boards.
Have a question? Post questions at http://www.passporterboards.com -- and if you're lucky, you may find that folks have already asked and answered the same question that's on your mind!
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Future Newsletters:
Want To See Your Name in Print?
PassPorter News is published weekly, and this means we're always in need of articles! We're on the lookout for guest columnists who want to contribute articles to this newsletter. No professional writing experience is necessary, just a desire to share your experience with others! Not only is this a great way to give something back to the PassPorter community, but you get to see your name in 'print' and receive a $25 gift certificate for use at www.passporter.com.
For details and our article submission guidelines, please e-mail news@passporter.com. Articles about Disney and general travel are welcomed!
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Our Sponsors:
We Recommend...
PassPorter only accepts advertising from services of the highest quality -- we recommend these companies because we use them ourselves. Please support our sponsors and, in turn, support this newsletter! This week's sponsors are (in order of appearance):
MouseEarVacations.com -- Disney Cruise onboard credit offer
Mouse Fan Travel -- Oct -Dec 2008 Disney Deals
All Star Vacation Homes -- Choose from more than 150 homes within 4 miles of Disney
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From the Authors: That Slow Boat From China!
Hi, {{user('firstname')}}!
As they say, the best-laid plans of mice (or Mouse-lovers) may oft go astray. This is a truth we have encountered as frequent travelers and by publishing books that are world travelers in their own right, being printed in Hong Kong for delivery to the U.S. Fortunately, we know exactly where the 2009 edition of PassPorter's Walt Disney World is at the moment -- filling two, 40-foot shipping containers, on two different ships that are somewhere in the Pacific between Hong Kong and the U.S. (one container is headed to our distributor's warehouse in Tennessee, and one is headed to our own warehouse in Michigan). Unfortunately, these shipping delays puts us a bit behind our anticipated release date (October 15). If all goes well, we expect to start shipping pre-orders of PassPorter's Walt Disney World 2009 in a bit less than three weeks.
As always, we put top priority on delivering pre-orders to folks who will be traveling soon. If you supplied your travel date to us when you placed your order (or contact us now via e-mail to orders@passporter.com or by toll-free phone - 877-929-3273 Mon-Fri, 9:00 am-6:00 pm ET), we'll take that into account. If the delay means we missed your departure date, we'll be in touch to determine your desires (refund, "ship anyway," etc.), and for those whose travel dates are imminent we'll adjust shipping methods at our cost, to ensure the books arrive in time.
PassPorter's Decade of Dreams Tour is going to Disneyland for the Backstage Magic Adventures by Disney on October 13-18, 2009! Our Adventures by Disney package is 6 days/5 nights of VIP treatment -- we'll visit Hollywood landmarks, see how the magic is made at Walt Disney Imagineering, eat lunch on the lot at the Walt Disney Studios, and get a peak behind the fantasy at the Disneyland(R) Resort. The price includes an exclusive group discount and there is an early booking bonus of a $75 Disney Gift Card for the first 10 bookings from our Decade of Dreams travel provider, Mouse Fan Travel. Get all the details, a day-by-day itinerary, and prices at the Decade of Dreams Tour Headquarters. This also means we have selected the dates for the Decade of Dreams Tour visit to Disneyland! Tour festivities at Disneyland will begin on Friday, October 16, 2009 and will continue through Tuesday, October 20. Stay tuned for the schedule of events!
What is PassPorter's Decade of Dreams Tour? PassPorter is celebrating our 10th anniversary in 2009 in a year-long celebration from coast-to-coast! Everyone is invited and all are warmly welcome to join us at all or part of our celebration. We are combining small parties (meets) with grand, multi-day trips, including a 7-night Disney Cruise, a 4-night stay at Walt Disney World, and a Disneyland visit that includes park time and an Adventures by Disney expedition. See our Tour Schedule for the latest details.
Were you thinking of joining us this December 11th-15th at Walt Disney World and/or on the December 7th-11th Disney Wonder cruise for MouseFest? This 'grand gathering' of Disney online communities, podcasters, bloggers, webmasters, and authors has become a holiday season tradition for many of us, and keeps getting bigger and better every year! If you already have plans to be on the Disney Wonder and/or at Walt Disney World at the same time as MouseFest, definitely check it out. There are all sorts of free activities, and you'll be able to meet a whole lot of really great folks who share your passion for all things Disney.
The preliminary MouseFest schedule of events has gone online over at MouseFest.org, and MouseFest attendee registration has been going strong. So far, nearly 550 people have registered, including many members of the PassPorter message board community. Many PassPorter message board Guides will also be on hand, and folks from PassPorter are organizing a bunch of great events to share with everyone who attends. Come on by MouseFest Corner at our message boards to see what your fellow 'PassPorters' are planning, and get a chance to get acquainted.
| PassPorter's Club Update More than 1450 vacationers are now enjoying access to all our e-books, e-worksheets, and super-sized photo archive images.Thank you for your continued support!
Our newest e-book, PassPorter's Answer Book is now available for download. This 85-page e-book is full of the detailed, up-to-date information on the topics that really matter to you.
More details at http://www.passporter.com/club
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In this issue, PassPorter Featured Columnist Cheryl Pendry reports on what's becoming an annual December holiday tradition in Orlando, Ice! at the Gaylord Palms Resort. Then, PassPorter Guest Columnist Karen Chen shares tips for Making the Most of the Single Rider Line as a Family. Finally, Jack Skatt is back with a brand-new Walt Disney World Treasure Hunt.
Jennifer and Dave
PassPorter Authors
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Did You Know?
To celebrate the release of Disney Cruise Line's new 2010 Itineraries, we are extending a special offer to all new reservations booked between October 13 and October 28, 2008!
Receive an onboard credit of between $75 and $600; depending on the cost of your new cruise booking!
Contact your MouseEarVacations.com® Travel Consultant for further details. Don't have one yet? No worries! Click the Request a Quote button below and one of our experts will be glad to help make your travel dreams come true!
Click here to get a quote!
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CST2058090-40 www.MouseEarVacations.com 800-886-8601
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Travel Feature:
Ice! At Gaylord Palms
by Cheryl Pendry, PassPorter Featured Columnist
There aren't many things that take us away from Disney property when we're in Florida. Usually it has to be the attraction of one of the other theme parks or perhaps the lure of those nearby shopping malls, but apart from that, we're usually Disney through and through. And as far as holiday activities go, the further we'd ventured was to Celebration to see snow fall on their main shopping street - and even there, you're still in the Disney bubble.
I say this because what we did last Christmas was a big deal to us. After finding out about Ice! at the Gaylord Palms Resort and seeing some amazing photos of the ice sculptures there, I decided that we should give it a go and duly booked two tickets to visit it.
So what is Ice!? Essentially it's an exhibition of the wonders of ice sculpting, but to describe it as that doesn't really give it full credit. It's much more than that. You walk through a series of hand-carved ice scenes, which in total were created from almost two million pounds of ice.
And if you thought ice was a nice clear color, then think again. While some of the scenes do use this type of ice, there are also bright and colorful scenes. And it works beautifully. Let's be honest, a holly wreath just wouldn't look right unless it was green and that's exactly the color it is. The same thing with the poinsettias right at the entrance. You'd expect them to be a bright red color and they are.
That's not to say that the whole thing is gaudy and filled with color, far from it. Some of the scenes are literally just crystal clear and that makes them even more breathtaking. The very first scene you walk through is a set of crystal clear animals laid out before you, including polar bears, deer, swans, and rabbits and the detail on each and every one of them is breathtaking. But this is only the beginning and, at this point, perhaps you're thinking, "I've seen ice sculptures like this before," and maybe you have. But as we walked into the next scene, that thought was immediately dispelled from our minds.
That's when everything became a riot of color with life size trains you can walk though, a railway junction, and huge ice cream cones. There's even a gingerbread house to head inside.
Perhaps the pinnacle of the displays is the next scene of the nativity, complete with everything you'd expect to see, including the three wise men, the shepherds and their sheep, and angels. It's all laid out in front of you and it is all life size. Even better, when we visited, we were lucky enough to see one of the ice sculptors who brought all of this to life at work in there, ensuring that the monuments before us were in perfect shape. The sculptors, as we learned in the pre-show movie that's shown as you go into Ice!, come from China and are obviously experts in their field, judging by the wonders they produce.
The next stop took us back into the fun and frolics we'd enjoyed earlier, with penguins playing and sliding down the ice in another colorful scene. Then it was out, past Santa and his sleigh at the North Pole.
I think it's fair to say that perhaps we rushed through that last scene a little, but by then, we were starting to lose feeling in our fingers and toes, as it was so cold. Naively I thought that when they talked about keeping the temperature in there at a steady nine degrees, they were talking Celsius - well, that is what us Brits work in, but I should've known better. No, they were talking about nine degrees Fahrenheit!
Don't worry, they do give you parkas to keep you warm at the start of your tour, but had we thought about it, jeans, instead of Capri pants, would have been much more appropriate and perhaps we might have kitted ourselves out in an extra pair of socks, some gloves, and probably a nice warm hat as well! That's something I'd certainly do if we went again, as the cold did become more and more biting as we went round and, much as we'd have loved to have lingered more, it just wasn't possible in the cold.
Ice! is open daily this year at the Gaylord Palms Resort from 17 November 2008 until 4 January 2009 and tickets are now on sale at the Gaylord Palms web site. If you do plan on going, tickets purchased online in advance are cheaper and it's also less expensive to visit between a Monday and a Thursday, rather than Fridays or weekends. Adult tickets range from $16.99 - $24.99, while tickets for seniors over the age of 55 are between $16.99 and $21.99. For children aged three to nine, the price is $9.99, while children under three are free of charge.
One final word of warning - the parking at the Gaylord Palms Resort is pretty pricey. It wasn't a pleasant surprise on the way and, if we went again, I'd seriously consider taking a cab instead to avoid that fee.
Ice! is certainly a unique attraction and one that I'm very glad we ventured off Disney property to visit. I certainly never realized how beautiful and spell-binding ice could be and just what amazing creations can be made from it.
About the Author: Cheryl and husband Mark live in England and love to travel, particularly to America. They are in the process of visiting every Disney theme park around the world, having already been to Disneyland Resort Paris, Hong Kong Disneyland and both American Disney resorts. They are now planning for their trip to Japan in the spring to visit the Tokyo Disney Resort.
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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. Also check out our Article Collection for more great information!
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Did You Know?
*Offer is limited, subject to availability and restrictions apply - CST207807440
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Disney Feature:
Making The Most of The Single Rider Line As A Family
by Karen Chen, PassPorter Guest Contributor
The first time I discovered the Single Rider Line, I was with my dad at Epcot. We had a late start on the morning, which is typical for my sleep addicted family, but my dad was anxious to try to ride Test Track. My mom and husband volunteered to entertain the children while we rode, so we were in a hurry. We hustled over to Future World, out of breath but excited. Once we got to the FASTPASS machines we were disappointed to see the FASTPASSes were long gone, and the Standby line was already over an hour.
Then my dad noticed the Single Rider Line, and we decided to give it a shot. The Single Rider Line takes people who agree to ride alone and fills the empty seats that are left over from groups who are coming in from the FASTPASS and Standby lines. My dad and I waited together in the specially marked line and in about 15 minutes we got to board our car. We didn't get to sit together, but we lucked out and were put in the same vehicle, laughing and screaming as we zoomed around. I could not believe that we were already done with the ride and back with the rest of the family before the Standby riders were even beginning their adventure around the track!
A couple of years later, my children were old enough to go on the big rides. Sadly, I am the only early bird in my family, so we are most often faced with long lines at Disney. The single rider line has saved us from huge waits many times. However, the kids were a little nervous to try it the first time. My youngest was eight the first time we tried to go as a family. After I showed the kids how long we would have to wait if we rode together, they were convinced.
We have worked out a simple routine. First, we scope out the ride and make sure we know where the exit is. Then we pick out a very specific meeting spot that is a little bit away from the exit. Sometimes it takes a few cycles of the ride before we all get through. It is no fun to wait too close to the exit where people flood out the door. Luckily, Disney has very thoughtfully placed gift shops near the exits, so it is easy to pick an air conditioned spot where you can watch the door and browse the souvenirs at the same time.
When everyone is clear on where to meet up, we all go into the Single Rider Line. We get to stay together in the line until we get close to the boarding area. Once it is time to ride, one adult goes first, followed by the children, then the second adult brings up the rear. As soon as we get off the ride we all meet up at our special spot.
I would only recommend sending children through the Single Rider Line if they are comfortable with the idea. They should be familiar with the ride, or have an adventurous personality. We also instruct our kids to be very polite to the person they are sitting with. We tell them to give a nice smile and hello to greet their neighbor.
There is an unexpected benefit to riding single. We all come back with a story about the people we sat next to. The last time we rode Expedition Everest, I sat next to a petite, blonde, German woman who began repeatedly shouting, "Mein Gott!" as soon as we began our ascent. The faster we went the louder she shouted, "MEIN GOTT, MEIN GOTT!" When the ride came to a stop, the lady smiled sheepishly at me, smoothed down her hair, and joined the rest of her family who were clueless about her two minutes of pure terror.
My daughter was entertained by a flamboyant gentleman who knew everything about Everest, and screamed shrilly the entire ride. My son was a little intimidated by the Goth-looking teen sprouting multiple piercings, who didn't say a word, but also screamed shrilly the entire ride.
Once we met up we had a great time telling each other about our unique experiences, and that is something that just doesn't happen we all ride together. Riding separately actually enriched our time together!
Single Rider Lines are available on many (not all) major attractions although this varies due to crowd levels.
About the Author: Karen Chen is a Stay At Home Mother and admitted Disneyphile.
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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. Also check out our Article Collection for more great information!
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