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 In This Newsletter
From the Authors: New Community Features II!
Travel Girl: To Rent Or Not To Rent?
Disney Feature: Osborne Spectacle of Lights
Updates: What's New and Changed
Tips: Package Pick Up, Stroller Saver, Better Bags
Captain's Corner: Leota's Tombstone
PassPorter PhotoPick: The Backside of Water
Q and A: Anyone cruised with a baby before?
Our Sponsors: We Recommend...
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Updates:
What's New and Changed
Here are a few items of relevant news:
The 2009 Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival will be held March 18 - May 31, 2009. This year's theme is "Celebrate Floral Fun and 'Go Green.'" Tink fans will be delighted to hear that a Pixie Hollow Playground will be one of the new displays this year!
Disney Cruise Line is featuring a special "Bounce Back Offer" - cruise on a 4 or 7 -night itinerary between January 31 - March 8, 2009 or March 21 - 28, 2009 and receive a voucher for a 3 night cruise for $99 per person, double occupancy to take place between August 13 - December 17, 2009. (The voucher is for the same number of guests and same stateroom category as your 4 or 7 night cruise.) You must book your initial cruise between now and December 15, 2008. Your 3 night cruise must be booked between April 6 - May 30, 2009.
According to Screamscape.com, the Backlot Express counter service restaurant at Disney's Hollywood Studios will be installing a self-service beverage island where guests can get and refill their drinks.
Petrifries, previously a kiosk that sold McDonald's French Fries in the Dinoland, USA area of Disney's Animal Kingdom has closed and will re-open on November 22, 2008 as Trilobites, featuring a Disney-provided menu.
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:
PACKAGE PICK UP
"On our most recent trip to Walt Disney World, we discovered that, even if you're not staying on Disney property, you can still have your purchases sent to the front of the park. This enabled us to shop early (to avoid the 'evening rush' of last-minute souvenir purchases). Furthermore, it gave us the freedom of not having to tote our treasures everywhere and opened up the opportunity for us to purchase some rather large/bulky souvenirs. To make it even more special, on the third day of our vacation, I won a 'Where Dreams Come True' Tinker Bell pin, because I was the honorary "Package Pick Up Guest of the Hour"! On our next Disney vacation, I plan on wearing the pin to remind my family to have all purchases sent up front. It truly will take a load off!"
-- contributed by Rebecca E.
STROLLER SAVER
"Here's a tip for those using multiple strollers while touring the 'World.' We became tired of searching for our two strollers, which would often be moved by cast members while we were enjoying an attraction. We purchased an inexpensive jump rope at a supermarket in Florida (it even had a Mickey design on the ends). We tied two small loops in the rope to slip over the handles of both strollers when we parked them. This way, if the strollers did get moved, they stayed together. This saved us a lot of time."
-- contributed by Mary C.
BETTER BAGS
"I recently bought some curtains and right before throwing the packaging away had a light bulb moment. Curtains and sheets come in plastic bags with a zipper. These are great for packing socks or other items together or packing something wet or something that could leak en route to your destination. They can also be used when you arrive by holding beach or pool items or once again wet bathing suits. They are thick plastic and can take more of a beating than ziplocks and best of all they are free! (Well, besides the cost of the contents!)"
-- contributed by Lori H.
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:
"Found this photo tucked in my journal. Can't remember where I took it. Ugh, not feeling well today. Ate too much Halloween candy." (rest of text obscured by an odd smudge of chocolate)
(click photo above for larger version)
Where in Walt Disney World was the above photo taken?
For bonus credit, locate the photographic evidence in the PassPorter Photo Archive and post a comment with the photo!
Congratulations to Debbie C. who was the winner of last week's trivia contest! Debbie was the first person to identify the writing on Madam Leota's tombstone as "Dear sweet Leota, beloved by all, in regions beyond now, but having a ball." Bonus credit goes to micelablover 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:
The "Backside of Water" on the Jungle Cruise
contributed by goofy1313
(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
Disneybine asks: "Has anyone cruised with a baby, say a 6-months-old infant, before? Was it doable?"
Dave answers: "We sailed with Alexander at 4 months, 8 months, and one year. It was very, very doable. The really young ones are easy. They're easily portable, sleep through just about everything, make few demands, are not at all fussy about food ... Thanks to the existence of Flounders Reef (which doesn't exist on other lines), you even have a solid childcare option for times when you'd like to get away for a few hours. You'll also find that infants are welcome on shore excursions that older children might not be welcome on. There are some challenges if you're bottle-feeding, but they're still quite manageable."
Did our message board members agree with Dave? To see other answers that Disneybine 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 -- New Stop on Decade of Dreams Tour
MouseEarVacations.com -- $99 Disney Cruise offer
Quicksilver Tours & Transportation -- $5.00 off airport round-trip town car
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From the Authors: New Community Features II!
Hi, {{user('firstname')}}!
While we're waiting for the new 2009 editions to arrive (see below), we've been doing some tinkering about at our web site: We've been updating our popular message boards for faster performance and fun new features! Come check out our message board community -- everyone gets a new enhanced profile page with a personal visitor message system, personal photo albums, and customization options! Other new features include small Special Interest Groups for gathering together readers with like interests and a new Achievements system which rewards you for your involvement in the community! Visit the message boards at http://www.passporterboards.com/forums -- details on the new features are posted in the Using Your PassPorter forum.
2009 Edition Arrival Status: Just when we thought it was safe to go back in the water... A brand new, one-week delivery delay swam into our pond. Count yourselves lucky that you haven't been around our office to hear some of the things we've been saying about one of America's great railroads (can it really take 10 days to get a shipping container from the dock onto a rolling freight train?).The shipping container full of PassPorter's Walt Disney World 2009 books is (finally) crossing the northern plains as we speak (or so says the shipment tracking system), and as we already said last week, we expect to have the books in our warehouse early next week and start shipping pre-orders of PassPorter's Walt Disney World 2009 the next day.
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.comor 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. Also, if you already have an order in our system, you should have received an e-mail from us with a special thank-you gift from us, in honor of your patience and forebearance.
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 MouseFest schedule of events is online over at MouseFest.org. MouseFest attendee registration has been going strong, but the registration deadline of November 15 is fast approaching! So far, more than 700 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!
Passholders have a new benefit: The ability customize their enhanced community profiles by changing the font, color, borders, and background image! Give it a try by logging in and visiting Customize Profile in My Home.
More details at http://www.passporter.com/club
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In this issue, PassPorter Guest Columnist Justine Fellows asks the (perhaps rhetorical) question, To Rent or Not to Rent: Do You Need a Car at Walt Disney World? Then, PassPorter Featured Columnist Cheryl Pendry dazzles us with a report on The Osborne Spectacle of Lights at Disney's Hollywood Studios. 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?
MEI & Mouse Fan Travel is the
Official Travel Planner for
PassPorter's Decade of Dreams
*Offer is limited, subject to availability and restrictions apply - CST207807440
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Travel Girl's™ Tips for Disney World Podcasts:
To Rent or Not To Rent: Do You Need A Car At Walt Disney World?
by Justine Fellows, PassPorter Guest Contributor and Host of Travel Girl podcasts
If you are staying offsite at a non-Disney World hotel, the answer to this question is a bit easier. Renting a car makes sense, especially if the shuttles from your hotel are not at convenient times, you're at a condo and want to head to the grocery store, or you want to visit more places than the hotel shuttle offers, such as local restaurants, shopping and theme parks. Make sure to ask your off-site hotel about their shuttle service before deciding. Also, most off-site hotels do not provide transportation from the airport, so a rental car is an easy selection.
The dilemma in choosing comes when you are staying onsite at Walt Disney World because they provide a free Disney's Magical Express shuttle service to your hotel, as well as free transportation to all of their parks, resorts and Downtown Disney. First, let's talk about who you are. Are you not into riding a bus with the crowds? Are you coming from far away and want to make a grocery stop for snacks and diapers? Answer yes to either of these questions and Disney's Magic Express may not be for you. You may want to consider renting a car or hiring a car service, at least to get to your hotel. Most car services will give you a free, 30-minute grocery stop. It's like playing that game show Supermarket Sweep, so get your list ready! Those of you who answered positive to the need for a grocery stop may want to also consider having the groceries delivered. I'm a fan of not paying for car services, not dealing with my luggage, and not worrying about yelling at my husband about his sub-par driving techniques. Therefore it's Magical Express for my family!
But what about once you get to the hotel? Is Disney transportation quick and easy or slow and frustrating? The truth is, it just depends. It seems the worse my mood, the hotter I am, or if a kid is asleep in my arms, Disney transportation is slow. If we are in a great mood, chatting with fellow vacationers, sipping a coffee, the transportation is perfect. So the moral of transportation is - take it easy and keep your expectations low and it is well worth not having the aggravation, extra cost, and parking hassles of renting a car. If you're antsy and impatient, renting a car may be worth it.
The last thing to consider when making your decision is where you are staying and where you are going. If you are staying at a monorail resort you probably don't need a rental car. Planning a trip over to SeaWorld, a rental car may be a necessary investment. Left up to me, I've always opted for Disney transportation. I take it slow and make sure to plan lots of time to get to my destination. Disney World is more than 40 square miles. Plan at least 45 minutes to get from one place to another. And remember, sit back and enjoy the ride, its Disney after all!
About the Author: Justine, the author of PassPorter's Disney Speed Planner: The Easy Ten-Step Program, works in education in Connecticut. She is also the host of Travel Girl's(TM) Tips for Disney World podcasts.
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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?
What's better than a Disney Cruise? Well....two of course!
Right now you can enjoy a 3-Night Bahamian Cruise for only $99** per person, double occupancy, when you sail on a 4-Night or 7- Night Cruise this winter.
- Just book a 4-night or 7-Night Cruise with sail dates of Jan 31 - March 8, 2009 and March 21 - March 28, 2009 . While on that first cruise, you will receive a voucher with instructions on how you can sail in the fall for $99** a person.
- Starting April 6 through May 30, 2009, you can book a 3-Night Bahamian Cruise for $99** per person available most sail dates beginning August 13 through December 17, 2009.
To take advantage of this offer, the first cruise must be booked by Dec. 15, 2008. Certain restrictions apply, Fuel supplement, Government Taxes and Fees and excursions are not included. Other discounts or onboard credits do not apply. Number of staterooms allotted for this offer is limited.
Click here to get a quote!
CST2058090-40 www.MouseEarVacations.com 800-886-8601
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Disney Feature:
The Osborne Spectacle of Lights at Disney's Hollywood Studios
by Cheryl Pendry, PassPorter Featured Columnist
Most of us put up Christmas lights to help celebrate the holiday season and usually it might take us a few hours - perhaps even a couple of days if we're really keen on putting on a show. Imagine then the work that goes into creating the Osborne Spectacle of Lights at Disney's Hollywood Studios every year.
Work to put the lights up usually gets underway at Disney's Hollywood Studios in July, when most of us would be enjoying (or should that be suffering?) the high temperatures of a Florida summer. Then they're usually ready for a grand switch-on in November, remaining on until just after the arrival of the New Year.
Why so long? Well, it might have something to do with the fact that there are five million lights to put up each year... a little bigger than the average household celebration, but amazingly, that's exactly how this spectacle started. It's a story well known to anyone who's been to Disney during the holidays. Jennings Osborne, a businessman from Little Rock, Arkansas, promised a Christmas display of lights to his daughter and each year he just added a few more, until it got a bit out of hand. After he ran out of space at his home, he purchased the houses on either side of his property, so he could continue expanding the display.
Unfortunately, this wasn't met by great approval from his neighbors, who complained about the disruption to their lives from so many visitors coming to see the lights. The case ended up at the Arkansas Supreme Court in 1994 and it was ruled that the three million lights - for that was what he was up to by then - were a public nuisance and he was barred from lighting them up. Despite that, he did still carry on and ended up in contempt of court. A year later, Disney came to the rescue and the lights moved to their new home at the Hollywood Studios and they've been setting the park ablaze ever since with a stunning display that differs each year.
No-one knows what 2008 will have in store for us, but if it's anything like the previous years it will be a sight to behold. Last year saw the lights dance for the first time and it certainly was a breathtaking spectacle, perhaps highlighted by the fact that we kept returning time and time again during our stay to see them dance. In previous years, 3D glasses have enhanced the lights, producing various effects including snowflakes. And, speaking of snow, there's usually some of that white stuff to be magically found as you make your way around the lights.
So what can you expect if you've never been to Disney before during the holidays? You need to know that the Osborne Lights are always bewildering in their splendor the first time you see them. I still clearly recall rounding a corner and just literally standing there with my jaw dropping open and my eyes almost popping out, trying to take in the sheer scale of what lay in front of us. It's no exaggeration to say that everywhere you looked, there were just millions of lights. The impact on your senses is something you can't quite appreciate it until you see it for yourself. Yes, there are photographs, but they can only show you a small part of the display and to suddenly see everything lit up is quite something.
Be sure to allow plenty of time at the Osborne Lights. If you're anything like us, you'll want to linger as you wander through them. Although you usually do have to follow a set pattern through the lights, with Cast Members directing you and ensuring that you head the right way, you can take as long as you like - and most people take a long time. At times, you'll find you can only move slowly, shuffling forward step by step, because of the huge amount of people around you. That's usually as you enter the lights and, the further you go in, the more space you'll find to admire them.
The only time you'll be hurried through is if the park is actually closing, so be sure to allow yourself enough time before that happens. We find we usually need at least 30 - 40 minutes to fully appreciate the lights and, if they're dancing again as they have done during the last couple of years, you might want to allow an hour, so you can see a couple of those dances, as they're well worth catching.
Something else to allow time for is to get photos done with the PhotoPass photographers that you'll find there. Last year, we found about three or four in different locations throughout the lights and got some superb images from them. It's very difficult to photograph the lights with people in front of them and we found this to be a perfect way to get souvenir shots with one of our favorite holiday events at Walt Disney World.
The Osborne Spectacle of Lights will be lighting up the Streets of America area of Disney's Hollywood Studios from November 28, 2008 until January 4, 2009, although in previous years, there have been special previews of the lights from as early as mid November. They will be lit every night and there's no additional cost, apart from park admission, to see them.
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 Disney vacation plans. Also check out our Article Collection for more great information!
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| Did You Know?
You Can Arrive at Walt Disney World in Style!
Airport Meet & Greet, luggage help, free car seat
Free 30-minute grocery stop with airport round-trip
Special! $5.00 off airport round-trip
Use Discount Code: PassPorter News
Call 888-GO TO WDW or visit quicksilver-tours.com
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