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In This Newsletter
From the
Authors:
Busy Beavers
Community
Update: MouseFest
2003, Countdown Timers, New Chat Room
Disney
Feature: Bringing
Back the Magic On a Budget: Disney Souvenir Tips
Updates:
What's New and Changed
Tips:
Motels on the Way, Dry Feet, Countdowns for Kids
Q&A:
2004 Release
Date, Animal Kingdom Lodge Parking
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Updates:
What's New and Changed
Portobello Yacht Club (Downtown Disney) is serving lunch
again and taking priority seating for it to boot! Note that lunch comes and
goes at Portobello, so it’s always best to call them and inquire about their
hours before you make plans. Call 407-WDW-DINE
(939-3463). (Thanks
to ALL EARS for the news!)
Disney’s latest animated feature, "Brother Bear," opened last weekend. We
weren’t expecting much from it based on reviews from critics, but we were
VERY pleasantly surprised by it! We really enjoyed the music, animation,
and storyline, and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to virtually anyone.
So if you have a chance to see it, do!
And don’t forget "Haunted Mansion" (the movie) opens on November 26, the
day before Thanksgiving! (Let’s hope those of us on the MouseFest cruise
get to see it on the ship!)
>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 are a wealth of information!
Here are the winners in this month's tip contest:
STAY ALONG THE WAY
"When driving to Disney from far off places, decide on a few places along
the way to stay. As you proceed further along your route and gain a better
idea of how much longer you will be able to drive in one day, phone and cancel
the extra hotels before the cancellation time (usually 4 or 6 pm). This helps
when there is unexpected traffic (the trip is taking longer than expected)
and/or no traffic (you are zooming down the interstate). It is best to stop
and get some rest before getting to Disney. This way, you'll enjoy everything
from the moment you arrive. Enjoy!" -- contributed by Ann W.
FEET SECRET
"I know this sounds funny, but I pack an extra glide-on deodorant just for
my feet. Yes, FEET! I roll it on each morning before hiking out to the parks
and it keeps feet dry, cool, and most important of all, BLISTER FREE!" --
contributed by Karen Miller (jamaine@comcast.net)
COUNTDOWNS FOR KIDS
"To help our child countdown to our last trip, we used construction paper
cut into strips and made a countdown chain decorated with Disney Stickers.
My daughter Alyssa loved making this craft. She had a blast tearing off one
link for each day before our trip. This really built up the excitement as
the chain got smaller. She was just so excited on the last link. She knew
when she woke up the next day, she would be off to Walt Disney World. We
are currently counting down to a trip December 2003 using the calendar. Alyssa
is six and runs almost daily to the calendar countdown. I think every person
knows when we are going. I put notes in her lunchbox with countdown information
and Disney Stickers. The first was 101 days. Now we are 46 days from our
trip. All the lunch table kids will always ask "Is there a Disney Note in
your lunch?" They are so excited for her they are giving their parents the
Disney Bug." -- contributed by Jeneice Seagraves (jcstupp@aol.com)
>Notes:
Send us your tips
! You may see them in this newsletter and win a copy
of PassPorter!
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Q & A:
With Jennifer and Dave
Patty asks:
"I am going to Disney World Jan 17, 2004. What are the odds if I pre-order
a 2004 edition now that I get it by the time I go?"
Jennifer answers:
"I’m happy to reassure you that the odds are very good indeed. We expect
to begin shipping the 2004 pre-orders on or around January 1, 2004. And if
we receive them earlier, we’ll ship them earlier. While there’s always a
slight chance that there could be a long delay, the chances are very low."
graygables asks:
"What is the parking like at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge? If it's a major
hike, I may consider using Tiffany Town Car [instead of a rental car]. Also,
what are the buses like from Animal Kingdom Lodge? Last time we stayed at
the Caribbean Beach and they were a bit dicey."
Dave answers:
"The walking distance to the parking lot and the bus stop is similar. There
are some stairs/somewhat steep ramp to climb from the parking lot, however,
while the bus stop entails a gentler slope. Ask two people about bus service
and they'll give completely opposite responses. Service can be good or bad
at any of the resorts, as human fallibility is always a factor. Personally,
I find the bus service for Disney’s Animal Kingdom to be superior to that
for many other deluxe resorts, as the buses do not stop at other resorts.
The buses run just as frequently as they do elsewhere, and the trips tend
to be shorter thanks to the lack of additional stops. When evaluating the
walking you'll do, you have to factor-in the difference between the walk
from the bus stop to the park entrance, and the walking you might do to catch
the parking trams (depends on how far down the row you are in the parking
lot). It's a tough guess as to which will be better."
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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From the Authors:
Busy Beavers Hi,
friends!
There are only 17 planning days to MouseFest 2003 and the PassPorter Gathering
events down at Walt Disney World! And man, have we been busy! Besides all
the prep for MouseFest, we’ve been fine-tuning our newly-updated message
boards and adding new features, like a vacation countdown timer and a chat
room. Read more on these cool new additions later in this newsletter.
We’ve also been hard at work on our upcoming Disneyland guidebook. And now
it’s your turn: If you’ve been to Disneyland or Southern California, we need
your help! Please visit http://www.passporter.com/dl/contribute.htm
to give your ratings of the attractions, parks, and destinations, as well
as submit tips and memories. In fact, if you submit a tip or memory and we
use it in our guidebook, we’ll send you a free copy once it is published!
To top it all off, we have a great money-saving article from Maureen Austin,
a guest columnist and PassPorter Guide.
Jennifer and Dave
PassPorter
Travel Press
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Did You Know?
You Can Preview PassPorter Walt Disney World 2004!
Curious about the new 2004 edition of PassPorter Walt
Disney World? Visit our preview center to download sample pages, view lists
of additions, and get all the facts. Here’s a sneak peek: Our 2004 edition
will sport 40+ photos (more than three times the number in our 2003 edition),
self-stick, color tabs to mark your chapters, stickers and labels to personalize
your PassPockets, light blue highlights on the text of all additions and
significant changes at Disney since our previous edition, updated vegebility
ratings, and, most importantly, peeks and previews of new and upcoming attractions
and resorts!
The new edition will be released around January 1, 2004 - pre-order your
copy today to be among the first to receive one! (The earlier you pre-order,
the earlier your order is shipped out!)
To visit the Preview Center and pre-order a copy, visit
http://www.passporter.com/wdw/2004.htm
Tip: Want to get started planning
now? Order our deluxe combo deal to get a 2003 deluxe
edition now at 20% off, and the 2004 updated text and
covers in January at 50% off. To order, visit:
http://www.passporterstore.com/store/
deluxecombodeal.aspx
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Community
Update:
MouseFest 2003, Countdown Timers, New Chat Room
by Jennifer Watson and Dave Marx
MOUSEFEST 2003
Oh boy! As we write this, we’re just 17 days, 3 hours and 14 minutes away
from the start of the PassPorter Gathering/MouseFest 2003! More than 375
members of the PassPorter community have registered for this grand get-together
of Internet-based Walt Disney World fan communities, and we expect hundreds
more to join us from other online communities. The whole shebang takes place
on the Disney Wonder and at Walt Disney World from November 30 – December
11. More than 60 different activities have been planned for this grand event
encompassing not only PassPorter, but Internet communities RADP, Deb Wills’
All Ears Net and WDWIG.com, DisneyDollarless.com, WhatWouldWaltDo.com, MouseSavers.com,
MousePlanet.com, Intercot.com, Your Laughing Place.com, MouseEarVacations.com,
AdultsAtWDW.com, WDWMAGIC.com, PSCalculator.net, TourGuideMike.com, Tagrel.com,
DisneyCentral.com, MagicalMountain.net, and JimHillMedia.com, plus guidebook
authors Bob Sehlinger & Len Testa (Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World),
Kelly Monaghan (The Other Orlando and Universal Orlando), Steve Barrett (Hidden
Mickeys and Hassle-Free Walt Disney World Vacation), Dann Hazel & Josh
Fippen (Making Memories On Your Walt Disney World Vacation), Beth Foss (Secrets
to an Affordable Walt Disney World Vacation), Cara Goldsbury (The Luxury
Guide to Walt Disney World) and of course, the two of us (Jennifer Watson
and Dave Marx, from PassPorter). Whew! (And we apologize if
we left anyone
out!)
If you’ll already be on the Disney Wonder 11/30-12/4,
or at Walt Disney World from 12/4-12/11 there’s still time to join us, whether
for one brief event, or a total immersion in the festivities! Most events
are open to everyone, free of charge (although, naturally, you will have
to pay for your accommodations and park admission). Pay a visit to
http://www.passporter.com/gathering.htm
for the full story, including a downloadable and printable schedule of events,
the Pocket Guide to MouseFest 2003.
If you can’t get to anything else, aim to be at the
big MegaMouseMeet on Saturday, December 6 from 1:00pm - 3:00pm at the Dolphin
Resort’s Copa Banana Room. The room will be filled with web site founders,
authors, and just plain folks. There will be door prizes and goodies, and
plenty of chances to finally meet all those people you’ve "met" on the Web.
And if you can’t make it this year, why not start looking towards next year’s
Gathering? It kicks off with a four-night cruise on the Disney Wonder December
5-9, 2004 and moves on to Walt Disney World December 9-13, 2004. Come for
part, come for all, and enjoy Walt Disney World with a great bunch of people!
Now, if you’re wondering just how we knew precisely when the Gathering would
begin, read on!
NEW MESSAGE BOARD FEATURE: VACATION COUNTDOWN TIMER
Are you anxiously awaiting your next big event (Disney vacation, cruise,
wedding, birthday, a trip to the mall)? If you’re counting the hours, minutes,
and seconds and are bursting to share the joy with others, we’ve just made
the task a whole lot easier. All registered members of our PassPorter Posts
Message Board (http://www.passporterboards.com) can now include a countdown
timer in their message board signature. And no messy URLs or code to copy
and paste – this timer is built right into the message board software! Every
post you make on our message board can now include a "live" countdown. Describe
your countdown however you wish. Dave’s currently says, "Counting the hours,
minutes and seconds until MouseFest Bon Voyage!" You can also add a message
that will display once the countdown hits zero, like, "See you later, I am
at Walt Disney World!" Then select the date and time of the big moment from
a simple drop-down display. (One important technical tip: Do not include
‘apostrophes’ or "quotation marks" in your text -- the timer will not appear
if you do.)
It’s all as easy as pie! Just go to the PassPorter message boards, sign on,
and click the My Home link. Then click the Edit link for "Personal information,
e-mail, password, signature, countdown, etc." You’ll find the Vacation Countdown
Timer settings about half-way down the page.
BRAND-NEW CHAT ROOM
The latest buzz at our PassPorter Posts Message Board community started this
past Tuesday, when we unveiled our very own PassPorter chat room! Every registered
member of our message board community can enter the room at any time for
a casual chat. We’ve also posted a schedule of themed chats and events and
will undoubtedly add more in the days to come. In fact, starting this coming
Sunday at 9:00 pm ET, Joey Carioca’s weekly Disney trivia game is moving
to the new chat room from AOL Instant Messenger (if you plan to attend the
trivia game, read Joey’s post.
The PassPorter Chat Room
The chat room is loaded with great features -- many
more than we can list here. Among them are multiple sub-rooms for quieter
chat, a private message system, chat sounds, "emoticons," colored text, and
the ability to "float" the chat in a smaller window. Not only does the chat
room work really well, but it’s fully integrated with our message boards,
so there’s no need to register separately for the chat room. If you’re already
logged into the message board, just click the Chat link at the top of the
board and you’ll be taken directly to the chat room, with no need to log
in a second time! If you haven’t logged into the message boards, just type
your regular message board login and password to log into the chat room login
screen.
What’s on our chat room schedule so far?
Sunday 4:00 pm ET (every other Sunday) – Gatherings & Meets Chat with
Gatherings, Meets, & Group Trips forum Guide Beaner
Sunday 9:00 pm ET – Disney World Trivia with host JoeyCarioca
Monday 9:00 pm ET – Walt Disney World Chat – open chat, no host (yet)
Tuesday 8:00 pm ET – Disney Special Needs Chat with Special Needs forum Guide
Laughaholic88
Wednesday 9:00 pm ET – Disneyland Chat – open chat, no host (yet)
Thursday 9:00 pm ET – Disney Cruise Chat – open chat, no host (yet)
All other times are open chat – come shoot the breeze with fellow members
of the PassPorter community.
At the moment we’re planning to organize one or more "virtual meet" chats
during the upcoming PassPorter Gathering (see above). If you couldn’t make
it to the gathering, here’s your chance to enjoy the company of your fellow
"PassPorters." Jennifer and I may even be on hand to report on the Gathering!
Where can you learn more about these chats? We’ve created
a new forum in the message boards to go hand-in-hand with the chat room –
The Back Fence: Chat News, Tips, & Help.
This is where we’ll be announcing chat events, and where you can suggest
chat topics and get help using the chat.
So, PassPorter Gathering, Countdown Timers,
and a new Chat Room! And you wonder why we never get any sleep!
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Disney Feature:
Bringing Back the Magic on a Budget
Disney Souvenir Tips
by
Maureen Austin
Guest Columnist, PassPorter Guide, and Disney Fan
On a recent trip to the World, my husband and I
realized our souvenir budget was a little tighter than we would have liked.
We really wanted to bring back some special gifts for our kids and other
family and friends at home but didn’t have an endless stream of Disney Dollars
to do it! After doing a little research and getting some help from
other PassPorter community members, I became inspired to bring back lots
of goodies and stick within our budget. Believe it or not, creativity struck
as we were enjoying our time at Disney and what we thought might end up being
an impossible chore became a fun mission -- almost as fun as searching for
Hidden Mickeys.
The first thing we did is made a list of all the folks we wanted to bring
something back for and we included ourselves on this list. You know the old
adage about sticking to your list in the grocery store? It certainly holds
true here- and let’s face it -- there aren’t any double coupon days at Disney
checkouts! Then we figured an amount per person as a guide.
When we arrived at Disney with our list, safely tucked in a PassPocket of
course, we first headed to the World of Disney at Downtown Disney.
As an Annual Passholder, I am entitled to a discount on purchases made there.
This brings us to our first rule of thumb: If you are a member of any particular
club or program- like the AP (Annual Pass), Disney Vacation Club (Disney
Vacation Club), or Disney Club (hey, it’s still working for another month
and a half!) -- check to see where discounts on merchandise may be offered.
Any savings is savings no matter how small it seems.
We were able to check off about 10 people on our list at World of Disney.
I picked up a 3-in-1 pack of souvenir coffees with Mickey and Crew on them
for $7.50. And like magic, just breaking the package up covered three of
my java loving co-workers. The tins were a little small of course, so when
I put each tin in a red bag I picked up from the dollar store, I added a
Mickey Chocolate bar in too. They were a huge hit! And I spent less than
$4 a piece. Savings comes in multi-packaged items -- buy something that comes
in assorted flavors, colors, and has multiple units in one package, such
as Mickey-shaped candles or candy, etc. Then just break the package up and
give them as separate gifts. If it’s got anything Disney on it, you can be
sure it will be a hit!
We wandered into the Main Street Confectionary in the Magic Kingdom and found
some unusual treats, such as orange marmalade. Since that is something that
is not easily found here at home, we picked up a few jars at just $2.95 and
shared them with friends. Not only were they a Walt Disney World souvenir,
they were a Florida specialty too!
For a few of my college buddies, I wanted to bring back a souvenir from our
resort, the Polynesian. With a few more dollar store gift bags, they were
able to get the spirit of Aloha with a flower lei and some Hawaiian candy
tucked inside (less than $7.00 total for each gift bag). We even tucked a
napkin with the Polynesian logo on it -– just so the recipient knew where
the gift came from!
Disney’s trading pins make terrific gifts and we were able to find some really
special ones. They range in price but usually start from $6.00 so they fit
the bill quite nicely as well!
Another great idea is to try and find a "special" version of the popular
souvenirs like mugs or keychains. My husband and I were lucky enough to get
a chance to experience Mission: SPACE during our July trip and when we were
browsing the shop there, I came across a Mission:SPACE keychain that had
the words "Preview Team 2003" on it. I knew some friends of ours wouldn’t
be getting their Disney fix until mid 2004 and thought they might really
enjoy a date marked item like this, so we picked those up as gifts for them.
We also picked up some 2003 themed items like a mug and a glass, both for
less than $ 10.00. That’s two more people we covered quite economically!
Yes, Virginia, there really is a clearance at Walt Disney World. If you have
time, stop in as many shops as possible in the parks and resorts -- you may
find some great deals. We stumbled on a great clearance rack at MouseGear
in Epcot’s Future World. Hats, shirts, and books were all on sale for less
than 50% of the original price. We were able to pick up a Mickey cap for
a friend for $7.99 when we saw them in other stores for double that! You
can also check the nearby outlets in Lake Buena Vista or on International
Drive for some excellent deals on Disney merchandise.
Our neighbors were planning to visit Walt Disney World one month after our
return, so I wanted to really do something special for them to give them
a taste of the World and get them excited about their first trip to Disney.
We gathered all the park maps, entertainment schedules, and a Hidden Mickey
list from their resort and rolled them up like diplomas with ribbon. We also
included a few candy items and a Mickey Mouse antenna topper to grace their
car for the long drive down. Total cost? $5.94. The maps and printed items
were free and the only thing we paid for was the topper and candy. They were
thrilled with their special gift bag!
How did we do? I was eager to add up the receipts when we got home and the
final tally was even better than we expected. Twenty-one gifts for family
and friends for the amazing price of $145.67 -- a whopping $29 and change
under budget! You can do it too -- just let your creativity (and a budget)
be your guide!
Do you have money-saving ideas for
souvenir shopping?
Discuss this topic here.
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