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Copyright 1999-2004
PassPorter Travel Press, an imprint of MediaMarx, Inc.
Questions? Problems? E-Mail Us!

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PassPorter News

News, Announcements, Updates, and Tips

November 2002 - Issue 2.14

PassPorter.com - http://www.passporter.com

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Welcome to PassPorter News, an online newsletter
about PassPorter travel guidebooks and the
Walt Disney World Resort!

PassPorter News is available by free subscription
to all readers and friends of our labor of love --
PassPorter Walt Disney World: The unique travel
guide, planner, organizer, journal, and keepsake!
Learn all about at:
http://www.passporter.com/wdw/about.htm


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In This Newsletter:
==========================================
* From the Authors: PassPorter WDW Kudos and 2003 Features
* Feature: Scavenger & Treasure Hunts at Disney
* Updates: "Millionaire" Now Awards a Cruise!
* Tips: Finding Characters, Cruises, and Ice Cream Sandwiches
* Q&A: Cruise Line Goodbook, Good Steak & Seafood


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
DID YOU KNOW? (A little word from our sponsor -- us!)

We're offering a special 2002/2003 Package Deal!

Why wait until January? Start planning now! Buy a PassPorter
2002 Deluxe Starter Kit today and we'll automatically ship
the updated 2003 text and covers when they're hot off the
press, at a special package savings of over $8!

Fill in your worksheets and PassPockets now, and start
planning with the still-fabulous 2002 text. When your 2003
update arrives in January, just pop it into your Deluxe ring
binder. You'll have a brand-new book!

Learn more and order your package at:
http://www.passporter.com/packagedeal.htm

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


====================================================
FROM THE AUTHORS: PassPorter Kudos and 2003 Features
====================================================
Hi, friends!

Would you believe the current issue of Disney Magazine names PassPorter
Walt Disney World as one of its "favorite sources?" PassPorter was cited
as the second favorite book in the article on page 48, right after the
official Birnbaum's guide. Here's what they said: "More than a
guidebook, the PassPorter contains folders for plane tickets, park
passes, ticket stubs, and other scrapbook-bound treasures. It includes
loads of maps and lots of touring advice." Two other guidebooks were
named (Walt Disney World with Kids and the Unofficial Guide), and
several Web sites, including AllEarsNet.com (Deb Wills' WDWIG.com),
Steve Soares' Disney Entertainment site, and Intercot.com -- our
congratulations to them, winners all!

And with that bit of news, the 2003 edition of PassPorter Walt Disney
World is just around the corner! While we don't have an exact release
date yet, it's safe to say books should begin shipping in mid- to
late-January 2003. The 2003 edition of PassPorter should hit bookstore
shelves in February.

To learn more about the 2003 edition, get a list of new features,
download some free pages, and pre-order your copy, visit:
http://www.passporter.com/wdw/2003.htm

Thanks,
Jennifer and Dave
Authors, PassPorter Walt Disney World 2003

P.S. Watch our next newsletter for an announcement
about our new guidebook to the Disney Cruise Line!


========================================================
FEATURE: Scavenger & Treasure Hunts at Walt Disney World
========================================================
by Jennifer Watson

Walt Disney World is rich with delightful details -- it's one of the
reasons why many of us like it so much. It's fun to stumble across these
details while touring, but it's even more fun to discover them
intentionally. How do you do this? Challenge yourself or your family
with a scavenger or treasure hunt!

For those of you new to hunts, let's explain how they work.
Traditionally, a scavenger hunt requires that you gather as many of the
listed items as possible. A treasure hunt, on the other hand, requires
that you find and solve clues that lead to the goal. Hunts can be done
alone, or as a competition between two or more people or teams. We've
seen hunts last anywhere from half an hour to an entire day!

At Walt Disney World, most hunts involve finding answers to questions,
rather than collecting objects. The first hunt we created at Disney was
for a group of 30. Their goal was to find answers to 20 questions about
Mickey's Toontown Fair. We split the group into teams of four, gave them
each the list of questions, and wished them luck. One hour later they
were back at the starting point with the list of answers in their hands!

You can also "scavenge" a bit at Walt Disney World as well. Two years
ago we participated in the RADP Scavenger Hunt hosted by our friends
Jeff, Jen, and Peter. This all-day scavenger hunt required you gather
answers to questions, but also asked you to pick up various items, such
as guidemaps, pamphlets, FASTPASSes, certificates, etc.

So how do you participate in a hunt? Your first challenge is to either
find one that already exists, or create one yourself. We discuss our
tips for each of these tasks below:

FINDING HUNTS
Disney doesn't offer a year-around, freely available scavenger or
treasure hunt at its parks, alas. Likely, this is due to the
ever-changing nature of the parks. Keeping a hunt up-to-date on a
regular basis would be a challenge in itself! So we must look further
afield for ready-made hunts.

100 Magic Kingdom Memories Challenge - This is a free, seasonal hunt for
annual passholders, available from the Town Square Exposition Hall in
the Magic Kingdom. If you're an annual passholder, you can show your
pass to a cast member at the Expo Hall to get a sheet of 100 questions.
We anticipate it will disappear at the end of the 100 Years of Magic
Celebration. Not a passholder? You can't win the free litho by answering
all the questions, but you can see the questions and play on your own.
The folks at RealDisney.com have all 100 questions up at their site --
you'll find them at
http://www.realdisney.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&
sid=549 (make sure you get the entire URL--it's a long one!). We did this
hunt in September and had a blast! We found all of the answers in about
five hours.

Group Scavenger Hunts - Several Disney fan groups -- notably RADP
(rec.arts.disney.parks newsgroup) and our own PassPorter community --
host hunts for anyone who wants to participate. Our most recent
PassPorter/RADP hunt was for Walt's Birthday last December -- we're sure
to host another hunt at our next Gathering, probably in 2004. If you'll
be at Disney on December 15, the 3rd Annual RADP Scavenger Hunt is being
held that day! This is an all-day hunt and a wonderful challenge. We
were on the winning team for the first hunt in 2000, and on the
organizing team in 2001. (Alas, we can't participate this year due to
other commitments.) The registration deadline is 11/20 and teams of 3-4
are required. Get more information and register at:
http://www.tiggerfan.net/jeffc/scavenger2002.html

Family Magic Tour - This is technically a "guided tour" (see page 242 of
PassPorter 2002) but it has elements of a treasure hunt within it. The
two-hour tour takes you on an interactive adventure through the Magic
Kingdom to solve a mystery in the company of a Disney villain (such as
Captain Hook or Maleficent). The tour, which is held at 10:00 am daily,
is open to all ages for $25/person. You can reserve spots by calling
407-WDW-TOUR or by stopping at City Hall at the Magic Kingdom. We
haven't had the opportunity to try this tour ourselves, but it sounds
like a fun and easy way to have a little treasure hunt on your vacation.

Older Scavenger Hunts - By this we mean scavenger hunts done by others
in the past. While some of the questions and answers may have changed
with the rise and fall of attractions, much of the hunt will still be
playable. The RADP folks have had their questions online in the past,
though we haven't been able to locate the last two year's hunt questions
yet. We've put all the hunts that we've designed online for you,
however! You'll find them at: http://www.passporter.com/wdw/hunts.htm .
We also found two great-looking hunts at DIS -- one is for "Walt Disney:
One Man's Dream" attraction and the other is a four-park combination
scavenger/treasure hunt. You'll find both at
http://www.wdwinfo.com/games.htm

CREATING HUNTS
Personally, we like creating the hunts more than just participating in
them! We've come to see the parks in a whole new light. You can create
one for your partner, your child, your family, or your group -- the
possibilities are endless. Here are our tips:

Getting the Questions - It's hard to create a hunt if you don't know
what to put in it. Most of us don't have every bit of the parks committed
to memory, after all, and we want to find new things rather than
well-known trivia that someone can answer from memory. We created each
of our hunts by visiting the parks beforehand, usually on an earlier
trip. We created our last hunt the day before the hunt itself. If you
don't have the luxury of visiting the parks before your hunt, try using
pre-existing questions (discussed earlier) or try some of our other
tips.

The On-The-Fly Hunt - This is one of our favorite ways to spend an
afternoon at Disney. We go to a park with lots of details, such as
Epcot, and split up. Our task is to find three questions in each of six
World Showcase pavilions (18 questions in all) -- I take one half of
World Showcase, Dave takes the other. We meet in the middle, exchange
our questions, and the hunt begins! I answer his questions, he answers
mine. They're comparable because we discussed what sorts of questions
we'd be looking for in advance. We then meet again in the middle at a
pre-set time to tally up our answers and see who won! This type of hunt
would work for two or more people or teams.

The Can-You-Find-It Hunt - If you don't have the time to visit a park
before you create your hunt, or even to make one up as you go, try
making of list of items you'd *expect* to find at Disney and see how
many you can find. We tried this during our 2001 Gathering last December
-- we had a "DecoTour" of the resort hotels and looked for common
Christmas items, such as a gingerbread house, candy cane, or rocking
horse. It was easy to create and play -- all ages felt comfortable with
it!

The Photo Hunt - If you've got Polaroid/digital cameras (or camcorders),
try a hunt for specific places in a park or a hotel. We created a photo
hunt in 2000 where teams had to go around the Seven Seas Lagoon (Magic
Kingdom, Contemporary, Polynesian, and Grand Floridian), finding
locations and snapping group shots at each one. If you know the park
well you could make a list of places without too much effort. Otherwise,
just combine this idea with the Can-You-Find-It Hunt, and have folks get
photos with things they're likely to find, such as with a cast member,
at a water fountain, on a train, or by a statue. You can add in a bit of
fun by requiring that the participants pose a certain way in each
picture. This hunt makes for great photo souvenirs, too!

The Traditional Hunt - Here's how we go about making a hunts for a group
of people. First, we plan when and where it will be, so we can scout out
questions beforehand. For example, for a December 2003 hunt we'd
probably work on the hunt in September 2003. We set aside an afternoon
to scour the location we've chosen for likely questions and answers. We
split up and write down everything we can think of, and even take
pictures of some items we may find hard to recall later. When we return
from our trip, we look at all our notes and compile a list of questions
from the best ideas. Then we print out the questions to hand out at our
hunt -- the answers we list on another sheet so we can score the
answers. We usually try to have a theme for our hunt, and an appropriate
prize or two.

What makes a good hunt? We believe a good hunt presents a challenge
without being frustrating, leaves time for fun and companionship, and
shows the participants things they may never have noticed before.
Everyone has to enjoy themselves, even if there can only be one
"winner." We don't like to make contestants stand online or ride an
attraction, as that can take a lot of time or force them to take a ride
they'd rather not experience. And we always consider how the hunt may
effect other guests and Disney cast members--we don't want to cause a
disturbance. Time and walking distances are also a factor. For all but
the most exhausting hunts, we suggest you limit your hunt to one or two
small areas of a park, rather than the entire park. Not only is it
easier on the contestants, but it's much easier for the "huntmaster" to
oversee the fun.

One final tip: Consider the complexity of your hunt. It's difficult to
judge in advance how easy or difficult to make your hunt. Take a good
look at your audience and determine what they'd be most comfortable with
-- an easy, fun diversion or a sadistic, difficult challenge. Most
beginners prefer to just have a good time, and may not want to be too
competitive.

If you do organize a hunt and want to share it with our readers, please
e-mail us at hunts@passporter.com and we'd be delighted to put it online
(and try it out ourselves!).

Don't forget to visit our PassPorter Hunts page at:
http://www.passporter.com/wdw/hunts.htm


>>Things To Do: Know of more Disney scavenger and treasure hunts out
there? Write to us at hunts@passporter.com


==========================================
UPDATES: What's New and Changed at Walt Disney World
==========================================
Breaking News...

Who Wants to be a Disney Cruiser--Play It!!

Starting November 11, 2002, Who Wants to be a Millionaire--Play It! at
Disney-MGM Studios (and Disney's California Adventure) has a wonderful
new Grand Prize! Now, if you go all the way and win the million points
at this popular attraction (as our very own Dave did, back in May 2001
-- check http://www.passporter.com/wdw/millionpointwinner.htm), you win
a three-night cruise for four on the Disney Wonder (airfare included,
all four guests in one stateroom, some blackout dates apply)! Of course,
you still get the other goodies, too--the commemorative pins,
million-point medallion, embroidered leather baseball jacket, polo
shirt, baseball cap and pin lanyard.

The attraction, which has been running at Walt Disney World since April
2001, is a faithful re-creation of the popular TV game show. Every one
of the 600 members of the audience plays along and has an opportunity to
get into the famed Hot Seat. "Dollars" have been converted to "points"
that bring commemorative cloisonne pins instead of cash, the famed
"lifelines" can still be used (with one small change), and just about
once every three weeks another contestant succeeds in answering the
million point question.

Formerly, the Grand Prize included a 3-day trip for two to New York City
to watch a videotaping of Who Wants to be a Millionaire and (possibly)
meet Regis Philbin, but once the program left the primetime lineup and
Regis left the show, that prize didn't seem nearly so attractive (or
practical). Prior winners who hadn't already used (or scheduled) the
travel portion of their prize (like Dave) have been offered the cruise
as an alternative.

This looks like a win for everyone involved. It's a great prize, it's a
great promotion for the Disney Cruise Line, and it'll be easier on the
attraction's Prize Coordinators, as they don't have to organize travel
schedules around the TV show's taping schedule. Winners will receive a
cruise certificate that they'll use to book their own arrangements,
directly with the Disney Cruise Line.

The three-night itinerary on the Disney Wonder takes cruisers to Nassau
in the Bahamas and Disney's private getaway, Castaway Cay. After the
stress and excitement of a stint in the Hot Seat, isn't a cruise the
perfect way to unwind?


>Things To Do: Hear some news? Send it to us at
news@passporter.com.


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DISNEY TIPS FROM FELLOW READERS
==========================================
Here are some tips to hunt for special treasure at Walt Disney World!

Finding the Characters
"I have found that one of the best places to get pictures and character
autographs is at the Toontown Hall of Fame and Mickey's Judge's Tent in
Toowtown Fair. Many people are not aware these are character greeting
areas and do not go all the way in. I have found that the lines are
reasonable and if you go right when the park opens up you shouldn't have
any trouble getting in right away."
-- Contributed by Melissa Schwatka (skatetigger@yahoo.com)

Getting an IllumiNations Cruise
"When calling to reserve IllumiNations fireworks cruises, call a day or
two before the 90-day limit to find out exactly what day the
reservations office is booking. Then on the first booking day you can
call, start calling one call after another about 5 minutes before the
hour (7:00 AM Eastern). The answering system message is different when
the center is 'closed' so you can hit re-dial almost immediately.The
system message changes when the center "opens" so you are among the
first in the phone queue. I am told there are only 4 of these cruises
available for any given date and some 40 agents working the "PLAY" phone
number, so keeping at it is essential. I called three mornings in a row,
was disappointed the first two days, but finally got a cruise on the
third day."
-- Contributed by Dolores Black

Finding the Perfect Ice Cream Sandwich
"Be sure to get the ice cream sandwich at the Main Street Bake Shop on
Main Street in the Magic Kingdom. You can choose the kind of cookies you
want to sandwich the excellent ice cream between! A great deal and so
tasty."
-- Contributed by Jody R.


>Notes: Send us your tips! You may see them in this
newsletter. Two lucky folks will win a copy of PassPorter
each month, too! Visit:
http://www.passporter.com/wdw/contest.htm


====================================
Q &A WITH JENNIFER & DAVE
====================================
In this column we answer your frequently asked PassPorter
and Disney questions.

Jane writes:
"I'm going on a Disney cruise in summer of 2003 and I want a guidebook
for it. BarnesAndNoble.com says you will publish a guide but they don't
have it in stock. Can I order it from you?"

First, yes, we will have a new guidebook for the Disney Cruise Line out
soon, though we don't have a specific release date yet. You will be able
to pre-order it from us within about two weeks. We'll be announcing the
new book and adding it to our store on November 27. Watch for the
announcement in this newsletter and in your e-mailbox!

(Note: If anyone else out there wants to be notified when our cruise
guide is announced and when it is released, please visit this page:
http://www.passporter.com/dcl


Disneyphile's Wife writes:
"On our next trip to Walt Disney World, we have decided to try one good
seafood restaurant and one good steakhouse. Our list includes Cap'n
Jack's, Coral Reef, Flying Fish Cafe and Fulton's Crab House for
seafood, and Concourse Steakhouse, Le Cellier, Shula's Steak House, and
Yachtsman Steakhouse. Which ones should we try?"

The Cape May Cafe Clambake and Narcoossee's probably belong on this
list, too, and if you count sushi as seafood, the list gets a bit
longer: Matsu No Ma Lounge, California Grill, Kimonos, and Wolfgang
Puck. For steakhouses, add Maya Grill and Teppanyaki to the list.

So, are you looking for one seafood restaurant and one steakhouse, or
would a single restaurant fill the bill? Fulton's Crab House is a
particularly good choice for a "double-threat" restaurant (ribeye, filet
mignon, and NY strip). Concourse Steakhouse has three steak entrees and
three seafood entrees, and Shula's has four seafood choices.
Narcoossee's, California Grill, and Flying Fish all broil a lot of
steaks, but the choice of steaks is very limited.

As both Shula's and Fulton's can be budget-busters, I'd just choose one,
and kill both birds (although "bird" isn't quite the right metaphor)
with one stone. That is, unless you both want steak and both want
seafood.

Don't forget to refer to Deb Wills' menu collection at
http://www.wdwig.com/menu/menus.htm?

Jennifer and Dave

>Things to Do: Send us your questions about PassPorter or
Walt Disney World and we'll do our best to answer them!
E-mail: questions@passporter.com


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