PassPorter News - February 15, 2006

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PassPorter News

News, Announcements, Updates, and Tips

February 15, 2006 * Issue 6.5

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

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Welcome to PassPorter News, an online newsletter

about PassPorter travel guidebooks, the

Walt Disney World Resort, and Disney Cruise Line.

PassPorter News is available by free subscription

to all readers and friends of our labor of love --

PassPorter Travel Guidebooks.

Learn all about them:

http://www.passporter.com/aboutpassporter.htm

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In This Newsletter:

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From the Authors: Server Status

Travel Feature: Hilton Head

Disney Feature: Disney Podcasts

Updates: What's New and Changed

Tips: Travelers Checks, Harmless Hooks, Share the Schedule

Captain's Corner: The Tour Company

Q&A: Car Rentals in St. Maarten?

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FROM THE EDITOR: New Books Happy Dance

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Hi, {{user("firstname")}}!

After the excitement (ha!) of our web server's disk crash on Monday, we're pleased as punch to report that the PassPorter.com web site is back up and running faster than ever. That said, we're still finding bits and bytes that are out of place on our new disk -- namely, links that don't work. If you encounter a link that doesn't work, please report it by e-mailing jennifer@passporter.com.

Our next trip to Walt Disney World will be in mid-March and it'll mostly be R & R (rest and relaxation). After working on two books simultaneously, we're in dire need of a laidback vacation. We're getting a vacation home from All-Star Vacation Homes this time around, so we'll have our own private pool and hot tub. Does it get any better?

You've been keeping us busy with pre-orders for our new Disneyland book and the upcoming Treasure Hunts at Walt Disney World book, so here is the information on those books again:

PassPorter Disneyland and Southern California Attractions is now available for pre-order. To learn more about the upcoming guidebook, visit http://www.passporter.com/dl/guidebook.htm . As a special gift to everyone who has waited for us to complete our lengthy research on this guidebook, we're offering the first three chapters of the Disneyland guide in an immediate download, free to anyone who pre-orders through us! The first three chapters are essential for trip planning, making it easy for Disneyland-bound travelers to the travel and hotel information they need now. To get the first three chapters now, simply place a pre-order and download once your order is confirmed.

PassPorter's Treasure Hunts at Walt Disney World has also just become available for pre-order at http://www.passporterstore.com/store/1587710269.aspx . And to make way for our fourth edition of our Disney Cruise Line guide (pre-orders will open soon), we're having a 50% off sale on our current edition of PassPorter's Field Guide to the Disney Cruise Line. Just use coupon code sailaway to get 50% off the third edition paperback. You can also use the coupon code sailaway2 to get 50% off the deluxe refill kit. (Sorry, no discounts available on the deluxe starter kit as they are almost all gone.) Offer expires March 1, 2006 and quantities are limited. Order at the Disney Cruise Guide page. Order at http://www.passporterstore.com/store/1587710226.aspx

In this edition of the newsletter, guest contributor Marley Braun gives us the lowdown on the pleasures of Hilton Head Island (oh to be there now!). Thomas Cackler tells us all about Disney podcasts. Finally, Captain Jack Skatt returns with a new treasure hunting game. Enjoy!

Jennifer and Dave

PassPorter Authors

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DID YOU KNOW?

PassPorter 2006 – Our Best Yet!

The new 2006 edition of our PassPorter Walt Disney World guidebook now features a full-color interior along with the most up-to-date text, new TeenTips and ToddlerTips, and new photos and magical memories. This edition is proving so popular that we've had to go back for a reprint of more books already! We're not out of stock quite yet, and our new shipment of books arrives soon.

Learn more and order today at:

Shop at http://www.passporterstore.com/store

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TRAVEL FEATURE: Hilton Head Island

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by Marley Braun, Guest Contributor

When I think of a relaxing family vacation, Walt Disney World is not the first place that pops into my mind. True, it is a lot of family fun, but relaxing? Not necessarily. For relaxation, our family heads to Hilton Head, South Carolina every spring.

Hilton Head is an island surrounded by lovely beaches on one side and sea marshes on the other side. Old, majestic oak trees shade the island and palmetto trees give it that southern, beach-y feel.

Temperatures in the area range from the 50s in the winter to the mid-80s in the summer, so it is always perfect for a year round getaway.

Hilton Head is about 65 miles north of the Savannah airport or you can easily reach it off of exit 28 on I-95 South or off of exit 5 on I-95 North. Without traffic, you can be on the island within 20-25 minutes of leaving I-95. During the summer months or rush hour, it can easily take you over an hour so consider yourself warned. However, if you do get stuck sitting in traffic, the Tanger Outlet Stores are located right before you head over the bridge into Hilton Head. They have over 45 stores there that include J. Crew, Ralph Lauren and the Gap. I've been known to stop there and force myself to pass the time away.

Once we are on the island, we always head straight to the Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort. It is our personal favorite but there are tons of other options, including many oceanfront resorts. Disney's resort is on the sound side of the island, but they provide free access and shuttle service to their beachside club. The resort offers tons of activities to entertain the kids but our family's favorite is the campfire sing-a-long or just lying around in the many hammocks that are anchored to the huge moss-covered trees found throughout the property.

If lying around all day in a hammock does not appeal to you, Hilton Head definitely has its share of activities. The island is a cyclist's paradise. You can rent almost any type of bike on the island. Crossing the roads is easy and safe thanks to the many tunnels that take you under the main thoroughfares. Shady bike paths can always be found, especially helpful if it is a particularly hot day, and flowers and wildlife seem to be everywhere you turn. Once, we even saw what looked like an otter crossing our path. Now that was cool!

For guided tours or cruises, try the Coastal Discovery Museum. The museum offers tours ranging from dolphin cruises and Loggerhead turtle walks to old plantations and long forgotten forts. Kayak tours are also a great way to see the island and enjoy the wildlife. We've even seen dolphins come up close to the kayaks. Everyone is friendly on this island!

For those of you who love golfing, Hilton Head is a golfer's paradise. I wouldn't know, since I'm just hanging out in my hammock, but apparently there are 24 challenging golf courses on the island and another 16 within a 30-mile radius. Many of the golf courses are open to the public and provide beautiful views of the island while you play.

After a long day, we have two local hang-outs we like to sit down and relax at. The Salty Dog Café is probably the most well-known. You inevitably see someone walking around with a t-shirt from this famous local eatery. It is located at the South Beach Marina and it is a great place to unwind, listen to some Jimmy Buffett music and let the kids run around under the huge sycamore trees. For seafood, we always head to the Crazy Crab. You can get anything baked, broiled or fried here and there is plenty of it!

A visit to Hilton Head wouldn't be complete without visiting the beautiful area of Harbour Town. The area is surrounded by unique shops, art galleries, restaurants and a marina. My kids love to climb up the stairs of the historic red and white lighthouse and play in the huge playground that sits just outside of the many shops. Last year, we were lucky enough to stumble upon one of Gregg Russell's free family concerts. He gives the concerts nightly (except for Saturday) from Memorial Day to Labor Day under the Liberty Oak tree. He has been giving these concerts for over thirty years and once you see him, you will know why he is a Harbour Town tradition.

If Hilton Head's pace becomes too slow for you, keep in mind that the hustle and bustle of both Savannah and Charleston are just within and hour to an hour and a half drive away. However, when I go to Hilton Head, I never want to leave. You can look for me in my hammock. I will be the one completely content with a smile on my face.

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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.

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DISNEY FEATURE: The Magic on Your Time: Disney Podcasts

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by Thomas Cackler, Guest Contributor

Imagine that tomorrow instead of listening to the same boring radio program during your commute to work, you could instead listen to a fun-filled romp of a show that deals with your one of your favorite topics. No, a major conglomerate hasn't bought out your local radio station again. Welcome to the world of podcasts! With this recent phenomenon, you can keep up to date on your favorite subject in places and times you never thought possible. At the gym, around the house, or anywhere you go (if you have a portable media player), podcasting allows a fan is the ability to take news, opinions, and entertainment about their favorite topic wherever they go.

Let's start by clearing up a few common misconceptions about podcasts. The biggest misconception about podcasts is you need an iPod or an mp3 player. This is not the case! All you really need to start enjoying podcasts today is a computer, speakers, and a high-speed internet connection. Since many of the show files are large, the high-speed connection will allow you to download the file in a reasonable time. While you can use some specialized software for being notified about and retrieving the podcasts, as long as you have the essential equipment, you are all set.

Perhaps the best way to think about podcasting is in terms of internet radio. While streaming media on the web isn't new, podcasts allow you to download the information and listen to it at your convenience. If you want to know more about podcasting and how it came about, Wikipedia has a great summary on the topic. Likewise, Yahoo has an excellent information site at podcasts.yahoo.com. Finally, many books and articles exist describing the technical aspects of this new broadcasting medium. If you want to know more, a simple visit to your favorite search engine should start you in the right direction. However, since you don't need to know how it works to enjoy it, we'll skip the technical details for this article and instead focus on how you can enjoy these shows.

Now armed with your new familiarity of podcasting, you might wonder what type of information is out there. As you might imagine, the world of all things related to a certain Mouse and his friends have inspired a wide range of outstanding podcasts. Of note are the official podcasts of both Walt Disney World and the Disneyland Resort. These include interviews with Imagineers, attraction previews and reviews, and often interviews with celebrities and their thoughts on the parks. For example, recent episodes of Walt Disney World -- Plugged In (the official podcast of WDW) featured interviews with lead Expedition Everest designer Joe Rhode. These two podcasts are great for getting a behind the scenes peek at the magic of Disney.

Additionally, dozens of unofficial or fan-based shows have sprung up across the World Wide Web. What do these other podcasts include? If you think of your favorite Disney internet forum or e-mail list, a given podcast will most likely include similar things. News, rumors, reviews, previews, and trivia often make up the core content of these unofficial podcasts. Some even specialize in brining you audio recorded on your favorite Disney attraction or from your favorite park show! Disney podcasts are a great way to stay plugged into the magic of the parks between visits.

It is important to remember, however, that these podcasts are much like listening to your local talk radio station where "the views expressed are those of the hosts, guests, and callers and not necessarily the views of the Walt Disney Company." Remember, since these are similar to an audio version of your favorite internet forum, email list or newsletter, the information presented is strictly up to the host of the show. Most are extremely good about properly distinguishing rumors from facts, but sometimes what the hosts say as fact on one podcast makes its way onto other shows and into the general internet community. Just like anything else you might read online, your best bet is to verify the information before treating it like fact.

Now that you are interested, it is time to actually go out and find these shows. Finding new shows is relatively easy. A simple web search using terms like "Disney Podcast" or "Travel Podcasts" will bring up several hits. Likewise, visiting a podcast directory like Podcast Pickle, Podcasting News or PodZinger to name a few will have listings with a simple search under similar phrases. Another surefire way to find out about travel or Disney podcasts is to ask at your favorite internet forum or e-mail list. iTunes and Yahoo have recently launched free podcasting services that do an excellent job of walking you through the entire process from finding the podcasts to downloading and how to play. Finally, a new blog has started featuring a directory of Disney Podcasts that will include both listings and additional tips on enjoying the shows. It is located at http://disneypodcastdirectory.blogspot.com/ (Author's Note: This blog is something I have started to help my Disney friends keep up to speed on the podcasts.)

If you'd like to give a podcast a try, check out Episode 19 from WDWToday.com. which has an interview with Deb Wills and Debra Martin Koma, authors of PassPorter's Special Needs guide.

As you can imagine, the world of podcasts opens up entirely new avenues for the fan to find out more about their favorite topics. While the technology can be a bit intimidating, it is certainly worth the effort to discover this treasure trove of incredible entertainment. By spending a small amount of time investigating the sites mentioned here and discovering the new shows, you will find hours if not days of entertainment and information about. Soon you will look back and discover that the hardest part of listening to podcasts isn't installing a piece of software or updating a feed, it's finding time in the day to listen to all the great content about the most magical places on earth.

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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 holiday plans.

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UPDATES: What's New and Changed

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Here's a few of the new developments at Disney:

Now that Valentine's Day is over, preparations are under way at Pleasure Island to celebrate St. Patrick's Day! Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant will, of course, be celebrating with traditional Irish music and dance. A $15 cover charge will be in effect between 4:00 pm - 2:00 am on March 17. Pleasure Island will be celebrating March 16 - 18, 2006 by painting the town "green". Watch music videos featuring Irish music artists on the big screens, and keep an eye out for Leprechauns!

Effective February 26, The Timekeeper at Tomorrowland in Magic Kingdom will close for good. A new attraction is in development and details will be announced by Disney at some point in the future. Good bye, Nine-Eye!

The Hotel Royal Plaza in the Downtown Disney area has re-opened after undergoing extensive renovations following last year's hurricanes. Virtually the entire hotel was re-done with new furniture, paint, bedding, etc.

Beginning March 1, 2006 all three Disneyland Hotels will be "non-smoking" hotels and fines will be assessed to guests found to be smoking in their rooms. This restriction is in keeping with California laws that ban smoking from most bars, restaurants, and workplaces.

>Things To Do: Hear some news? Send it to us at

news@passporter.com

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DISNEY TIPS FROM FELLOW READERS

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Our readers are a wealth of information! Here are the winners in this month's tip contest:

TRAVELER'S CHECKS

"Use traveler's checks instead of credit, debit cards, or cash. Allocate an amount of money to spend each day and only take that amount with you, leaving the rest in a safe place. That way you never go over budget. The traveler's checks are better than cash because of the ability to get replacements if they are lost or stolen."

-- contributed by Mark Zeis

HARMLESS HOOKS

"We have found the '3M Command Hooks with Memory' to be the perfect answer to a sometimes already crowded hotel room They come in all sizes and when hung on the wall, one hook will hold up to five pounds. You can also use them to hang a shower curtain between the sink area and the sleeping area for a little extra privacy. When removed they leave no residue nor do they harm the wallpaper."

-- contributed by Jean Berg (alexjaj@...)

SHARE THE SCHEDULE

"When you are planning your trip to Disney with kids, make sure you find out one activity each one really wants to do and work it into your schedule. That way everyone is happy!"

-- contributed by Charlene Goodie

>Notes: Send us your tips! You may see them in this newsletter and win a copy of PassPorter! Visit:

http://www.passporter.com/customs/contest.htm

Want more Disney tips? We've collected 500 of the tips submitted by readers over the past six years -- most have never been published before. All have been edited for accuracy and categorized. The "Disney 500" are available in e-book form for immediate download. For details, visit http://www.passporter.com/wdw/disney500.htm .

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CAPTAIN’S CORNER: Treasure Hunting Game

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Play our fun and quirky treasure hunting game, hosted by Captain Jack Skatt from our upcoming 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 or PassPorter name badge pin.

It seems the Captain has stumped you for the first time! No one got the correct answer to last week's treasure hunt question. Here is another clue...

Here is this week's treasure from Captain Skatt's Journal:

"My adventure to Mt. Everest continued today, despite a rather foggy morning. After arriving in the quaint village of Serka Zong, I searched long and hard for a certain tour company that would allow me to continue my expedition. My good friend Ruthbert had mentioned that this company had obtained the rights to use the old Anandapur Rail Service, which was once used to transport tea for the Royal Anandapur Tea Company. I inquired with the good folks at Tashi's General Store. They pointed me to Norbu and Bob's booking office where I struck gold! It turns out the name of the tour company was, naturally enough, the ... (text obscured by tea stains)"

So, what is the name of the tour company that takes you on Expedition Everest?

Congratulations to Terri Daugherty who was the winner of last newsletter's treasure hunt game last week! Terri correctly identified the village at the base of Mt. Everest as Serka Zong. To view the original clues, see the last newsletter at http://www.passporter.com/news/news021006.htm

Send your full answer to jackskatt@passporter.com -- the winner will be notified by e-mail and announced in the next 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 Skatt. We will release the book -- "PassPorter's Treasure Hunts at Walt Disney World" -- in April 2006. You can pre-order the new book today at http://www.passporterstore.com/store/1587710269.aspx

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Q & A WITH JENNIFER & DAVE

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jen_a asks: "Hi! Could anyone recommend a car rental agency for Saint Maarten? I have looked at many on the internet, but I'm having a tough time picking out a reputable one. (Or maybe they are all okay and I'm just pessimistic!) I would like to be able to get a car near the pier. Should I reserve in advance or just take my chances there? "

Jennifer and Dave answer: "We've used a variety of agencies over the years. Most offer the same cars and a similar level of service. Whether major agency or minor, you can't really be sure of the condition your vehicle may be in -- most cars get beaten into submission in short order by the island's side roads, beaches, and numerous speed bumps. All things considered, I'd just shop price and terms.

I strongly recommend you book in advance, using one of the Internet sites that represents agencies on a number of islands. They seem to be more concerned about customer service and repeat business than the agencies they represent. I've found it's hard to use the major travel sites and agency sites, as you need to specify a pickup at the pier and many sites simply don't list that as a pickup option.

There can be a huge difference between the book-ahead rates and the rates offered to walk-up customers. It's also very important to print-out your reservation form, have it with you when you pick up the car, and make sure they actually give you the agreed-upon price. The last agency we used tried to charge us the walk-up rate, even after we showed them the reservation print-out. They didn't argue or make a scene -- just corrected their "mistake," and we still got a car in excellent condition (which isn't all that common, even when you pay top dollar).

There are about a half-dozen agencies with offices at the pier. There are many more with offices at the airport and/or in downtown Phillipsburg, but there's no good reason to seek them out. A half-dozen is enough to choose from, and while frequent visitors (like my parents, who spend a month there annually) have favorite agencies they deal with, even those relationships haven't guaranteed flawless results (hence, no recommendations from me).

For what it's worth, some of the biggest-name agencies (all the brand-names are franchises) are owned by local families with very deep roots. They're all involved in local politics, which tends to mean they manage to get away with all sorts of minor infractions."

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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WANT TO GET PUBLISHED?

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Big News! PassPorter News is now weekly. This means we need more articles than ever! We're on the lookout for guest columnists to contribute articles to this newsletter. No professional writing experience 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.

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