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PassPorter News
News, Announcements, Updates, and Tips
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
Editor: Disney Dreaming
Travel Feature: Photo
ID, Passports, REAL ID -- What You Need To Know
Disney Feature:
Dining Review: Tusker House
Updates: What's
New and Changed
Tips: Wonderful
Windows, Super Salutes, Awesome Autographs
Captain's
Corner: All Aboard
PassPorter
PhotoPick: Butterfly Topiary
Q&A: Is
the AdventurerÍs Club appropriate for kids?
Our
Sponsors: We Recommend...
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FROM THE
EDITOR: Disney Dreaming
====================================================
Hi,
{{user("firstname")}}!
Is it Spring
yet? Here in snowy
(Tip: See
Jennifer & DaveÕs real-time photo blog to follow along with them at
Disneyland and S. California at http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/window-seat-real-time-photo-trip-report-passporter/
)
Will you be joining us for PassPorter's
Decade of Dream Tour? PassPorter is celebrating our 10th anniversary
in 2009 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 Schedulefor
the latest details at http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/passporters-decade-dreams-tour-headquarters/148091-decade-dreams-tour-schedule.html#post1893925
Some notes from
Jennifer and Dave:
Our 2008
edition of PassPorter's Disney Cruise Line and its Ports of Call is on track
for a March 15 release date. Our press check this past Monday went off like a
charm (it's so cool to see those big presses all loaded up with printing plates
for our book). Now the books are "off press" and waiting to be bound.
Just a reminder that all chapters of this new edition are in an electronic
preview file for anyone who pre-orders through the PassPorter Store: http://www.passporterstore.com/store/dcl2008.aspx
Our 2009
edition of PassPorter's Disneyland and Southern California Attractions is
continuing to develop (August 2008 release date) and we are still seeking
feedback from both readers who have our first Disneyland edition as well as
from those who have not yet seen the book -- please take our Disneyland
Guidebook Survey [ http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=8UdpipuOw0_2bvtFICCJDjCA_3d_3d
] and send us your Disneyland tips and magical memories [ http://www.passporter.com/customs/tipsandstories.asp
].
We have new and
FREE e-worksheet that calculates Disney Dining Plan credits for two adults and
one child on a trip of up to five days long. This e-worksheet is available to
everyone free of charge! Check it out at http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/passporters-club-gallery/150415-free-e-worksheet-dining-plan-2-adults-1-child-5-days.html#post1924516
PASSPORTER'S
CLUB UPDATE
* Nearly 1300
vacationers are now enjoying access to all our e-books, e-worksheets, and
super-sized photo archive images. Thank you for your continued support!
* We have two
new e-worksheets for you to use to plan your next trip (click the link to go
directly to them): the Disney Dining Plan E-Worksheet for 2 Adults and 1 Child
( http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/passporters-club-gallery/150415-free-e-worksheet-dining-plan-2-adults-1-child-5-days.html
) and the Disneyland Park Hours E-Worksheet ( http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/passporters-club-gallery/150398-new-e-worksheet-park-hours-disneyland-s-california-any-destination.html
).
* Our latest
e-book, "PassPorter's Festivals and Celebrations at Walt Disney World by
Thomas Cackler," is available for Club Passholders to download free of
extra charges: http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/passporters-club-gallery/144369-new-e-book-passporters-festivals-celebrations-walt-disney-world.html
* More details
at http://www.passporter.com/club
In this issue,
PassPorter Author Dave Marx breaks down the issues surrounding the hot topic
of Photo IDs, Passports and REAL IDs.
Then, Featured Columnist Cheryl Pendry treats us to the new character breakfast
at Tusker House. Finally,
Jack Skatt is back with a brand-new Walt Disney World
Treasure Hunt. Have a great week!
Sara Varney
PassPorter News
Editor and Online Coordinator
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TRAVEL FEATURE:
Photo ID, Passports, REAL ID -- What You Need To Know
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by Dave Marx,
PassPorter Author
"Will we
need passports to fly to Walt Disney World?" Recent news stories, blogs,
and message board postings have raised this surprising possibility. We've
sifted through mounds of information so we can clarify the current state of
travel ID for both domestic U.S. travel and international travel to and from
the U.S.
The short
answer is probably "No, you won't need a passport to go to Walt Disney
World." The long answer is ... complicated. Read on.
Domestic
Air Travel
The REAL
ID Act is a 2005
Federal law intended to enhance the security of photo ID used at Federal
facilities. Since "Federal facilities" includes aircraft regulated by
the FAA, this law affects all domestic air travel. By May 11, 2008 state-issued photo ID is required to
comply with the REAL ID Act or it will not be accepted for air travel, access
to Federal buildings, etc. Don't panic! "In compliance" for now only means the
state has asked for and received an extension of time to meet those
requirements, and 45 states have already done that. At this time, only
Delaware, Maine, Montana, New Hampshire, and South Carolina have not applied
for extensions. So this means that state-issued photo ID from all but those
five states will be accepted for domestic air travel for the foreseeable
future. Federally-issued ID already complies with the law, so U.S. passport
"books" and Passport Cards can also be used for domestic air travel. (The U.S. Department of State, which
issues U.S. passports, now calls traditional passports "passport
books" to distinguish them from the new "Passport Card.")
International
Travel
The Western
Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) is a federal law that ultimately will
require a valid passport to enter the U.S. by air, land, or sea. The law's
requirements have been modified several times over the past few years. Here's
where things stand today:
Air Travel: Since January 23, 2007, a valid
passport has been required for all air travel to the U.S. (A Passport Card cannot be used; U.S.
citizens need a "passport book.")
Land &
Sea Travel: Since
January 31, 2008, U.S. citizens have needed to present either:
1. a passport
(passport book or Passport Card)
-or-
2. a
government-issued photo ID (such as a driver's license) plus proof of
citizenship (such as a birth certificate)
... for land
and sea entry to the
U.S. from the Caribbean, Bermuda, Canada, and Mexico. (Passports already were
required for re-entry from the rest of the world.)
Date to be
determined: A valid passport (passport book or Passport Card) will be required
for all land and sea entry into the U.S.
That
"date to be determined" is the sticky part. It grants a bit of a
reprieve to U.S. citizens traveling by land or sea from Canada, Mexico, the
Caribbean and Bermuda, but it takes time to get a passport book or Passport
Card. Travelers who delay may face a last-minute crunch when that date is
finalized.
We go into
greater detail on both REAL ID and International Travel in our article on our web site at http://www.passporter.com/articles/passporter-article-passports-real-id.asp
PassPorter's
Recommendations:
Our first
concern is that travelers be prepared for whatever comes their way. We
recommend you get a full U.S. passport ("passport book") as soon as
you can, as that is the most universally-acceptable form of travel ID.
REAL ID -- If
your state has not received an extension to comply with the REAL ID Act by now,
and you plan to travel by air in the U.S. on or after May 11, 2008, we strongly
recommend you apply for a U.S. passport or Passport Card as soon as possible.
You may get a reprieve, but we don't think you should gamble on it.
U.S. passport
"book" -- As far as we're concerned, this is the one ID to have. It's
the most universally accepted ID for international and domestic travel.
Anything less is a false economy. Get it done, and be prepared for any
last-minute travel opportunities that may come your way. April in Paris, or a
ski weekend in Whistler, anyone?
Passport Card
-- Yes, it's less than half the cost of a regular passport, but it's less than
half as useful, too. For example, if you're on a Caribbean cruise and must fly
back to the U.S. in an emergency, the Passport Card will not be valid ID.
Passport Card
as spare ID -- Since the Passport Card is credit card-sized, it can be a useful
extra ID to carry at all times (why carry that bulky "passport book"
on domestic flights?). Current U.S. passport holders can get a Passport Card
for $20 (apply by mail using form DS-82), and you can also get a Passport Card
at the same time you apply for a new regular passport for just $20 more.
Information
on U.S. passport applications is available at http://travel.state.gov/passport
Department of
Homeland Security REAL ID site (includes map of states granted extensions): http://www.dhs.gov/xprevprot/programs/
An analysis
of the REAL ID Act is available at the National Conference of State
Legislatures: http://www.ncsl.org/standcomm/sctran/
realidsummary05.htm
For more details, check out the full-length version of this article: http://www.passporter.com/articles/passporter-article-passports-real-id.asp
About the Author: Dave Marx is the co-author of PassPorter guidebooks. He's married to his co-author and partner in crime Jennifer and father to Allie and Alexander. He lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
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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 travel plans. Also check out our Article Collection at http://www.passporter.com/articles
for more great information!
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DISNEY FEATURE:
Dining Review: Tusker House
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by Cheryl
Pendry, PassPorter Featured Columnist
It's probably
fair to say that, when it was first announced that Tusker House in Disney's
Animal Kingdom was going to be changed from a counter service to a table
service restaurant, the idea had a mixed response from Disney fans.
It's easy to
see why. There are few counter service places in Walt Disney World that served
food that was as good and had a menu as diverse as Tusker House. What's the old
saying? If it ain't broke, don't try to fix it. I couldn't help but feel like
that about Tusker House, but equally, I've felt for a long time that part of
the problem with Animal Kingdom is that it needs table service restaurants.
It's one of the reasons we often don't spend a full day there, as we like to
sit down for both lunch and dinner and it's clear that had to change if Disney
wanted to encourage people to spend more of their vacation at Animal Kingdom.
It was
therefore with some suspicion that we headed for the new character breakfast at
Tusker House on the day after Christmas. The main star of the show is Donald,
which I was delighted to hear, as the opening of Tusker House coincided with
the closure of his Breakfast-a-saurus meal over at Restaurantosaurus. Much as I
love them, it's great to see someone other than Mickey, Minnie or
Winnie-the-Pooh as a lead character at a Disney meal.
When you
arrive, you're made to feel as if you're embarking on a safari into the African
savannah and that makes a lot of sense, with Tusker House located in Africa and
just a few steps away from Kilimanjaro Safaris. I can imagine that the idea of
heading out on safari to get food is probably a lot of fun for kids.
The first
stop is to take photos which don't feature any characters, just a backdrop.
It's also worth knowing that if you plan to buy a Photopass CD, this photo
won't be included on it. The only way you can get it is by purchasing it
separately and they'll be around during your meal to show you the finished
product. Fortunately, we found a quick "No thanks!" got the message
across, as it seems that Disney is now instructing people to avoid the hard sell
with these photos at meals. I, for one, was relieved at that.
The next stop
will see you meeting your guide, who will take you into the building and to
your table. On the way, they'll also explain about the food that's available at
the buffet. It's all themed to look very much like an African marketplace and,
in that respect; it hasn't changed that much from when Tusker House was a
counter service restaurant.
There are
separate areas set up around what used to the room where you'd order your food.
Those include areas for pastries, cereals, frittatas (both meat and
vegetarian), breads, fresh fruit and yogurts. I was impressed with the
selection of items available to those of us who don't eat meat and, in
particular the vegetable quiche, a rather unusual choice for breakfast. Another
unusual choice for breakfast, or any other meal of the day in fact, was the
orange bread. They had some superb breads with beautiful flavours to them. It's
definitely worth giving these a try.
Your server
will also offer you what they call "jungle juice", although the most
observant amongst you may notice that it has a very striking resemblance to the
Frunch that they serve at Boma. I didn't manage to confirm this with our
server, but I'm pretty sure that it's exactly the same stuff, just given a new
name. It's exceptionally refreshing and gets your day off to a great start.
Despite the
fact that this does have an African theme to it, don't worry if you have picky
eaters in your family. In that respect, the meal is just like dining at Boma,
with plenty of more standard fare for those who don't -- or can't -- step out
of their comfort zone.
As for the
characters, Tusker House plays host to Donald and his beloved Daisy, along with
Mickey Mouse and Goofy. They're all attired in safari gear, which makes for
some great photos. It's nice to see the characters dressed in something
unusual, rather than their usual gear.
Finally, just
a warning to those of you who perhaps prefer a quieter character meal, if there
is such a thing. Tusker House hosts a party every half hour or so, where
children are invited to dance with the characters. It's very similar to the
parade they do at the Crystal Palace or the napkin twirling at Chef Mickey's,
but it's worth knowing that in advance. The party does take up a lot of space
and you may find yourself trapped at the buffet, as there is no way you can get
past when it gets going, so do listen out for the warning they give a few
minutes before it's due to start if you don't want to get stuck.
Despite all
the fears, Tusker House is still serving up a superb meal, with some wonderful
and unusual items on offer, supplemented by a lot of fun with some of your favorite
Disney characters. It's a good addition to the range of table service
restaurants at Animal Kingdom and I have no doubt we'll be heading back there
again, if only to sample that wonderful orange bread!
About the
Author: Cheryl and husband Mark live in England and love to travel,
particularly to America. They were on the first sailing of the Disney Magic
around the Mediterranean and have recently returned from 19 nights in Walt
Disney World.
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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 travel plans. Also check out our Article Collection at http://www.passporter.com/articles
for more great information!
- - - - - - - -
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UPDATES: What's
New and Changed
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Here's a few
relevant news items:
It's not an
official announcement, but its close! According to the Orlando
Sentinel, Disney has been approved to sell timeshares for the
15-story tower currently under construction at Disney's Contemporary Resort.
The property will be known as
Annual
Passholders rejoice! Effective immediately, Walt Disney World¬ Resort
Passholders can save up to 30 % off dining with a package that includes
accommodations and the Disney Dining Plan or Disney Deluxe Dining Plan.
Passholders can also choose to add the new Disney Wine & Dine Plan to their
package.
Renting a car
at
Let's Talk
About Disney, a podcast for all things Disney, recently featured Deb Wills and
Deb Koma, authors of PassPorter's Open Mouse for Walt Disney World and the
Disney Cruise Line. Download the podcast at http://letstalkaboutdisney.com/LTAD/?p=77
and see what people are saying about the show: http://www.letstalkaboutdisney.com/LTADForum/showthread.php?p=24322#post2432
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 at http://www.passporter.com/report.asp
==========================================
DISNEY TIPS
FROM FELLOW READERS
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Our readers
deliver a wealth of information! Here are the winners in this month's tip
contest:
WONDERFUL
WINDOWS
"When we
check into our hotel, usually Pop Century, we place our souvenirs from the day,
our favorite blanket and stuffed Mickey Mouse in the window. Since all the
rooms tend to look the same this lets our kids know easily which room is ours
when they see the things they love in the window!"
-- contributed
by Alisa N.
SUPER SALUTES
"The Flag
Retreat ceremony at
-- contributed
by Shayne S.
AWESOME
AUTOGRAPHS
"I did
this for each of my grandchildren when I brought them to Walt Disney World. I
bought a plain beige canvas tote bag at the craft store and put the child's
name on it. Inside I put an assortment of sharpie pens. The characters
autographed the bags and the kids used them to tote home their treasures from
their trip."
-- contributed
by Melinda f.
>Notes: Send
us your tips! You may see them in this newsletter and win a copy of PassPorter!
Visit:
http://www.passporter.com/customs/tipsandstories.asp
>>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 at http://www.passporter.com/wdw/disney500.asp
>>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 at http://www.passporter.com/dcl/cruiseclues.asp
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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 or PassPorter
name badge pin.
Here is this
week's journal entry:
"After
stopping to enjoy a lovely meal at Artist Point, I decided to hop a boat over
to the
What is Richard
F's last name and who was he? For bonus credit, locate the photographic
evidence in the PassPorter
Photo Archive and post a comment with the photo!
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!
Congratulations
to Tami Sanker who was the winner of last week's trivia contest! Tami was the
first person to identify the location of the bison
topiaries as Disney's Wilderness Lodge. Tami was also the first
person to find the photo on our web site. To view the original clue, see last
week's newsletter at http://www.passporter.com/news/news022108.htm
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/store/1587710269.aspx
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PASSPORTER
PHOTOPICK
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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:
Butterfly
Topiary
contributed by
Shell of the South
View Photo: http://www.passporter.com/photos/showphoto.php/photo/4264/ppuser/3113
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.
Top 5 Photo
Contributors
chezp - 536
photos
Meggera - 347
photos
Dopey007 - 270
photos
OffKilter_Disneymom
- 227 photos
DeBestWife -
192 photos
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Q & A WITH
JENNIFER & DAVE
====================================
BellaBuggy
asks: "I was wondering if anyone has taken their kids to the Adventurer's
Club at Downtown Disney and if it's really appropriate and fun for them? My
sister is thinking of taking her daughter who is 7. She's very mature, and
she's got a great sense of humor. I read in the PassPorter book that Allie gave
it an A-OK kid rating, so I'm thinking maybe they could try this? "
Dave and
Jennifer answer: "If you do bring kids to Adventurers Club, the key is to
visit early and leave early, when things are much quieter. That's what we've
done with Allie over the years. Seven, however, is probably too young under any
circumstances.
I suspect most
younger kids would see little difference between the comedy at Adventurers Club
and a lot of children's entertainment, since they'll understand the silly
stuff, while most things adult would go over their heads (the language is
squeaky clean - the problem areas are drinking-related humor, and mild sexual
innuendo). The real problem is that the place is a bar. When Cast Members make
jokes involving the children, it's definitely meant as a friendly reminder to
their parents that the kids may be exposed to less-than-wonderful behavior by
some of the patrons - it's never mean-spirited. The show never even makes it to
PG-13, but the behavior of the crowd is a bit less predictable in that
regard."
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!
===================================
WANT TO GET
PUBLISHED?
===================================
PassPorter News
is published weekly and we're always on the lookout for good quality Disney and
travel articles! We seek guest columnists who want 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.
===================================
OUR SPONSORS:
We Recommend...
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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 Offer! Free Ticket Upgrades
MouseEarVacations.com
-- Disney Cruise Line Special Offers
Quicksilver
Tours & Transportation -- Save $5 off airport round-trip transportation in
a town car
Thank you,
sponsors!
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Copyright (c)
2008 - MediaMarx, Inc. / PassPorter Travel Press,
_