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PASSPORTER NEWS

News, Announcements, Updates, and Tips

May 28, 2009 * Issue 9.22

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: Book Expo America

Travel Feature: Tokyo, Japan

Disney Feature: Gardens of The World Tour

Updates: What's New and Changed

Tips: DIY ID Cards, Journal It, Prep Your Preschoolers,

Cool Links: Disney Stuff and Services

Captain's Corner: Prime Time

PassPorter PhotoPick: Magic Kingdom Balloon vendor

Q and A: Where can I find WiFi access?

Our Sponsors: We Recommend...


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FROM THE AUTHORS: Book Expo America
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Hi, {{user('firstname')}}!

This weekend PassPorter is in New York City for the annual Book Expo America convention, where we exhibit and sign copies of PassPorters for booksellers. And, naturally, we're making the city visit a tour stop on the Decade of Dreams Tour! We look forward to sharing the memories with you when we return.

Reader Photo Contest -- Get Published in Our 2010 Edition!
Last year's full-color photo supplement was so popular that we're planning another special photo section for our 2010 edition of PassPorter's Walt Disney World! If you have an extra magical photo of Walt Disney World you'd like to see in gorgeous color in our guidebook, please share it with us -- we think reader photos really expand our scope and make PassPorter more magical! You can contribute a photo in several ways for consideration -- upload it to the PassPorter Photo Archive (preferred), post it (or a link to it) in the relevant thread on our message board, e-mail it to photos@passporter.com, or snail mail it to PO Box 3880, Ann Arbor, MI 48106. Photos needs to be uploaded/posted/mailed by June 30, 2009 to be eligible for consideration. If your photo is chosen, the photo will appear in our 2010 guidebook attributed to you and you will receive a free copy of the guidebook. We look forward to seeing your magical photos!

Coming Soon! PassPorter's Disney Vacation Club Guide for Members and Members-To-Be
PassPorter's Disney Vacation Club Guide is a comprehensive e-book covering every aspect of the Disney Vacation Club in detail and answers the most commonly asked questions to help you decide whether the Disney Vacation Club is the right investment for you. For those who are already DVC members, the guide brings together everything you need in one place, including a look at all the ways you can spend your points, lists of the various member benefits, and interactive worksheets for tracking your contracts, points, and reservations. Watch for more details on how and when this new e-book will become available in the coming weeks!

PassPorter's Disney Cruise Line 2009 In Stock!
The brand new PassPorter's Disney Cruise Line 2009 guidebook is now in stock and shipping the next business day. This is a great time to order if you haven't already, as bookstores do have them in stock yet in most cases. Order at http://www.passporterstore.com/store/dcl2009.aspx

PassPorter's Club Update

In this issue, PassPorter Featured Columnist Cheryl Pendry shares tips on Tokyo, Japan. Then PassPorter Guest Contributor Sikander Durrani gives us a glimpse into Gardens of The World Tour. Finally, Jack Skatt is back with a brand-new Walt Disney World Treasure Hunt.

Jennifer and Dave Marx
PassPorter Founders and Authors


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TRAVEL FEATURE: Tokyo, Japan
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by Cheryl Pendry, PassPorter Featured Columnist

Perhaps the most important thing to know about Tokyo is that it is huge. In fact, it’s one of the most populous cities in the world, with around nine million people calling it home. If, like me, you find that sort of size hard to picture, then perhaps saying that it’s bigger than either New York City or London, will help to put it in perspective for you.

It’s perhaps not surprising that before our visit there, I had some preconceptions about the city. I expected it to be crowded, with traffic jams snaking through the streets, and smog everywhere making it impossible to see far. Nothing could have been further from the truth though. Certainly it was busy and full of people – especially on the subway system, where they pack you in like sardines with no personal space at all! – but there wasn’t as much traffic or pollution as I expected.

Instead, we found large open spaces that were home to some of Tokyo’s biggest tourist attractions. As we were lucky enough to visit Japan during their revered cherry blossom season, Ueno Park was one of our first stops, as this is a prime viewing location for cherry trees. This perhaps gave us one of our best insights into Japanese culture. Seeing blue tarpaulins out on the ground, ready for people to have parties underneath the blossom was quite something. Even though we weren’t invited to any parties, you do feel as if you are a part of it. Day and night time are very different in the park and, by the evening, there’s a distinct aroma of alcohol everywhere, but despite that, everything was exceptionally good natured and not at all rowdy, as you’d find in many other cities around the world.

One of the other main parks in Tokyo is Yoyogi Park and the main attraction here is the Meiji Shrine. One thing we found in Tokyo was that a lot of things aren’t very old. Mainly due to the impact of World War Two, which saw much of the city destroyed in bombings. Originally the Meiji Shrine was built in the 1920s to honor the Emperor of the same name and it’s obvious that he was well thought of, as it was rebuilt in 1958 with money paid for from private donors.

The Meiji Shrine is a beautiful place and very calm, as it’s in the middle of the park, but it’s nowhere near as grand as the Senso-ji temple. This is the one place to see in Tokyo and is to the north of the city in the district of Asakusa, near the Sumida river. It dates back to 628, when two fishermen fished a small golden statue of Kannon, the Buddhist goddess of mercy from the river. A shrine, then a temple was built on the site in honor of her and today there’s still a good complex left, although sadly, again, much of it is reproduction. Arriving here was when I knew we really were experiencing the real Japan, with the beautiful five story pagoda to the left of the main entrance gate. Somehow nothing says Japan like a pagoda. Of course, that could be because it’s the view I’m used to from Epcot!

The city has very much grown up around another important sight, the Imperial Palace. It’s very much a mystical place, hidden away and only open to the public on two days in the year. You can catch a glimpse of the palace, with the picture postcard view being the shot of it behind the Nijubashi or double bridge. We’ve seen many views that we thought would be stunning from the guidebook photos, but have sometimes been disappointed. Not this time. Again, this is very much a sight that reminds you that you’re in Japan.

Tokyo’s not all about open spaces, temples and palaces though. The vast majority of the city is as built up as you’d expect. Like any other big city, there’s a main shopping district and here it’s Ginza, which is home to all the major department stores and designer names. In that respect, Tokyo can rival the world’s most glamorous cities and the architecture is stunning, with Cartier’s building all decorated in gold. At the center of Ginza is the Yon-Chrome crossing and, anyone who’s been to New York City, would instantly think of a smaller version of Times Square when they saw it.

However, if you want cheaper shopping, then it’s to the west of the city you need to go, with Shibuya and Shinjuku the major shopping areas. The latter is home to the world’s busiest railway station that’s used by around three million people each day. Everywhere you look around here are train tracks and it literally splits Shinjuku into two, with the shops to the east and the offices to the west.

To get a good grasp of the layout of Tokyo and to see just how much this massive city sprawls in all directions, one place to head for in Shinjuku is the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Offices. I couldn’t help but think of the World Trade Center when we visited this place, as it’s got both a north and south floor observatory. On the day we visited, we were able to view the Meiji Shrine in nearby Yoyogi Park and Shibuya beyond, but the visibility wasn’t good enough to allow us to see further afield and sadly views of Mount Fuji, one of the iconic sights in Japan, evaded us that day.

Parks, shopping and office areas come to life in daylight hours, but after night falls, other parts of Tokyo come into their own. In particular, the younger set head for Roppongi Hills, which is home to nightclubs, restaurants and shops and it’s also the place to find the Tokyo Tower, based on the Eiffel Tower. It’s a very bizarre sight to see something that looks so similar to the Parisian landmark and that experience reminded me of Las Vegas somewhat!

Tokyo certainly does its best to compete with Vegas, as it’s also got its own Statue of Liberty in the district of Odaiba, on the other side of the Sumida river to the south of the city. Built on reclaimed land, it’s also a mecca for shops and restaurants and again, tends to attract younger people for its nightlife. We enjoyed a superb evening’s tour there, seeing the sights and enjoying some amazing views of the rest of the city across the river.

Tokyo is very much a city of different neighborhoods, with something for everyone, whatever age you are and whatever your interests. It’s certainly got enough to keep you busy for days and we left knowing that we hadn’t been able to see or do everything that we wanted to. Hopefully, one day a return visit will be on the cards for us and we can go back and complete our tour of this wonderfully vibrant and varied city.


About the Author: Cheryl and husband Mark live in England and love to travel, particularly to Disney, and they have made numerous visits to destinations across America and Europe. They recently completed their tour of every Disney theme park around the world, which culminated in their visit to Japan, including 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 travel plans. Also check out our Article Collection for more great information!

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DISNEY FEATURE: Gardens of The World Tour
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by Sikander Durrani, PassPorter Guest Contributor

This spring I took the Gardens of the World Tour at Epcot, presented by the Disney Institute. The tour is a 3-hour walking tour that takes you around Epcot for a closer look at Disney's beautiful gardens. The tour group is lead by a Disney Horticulturist.

The first 30 minutes of the Gardens of the World tour is spent going over the way Disney does their decorations and how they get around different issues regarding watering of the plants and excess water. This tour spends most of the morning just going over the different types of flowers that are on display for the festival and in my opinion, the only people that interested in the information in my opinion are serious gardeners that can tell the difference from one flower type and another.

The tour was originally advertised to have a behind-the-scenes look at how Disney grows and prepares their flowers including a look at their greenhouses. I was disappointed that on my tour we only got to see the facility from the outside, which is behind the Canada Pavilion. The guide simply told us a little bit about how they have to do some acrobatics to get the taller trees out of the greenhouse.

Most of the information provided on Gardens of the World tour could be found on information placards below the trees or next to the flower beds. In my opinion, I would have preferred to read the information myself and gotten more “behind the scenes” information from the tour guide.

I am not sure if this tour is given with audio equipment, but we were not offered any. I found it often hard to hear the guide over the regular crowds of the park.

My recommendation for this tour? Unless you are really into gardening, don’t waste your time or money on the tour. You can get the same information at a more leisurely pace by walking around Epcot on your own, reading the placards and looking at the flowers and trees above them.

Gardens of the World Tour Information: The tour costs $59 per person. Discounts are available for Annual Passholders, AAA members, and DVC members. It is highly recommended that you book this tour in advance. The tour is only offered during the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival each spring. To make reservations for the tour, call 407-WDW-TOUR (407-939-8687) at least 24 hours in advance. The tour is offered three days a week on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.


About the Author: Sikandar Durrani is from just outside Houston, TX. He has spent a lot of his time as an adult going to Walt Disney World and Disneyland and hopes to go back to Walt Disney World as often as he can.

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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?

PassPorter Travel Press - 2010 Editions in Pre-Order Soon
Visit them at http://www.passporterstore.com/store/freeshipping.aspx

PassPorter's 2010 Editions in Pre-Order Soon

Watch this newsletter for news about our 2010 editions of PassPorter's Walt Disney World guidebook. Pre-orders will be opening sometime in June!


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WHAT'S NEW AND CHANGED
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Here are a few items of relevant news:

Disney Cruise Line terminal closed temporarily on Thursda. A bomb scare closed the Port Canaveral terminal and all the roads leading to it. The terminal had re-opened and boarding resumed by 3:00 pm. This updates page 260 of PasPorter's guidebook

Walt Disney World Resort Guests get one free club rental. Guests staying at a Walt Disney World resort (including the Swan and Dolphin hotels) between now and December 31, 2009 are eligible for one free club rental when they purchase a full price round of golf at the Palm, Magnolia, Lake Buena Vista, or Osprey Ridge courses. Call 407-WDW-GOLF to book tee times or for more details. This updates page 260 of PasPorter's guidebook

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


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DISNEY TIPS FROM FELLOW READERS
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Our readers deliver a wealth of information! 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

DIY ID CARDS
'As a safety measure, before going on our Disney trip last year, I took a recent school picture of my 7-year-old daughter and made a homemade ID card with her picture, height, weight, our cell phone number and names, and the hotel we were staying at, and laminated it. I carried this information in my lanyard around my neck since it was credit card sized, along with my key to the world. That way if we got separated, I instantly had a picture of my daughter handy to show security. I also gave her a sticker inside her shoe which had our cell phone number, our names, and the name of our hotel so she had this information as well. This made us feel a lot more comfortable in the big crowds of all the parks, and eased her anxiety of possibly being separated.'
-- contributed by Sheila

JOURNAL IT
'Our trip to Walt Disney World was a dream come true after months of saving, researching, and planning. So when it was time to actually depart, I wanted to savor each moment, and remember as much as I could. I purchased an inexpensive bound writing journal, then each evening I recorded the events and emotions of that day. I tried to be as detailed as possible, to include the order of attractions we saw, wait times, impression of restaurants and what we ordered, our reaction to all the wonderful Disney surprises. When I re-read it, I'm right back there. It helps me recall details that I may have forgotten, like the bus driver's jokes, or the Plaza rose garden. Now I use the blank pages to write down tips and ideas that I hope to use on another Disney trip!'
-- contributed by Colleen

PREP YOUR PRESCHOOLERS
'Take a moment to explain to young children what they can expect when going on certain attractions. Things that seem obvious to us as adults are often not understood by kids. While waiting in line, tell your kids if the attraction will be in the dark, loud, have scary moments, be a fast roller coaster, etc. I remember my parents having a terrible time with me when I was young. I refused to go on anything after I was taken by complete surprise on Space Mountain and Snow White!'
-- contributed by Ella

>>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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COOL LINKS: Disney Stuff and Services
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We encounter many Disney- and travel-related products and services. From among those we try, a few are good enough to use ourselves and recommend to you:

KidsFlySafe.com: CARES FAA-approved safety harness for planes -- you can visit them at http://www.kidsflysafe.com/?utm_source=PASPTR&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=affiliate



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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 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:

"I had a hankering for some down-home food like mama used to make yesterday, so I paid a visit to the 50s Prime Time Cafe at Disney's Hollywood Studios. I swear, that place makes me feel right at home with the funky decor, TVs everywhere, and the smell of home cooking. After I was seated at the formica table and reminded to keep my elbows off it, I was handed a menu. Imagine my surprise when my menu wasn't on a sheet of paper at all!"

In what unique format is the menu presented at 50s Prime Time Cafe?

For bonus credit, locate the photo in the PassPorter Photo Archive and post a comment with the photo!

Congratulations to Todd N. who was the winner of last week's trivia contest! Todd was the first person to identify the round overheard sign posted just before you enter Main Street U.S.A. as "Here you leave today and enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow and fantasy." Bonus credit goes to shaynasings as the first person to locate the photo in the 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!


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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:

Magic Kingdom Balloon vendor
Photo by Dopey007
Photo Link: http://www.passporter.com/photos/showphoto.php/photo/13373

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 - 3527 photos
Meggera - 711 photos
akleos - 568 photos
Dopey007 - 512 photos
DyanKJ130 - 503 photos


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Q & A WITH JENNIFER & DAVE
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twinsljo asks: "Does anyone know if WiFi can be picked up anywhere on Walt Disney World property?"

Dave answers: "The Disney resorts with convention centers have WiFi access in the lobbies. That's the Contemporary, Grand Floridian, Yacht and Beach, BoardWalk, and Coronado Springs. You have to create a separate wireless account, so if you're using the in-room wired and the wireless, you'll end up paying extra."

Did our message board members agree with Dave? To see other answers that stinkrbell 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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WANT TO GET PUBLISHED?
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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.


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OUR SPONSORS: We Recommend...
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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 - Book with us by 6/30/09 and we'll make a donation to Avon Walk for Breast Cancer Visit them at http://www.mousefantravel.com/?apid=ptpn

ALL STAR Vacation Homes - Choose from more than 150 homes within 4 miles of Disney! Visit them at http://www.allstarvacationhomes.com/passporter_walt_disney_world.asp?ovchn=AD&ovcpn=PassPorter&ovcrn=Pass+May+28&ovtac=EMAIL&keyword=passporter

PassPorter Travel Press - 2010 Editions in Pre-Order Soon Visit them at http://www.passporterstore.com/store/freeshipping.aspx

Thank you, sponsors!

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