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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: Dog Days
of Summer
My Favorite Attraction:
Illuminations: Reflections of Earth
Disney Feature: Surviving
Walt Disney World During Peak Season
Updates: What's New and
Changed
Tips: Love Those
Leftovers, Picnic To Go, PhotoPass Back Up
Captain's Corner:
PassPorter
PhotoPick: Where the Track Ends
Q and A: Which itinerary
do you recommend?
Our Sponsors: We
Recommend...
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FROM THE AUTHORS: Happy
Independence Day!
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Hi,
{{user("firstname")}}!
Greetings from hot, humid
Fred Block, who runs the
very popular MagicMeets event in Pennsylvania every July, asks us to remind you
that only pre-registered attendees can get in (and we're not going to even tell
you where or when you'd have wanted to try to get in). There is no, and we
repeat, no, walk-up registration, so please, don't come in hopes of getting
lucky, especially if you'd be in for a long drive. Please, save gas! However,
if you've got one of the 500 golden tickets, we'll see you there! I'll be
there, most of the time with the team from Mouse Fan Travel, but also putting
in some time at the PassPorter booth. Stop by and say "Hi!"
As we explained in
previous newsletters, sales of PassPorter's Walt Disney World 2008 have
been so good that we have none left in the warehouse (although they are still
in stock -- for now -- at book stores around the country). If you can't wait
for October to get a 2009 edition from us, you may purchase a 2008 electronic
edition (download only) or get a 2007 edition at a close-out price. Refer to
the 2008 electronic edition for the most up-to-date info, and print-out the
pages you'll need when you travel. Rely on the 2007 edition for all our great
planning features, PassPockets, and info that's still pretty darned accurate
and useful.
PassHolder Pouches are
back in stock! Not only that, but we upgraded the printed PassPorter logo to a
full-color version that we think is much more attractive than the old,
all-yellow version. Order at
http://www.passporterstore.com/store/0966899437.aspx
PassPorter's Disney Cruise
Line and its Ports of Call 2008 is in stock! All new orders of our cruise guide
ship the next business day. Order at
http://www.passporterstore.com/store/dcl2008.aspx
Will you be joining us for
PassPorter's Decade of Dreams Tour? PassPorter is celebrating our 10th
anniversary in 2009 with a 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
PASSPORTER'S CLUB UPDATE
* 1400 vacationers are now
enjoying access to all our e-books, e-worksheets, and super-sized photo archive
images. Thank you for your continued support!
* Our newest e-book,
PassPorter's Answer Book is now available for download. This 85-page e-book is
full of the detailed, up-to-date information on the topics that really matter
to you. Details at
http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/passporters-club-gallery/new-post-152726-new-e-book-coming-soon.html
* We have a brand new
e-worksheet for you to use to plan your next trip: the Daily Ride and Meal
Plans e-worksheet lets you plan the rides, shows, and meals around the park(s)
you plan to visit in a single day! See
http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/passporters-club-gallery/160945-new-e-worksheet-daily-ride-meal-plans.html
* More details at
http://www.passporter.com/club
In this issue, Featured
Columnist Cheryl Pendry shares her favorite attraction, Illuminations:
Reflections of Earth, with us. Then, Myron Spiwak shares tips on Surviving
Walt Disney World During Peak Season. 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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DID YOU KNOW?
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Rates are available at MouseEarVacations.com!
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MY FAVORITE ATTRACTION FEATURE:
Illuminations: Reflections of Earth
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by Cheryl Pendry,
PassPorter Featured Columnist
ItÕs the question that IÕm
sure many Disney visitors dread, because itÕs so hard to answer Ð whatÕs your
favorite attraction? After all, with four theme parks all providing at least a
dayÕs entertainment each, there are so many to pick from. How on earth could
anyone choose?
ItÕs something IÕve
thought about for a long time. At different times, IÕve chosen the Kilimanjaro
Safaris in Animal Kingdom (after all, the only other way to enjoy an experience
like that is to visit
I guess it was probably
two or three years ago that I finally realized that my favorite attraction at
Disney wasnÕt actually a ride, it was a show. But it is hands down my favorite
and itÕs something thatÕs always been dear to my heart.
Illuminations: Reflections
of Earth is held nightly at Epcot and usually marks the closing of the park,
except on nights when itÕs hosting evening Extra Magic Hours. ItÕs a superb
ending to the dayÕs activities and, to us, is not only Ònot to be missedÓ, itÕs
something that we try and catch as many times as we can while weÕre in Disney.
I think my appreciation of
this nightly show on the World Showcase Lagoon has grown with my understanding
of it. At first, like many people, I just enjoyed it for its display. I mean,
youÕre not going to find fireworks like that in very many places around the
world. The first few times you watch Illuminations, your jaw just drops at how
many big bangs and explosions are included and you canÕt help but wonder how
much it costs Disney to put this extravaganza on every night.
Then, after a few
viewings, a sudden realization Ð there are images on that globe in the middle
of the lake. Hmm É knowing Disney, those images probably mean something. That
means thereÕs got to be a storyline in there that explains and links together
all those big bangs and explosions. And of course there is.
The introduction before
Illuminations begins every evening gives you a good idea of what itÕs all
about, inviting us to gather around the fire Òas people of all lands have
gathered for thousands and thousands of years before us, to share the light and
to share a story, an amazing story, as old as time itself, but still being
written.Ó That gives you the first clue that, over the next 12 or so minutes,
youÕll be taken on a journey through the earthÕs progress over the last few
thousand years.
All those huge explosions
at the beginning that you thought were just there because we all like to enjoy
amazing fireworks are actually representing the chaos as the earth was formed
all that time ago. Suddenly the music reaches a crescendo and then it all goes
quiet. Your eyes adjust to the darkness, following all the light from the
amazing fireworks youÕve just seen and, before long, four sets of fountains
spring to life and suddenly you notice thereÕs something making its way out on
to the middle of the lagoon Ð the globe with images of mankindÕs progression
through the years beamed on to it. If youÕve never seen those images before, try
watching this section of Illuminations through a video camera, camera or even a
pair of binoculars and zoom right up on it and youÕll be able to pick it all
out. ItÕs something well worth doing.
Then, before you know it,
youÕre heading for the finale of the show and the globe opens up to reveal its
secret Ð an additional torch burning bright. For ages, we had never fully
understood the significance of this, until it was explained to us. Look
carefully around World Showcase Lagoon and youÕll see twenty of these flames
burning in the various different countries. The one that opens before your eyes
is the 21st, welcoming you to the new century. Appropriate, as Illuminations
originally started in its current form for the Millennium celebrations.
Finally, it all ends and
the usual way Illuminations finishes for me is with tears in my eyes. There is
just something about the way that all the different elements of the show Ð the
music, the fireworks, the fountains, the lasers, the globe and the flaming
torches all come together so beautifully through the storyline that just moves
me every time.
These days, having seen
Illuminations so many times, we donÕt necessarily feel the need to stake out a
spot hours beforehand, as much of the show can easily be seen even when the
crowds are three or four deep Ð trust me, weÕve been there and done that! The
bits you will miss if you donÕt have a clear view across the lagoon are the
globe and the fountains, so if you do want to see the whole thing, it is worth
getting a place at least half an hour or so before the show starts or maybe an
hour or so when the parks are busy.
WeÕve got a number of
viewing spots that we enjoy. Obviously the bridge between the UK and France is
a popular one, as is the garden just below on the French side, but we also love
the perspective of watching this show from Italy, as you can get photos with
the gondola poles in shot and, on occasions, weÕve even been lucky enough to
glimpse the nightly showing of Wishes from the Magic Kingdom from this spot.
A couple of things we
always double check now when seeking out a spot to watch Illuminations is
whether there are any trees is the way that will block our view of the show and
also which way the wind is blowing. This is an important consideration, especially
if it is a windy day, as Illuminations can generate a lot of firework debris
and smoke and you donÕt want to be in its path. WeÕve learned from experience
that itÕs not a pleasant way to end your evening at Epcot.
There is another wonderful
way to experience Illuminations and thatÕs on a specialty fireworks cruise,
which IÕve covered in a previous
article.
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Illuminations is Cheryl's
favorite attraction. What's yours? Write to us at news@passporter.com if you
would like to submit an article about your favorite and maybe it will be
published!
About the Author: Cheryl
and husband Mark live in
- - - - - - - - -
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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DID YOU KNOW?
MEI and Mouse Fan Travel
is the
Official Travel Planner
for
PassPorter's Decade of
Dreams
Aug/Sept from
$69* per night!
http://www.mousefantravel.com/mft/package.php?id=312&apid=ptpn
Book by
Valid most nights
Authorized
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*Offer is limited, subject
to availability and restrictions apply - CST207807440
Click for full details. As
to Disney artwork: ©Disney Ships' registry: The Bahamas
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DISNEY FEATURE: Surviving
Walt Disney World During Peak Season
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by Myron Spiwak,
PassPorter Guest Contributor
Chances are if you travel
to Walt Disney World with children, you are forced to visit when they are on
school break, whether it be spring break or summer vacation. I know our family
has gone three times since 2004, each time during the last week of March.
So if you must go during
peak season, is there anything you can do to beat the crowds and still have a
great time without going crazy? ItÕs taken a lot of trial and error, but IÕve
come up with some sure fire tips to maximize your enjoyment if you must visit
at these peak times.
The first step is quite
basic but IÕm amazed by how many people I talk to donÕt bother to do this. If
real estate is all about location, location, location, then having an enjoyable
Disney experience is all about planning, planning, planning. As Elton John sang
in The Circle of Life, ÒthereÕs more to be seen than can ever be seen, more to
do than can ever be done.Ó The need for planning doubles when youÕre attempting
to navigate the parks and Advance Dining Reservations during the busy seasons.
Some might say that planning every day from start to finish takes the fun out
of a vacation. This may be true for a long weekend in the Wisconsin Dells, but
trying to wing it at Walt Disney World will only lead to frustration and missed
experiences.
If one thing has really
saved us on each of our spring break trips, it has been the FASTPASS
ticket. First and foremost, you should always be holding fastpasses for
your group. Walking around from ride to ride without a pass is really a missed
opportunity. What has always worked for our family is having me run ahead to
the fast pass attraction of our choice while the rest of the group proceeds to
a different ride. Once I have the fast passes, I quickly head over to the other
ride where we all get in line. By the time we get off of that ride, it is often
just about time for our FASTPASS return window.
A key thing to note is
what time you can get another FASTPASS. This is shown on the pass and is not
always the same. You should always be thinking about what ride you want to get
your next ticket for and be near that attraction at the available time, or at
least have your runner there. It is very possible to have two different passes
at once. As a matter of fact, this past spring we achieved the trifecta and had
three valid passes in our hands at one time! If the FASTPASS return time is
much later in the day, I would grab passes anyway even if you donÕt think
youÕll be at the park for that time. You can always spread some magic and give
them to someone just entering the park, or you may decide to return on a whim
after dinner if your resort or Advance Dining restaurant is nearby.
An absolute must during
peak seasons is getting to the parks before they open. I know itÕs tough to set
an alarm on vacation (my girls routinely sleep to
If you do get the early
start, another time saver is to simply eat something very light in your room or
on the way to the bus. We always pack granola bars so we can eat on the go.
This will also allow you to have an early lunch right when the foods services
open around
As your days wind down,
youÕre probably gearing up for the SpectroMagic parade, Wishes, or
Illuminations. Finding a good viewing spot is always a challenge, but it can be
particularly tough on the days where the crowds are at their largest. Aside
from the obvious advice to find a spot early and camp out, IÕd offer two
additional tips. For Wishes, especially if you have seen it before from the
ideal in front of the castle area, consider grabbing a spot on the other side,
just past the carousel, facing the Pinocchio Village Haus. YouÕll still have a
great sight of the fireworks, and youÕll get an extra thrill with many of the
loud charges going off from the roof top very close to you (this may be
too intense for very young children). The other tip would be to make sure you
donÕt try to see Illuminations on any night there are Extra Magic Hours at
Epcot. This will guarantee extra large crowds and longer camping out times for
quality viewing spots.
Someday we hope to
experience Walt Disney World when the crowds are small and the lines are
short. Until then, weÕll be using these tips to squeeze all the fun we
can into our trips. Hopefully you will as well!
About the Author: Myron
and his family live in the
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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:
As of
On June 25, YouTube.com
premiered The Disney
Parks Channel, sponsored by Walt Disney Parks & Resorts. Disney
announced the "My Favorite Disney Parks Memory" contest as part of
the channel's launch. The Grand Prize is an ultimate Disney dream vacation
which will include a night in the Disneyland Dream Suite. To enter, submit a
video that captures your favorite Disney parks memory by
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! Here are the winners in this month's tip contest:
LOVE THOSE LEFTOVERS
"I always take an empty food container into the parks with me. It never
fails that I'll be unable to finish dessert or a burger and I hate to waste
food. I can't tell you how many times the dessert became a
-- contributed by Rosalie P.
PICNIC TO GO
"This is an idea that can because used for families, or like in our case,
for couples just wanting to make use of their time alone. If you are staying in
a resort with a beach, go to your resort counter service restaurant or
"food court" and order your meals. Instead of eating inside, bring a
blanket or towel to the "beach" and have a little picnic. If you are
more of a "night owl", grab dinner or some snacks and sit on the
beach watching the sunset, or if it's late enough, the fireworks from nearby MK
or Epcot."
-- contributed by Cristy B.
PHOTOPASS CARD BACK UP
"When you receive your PhotoPass card go ahead and write the numbers in your
PassPorters book. We went on Soarin' and when we got off, our card was no
longer in my pocket. If I had the numbers I could have still gotten my pictures
from the web site! Write those numbers down!"
-- contributed by Alisa N.
>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
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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:
ÒExiting the Hall of
President's I realized I was famished and set out across the square in pursuit
of some sustenance. I spied an unusual tree with a number of lanterns
hanging from it. I wonder what they represent?"
How many lanterns hang in the tree and what do they represent?
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 Terri H.
who was the winner of last week's trivia contest! Terri was the first person to
identify the number on the
building that houses the Hall of Presidents as 1787 (the year the U.S.
constitution was ratified). Bonus credit goes to akleos who was the
first person to identify the photo in our PassPorter Photo Archive. To
view the original clue, see last week's newsletter at http://www.passporter.com/news/news070308.htm#captain
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:
Where the Tracks End
contributed by tigger1221
View Photo:
http://www.passporter.com/photos/showphoto.php/photo/7954
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 - 1898 photos
akleos - 568 photos
Dopey007 - 512 photos
Meggera - 347 photos
OffKilter_Lynn - 261
photos
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Q & A WITH JENNIFER
& DAVE
====================================
mackeymouse asks: "I
am just curious which cruise you think gives you the most bang for the buck?"
Jennifer and Dave answer: "I
prefer days at sea to visiting ports of call when I'm cruising, so I prefer the
Eastern to the Western for the extra day at sea.
I also far prefer the four-night to the three, because you feel like you're
getting more bang - the three-night seems like it's over before it's begun -
too much to do, far too little time."
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?
===================================
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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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):
MouseEarVacations.com --
Disney Cruise Line Special Offers
Mouse Fan Travel -- Walt
Disney World Resort Offer
All Star Vacation Homes --
Choose from more than 150 homes within 4 miles of Disney
Thank you sponsors!
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