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PassPorter News
News, Announcements, Updates, and Tips
August 9, 2007 * Issue 7.32
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: Oy Vay!
Travel Feature: Dover
Castle
Disney Feature: 1900 Park
Fare Dinner
Updates: What's New and
Changed
Tips: Individualized
Dining Invitations, Remember Romance, Magnetic Memories
Captain's Corner: The TV
Camera
Q&A: How long should
we allow to get to the park from our resort using WDW transportation?
Our Sponsors: We
Recommend...
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FROM THE AUTHORS: Oy Vay!
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Hi,
{{user("firstname")}}!
Just when you think it's
safe to send your book manuscript to the printer...
We often pride ourselves
on just how nimble and responsive our little book production company can be to
changing circumstances, and this week was no exception! We sent PassPorter's
Open Mouse for Walt Disney World and the Disney Cruise Line to our book printer
last Friday, and then, wham, Disney released new park admission prices, 2008
lodging rates, and a totally revamped Disney Dining Plan two days later. We
shouted, "Hold the presses," went right back to work on the
manuscript, and two days later, the fully-updated book was ready to roll again!
We got a bit luckier with PassPorter's Walt Disney World 2008, which is due at
the book printers in the middle of next week. That gives us a little extra time
to make those updates, and to develop a more in-depth analysis of the benefits
and costs of the new dining plans. So were pleased to report that both our Open
Mouse and Walt Disney World guidebooks will be amazingly up-to-date!
Did you know we have other
free guidebook pages for download? In addition to free pages from PassPorter's
Open Mouse guidebook, we offer free pages from PassPorter's Disney Cruise Line
guidebook and PassPorter's Walt Disney World. Check 'em out at http://www.passporter.com/wdw/openmouse/guidebookpages.asp
and http://www.passporter.com/dcl/guidebookpages.asp
PASSPORTER'S CLUB UPDATE
* More than 850
vacationers are now enjoying access to all our e-books and e-worksheets --
thank you for your continued support!
* Our newest e-book,
"PassPorter's Disney Character Yearbook," is available for Club
Passholders free of extra charges! Get more info at http://www.passporter.com/disney-character-yearbook.asp
* A new e-worksheet for
Disney Dining Plan meal credits is now available for Club Passholders at http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/passporters-club-gallery/133805-new-e-worksheet-disney-dining-plan-plus-five-diners-ten-days.html
* More details at http://www.passporter.com/club
MouseFest Park Schedule:
For those of you joining us for MouseFest 2007, you can now consult the
MouseFest event schedule at http://www.mousefest.org
-- new meets are being added to the schedule on a regular basis - there are 17
events on the MouseFest Cruise, and nearly 50 events at Walt Disney World so
far ... including several PassPorter-hosted events! Stay tuned for more
MouseFest announcements in the weeks and months to come.
In this issue, Featured
Columnist Cheryl Pendry brings us to her home turf in the southeast of England
for a tour of Dover Castle, and guest contributor Mary Albright reviews Walt
Disney World character dining spot 1900 Park Fare. Finally, Jack Skatt is back
with a brand-new Walt Disney World Treasure Hunt. Enjoy!
Jennifer and Dave
PassPorter Publishers and
Authors
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TRAVEL FEATURE: Dover
Castle
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by Laura Clarkson,
PassPorter Guest Contributor
by Cheryl Pendry,
PassPorter Featured Columnist
Many castles become famous
for their roles in war, but usually those wars date back centuries. Not so with
Dover Castle on the southeastern coast of England. Its position at the start of
the shortest sea crossing between England and continental Europe made for a
pivotal role in one of the turning points of World War II.
Dating back more than
1,000 years, Dover Castle has stood on its current site since Roman times and
even today, a Roman lighthouse and church, dating back to around the year 900
AD can still be seen there. Much of the Castle you see today dates from around
1180, when King Henry II rebuilt its fortifications. It's one of the biggest
castles you'll find in the whole of England.
It was strengthened over
the years by a succession of English kings, and with good reason, as one of the
castle attractions demonstrates. The 1216 Siege Experience takes you back in
time to the days when the castle was one of the few remaining places holding
out for King John against rebellious citizens, who had allied themselves with
Prince Louis of France. Using light, film and sound, the show really brings to
life what people would have gone through during that siege, and is well worth
seeing.
Beautiful though the
castle is, towering on a hill above Dover, England's busiest sea port, the real
attraction is buried far beneath the fortifications. Following the outbreak of
the Second World War, the situation for the Allied forces was becoming
desperate, with the Germans advancing across Europe. Countries were falling
rapidly and soldiers from Britain and her allies had retreated to the beaches
of Dunkirk in Northern France near the Belgian border. There was nowhere else
to fall back to.
Against that background,
plans were put together for Operation Dynamo to evacuate the troops back to
Britain. The nerve center for this operation was the secret wartime tunnels
underneath Dover Castle. These tunnels were first dug during the Napoleonic
Wars and were in near constant use from that date onwards, but today they're
best known for the work that took place in them in the 1940s.
As you walk through the
tunnels, it's impossible to believe that around 700 people were based here
during some of the worst days of World War II. That included switchboard staff,
after a military telephone exchange was installed to serve the underground
headquarters.
It's quite something to
see the Command Centre, where Winston Churchill, then the Prime Minister of
Great Britain, viewed the Battle of Britain. That's the name given to attempts
by the German air force, the Luftwaffe, to try and gain air superiority over
the British Royal Air Force. The plan was that once that was achieved, the
Germans would then invade Britain. But despite undertaking the most sustained
bombing campaign up until that date, the plan failed and is now widely seen as
a major turning point in the war.
Not only were these
tunnels a command center, but they were also home to an underground hospital.
It can't have been easy trying to work under these conditions, and another of
the exhibits shows a surgeon attempting to save the life of an injured pilot.
Since those days in the
1940s, the tunnels had been on standby to be used in the event of a nuclear
attack, but gradually they fell into disuse before being re-opened for visitors
to step back into history.
Dover Castle is open
throughout the year, except between December 24-26 and on January 1. The Castle
is also closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays between the beginning of November and
the end of January. It's about a mile and a half from Dover Priory railway station,
so to reach the Castle without a car; you'll either need to catch a taxi or a
bus there.
Dover itself is about an
hour and a half's drive from London and it's also home to another famous sight.
Situated on the southeastern coast of England, you'll find the famous White
Cliffs of Dover here, which have been described as the country's most popular
stretch of coastline. With good reason, as they've been the sight that has
welcomed people to England for centuries.
Of course, if you fancy
heading further afield to mainland Europe, Dover is one way to start those
travels, with the Port of Dover the busiest in England. As well as regular
ferry services across to France, Dover is also becoming a regular port of call
with many cruise ships. You never know, with its recent Mediterranean
excursion, perhaps one day we'll see the Disney Magic setting down anchor
there!
About the Author: Cheryl
and husband Mark live in England and love to travel, particularly to America.
They're now looking forward to their next visit to Walt Disney World in
December, having just cruised around the Mediterranean on the Disney Magic.
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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: 1900 Park Fare Dinner -- The "Other" Cinderella Meal
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by Mary Albright,
PassPorter Guest Contributor
Princess meals are well
represented at Walt Disney World. Mention eating with Cinderella and you
usually conjure an image of eating in Cinderella's Castle at the Magic Kingdom.
While that most sought after reservation can be difficult to book at best,
there is another option for dining with Cinderella and her friends: dinner at
1900 Park Fare in the Grand Floridian Resort.
My family always makes
time to eat at 1900 Park Fare for dinner, but not because Cinderella is there.
We choose to eat here because Prince Charming can often be found here, too. My
son, Stefan, 11, likes that there is a boy character. Stefan can usually be
counted on to pose for a corny photo op, with Prince Charming playing right
along. Prince Charming has also always been the perfect prince to my daughter,
Caitlin, 10, a self-professed "non-princess." Prince Charming always
makes her feel like a princess, to her mother's absolute delight.
You'll find a veritable
feast of characters for dinner at 1900 Park Fare. Cinderella does make her
rounds, as does Prince Charming. In the lobby, before you are seated, the Fairy
Godmother is usually around to sign autographs and pose for pictures. And don't
be surprised to see those mischievous mice, Suzy and Perla, wander through the
room.
If you are used to the
small space inside Cinderella's Royal Table, you'll be pleased to know that
1900 Park Fare has probably double the space, in my rough estimation. That
means you have a much better chance of being able to secure an Advanced Dining
Reservation here. The restaurant is decorated as if you are at a Victorian era
fair. Look for carousel horses and lots of pastel colors around the room. You
feel special and fun all at the same time. Every server we've ever had has been
gracious and helpful. We've never felt rushed and have always been asked if we
need more beverages and encouraged to take our time.
But what about the food?
Can you pronounce my daughter's favorite word used to describe great-tasting
food? "Yumatrocious!" That pretty much describes what you get at 1900
Park Fare. It's not your standard buffet.
As you face the buffet, to
your left is a wonderful variety of breads and butter, leading up to the salad
section. Lots of wonderful salads are available, from a tomato basil and
mozzarella, a simple green garden salad, and fresh fruit, to the famous
strawberry soup. I don't know how they make strawberry soup. It's like sipping
fresh strawberries. I don't know how else to describe it, but I usually eat
three bowls while we are there.
As you come toward the
center of the buffet, you will have some hot entrees and vegetables. These can
vary, of course, but I've found my favorites to be Chicken Marsala with lots of
mushrooms and an apple-glazed pork loin. I've also enjoyed the steamed broccoli
and carrots. I know; simple. But they make simple taste so good.
At the center of the
buffet you'll find the carving station, usually graced with prime rib. There is
also a station where a chef prepares fresh pasta dishes.
Moving to the right side
of center, you find a duplicate area of entrees and vegetables, right before
you hit the greatest area of all. That's right, the dessert section.
You feel like you've died
and gone to heaven when you get to this area. Not only is there an ice cream
machine where you can get your own cone or dish of the sweet stuff, but there's
also a buffet of toppings to make your own unique sundae creation. And if ice
cream isn't your thing, you can sample cookies, bars, Rice Krispie treats, or brownies.
My husband, Bryan, is usually torn between the apple cobbler and their key lime
tarts. I myself enjoy their bread pudding. The kids, of course, always go for
ice cream.
And the kids? Don't worry.
If you have picky eaters, the typical kids' buffet is present at 1900 Park
Fare. They can have all the pizza, macaroni and cheese, and corn dogs, among
other things, that they can eat.
1900 Park Fare is a great
place for dinner if you plan on being at Magic Kingdom for the evening, whether
it's for Extra Magic Evening Hours, or a hard ticket event, like the Pirate
& Princess Party. Once you are finished with dinner, you can hop a boat or
the monorail to Magic Kingdom. If you are driving, park in the Magic Kingdom
lot and take the monorail to the Grand Floridian.
Dinner at 1900 Park Fare
is $28.99 for adults (10 and up) and $13.99 for children (ages 3-9). If you are
on the Disney Dining Plan, this meal is 1 Table Service Credit per person.
About the Author: Mary
Albright is a returning Guest Contributor. She is a director for a direct sales
company. She lives in Minnesota with her husband, Bryan and her children,
Stefan and Caitlin. She's been to Walt Disney World 12 times. Her next trip is
December 2007.
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. Also check out
our Article Collection at http://www.passporter.com/articles for more great
information!
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News readers:
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UPDATES: What's New and
Changed
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Here's a few relevant news
items:
Price Increase: Both Walt
Disney World and Disneyland have raised prices for most park admission tickets.
Walt Disney World price increases were effective as of Sunday August 5, 2007.
Disneyland price increases will take effect on January 3, 2008. For detailed
information on ticket prices, check out http://www.mouseplanet.com
As predicted in last
week's Dave's Rumor Round-up, the 2008 Disney Dining Plan has been announced
and one of the major changes is that it will no longer include gratuities (with
the exception of Cinderella's Royal table, room service dining including pizza
delivery, dinner shows, Grand Gatherings, and spa treatments). There will also
be different plans available: the Dining Plan, the Deluxe Dining Plan, the
Premium Plan, the Platinum Plan and the Wine and Dine Plan, which is an add-on
to any of the dining plans (the Premium and Platinum plans include recreation
and guided tours along with the dining options).
Annual Passholders are no
longer able to book more than one room per passholder. While previously one
Passholder could book up to three rooms at the discounted rate, Disney now
requires that there be one adult Passholder per room. A valid Annual Pass continues
to be required at check-in.
Our thanks to AllEars.net
and MousePlanet.com from which we get some of our news leads.
>Things To Do: Hear
some news? Send it to us at
news@passporter.com
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DISNEY TIPS FROM FELLOW
READERS
==========================================
Our readers are a wealth
of information! Here are the winners in this month's tip contest:
INDIVIDUALIZED DINING
INVITATIONS
"When my wife and I
go to Walt Disney World in September 2007, we will be taking our two children
and 1 niece. We are on the Dining Plan and we booked most of our meals for
character meals. So I went to Hallmark and got a card that is relevant for each
of the meals. For example, a Cinderella card for our meal at Cinderella's Royal
Table. I am then going to personalize the cards as though it is from the
characters, so that each morning the kids wake up in Disney, they would receive
this personalized invitation for their meals."
-- contributed by Brent
F.
REMEMBERING ROMANCE
"If you are planning
to go to Walt Disney World for a wedding anniversary, find ways to tie your
trip back to your wedding and/or honeymoon. My husband and I took went to Banff
in the Canadian Rockies for our honeymoon. When we go to Walt Disney World this
fall for our 5th anniversary, we are staying at Wilderness Lodge as a throwback
to the Banff area, and on the day of our actual anniversary, we are dining at
Le Cellier in Canada. These special details will allow us to recall the fond memories
of our honeymoon while we're making even more memories during our Disney
trip!"
-- contributed by Beth C.
MAGNETIC MEMORIES
"I find another way
to use the many photos I take while on a Disney Trip to keep the memories alive
daily. In addition to printing photos for scrapping etc, I print the pictures
out onto magnetic backed paper sheets (available at office supply stores). I
can now place them on our refrigerator. These memories are there daily. I also
make a second set and post them on metal surfaces around my desk at work so
they are handy to see daily, are conversation pieces for visitors, and don't
take up space ON the desk, and are also easily changed out each year."
-- contributed by Linda M.
>Notes: Send us your
tips! You may see them in this newsletter and win a copy of PassPorter! Visit:
http://www.passporter.com/wdw/tipsandstories.htm
>>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:
"It's August. I'm in
Florida. What was I thinking when I decided to live here? Oh dear, oh dear.
Just to keep cool, I'm spending most of my day with my friends George, Teddy,
and Abe in their cool, dark digs. I never realized how much they like to watch
movies, but as there's always a movie playing, it must be so. I've seen their
little movie so many times I've begun noticing the oddest things about it. For
example, the TV camera in the NASA section of the movie is -- amazingly enough
-- from ... (rest of text obscured by perspiration droplets)"
Where is the Captain
spending all his time to keep cool, and what is the identification on the TV
camera in the movie?
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!
Congratulations to Linda
Hester who was the winner of last week's trivia contest! Linda was the first
person to identify the Tomorrowland Arcade as the location of the Tomorrowland
Power and Light Company. No one got the bonus question. The slogan of the
Tomorrowland Power and Light Company is "Generating A Bright New
Tomorrow." To view the original clue,, see last week's newsletter at http://www.passporter.com/news/news080207.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
====================================
Q & A WITH JENNIFER
& DAVE
====================================
Nimros asks: "Let's
say you have an advanced dining reservation (ADR) at say, 6:30 pm at one of the
parks. You've gone back to your resort for an afternoon break and now need to
head back for dinner. What's the best way to time your transportation back to
the park to make it to your ADR? Are the buses pretty much on schedule? Do we
need to plan on arriving at the restaurant 30 min. before the ADR in order to
allow for slow transportation?"
Dave and Jennifer answer:
"There are always exceptions, but in general, we allow the actual travel
time between resort and park (we have those times in PassPorter), plus 20
minutes waiting time at the resort bus stop, plus another 20-30 minutes to
reach the restaurant once the bus arrives at the park. You could also add an extra
15 minutes to that, as Disney recommends you check in at the restaurant 15
minutes before the ADR. By the time you add that all up, the typical delays
will be accounted for. It doesn't cover worst-case scenarios, but Disney
doesn't cancel your ADR if you're not there on time - it's still in the system,
and they'll still seat you."
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...
===================================
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 --
MouseFest Cruise Special Offer - Special onboard Scrapbooking Event, all
supplies provided
Mouse Fan Travel -- 2008
Dates now available for WDW, Disneyland and Adventures by Disney plus an
exclusive bonus
ALL STAR Vacation Homes --
Choose from more than 150 homes within 4 miles of Disney World
Thank you, sponsors!
====================================
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MediaMarx, Inc. / PassPorter Travel Press, PO Box 3880, Ann Arbor, MI 48106
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