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PassPorter News
News, Announcements, Updates, and Tips
August 21, 2003 -
Issue 3.14
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: Our Week at Walt Disney World
* Disney Feature: Our Scope on Mission: SPACE
* Dining Review: Lunch with a Disney Artist
* Updates: What's New and Changed
* Tips: Waterproof Wallets, Dry Shoes, Sticky Numbers
* Q&A: Waist Packs vs. Backpacks, WDW + Cruise Guide Deals
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DID YOU KNOW?
We have a new limited edition cloisonne pin!
Our first cloisonne pin sold out quickly, but we’re happy to announce the
release of our second cloisonne pin for 2004! This new pin is even bigger
(1.5" diameter) and of the highest quality. The pin depicts our colorful
PassPorter emblem and the words "1999 * 2004 * 5 Years of Magic." You can
get the pins separately for 6.00, as part of our popular Goodie Bag, or as
an add-on to some of our books. Our 2004 cloisonne pin is also a limited
edition, and we predict they’ll go fast -- they are really gorgeous pins!
To see our cloisonne pin upclose, visit:
http://www.passporterstore.com/store/0966899456.aspx
Also, we’re still offering our FREE copy of an earlier edition of PassPorter
– get one for yourself or give to a friend. Visit:
http://www.passporterstore.com/store/freepassporter.aspx
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FROM THE AUTHORS:
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Hi, friends!
We’re home after a very productive week at Walt Disney World, gathering information
and photos for our 2004 Edition of PassPorter Walt Disney World. Yes, we
experienced Mission: SPACE, the new thrill ride at Epcot. And as promised,
we’re including our review in this issue for those of you who just can’t
wait to try it yourselves, or aren’t sure if you have the stomach to do it.
We also had the pleasure of Lunch with a Disney Artist, a special dining
experience at Brown Derby (Disney-MGM Studios), and Dave offers his review
in this newsletter.
While we’re too busy for a full-blown trip report, here are some highlights:
we dined at Shutters at Caribbean Beach Resort ("a big improvement over Captain’s
Tavern"); we enjoyed a meal at sunset at the California Grill ("our best
yet"); we got "leied" at the new Spirit of Aloha dinner show ("slightly better
food, updated show – if you liked the old show, you’ll probably like this
one too"); we tried out the Radisson Resort Parkway ("excellent value, great
pool!"); we stayed at Caribbean Beach Resort ("it’s looking much, much better
these days!"); we stayed in a Garden Wing room at the Contemporary Resort
("as always, very convenient to Magic Kingdom"); and we almost got into the
hot seat at Millionaire in Disney-MGM Studios ("Jennifer was in the #1 spot
when our first show ended, and Dave in the #1 spot when our second show ended...
so close!"). Watch for more in-depth reports of our experiences in future
newsletters!
In the meantime, we’re putting a call out for contributors to our 2004 edition
of PassPorter Walt Disney World! We need folks to send in their magical memories
and stories –- we look for magic you make yourself, rather than that granted
by a cast member. Send your memories to memories@passporter.com. If your
memory or story is chosen, we’ll notify you by e-mail and send you a free
copy of the book after it is published.
Have you been to Walt Disney World recently? We’re looking for folks to rate
the new attractions, shows, and eateries for our 2004 edition. Please take
a few moments to fill out our survey at
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=66193261336
Your friends,
Jennifer and Dave
Authors, PassPorter Travel Guides
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DISNEY FEATURE: Our Scope on Mission:SPACE
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by Jennifer Watson and Dave Marx
The long wait and hoopla were finally over. It was time for us to ride Epcot’s
newest headline attraction, Mission: SPACE. We had scheduled our August research
trip so we’d be on hand August 15 for the attraction’s "soft" opening (the
official opening date is October 9, but that’s just a ribbon cutting ceremony
for the media’s benefit). Then, a few weeks ago, Disney added a five-day
preview period to the soft opening, complete with "countdown to opening"
cloisonné pins. That still fit our original plans fairly well. We
arrived in Orlando the afternoon of August 11, and were at Epcot the next
morning, ready to brave long lines and queasy stomachs, and to pick up a
Day 3 limited edition countdown pin.
Mission: SPACE is Disney’s latest entry in the high tech thrill ride category.
Riders are strapped into a space program-inspired centrifuge/simulator to
train for a flight to Mars. With Disney Imagineering’s legendary attention
to story line and authentic detail, this promised to be a fantastic ride!
The ride’s richly-detailed queue area includes a full-size mock-up of the
Mars spacecraft’s living quarters, a historic lunar rover vehicle, plaques
commemorating important milestones in manned space flight, and many video
displays and warning signs describing just what will take place in the simulator.
We arrived in the colorful entrance plaza to Mission: SPACE at around 11:00
am, just an hour after the park opened. Already, the FASTPASS Return time
was 4:30pm, the Standby queue was 90 minutes long, and even the Single Rider
queue was pegged at 55 minutes! As planned, we skipped FASTPASS to sample
the complete Standby experience. Considering the return time, FASTPASS would
have to wait for another day.
This was Jennifer’s first time through the attraction, but Dave was present
for the media preview back in April. Only then he wasn’t allowed to ride,
or even see the ride vehicle! Now we were in for the full treatment, and
the anticipation mounted as we crept through the queue. As we’re both space
geeks, we had a great time gawking at all the details in the queue. Before
we knew it, cast members were dividing us into teams of 40, and then again
into ten crews of four. We received our mission briefing, then headed into
the ride staging area, where two crews stood flanking each of five entrances
to the ride area. Another quick briefing, the doors opened, and we boarded
our four-person simulator. OK, now, place any loose articles into the storage
compartment, and pull down the shoulder restraints. Then, the final safety
check, and our capsule closed around us. Now here we were navigator, pilot,
commander and engineer, each with our own viewing screen, arrays of working
pushbuttons, and a flight control joystick.
Dave’s Experience: "Ride startup was nearly imperceptible--just a little
shudder, than absolute stillness. I knew the centrifuge was beginning to
spin, but I couldn’t feel a thing. Until the launch sequence began. It felt
(and looked) like the spacecraft was being raised from horizontal to a vertical
position alongside the launch tower. Then the rockets roared, and I was pressed
back into my seat. My cheeks were pushed back to my ears by the g-forces,
and I felt totally new sensations as the spacecraft rose through the atmosphere
and spun slowly. I was queasy and exhilarated at the same time. Then the
atmosphere thinned, the g-forces eased, and I felt like I was floating out
of my seat, all previous sensations erased from my gut. Next, we accelerated
into a high-speed lunar fly-by, perhaps 50 miles above the moon’s surface.
More g-forces, more queasiness, and relief again, as we were placed into
"hypersleep" for the long trip to Mars. We "awoke" in a meteor field just
above the Martian surface, pulling gees and dodging house-sized boulders
on our approach to the Red Planet. I didn’t know how much more of that my
stomach could take, but then the sensations eased a moment, just long enough
to begin our descent and landing at the Mars base. My body felt heavy (and
queasy) again as we roared towards the landing zone. I couldn’t wait until
touchdown! By now my face was drenched in a cold sweat, and I was happy for
the stiff breeze that blasted from the ventilators to clear my senses. Land!
Please, land! Whew, we’re down! Relief seemed seconds away, but the Imagineers
weren’t quite done with us. My stomach lurched once more during the surprise
ending, but finally, all was well! Our simulator came to a full stop, the
hatch opened, and we all made our way out of the vehicle. While I was disoriented
by all these new sensations, I wasn’t dizzy, and the queasiness disappeared
almost immediately. We walked down a long, curving hallway into the post-show
area, and collected our wits."
"OK, so what do I think? This is an awesome attraction! I’ve never experience
anything like it. Even though I knew it was a simulator from the get-go (in
the story line we’re trainees at the International Space Training Center,
after all) the sensations of liftoff, weightlessness and landing were completely
convincing. I never once felt like I was spinning."
Jennifer’s Experience: "I have to start with a confession. When I was a kid,
I wanted to be an astronaut. I know just about everyone else did, too, but
I was really into it. I remember drawing a fake keyboard and instrument panel
on a piece of cardboard, going to my closet, closing the door, and pretending
to orbit in my little pod. So when I saw the Mission: SPACE pods for the
first time, I was in heaven. It was just what I’d imagined as a kid. Even
the confined space of my closet was mimicked by the slightly claustrophobic
pod as it closed around us. I eagerly began playing with all the switches
and buttons, and was delighted to discover most of them made little beeps.
All I could think was, "COOL." So I was thoroughly distracted from any fear
of the ride, and I was all ready to love this to death. Alas, that feeling
ended the moment the ride began. Unlike Dave, the spinning of the pod was
immediately detectable – I could even tell that we were going in a clockwise
direction and I had a general sense of acceleration and deceleration. I was
no longer in my fantasy world, but stuck in some mad, spinning contraption.
The launch sequence was almost nightmarish in recollection. While I never
felt like I’d lose my breakfast, I did feel wildly out of control. It just
spun way too much for me. And yes, I kept my eyes straight forward the entire
time. But during the most intense parts, my screen blurred. Was it my screen
or me? I’m still not sure. I ended up breathing deeply and visualizing the
end of the ride, and that got me through. I was surprised by the ending –
it seemed abrupt, and even though I was more than ready to leave, I found
myself thinking, "is this really the end?" The doors to the pod opened and
I got out the opposite side from everyone else, and found myself alone, confused,
and disoriented. People were walking towards me, presumably to board, and
I worried I’d really goofed. Eventually I followed the voices and found the
rest of the exiting riders. In the pre-show, I felt dazed and nauseous. We
sat down for a bit, and ended up staying at least 30 minutes until I felt
more like myself."
"So what did I think? Once I the nausea wore off, I felt disappointed. I
was really prepared to embrace this particular thrill ride. But in the end,
it was just too much for me – I’m apparently too sensitive to the spinning
motion. I know many other folks will love it, but it isn’t for me… and I
would not recommend it to anyone else who gets dizzy easily."
In some ways this whole thing is nothing more than a multi-million dollar
Tilt-a-Whirl, with theming and some story elements recycled from other great
Disney attractions of the past. But this is no cheap carnival ride or a tired
re-hash, but a trip for the body and imagination. Still, for many folks,
you’ll probably want to ride this only once, or once per visit. While Dave
felt like he’d get sick several times during his first ride, he got relief
whenever the mission went into a new phase. You can’t say that for most thrill
rides, which never give you a break. Let’s face it, the ride portion of the
attraction lasts over four minutes (talk about value!) and you’re under the
sustained forces of liftoff for more than 30 seconds. Try getting that out
of a coaster! Still, when it was all over Dave wasn’t exhilarated by the
experience, and neither was anyone else nearby. Quiet awe may be a better
way to look at it. After a coaster ride there are always a few people
shouting triumphantly. We watched the riders exit while we were sitting down
(just inside the post show area), and we saw very few smiling faces.
Another emotion missing from our experience was fear. Of course, few Disney
attractions trade on fear, but most thrill rides do. That’s supposed to be
part of the thrill—anticipatory fear, extreme motion, and release. Here,
we never encountered the illusion of risk. Oh, there were a few half-hearted
attempts (meteor field, landing "surprise"), but nothing convincing enough
to matter. Disney wants us to feel confident and secure as we train for our
mission, and we thank them for it. As we discovered, the sensations of space
flight are thrilling enough without feeling endangered by the experience.
Now, the experts tell us that the simulator never spins faster than 15 rpm,
slower than a playground merry-go-round when the kids get it spinning (the
force on Mission: SPACE is stronger because its diameter is much greater
than the playground ride). Still, the g-forces never exceed 2.5 to 3 gees,
which is matched or exceeded by many thrill rides. The difference on Mission:
SPACE is that you feel those gees (and weightlessness) for an extended period,
while on coasters and elevators they last just a few seconds at a time.
We knew we couldn’t just go around and ride it again immediately, but Dave
had to do it again for research purposes. He made a point of returning on
a later visit to Epcot. He breezed through the FASTPASS queue and soon was
lifting off again. Second time around was more exciting and less nauseating,
and he has a feeling it will continue to grow on him as time goes by. We
have a feeling Dave wasn’t the only person with this reaction. This time
as Dave monitored the exit, far more people were leaving excited and smiling.
It’s kind of odd. Usually you love or hate something like this immediately.
If you love it, you come to love it even more with time, and if you hate
it, you avoid it completely. Mission: SPACE is somewhere in the middle. At
the moment it may not be getting the kind of rave reviews that an attraction
with this kind of build-up requires, but we have a feeling it’ll gather a
very large and loyal following as the months and years go by.
Have you been on Mission:SPACE? Please take
a few moments to give us your rating at
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=66193261336
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DINING REVIEW: Lunch With a Disney Artist
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by Dave Marx
Guidebook authors have a special duty to experience everything 'The World'
has to offer. We make this sacrifice for the sake of our readers, no matter
how daring we may have to be to endure terrifying towers and hazardous space
missions. Naturally, a chance to enjoy Disney Dining’s Lunch With a Disney
Artist at Disney-MGM Studios is a lot easier to stomach. A whole lot easier!
As a fan of Disney animation, this was one special Disney experience I wasn't
going to pass up.
We reported to the Hollywood Brown Derby promptly at 11.30 am and were introduced
to Philip Boyd, animation clean-up supervisor at Walt Disney Feature Animation,
Florida. Within moments we were ushered into the Bamboo Room, an attractive
private dining area that seats about 14. We received VIP treatment, with
visits by the restaurant's chef and manager, and our places at table were
graced by personalized menus. We learned that there might have been up to
ten guests and two animators in attendance (one animator and five guests
per table), but fewer participants is common (in our case, just the artist,
Jennifer, and me).
Clearly, lunch at Disney-MGM Studios’ finest restaurant was part of the attraction.
Our four-course lunch included an excellent lobster bisque, a mini-version
of the Brown Derby's signature Cobb salad, and one of three entrees: filet
mignon, Thai noodle bowl with grilled chicken, or our pick, a perfectly delectable
pan-roasted grouper served over crisp asparagus and a citrus cream. Dessert
was Bananas Foster cheese cake -- a round, individual vanilla cheese cake
topped with caramelized banana, decorated with lacy, chocolate butterfly
wings, with a dollop of tart, preserved cherries on the side. Jennifer and
I both agreed it was our best meal yet at the Brown Derby, and that’s saying
quite a bit.
"Our" artist didn't arrive with a prepared presentation -- he finds an informal
discussion to be far more effective. So we enjoyed a wide-ranging chat about
all things animation, and even a few things PassPorter. Philip Boyd has been
at Disney's Orlando studios for 15 years, having worked on the Lion King,
Mulan, and Lilo and Stitch, among other projects, but he came to Disney with
a background in fine art/illustration, rather than animation. One might think
he would have gravitated towards creating backgrounds, but he’s found his
home in clean-up. Naturally, we emerged with a far greater respect for clean-up
artists, who take the animators' rough pencil sketches and turn them into
inked line drawings, ready for scanning into the computer ("paint" is done
afterwards, in the computer). Along the way the clean-up artists harmonize
the personal styles of the many animators working on a film into a consistent
whole, and fill in any missing details. And we thought they simply erased
stray pencil marks. Our bad!
And we were so bad! We spent nearly two hours dining and chatting, a half-hour
longer than scheduled. We hope we didn't bore our host, or get him into trouble.
When it was time to go he autographed the (included) souvenirs of our experience
– an etched-glass dinner plate for each of us, marked "Lunch With an Artist
- Walt Disney Feature Animation - Disney-MGM Studios" (complete with display
easel). We returned the compliment by presenting him with an autographed
copy of PassPorter's Field Guide to the Disney Cruise Line (he and his family
will soon be cruising). Altogether, we had a very satisfying lunch and a
most enjoyable conclusion to our research trip.
Tips: Come with a few prepared questions to help get the conversation rolling,
and bring a big appetite - it's a huge, wonderful meal. The Hollywood Brown
Derby staff clearly wants to put its best food forward.
Lunch With a Disney Artist is usually offered weekly. With tax and included
15% gratuity it costs 74.10 per adult (beverages optional). Reservation can
be made up to 30 days in advance by phoning 407-WDW-DINE (407-939-3463).
As far as I'm concerned the meal and souvenir are worth the price of admission,
and the chance to chat with one of Disney's creative team is very rich gravy.
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UPDATES: What's New and Changed
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Mission: SPACE went into a "soft opening" on August 15, which essentially
means guests are very likely to find the ride operating if they visit now.
The official opening will be in October 2003.
Disney Vacation Club memberships for the new Saratoga Springs Resort went
on sale on August 4.
While at Disney-MGM Studios, we noticed that parts of New York Street set
were under construction. It seems they are replacing parts of the old set
with new forced perspective façades -- a San Francisco-style façade
to the section near the old Backlot (Hunchback) Theatre and a Chicago-style
façade to the section closest to Sci Fi Drive-In Theater.
As has been widely reported, the Residential Street set at Disney-MGM Studios
(part of the Studios Backlot Tour and home to the Osborne Family Spectacle
of Lights) has been demolished to make room for a new attraction due to open
in 2005. When we took the Backlot Tour during our research trip we noticed
that structural steel work has already begun. Everyone expects this will
be an automobile stunt show similar to the one at Disneyland Paris Resort,
but Disney hasn’t made an official announcement.
On our visit to Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon water parks, we noticed
new Automated Ticketing machines at the front of the park. While they weren’t
operational on our visit (and we have annual passes anyway), the word is
that these ATM-like machines allow guests to purchase tickets and avoid any
queues.
We noticed a new Reedy Creek Improvement District firehouse across the street
from Saratoga Springs Resort, near Downtown Disney. Let’s hope you have no
need of their services, though.
Playhouse Disney at Disney-MGM Studios will get FASTPASS in October.
Sets from the upcoming movie, "Haunted Mansion," will go on display in Disney-MGM
Studios on October 6. Look for them near Mickey Avenue.
The new fireworks show at Magic Kingdom -- debuting in October -- will be
called "Wishes." Jiminy Cricket narrates the new show, which tells a touching
story about making wishes come true. Disney claims the new 12-minute show
will be the "biggest, boldest pyrotechnic display ever staged in the theme
park." More than just a cool fireworks show, "Wishes" will highlight tales
from classic Disney films and demonstrate the power of believing in a wish.
The display will be centered around and above Cinderella Castle, but they’ll
be adding a few new launch sites elsewhere in the park. "Wishes" will replace
"Fantasy in the Sky," which premiered way back in 1976.
>Things To Do: Hear some news? Send it to us at
news@passporter.com
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DISNEY TIPS FROM FELLOW READERS
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WATERPROOF YOUR WALLET
"This one is for the guys. The water rides can be a blast, like Splash Mountain
and more. So you come out and you have to buy a drink or a meal or t-shirt,
and you wallet is soaked. This can mess up your credit cards and money and
even irreplaceable photos. Simple and cheap solution: Bring a plastic sandwich
bag and put your wallet in there!! It's easy and waterproof. You may think
it's silly but look at what you are going to prevent; ruined photos and credit
cards and wet money. Now tell me which one looks silly.-- contributed by
Erin F.
KEEP YOUR SHOES DRY
"We just went on the Kali River Rapids at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and found
out that you know have to wear shoes on the ride due to health concerns.
So I recommend bringing beach shoes to wear in your backpack or ride this
ride at the end of the day, because your feet will get wet." -- contributed
by Dianne Cook (dianne1116572@aol.com)
STICK THOSE NUMBERS
"When I make my priority seating arrangements for meals, I write each confirmation
number on a sticky note. I then place the sticky note on my corresponding
PassPocket in my PassPorter. When I am looking at my itinerary for the day,
I simply remove the sticky note and place it in my fanny pouch to take to
the restaurant with me. With a common last name, it sometimes helps to have
the priority seating number handy (especially if you are entering a park
before opening time)." -- contributed by Ann Smith (momyvile@aol.com)
>Notes: Send us your tips! You may see them in this newsletter and win
a copy of PassPorter! Visit:
http://www.passporter.com/customs/contest.htm
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Q & A WITH JENNIFER & DAVE
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In this column we answer your frequently asked PassPorter and Disney questions.
Kel&2Boys asks:
"I've looked through the older posts and couldn't find anything on this...
which do you'all prefer? I like the idea of a backpack, in order to carry
all the necessities, but I don't know how it would work with the rides. But
then again, a fanny pack sounds so much more convenient, but will it fit
everything I need?"
Jennifer replies:
"I've toured with both waist (fanny) packs and backpacks, and occasionally
both at the same time. Here are my thoughts:
Waist packs are best when you don't have much to carry and want to keep your
hands as free as possible. The downside to waist packs are that you often
have to take them off (or slide them around) to sit down, and if you put
a lot of weight in them they can give you a sore lower back. Also, while
Dave and I are comfortable with waist packs, some people aren't -- we've
heard them complain that they just don't feel right on them.
Backpacks carry a lot more, including jackets, food, and camcorders, which
you can't generally fit in a waist pack. Of course, this means they're almost
always heavier than waist packs, and they can seem WAY too heavy by the end
of the day, resulting in sore shoulders and more fatigue. So they way I look
at it is I take the backpack if I absolutely must to carry certain things.
The best thing to do is go as light as possible. If you can get away with
the waist pack, I recommend it. Either way, I also wear the
PassHolder Pouch
because then I don't have to fish in my pack for passes, pens, and money.
You may also find this article (written by yours truly) at WDWIG.com to be
helpful:
http://www.wdwig.com/tote.htm
alaskantwinks asks:
"Hi I'd like to know if there is a discount if I buy both the deluxe versions
of the Walt Disney World guide and Disney Cruise guide?? Another question
is, I saw them both on Amazon.com (the cruise wasn't the deluxe version though)
for less expensive price than on here. Is there shipping costs involved if
I order from this site? Are the deluxe versions worth the price difference?
Thanks for your help!!"
Dave replies:
"Our standard discount on books is 15%. We also offer a variety of add-on
offers (such as WDW and DCL guides together) that offer better-than-standard
pricing on the added item (approx. 30% discount on the second PassPorter
book). You can check those offers at our online store at
http://www.passporterstore.com/store
If you already own a PassPorter you can register that edition at
http://www.passporter.com/register.htm
and get a 30% discount on PassPorter books (and the add-on pricing makes
the second book even cheaper than that).
Unfortunately, we can't match Amazon's deals. They're a mass-market retailer,
and we're one of those little shops on Main St. We can't possibly achieve
the kind of economies of scale that they can, and we can't generate the massive
number of transactions that a deep discounter needs to make that business
model work. Further, Amazon offers millions of products, including high-priced
electronics, appliances, etc. When they draw in a customer with a deeply
discounted book they can hope to forge a customer relationship worth many
thousands of dollars. We can hope to sell a few books per customer in a year.
We do offer free shipping for orders over $100, but for reasons similar to
those I've already described, we can't match Amazon's shipping offer. Our
standard shipping charge is the exact cost of postage/UPS plus $1.50 per
order for handling.
Please feel free to buy your PassPorter from whichever vendor you prefer.
We’re happy either way. The important thing is that you're happy with your
PassPorter.
As to whether the deluxe edition is worthwhile, that will depend on your
personal preferences. Jennifer loves her deluxe, while I prefer the spiral.
Either way, the information and PassPockets are identical. Folks who love
the deluxe like to be able to remove and add pages and PassPockets, reorganize
the chapters, buy annual updates and extra PassPockets for long/multiple
trips, and take advantage of the extra storage slots found on the inside
of the front and back covers. The spiral is a bit more compact, and (usually)
lighter. Either way, we think it's a great book."
Have a question? Post it at http://www.passporterboards.com
-- and if you're
lucky, you may find that folks have already asked and answered the same question
that's on your mind!
====================================
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