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PassPorter News
News, Announcements, Updates, and Tips
August 30, 2007 * Issue 7.35
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: Major
Message Board Milestone
Travel Feature: Niagara
Falls
Disney Feature: Pirates
& Princess Party
Updates: What's New and
Changed
Tips: Rainforest Re-Do,
Wheelchair Transportation Tip, Napkin Magic
Captain's Corner: Shades
Q&A: Is $20 per
person, per day, a realistic food budget?
Our Sponsors: We
Recommend...
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FROM THE AUTHORS: One Buck
PassPorter is Back!
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Hi,
{{user("firstname")}}!
We're delighted and
excited to announce that the PassPorter Message Board Community greeted its
20,000th member yesterday! Elyse Lynch had the honor of being member number
20,000, and she has received a PassPorter book of her choice and a one-month
membership in PassPorter's Club in recognition of this distinction. The message
boards are also just a tetch away from hitting another milestone - the
two-millionth post!
So, as a little gift to
everyone in our message board community for reaching both of these milestones,
we've added a fun, new feature to the boards -- Living Avatars (see http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/using-your-passporter-tips-answers/136773-new-feature-living-avatars.html#post1729664
). PassPorter Community members can now build their own, personal
"character" that will be displayed alongside each post they make.
Members can select background images, characters, hair styles, clothing and
other accessories and combine them into a unique expression of their
personality. And, since this is a Disney-focused community, we've begun to add
backgrounds and accessory items that will help folks express their particular
Disney passions (Mickey Bar, anyone?). At least for the moment, Dave, who has a
closet full of Hawaiian shirts, can be seen standing under a plam tree on a
tropical beach, decked out in a (virtual) red Hawaiian shirt and holding a
(non-alcoholic) iced tea. Jennifer, on the other hand, is standing in front of
Spaceship Earth with Alexander, and holding a Mickey Bar.
Dave's Avatar: http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/customavatars/avatar8_5.gif
Jennifer's Avatar: http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/customavatars/avatar7_22.gif
The really fun thing about
our "living avatars" is that you can tweak them whenever to suit your
mood and interests, so the above avatars are likely to change a bit based on
when you read this newsletter. Once this newsletter is mailed, Jennifer has
plans to add more Disney backgrounds, accessories, and some limited-edition
items -- perhaps even some virtual "pins"! Oh, we're going to have
fun with this new toy!
Oh, did we mention our
living avatars are free? All you need is a PassPorter message board account
(free) and at least one post. The more posts you make, the more things you can
add to your avatar!
PassPorter's Open Mouse
for Walt Disney World and the Disney Cruise Line is right around the corner! We
picked up a few sample copies from the printer earlier today, and pre-order
shipments should begin right after the Labor Day holiday. It's not too late to
pre-order and be among the first to receive the new book. And, we also have a
free Sneak Peek PDF with more than 40 pages available, if you'd like an advanced peek inside! Visit http://www.passporter.com/wdw/openmouse/guidebook.asp
For those of you interested
in our upcoming 2008 edition of PassPorter's Walt Disney World, you can get a
downloadable file with 34 pages from the 2008 edition ... FREE! The file
includes a page from each of our chapters, including several maps and
worksheets, plus a closer look at a PassPocket. There's also a discount coupon
code included! To download your Sneak Peek file, visit http://www.passporter.com/wdw/guidebook.asp
-- and don't forget to place your
pre-order to ensure you're among the first to get a copy!
PASSPORTER'S CLUB UPDATE
* Almost 900 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
* Two new e-worksheets --
Daily Plans (for up to 21 days) and Disney Dining Plan (also up to 21 Days) --
are now available for Club Passholders. Visit http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/passporters-club-gallery/136830-new-e-worksheet-daily-plans-everything-one-page.html#post1730418
* More details at http://www.passporter.com/club
MouseFest News:
Registration is now open for MouseFest at http://www.mousefest.org/register.php
! We've got an all-new registration program this year that offers a host of new
benefits and gives folks a chance to support this great event. Read all about
it! Special MouseFest room rates available! MouseFest has arranged for a
special discounted rate at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort for
MouseFest! Stay near the heart of MouseFest action within walking distance of
Epcot(r), Disney-MGM Studios, Disney's BoardWalk entertainment district, Disney's
Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf courses, and Saturday's MouseFest's Mega Mouse
Meet at the Walt Disney World Dolphin. To learn more, visit
http://www.mousefest.org. And check out the MouseFest event schedule, also at
the MouseFest.org web site. New meets are being added to the schedule on a
regular basis, and the list of people attending just keeps growing! At least
ten of our PassPorter Guides (moderators) are attending, as are MANY PassPorter
members and readers! Stay tuned for more MouseFest announcements in the weeks
and months to come. Visit http://www.mousefest.org
On the Air: Radio
listeners in the western part of Michigan's Upper Peninsula and nearby
northeast Wisconsin can hear Dave Friday morning, September 14 sometime between
6:00 am and 10:00am Central Time on "Sam in the Morning" on WJMS
590AM.
In this issue, our guest
contributor Michelle Kosloff explores Niagara Falls, Ontario, and Barry Hom
offers a review and tips on the popular Pirates & Princess Party at the
Magic Kingdom. 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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Did You Know?
MEI & Mouse Fan
Travel¨ is the Official
Vacation Planner for
AllEarsNet.com!
Last Call at this Rate-
Book By 8/31/07
MouseFest By Sea Ð Dec 2,
2007
4-nights from $539* - Save
up to $210
Plus! Get up to $100 Gift
Card - Free
Lots of extras including
an entry in our drawing to attend a "Sweets In The Suite" VIP Event
Visit us at: http://www.mousefantravel.com/?apid=ptpn
*Per person/dbl occupancy,
subject to availability - CST207807440
Click above for full
details. - As to Disney
artwork: ©Disney
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TRAVEL FEATURE: Niagara
Falls, Ontario
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by Michelle Kosloff,
PassPorter Guest Contributor
Growing up within a couple
of hours of Niagara Falls meant we visited whenever relatives came to visit
from the UK. It's a Wonder of the World and what visit to Canada would be
complete without it? But as I grew older Niagara Falls grew dingier and it seemed
to lose some of its luster. The falls were still there but the Skylon sort of
emptied out and the tourist area just seemed to be dying off.
After I got married, we
moved away from Ontario but just about 2 years ago we moved back. It was time
for a visit because unlike us, our kids had only seen the falls once or twice.
Niagara Falls has changed
significantly. I am not a big gambling fan, but I have to say, the two Casinos
that have opened since I left Ontario have made a significant difference in the
overall feel of the city. It is more vibrant, more alive than it had been the
last time I visited.
Over the past year, we
have visited Niagara Falls four times and have barely scratched the surface and
we have seen and done different things each time.
Our first visit was to our
relatives. We stayed at their house and took a quick trip down to the falls one
day. We did the touristy walk by the falls and then took a trip under the
falls.
My second visit was with
my mother and sister for a Ôgirls' weekend. We stayed at the Skyline Inn
because it probably has the best location for your buck. We weren't there to
lounge in our room so we weren't worried about luxury accommodations. The beds
were comfy though and it was nice inside. It is a very short walk to the
American Falls and right across the street from the Casino, which was our
destination both evenings we were there. One night we went to the closer old
Casino (which I liked better because it seemed brighter and was on two floors)
and the second night we took a free shuttle over to the newer casino.
During the day, our goal
was shopping. We visited the Outlet malls in Niagara Falls, NY and found many
bargains. We also visited the Outlet mall on the Canadian side and bought some
things there as well. Before our trip to the Casino in the evening we also saw
the Festival of Lights, which takes place November through January. It was
quite spectacular!
My third visit was with my
husband for our anniversary. Our anniversary is the end of November, which in
hindsight is a rather good date. Hotel occupancy is very low so we usually can
find something dirt-cheap and Christmas decorations and sales are starting to
come out.
Since this was our
anniversary we decided to go for a bit more luxury. Since we didn't really care
where we stayed, we tried bidding for a room on Priceline.com. That was fun in
itself. We ended up with the Sheraton on the Falls for less than a cheap hotel
would go for in the summer. When we arrived we asked about upgrading and for
$10 more we got a suite with fireplace and Jacuzzi tub on the 21st floor with a
fabulous view of the American Falls. We could even hear them with our window
closed. Instead of the surf to go to sleep by we heard the faint roar of the
falls. That $10 extra was so well worth it! It was a very romantic weekend.
Our last visit was with
our children for our son's hockey tournament. We spent a lot of time in hockey
arenas but we also did a bit of shopping with the kids, a bit of sight seeing
and a bit of playing around. This time we stayed with the team at Michael's
Inn. This hotel must have once been very nice but seemed a bit bedraggled now.
It still had a very nice pool but the whole feel of the place was that it was a
bit run down. The beds were very uncomfortable and none of us slept well all
weekend. The location however was amazing! Again we were in walking distance of
the falls and all the attractions on Clifton Hill. We didn't do a lot there
more than look. You could spend a ton of time on the street what with all the wax
museums, rides, and attractions. Next time, next timeÉ
We will be back again to
Niagara Falls in the fall when the prices decline dramatically. We have
promised the kids a trip to the Fallsview Water Park, which is a water park
built on top of the Casino parking lot with a direct view of the falls. There
is still so much more to see!
About the Author: Michelle
previously contributed an article on Prince Edward Island to PassPorter News.
She is a Computer Programmer from Woodstock, Ontario, Canada and is married
with two children.
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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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DID YOU KNOW?
Great Cruise Rates are
available at MouseEarVacations.com!
MouseFest Cruise Special
Offer
Dec. 2-6, 2007 - 4 night
Disney Wonder
Save up to $210* per cabin
and
get up to $100 onboard credit.
Special onboard
scrapbooking event Ð
all supplies provided with
our compliments
Click here for info
about the MouseFest
Cruise, 2007:
*Savings based on double
occupancy. Ships' Registry: The Bahamas
CST2058090-40
www.MouseEarVacations.com 800-886-8601
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DISNEY FEATURE: Pirates
& Princess Party
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by Barry Hom, PassPorter
Guest Contributor
Disney has a lucrative
business with pirates and princesses. The Pirates of the Caribbean movie series
has made a truckload of money. The ride that inspired the movie is as popular
as ever and recently has undergone changes with the addition of Captain Jack
Sparrow. A Pirate Cruise disembarks from different points at the Walt Disney
World Resort. A Pirates Lair recently took over the old Tom Sawyer's Island location
at Disneyland.
For those who want to
experience the princess lifestyle, the Walt Disney World Resort offers the
Perfectly Princess Tea Party, the Princess Storybook Dining at Epcot,
Cinderella's Grand Feast, the Wonderland Tea Party, the Biddidi Bobbidi
Boutique, and special meals at Cinderella's Castle: "Once Upon a Time
Breakfast," "A Fairytale Lunch at Cinderella's Royal Table," and
the "Dreams Come True Dinner."
(Sorry, PassPorter friends, I am not having a makeover at the Biddidi
Bobbidi Boutique and writing an article on it. They can't pay me enough to do
it!) You can also experience rides and attractions based on Disney princess,
such as Cinderella's Golden Carrousel and Snow White's Scary Adventures at the
Magic Kingdom, and the shows "Beauty and the Beast Ð Live on Stage"
and "Voyage of the Little Mermaid" at Disney-MGM Studios.
If pirates and princesses
generate this much money and attention for Disney, why not combine these two
cash cows? These two Disney properties come together at the Pirates and
Princess Party at the Magic Kingdom. This hard-ticketed event began in January
2007 and returns on select nights from August 11, 2007 to September 3, 2007. I
had visited the event on its last night during the spring: March 8, 2007. The
event hours during my visit were 7:30 PM to 1:00 AM. On the select nights in
August and September 2007, the hours are 7:00 PM to 12:00 AM. Ticket prices
from Walt Disney World's website are as follows:
Pirates & Princess
Party Advance Price:
Ages 10 and over: $38.95 +
tax
Ages 3-9: $32.95 + tax
Pirates & Princess
Party Day of Event Price:
Ages 10 and over: $45.95 +
tax
Ages 3-9: $39.95 + tax
Advanced tickets can be
purchased on www.disneyworld.com or by calling 407-W-DISNEY.
The Pirates and Princess
Party follows a similar format to another hard-ticketed event, Mickey's Not So
Scary Halloween Party. The party has a parade and fireworks. Stations scattered
around the Magic Kingdom hand out candy. Nearly all the rides and attractions
are open, except for rides such as the Jungle Cruise in Adventureland. Guests
are allowed, even encouraged, to come dressed in princess or pirates costumes.
On the night of my visit, one guest came dressed up as the red head from the
Pirates of the Caribbean ride!
With your Pirates and
Princess Party ticket, you can enter the park as early as 4:00 pm without
regular park admission. If you enter early, you can catch the rides and
attractions not open during the event. Additionally, during spring event times,
you might be able to catch the Wishes fireworks show before the Pirates and
Princess Party (if Wishes is scheduled during your visit). You can see two
fireworks show for the price of one ticket (assuming you've never seen Wishes
before). Sadly, Wishes is not scheduled for any of the fall Pirates and
Princess Party dates.
When you enter the park,
you're given a small bag to collect candy from around 13 "Treasure
Spots" scattered around the Magic Kingdom. The bag is made of velvet, has
the Pirates and Princess Party logo emblazoned on the front, and is a little
smaller than your hand. The Pirates Bazaar at Adventureland has similar bags
that you can stuff full of "precious" stones.
The Magic Kingdom laid out
red carpets at the entrance. You really feel like royalty when you walk on this
carpet! Be sure to pick up an event map to find your way around the park, to
see the show times, to locate the "Treasure Spots," and to see when
other activities are scheduled through the night.
The event has the two
things that Disney does best; parades and fireworks. The "Disney's
Enchanted Adventures Parade" begins at Frontierland and winds its way
across Liberty Square and down Main Street U.S.A. You can see royal knights on
horseback, court dancers, and Disney princesses such as Ariel, Snow White,
Belle, and Cinderella. The pirates' portion of the parade has a 39-foot pirate
ship, a treasure float with Jack Sparrow, and Peter Pan with his gang fighting
Captain Hook and his cronies. My favorite area for parade viewing is in
Frontierland in front of the Country Bears building. This area has enough light
to videotape and photograph without excessive problems. You can find other
well-lit spots along the parade route in Frontierland.
The fireworks show is
called "Magic, Music, and Mayhem." This show starts out with
fireworks celebrating the Disney princesses. Then the pirates attack and cause
trouble for the princesses. Don't worry, like most Disney attractions, it ends
happily with a little help from a "pixie-dusting" Disney friend. I've
seen the fireworks shows at the Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland.
They've all been spectacular and this show is no exception. View this show
anywhere along Main Street, U.S.A., facing Cinderella's Castle.
The "Dream Along With
Mickey" show is performed at the Castle Forecourt Stage in front of
Cinderella's Castle. Mickey Mouse and other Disney character friends invite
guests to join in to dream and have happy, adventurous exploits. On the night
of my visit, the show abruptly ended early due to technical difficulties. This
show is also performed during regular park hours.
You think that treasure
hunting, watching the parade, and admiring the fireworks show is enough to fill
your evening? The Pirates and Princess Party has even more fun! DJ booths in
Tomorrowland and Fantasyland allow you to dance the night away with such Disney
characters as Stitch and Sebastian. Watch break-dancing pirates and acrobats
perform their incredible moves. Meet Aurora, Belle, and Cinderella at the
Princess Pavilion in Mickey's Toontown Fair. Learn how to be a pirate in
Captain Sparrow's Pirate Tutorial. The Magic Kingdom is packed full of these
smaller shows during the event!
The best part of the
Pirates and Princess Party is experiencing the Magic Kingdom's rides and
attractions with a short wait. FastPass is not available during the night, but
it's not needed. Most waits are 5 to 10 minutes. You will rarely find a long
queue. The longest line I saw during my visit was 15 minutes for Peter Pan's
Flight. Still, the wait for this ride is relatively short compared to its
normal wait time during regular operating hours. Since the waits are low, you
can go on rides and attractions that you may not experience during the day
because of long queue times, like AstroOrbiter or the Magic Carpets of Aladdin.
Sorry, the Hall of Presidents is not open during the Pirates and Princess
Party. You will have to find someplace else to take a nap!
Figure out which princess
you want to be: Cinderella, Snow White, or Princess Leia. Decide on which
pirates you want to dress up as: Captain Jack Sparrow, Peter Pan, or a
Pittsburgh Pirate. Then go to the Pirates and Princess Party and have fun. You
will have a magical and memorable experience. Just remember to collect a bag of
"treasure" for me!
More Information:
http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/parks/specialEvents?id=PiratesandPrincessPartySpecialEventPage
My video of the Pirates
and Princess Party:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJyJfqpRkbk
About the Author: Barry is
a roller coaster and theme/amusement park enthusiast. So far, he has ridden 382
roller coasters and visited over 80 theme and amusement parks in many U.S.
states, France, United Kingdom, Norway, and Sweden. He is also a columnist and
a moderator for the web site IOA Central. He is looking forward to a group trip
with the web site Theme Park Review to Japan in September and a side trip to
SoCal shortly afterwards.
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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DID YOU KNOW?
You Can Arrive at Walt
Disney World in Style!
Airport Meet & Greet,
luggage help, free car seat
Free 30-minute grocery
stop with airport round-trip
Special! $5.00 off airport
round-trip
Use Discount Code:
PassPorter News
Call 888-GO TO WDW
or visit http://www.quicksilver-tours.com/
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UPDATES: What's New and
Changed
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Here's a few relevant news
items:
The schedule of narrators
for the Candlelight Processional has changed again. Here is the updated
schedule:
Nov 23-25: David Robinson
Nov 26-28: John O'Hurley
Nov 29-December 1: Neil
Patrick Harris
Dec 2-4: Dennis Franz
Dec 5-7: To Be Determined
(TBD)
Dec 8-10: Steven Curtis
Chapman
Dec 11-13: Chita Rivera
Dec 14-16: TBD
Dec 17-19 Kirk Cameron
Dec 20-22: Edward James
Olmos
Dec 23-25: Gary Sinise
Dec 26-28: Rita Moreno
Dec 29-30: Marlee Matlin
The Wand, Crane and Stars
have all been removed from Spaceship Earth. The metal supports for the stars
are the last things left to be removed.
On September 10, 2007,
Walt Disney World will host ceremonies honoring the crew of the NASA Space
Shuttle Endeavour including teacher Barbara Morgan. Astronaut Morgan will
unveil a new addition to Mission: SPACE in the morning at Epcot and the entire
crew (Commander Scott Kelly, Pilot Charles Hobaugh and mission specialists
Tracy Caldwell, Richard Mastracchio, David Williams, Barbara Morgan and Alvin
Drew Jr.) will be the Honorary Grand Marshals in the Magic Kingdom Parade in
the afternoon.
Walt Disney World was
honored last week by the American Lung Association and Florida Surgeon General
Ana Viamonte for it's decision to make all of the resort's 24,000 hotel rooms smoke free, reducing the
effects of second-hand smoke on Walt Disney World employees and guests.
Disneyland Resort's Napa
Rose Restaurant has again been honored with the prestigious DiRoNA Award of Excellence.
In 2006, just 26 restaurants throughout Canada, Mexico and the U.S. received this honor (the number of
restaurants receiving the award in 2007 has not yet been announced).
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
==========================================
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:
RAINFOREST RE-DO
"On our last trip to
Disney family of four ventured over to Downtown Disney on a Saturday night in
hopes of having a nice dinner at the Rainforest Cafe. But when we put our names
in at the podium we were told the wait was over two and a half hours. We
started to consider our other options when we noticed that there was a short
line behind the Rainforest Cafe where people were being seated on the back
deck. We walked up and were told the wait was less than 20 minutes! What a
great place to eat. You are seated on a deck above the lake with views of
Downtown Disney, Pleasure Island, and Saratoga Springs. We still got to eat at
the Rainforest Cafe and enjoy their great food without all of the noise and
chaos of the inside."
-- contributed by Kelly
R.
WHEELCHAIR TRANSPORTATION
TIPS
"To help speed along
the process of securing my boyfriend's power wheelchair in the buses, I put a
colored ribbon in the appropriate places for the tie downs to go. This helps
the bus driver not have to fumble for sturdy places to put the tie downs."
-- contributed by Tracy B.
NAPKIN MAGIC
"When we eat in one
of Disney's parks (whether it is an ice cream cone or a meal) we always grab a
bunch of napkins, because as is inevitable with kids, someone always spills
something. When we are done eating, we put the several unused napkins in our
backpack in case we need one later in the day. On one of trips, when it was
time to pack to go home we had about 20 unused napkins. So I brought them home
rather than throwing them out, thinking it would be a neat way to bring us a
little Disney magic back home. One day when I was preparing the kids' cold
lunch bags for a school field trip, I ran across the leftover Disney napkins.
So I slipped one in each of their bags and off to school they went. That day as
my girls got off the bus they both ran to the house, beaming with excitement. I
thought they were excited about their field trip, but no, they were excited
over the little touch of Disney I put in the lunch that day! Needless ! to say
it was a HUGE hit with them! It is amazing what a little Pixie Dust will do for
your spirit!"
-- contributed by Tracey
S.
>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
==========================================
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:
"Those new-fangled
'Living Avatars' at the PassPorter Villa have kept me busy all day. I've tried
my hand at designing my own avatar -- it looks quite dashing, if I do say so
myself. Looking at what other folks create is quite diverting, too. I found an
interesting avatar (see below) lurking in The Backyard. Dig those shades! I
wonder if I'll be able to recognize them at MouseFest this year!"
Avatar: http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/customavatars/avatar1_4.gif
Which PassPorter community
member does this 'living avatar' belong to? For extra credit, where did you
find it?
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
kbwoodbery who was the winner of last week's trivia contest! kbwoodbery was the
first person to identify the location of Donald's jacket as the cliff diving
scene in the Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros! attraction in the
Mexico pavilion at Epcot's World Showcase. To view the original clue, see last week's newsletter at http://www.passporter.com/news/news082307.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
====================================
mousestruck asks:
"This trip to Walt Disney World has come up pretty suddenly so it has not
given me much time to save properly, and with this trip coming right after
Christmas, we are gonna have to BUDGET. I will have my three kids - my son age
9, and my daughter ages 13 and 18. So, my question is, do you think that $20
per day, per person, is realistic for food? My thinking is counter service only
(besides the one character breakfast I am planning, this is not included in my
budget), we really are not big eaters and from what I hear most meals are big
enough to share. Also, I'm really thinking we will only be eating two meals a
day. I will be bringing snack-type foods from home to keep in our room for
late-night munchies and such. My son is still in child size meals then he won't
use up his $20, so that'll make up for the extra drinks, etc. in the parks. I
don't know, am I crazy to think this will work?"
Dave and Jennifer answer:
"$20/day for younger children can work easily, but $20/day for older kids
and adults will be a little tight. The average price including tax for a
counter service meal at Disney runs just around $12. Counter service breakfast
costs run just a dollar or two less than that. While meal sizes at the table
service restaurants are often enough to share, how do you split a burger or hot
dog and fries between two, no matter what their ages? Regardless of whether you
can get a large entree item at Tusker House, by the time you add another $2.00
for a drink, perhaps a dessert item, and tax... it's not a $7.99 meal.
However, $80/day for your
particular family of four can be done -- you just have to average it out
between the kids who are small enough to get by on the kids meals (budget
around $7/meal for them) and the older members of your family (and limit
yourself to two Disney meals daily - bring your own food for light breakfasts
in your hotel room). Note that not every counter-service restaurant offers a
proper kids meal, so there will be times when you're paying the same for
everyone."
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