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PassPorter News
News, Announcements, Updates, and Tips
August 21, 2008 * Issue 8.34
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: Calming
Seas
Travel Feature: Arlington
National Cemetery
Disney
Feature: Character Dining
Updates: What's New and
Changed
Tips: Character
Candyland, Great Garbage Bag Tip, An Alternate Lanyard Use
Captain's
Corner: Casting Agency
PassPorter
PhotoPick: Magic Kingdom During Tropical Storm Fay
Q and A: What should
I tell my child to do if we get separated?
Our Sponsors: We
Recommend...
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FROM THE AUTHORS: Calming
Seas
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Hi,
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At the moment, something
like four tropical storms are churning at once, and the remnants of another one
just passed our Michigan weather observatory (which doubles as our office
window) on its way into Canada. Those of you with Walt Disney World and/or
Disney Cruise Line vacations in the coming weeks have cause to be concerned,
but if the past is any measure, things will go well for you. Disney's
land-based cast members and sea-based crews are well trained in the art of
keeping their guests safe. There are also many members of the PassPorter
community happy to share their own Disney experiences during past storm
seasons. If you have questions or concerns, feel free to come to the PassPorter
message boards to join the conversation..
Yes, Virginia, our
incredibly popular $1 PassPorter Offer will be wrapping up soon. But, since
your orders keep rolling in and we still have a couple hundred of these books
in stock, why stop quite yet? We still have copies of our 2007 edition left for
just $1. These books are in "new" or "slightly hurt"
condition, leftovers sent back to us by bookstores when the 2008 edition hit
store shelves. We offer these great but somewhat outdated books to our friends
on the Internet for just $1 each (plus shipping and handling). Lots of folks
who've never seen a PassPorter can try one out for a really great price, and
people who always loan-out their own PassPorters and/or recommend the book to
their friends and relations can stock-up on really low-priced gifts. It's even
great for us -- not only for the space saved in the warehouse, but because
we've made lots and lots of new PassPorter friends through these offers (the
older edition is a great ambassador for the newest edition). So, trot over to
the PassPorter Store (or click the $1 PassPorter link, if that's easier), and
tell your friends -- this deal doesn't last forever! When we're out, we're out
-- and we'll be out very soon! Order at http://www.passporterstore.com/store/onebuckpassporter.aspx
Were you thinking of
joining us this December for MouseFest? Then we have some MouseFest news for
you! This year's Mega Mouse Meet will be held at Disney's Yacht & Beach
Club Convention Center, and we've also arranged a special lodging deal at
Disney's Yacht & Beach Club Resort. Have we piqued your interest? Then pop
over to the MouseFest.org web site, and read all about it. While you're there,
please sign up for the MouseFest newsletter, so you can keep on top of all the
MouseFest news.
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 that 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.
PassPorter's Disney Cruise
Line and its Ports of Call 2008 is in stock! All orders of our cruise guide
ship the next business day. Order at http://www.passporterstore.com/store/dcl2008.aspx
What else do we have?
PassPorter's Open Mouse for Walt Disney World and the Disney Cruise Line is
also in stock, and because they're electronic downloads, all our e-books and
downloads at PassPorter's Club can never go out of stock (the Internet may go down,
but that's a different story)! Get yer downloads runnin'! Club membership is
just $4.95 per month, the price of just one e-book download, and $44.95 if you
decide to come on board for a full year. With that first month's membership you
can strip our cupboard bare of great e-books and interactive worksheets. Then
you can cancel, or even better (if you happen to be us), continue the
subscription to maintain all the club benefits (like a 35% discount on all
PassPorter printed books) and qualify for all the new e-books and worksheets
we'll be adding to the Club.
Will you be joining us for
PassPorter's Decade of Dreams Tour? PassPorter is celebrating our 10th
anniversary in 2009 in 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 Disneyland visit that includes park time and an Adventures by Disney
expedition. See our Tour Schedule for the latest details at http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/passporters-decade-dreams-tour-2009/
PassPorter's Club Update
More than 1450 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. Visit http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/passporters-club-gallery/154412-new-e-book-passporters-answer-book-expert-answers-common-disney-travel-questions.html
More details at http://www.passporter.com/club
In this issue, Guest
Columnist Michelle Clark takes us for a visit to Arlington National Cemetary
near Washington, D.C. Then, Featured Columnist Cheryl Pendry satisfies our
hunger for hugs and photos with an overview of Character Dining at Walt Disney
World. Finally, Jack Skatt is back with a brand-new Walt Disney World Treasure
Hunt. Have a great holiday weekend!
Jennifer and Dave
PassPorter Publishers and
Authors
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TRAVEL FEATURE: Arlington
National Cemetery
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by Michelle Clark,
PassPorter Guest Contributor
Situated just west of
Washington D.C., across the Potomac River, is one of the most famous cemeteries
in our nation. Arlington National Cemetery is not just a final resting place
for America's heroes and a peaceful refuge from the hustle of downtown D.C.,
but a memorial to many chapters of this country's history.
The area now occupied by
Arlington National Cemetery was originally the home of George Washington Parke
Custis. His father, John Parke Custis, was Martha Washington's son from a
previous marriage and was adopted by George Washington. Custis hired the same
architect who designed the U.S. Capitol to draw the plans for his estate home,
which would be located high above the city of Washington D.C. When visitors would
remark on his excellent views of the city, Custis was known to reply that the
city "had an excellent view of him."
The first graves at
Arlington were filled during the Civil War. Since that time, veterans from
every American war and conflict have been buried here. In fact, there are more
than 300,000 servicemen and their family members resting at Arlington National
Cemetery.
Arlington is easily
accessible by car with ample paid parking in a covered parking deck. The Metro
station entrance is adjacent to the parking deck. The welcome center has a
variety of exhibits and helpful information-picking up a map of the property is
a must! You can also research the location of specific graves here. If you
don't feel like walking the 600 acres that comprise Arlington National Cemetery
you can purchase tickets for the Tourmobile in the visitor center.
Upon exiting the visitor
center, the first site of interest is the grave of President William Howard
Taft. Continue north on Custis Walk to the graves of President John F. Kennedy
and his brother Robert F. Kennedy. This site was selected as the final place of
rest for the fallen President due to his love of the remarkable views from that
area. President Kennedy's widow and two infant children are also buried here. The
graves are marked by the Eternal Flame and bordered with rocks from Cape Cod
personally selected by the Kennedy family. Robert F. Kennedy's grave is
simpler, marked with a small white headstone and cross similar to thousands of
others in the cemetery.
Just above the Kennedy
graves is Arlington House, George Washington Parke Custis' mansion. The house
was passed on to Custis' daughter and her famous husband, Confederate General
Robert E. Lee. The Lees lived in the house for a period of time, and the house
has been restored as a memorial to him. This is a great place to take in the
panoramic views of the city. If you stand just west of the house you can get a
glimpse of the top of the Pentagon as well. Located behind the house is a small
museum and restrooms.
Probably one of the most
popular attractions at Arlington National Cemetery is the Tomb of the Unknowns,
located at the Memorial Amphitheater. There are three unknown servicemen
interred here. The Changing of the Guard is a somber ceremony that occurs every
30 minutes during the summer months and every 60 minutes in October through
March. The walk from the visitor center to the Tomb of the Unknowns is a brisk
20 minutes - uphill! Don't feel rushed to arrive for the ceremony on time, as
you might overlook the beauty and serenity of the grounds. There is plenty of
room for viewing the ceremony from the steps behind the Amphitheater. At the
top of the steps is one of the more stunning views of Washington.
Between the Tomb of the
Unknowns and the Amphitheater is the Memorial Display Room. Do take a few
minutes to browse through the plaques, photographs and display cases that
document the history of this tribute to the unknown servicemen, as well as the
many soldiers lost during America's history. It's also a great place to escape
the heat!
The Memorial Amphitheater
is the site of national ceremonies that honor America's veterans. The
Amphitheater will forever hold many chapters of U.S. history. During
construction of the Amphitheater in 1915 many important artifacts were sealed
in the cornerstone including a U.S. flag, copies of the Declaration of
Independence and the Constitution, coins and postage stamps, a bible, a map of
the city, and an autographed photo of President Woodrow Wilson.
Across from the Amphitheater
on Memorial Drive are several points of interest. The grave of Audie Murphy,
the most decorated combat soldier of World War II, is a simple white headstone
marked with a small American flag. To the right of the Murphy grave are
memorials to the crews of the Challenger and Columbia space shuttles. All seven
of the crew killed on the Challenger mission and three of the astronauts killed
in the Columbia mission are buried near these monuments. A memorial to the
servicemen killed during the rescue attempt of American hostages held in Iran
is located next to the shuttle monuments. Above these markers the mast of the
USS Maine, sunk in Havana Harbor after an explosion in 1898, is visible. 229
sailors killed onboard the USS Maine are interred in a small plot next to the
memorial, many of whom were never identified.
On average there are over
20 funerals taking place at the cemetery daily. During our visit we were able
to witness a funeral procession that included a military band and escort
troops, which preceded a horse-drawn caisson. Cemetery personnel instructed us
that we are allowed to take photos at a respectful distance. As we continued
our walk through the cemetery we saw Army soldiers preparing a gun salute for a
funeral.
Besides the two presidents
buried at Arlington, twelve former Supreme Court justices have been laid to
rest here, including Earl Warren, Thurgood Marshall, and Oliver Wendell Holmes,
Jr. Other notable grave sites include Daniel James, the first African-American
four-star general; Joe Louis, champion heavyweight boxer and World War II
veteran; and Pierre Charles L'Enfant, the architect who designed Washington
D.C.
If you're planning a visit
to Washington D.C., a stop at Arlington National Cemetery can be a pleasant
change of pace from the hustle and bustle going on in the city below. Here are
a few tips to make your visit to Arlington more enjoyable:
¥ You
will be doing a lot of walking, so wear comfortable clothing and sturdy walking
shoes. The only alternative to walking is buying a Tourmobile ticket.
Handicapped visitors can get a special pass at the visitor center to drive
inside the cemetery.
¥ Visits
to most of the monuments and sites will require three to four hours. During the
summer the temperature can climb quickly, so I would suggest arriving early in
the morning. The cemetery opens at 8:00 am, is open until 7:00 pm in the summer
and 5:00 pm the rest of the year.
¥ Stay
hydrated by taking a water bottle. But please remember that this is a place of
respect and not a picnic site.
¥ Don't
rush-take time to appreciate the beautiful landscaping and architecture.
¥ Bring
your camera-you'll be overwhelmed by the number of photo ops here!
About the Author: Michelle
Clark is a self-professed thrill ride junkie and the mother of three teens who
share in her obsession. Her goal is to experience as many theme parks as
possible and stay in every Disney resort before she dies!
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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: Munching
With Mickey: Character Dining at Walt Disney World
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by Cheryl Pendry,
PassPorter Featured Columnist
Characters have always
been a huge attraction for kids of all ages at Disney parks around the world.
The sight of children and adults lining up for a precious few minutes with
Mickey, Minnie and the rest of the gang is something that always brings a smile
to my face. But sometimes those lines can be tedious and can eat into your park
time, so Disney came up with the perfect solution - the opportunity to dine
with your favorite Disney friends.
It's an idea that's proved
to be exceptionally popular, as many people who've tried to get reservations at
places like Cinderella's Royal Table in the castle at the Magic Kingdom will
tell you. However, recently it seems character dining is undergoing some major
changes, with the announcement that the dinner at the Liberty Tree Tavern in
the Magic Kingdom, a staple for many years, will be ending at the start of
2009. Add to that the fact that lunch will no longer be served at the Garden
Grill in Epcot and suddenly character dining seems to be on the decline.
As with many changes
Disney announces, it's impossible to know why the changes are being made and
whether these meals may be replaced by others, either at the same restaurants
or different ones, perhaps featuring different characters. As I write, however,
the options available for character dining have certainly been reduced.
The Magic Kingdom was
always the park with the most choices for character dining and even after the
Liberty Tree Tavern dinner bites the dust you'll still be able to enjoy
breakfast or lunch in the castle with Cinderella and some of the other
princesses. However, there are some drawbacks to meals here. The first is that
if you have boys in your party, they may not be too keen to dine amongst
princesses. The second is the cost.
Eating here isn't cheap.
Breakfast will set you back $33.99 for adults and $22.99 for children, while
lunch will cost you $35.99 if you're a grown up and $23.99 if you're aged
between 3 and 9. If you're on any of Disney's Dining Plans, this will cost you
two Table Service credits, as it's classed as Signature Dining. OK, so a photo
package is included with your meal, but in these days of economic downturns,
it's perhaps not within everyone's budgets.
A cheaper princess option
can be found over at Akerhaus in Norway, Epcot. It's a great opportunity to
enjoy some slightly more unusual food and, as we love Norwegian cuisine, it's a
real treat for us to eat here. Having said that, we also know from our various
visits here that the menu doesn't meet with everyone's approval and, if you
have fussy eaters in your group, it's worth checking out the menu first, before
making a booking here.
Although Cinderella can
occasionally be found at Akerhaus, there's no guarantee of that. If seeing her
is a must, then dinner at 1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian is your best
bet. She'll be there, usually with her prince and her ugly sisters, which can
make for some great fun, especially if you're prepared to play up to the characters
where you see them. This also gets a big thumbs up from us for the wonderfully
unusual strawberry soup, which is a must every time we visit. Breakfast here
brings slightly more unusual characters, with the likes of Alice in Wonderland,
the Mad Hatter, and Mary Poppins usually on patrol.
Perhaps that's one of the
biggest criticisms of character dining at Disney. You do seem to see the same
characters at a variety of different restaurants and, for many years, there
have been calls for a bigger selection of characters. This was perhaps
partially answered by the introduction a couple of years ago of character
dining at breakfast and lunch at Hollywood and Vine at Disney's Hollywood
Studios. This is very much something for the youngest members of the family,
with the hosting duties falling to characters from Playhouse Disney - Jojo,
Goliath and the Little Einsteins.
Pooh and his friends also
still hold court at the Crystal Palace in the Magic Kingdom for breakfast,
lunch and dinner, although sadly, the character breakfast that once delighted
us at Artist Point at the Wilderness Lodge is now a dim and distant memory.
Of the other options on
Disney property, the main "gang of five" put in a lot of appearances.
Understandably, you'll find Mickey at the restaurant named after him, Chef
Mickey's at the Contemporary, for breakfast and dinner. His pals there usually
include Minnie, Goofy and Pluto. We've always found this offers consistently
good food and character interaction and of course there's the added bonus of
napkin waving every so often, which younger members of your family will love!
Mickey also holds court at
the Tusker House breakfast in Animal Kingdom, the newest addition to character
dining, but it's Donald who takes center stage here, along with appearances
from Daisy and Goofy. We were particularly impressed by the food on offer, with
some very unusual breads, but found the characters to be lacking here, as they
didn't seem to have much time to spend at each table or sadly much enthusiasm.
The same can't be said for
the 'Ohana breakfast at the Polynesian Resort, where Stitch and Lilo are the
main draws, along with Pluto and Mickey. The little blue alien seems to have a
mischievous streak all the time and that's definitely been our experience here.
This is another place that always seems to deliver good food and lots of it --
you won't leave hungry!
You won't find Mickey at
the Cape May Cafe breakfast in the Beach Club Resort, but you will find his
faithful companion Minnie in all her beach gear, along with those mischievous
chipmunks, Chip and Dale; and Goofy. It's interesting, because Chip and Dale
used to be characters you could easily find at meals, but with the loss of the
Liberty Tree Tavern dinner and the cutting back of meals at Epcot's Garden
Grill, they're the biggest casualty. You're now likely to only find them here
or at dinner at the Garden Grill. That's a great shame, as for adults who like
to have fun with the characters, these are two that always seem to deliver on
entertainment.
Other perhaps lesser known
character dining options can be found at the Swan, where Gulliver's Grill at
the Garden Grove offers dinner every night and breakfast at weekends with
appearances by Goofy and Timon.
The Grand Floridian has
the Wonderland Tea Party with Alice on weekday afternoons, while for the
ultimate princess experience -- and the ultimate price -- you can always try
out My Disney Girl's Perfectly Princess Tea Party in the same resort's Garden
View Lounge. Held on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday mornings,
this 90 minute treat will set you back a hefty $200 for you and your little
girl, but for that, you do get a five-part party, including team brunch,
dessert, and an appearance from Princess Aurora.
It's true that there are
still lots of places to head for to enjoy dining with the characters, but it'll
be interesting to see what happens over the next few weeks and months to see if
any plans are announced to replace the character meals that we'll be losing
shortly.
About the Author: Cheryl
and husband Mark live in England and love to travel, particularly to America.
They are in the process of visiting every Disney theme park around the world,
having already spent a day each in Disneyland Resort Paris and Hong Kong Disneyland
so far this year. They are looking forward to returning to America in October
to visit both Walt Disney World and Disneyland in California.
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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:
Walt Disney World is
offering a new Halloween-themed Pirate Cruise for kids ages 5-12 during select
dates in October. The cruise departs from the Polynesian and stops at
"haunted islands" (other resorts) where kids will collect prizes and
candy and play games. The cruise goes from 8:15-10:00 pm and costs $31.95 per
child.
The Friday, October 31,
2008 Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party is sold out.
The Hall of Presidents at
Disney's Magic Kingdom will close November 1, 2008 and re-open with a new president
on July 1, 2009. (Which new President? Stay tuned on Election Day!)
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
==========================================
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:
CHARACTER CANDYLAND
"For a fun keepsake
for our daughter we bought the Disney Candyland game at Walt Disney World (sold
in almost resort shop and Downtown Disney) and took it with us to a character
breakfast. There, we had all the characters sign the game with a sharpie
pen next to their name. We also took pictures holding up the game with the
characters. The characters had really cute signatures. We found this
to be a fun reminder of our trip back home."
-- contributed by Charles
M.
GREAT GARBAGE BAG TIP
"When packing, you
should always pack a garbage bag in your suitcase to keep all of your dirty
clothes in so then you don't mix them with your clean clothes. Then you can't
mistake dirty clothing as clean clothing and then wear a piece of dirty
clothing. Then when your trip is over you can just throw the garbage bag into
your suitcase without having to mix your dirty and any clean clothes you have
left so then you won't have to wash all of the clothes that are inside of your
suitcase."
-- contributed by Kyle A.
AN ALTERNATE LANYARD USE
"Instead of buying
the expensive pin lanyards, we bought a drink lanyard at Animal Kingdom to put
our sons' pins on. They have their pins to trade and can carry a bottle of
water, too. Also, since our 6 year old was smaller, we tied a loop of the
lanyard behind his neck to shorten it, that is until he had too many pins to
fit and we had to lengthen it to fit more!"
-- contributed by Tami S.
>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
==========================================
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:
"I'm thinking about a
new job on the side. I could use a couple extra smackeroos for my Epcot dining
habit. While I was contemplating my options, I walked past a door advertising a
Casting Agency. It looked reputable -- they claim to have been established 37
years ago! Their slogan is 'It Takes People to Make the Dream a Reality.' I am
intrigued. Just one problem. Everytime I knock on the door and ask for the
founder and director emeritus, he is unavailable."
Who is the founder and
director emeritus, and where is this door advertising the Casting Agency
located?
For bonus credit, locate
the photographic evidence in the PassPorter Photo Archive and post a comment
with the photo!
Thanks to a minor medical
issue, Jack Skatt has been on sick leave for a couple of weeks. Let's catch up
with our winners!
From the August 14
issue: Congratulations to Martin
P. who was the winner of last week's trivia contest! Martin was the first
person to identify the location of the "other" red telephone
booth at Epcot as Canada.
From the August 21 issue:
Congratulations to Catherine S. who was the winner of last week's trivia
contest! Catherine was the first person to identify the location of
the Mona Lisa portrait as on a billboard advertisement for Mama Melrose's at Disney's
Hollywood Studios.
From the August 28 issue:
Congratulations to Renee S. who was the winner of last week's trivia contest!
Renee was the first person to identify the location of the stack of
books as in the garage of Mickey's House in Toontown. To view the original
clue, see last week's newsletter at http://www.passporter.com/news/news082808.htm#captain
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!
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
==========================================
PASSPORTER PHOTOPICK
==========================================
Each issue we choose a
special photo from the PassPorter Photo Archive which highlights something
beautiful, interesting, humorous, or timely at Disney or around the world. Here
is this issue's PassPorter PhotoPick:
Magic Kingdom During
Tropical Storm Fay
contributed by
tinker_me_happy
View Photo: http://www.passporter.com/news/news082808.htm#captain
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
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Photo Upload Guidelines for details and benefits.
Top 5 Photo Contributors
chezp - 2592 photos
Meggera - 711 photos
akleos - 568 photos
Dopey007 - 512 photos
OffKilter_Lynn - 261
photos
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Q & A WITH JENNIFER
& DAVE
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obsessedwiththemouse asks:
"This is my first trip with just my son and I. I don't know what to tell
him to do if we get separated. I was considering getting him a cheap cell phone
so he could call me but then I realized he usually has on gym shorts with no
pockets and the phone would have nowhere to go. I don't know what kind of plan
to have in place should we be separated. Any advice for me?"
Dave answers: "My
first recommendation is to teach your son how to recognize Cast Members (name
tag is the best way). Every Cast Member is trained how to handle lost children.
Meantime, other park guests (moms or dads), may not necessarily know the best
way to help (they might just wander the park in search of you, without getting
help from Disney). If you get separated, you can go to any shop, and tell a
cast member that you need to be reunited with your child. They go to a computer
terminal to check the message system, or pick up the telephone and call a
central number. The cast member your child has hooked-up with also uses the
central message system. They'll match the two of you up very quickly.
Many of the other
suggestions here are also helpful, depending on the child's age. Disney cast
will look for name tags and other ID on/inside clothing for smaller children.
Older children will be good with cell phones, etc. You can also select specific
rendezvous points in the park, but don't be too general about things.
"Meet me right here!" works a whole lot better than "Meet me at
the castle." The castle is much too big - you could both be there and
still not hook up.
Don't worry too much about
having pockets for a cell phone. There are cell phones intended for kids that
have lanyards (much more secure than a child's pocket)."
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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