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PassPorter News
News, Announcements, Updates, and Tips
September 14, 2006 * Issue 6.35
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: Down the Rabbit Hole
Travel Feature: Explore Alaska
Disney Feature: Disney Dining Plan: Act II
Updates: What's New and Changed
Tips: The Pin Fairy, Jumbled Jewels, Great Gratuities
Captain's Corner: Pigs in Trees
Q&A: Which Deluxe Resort to choose?
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FROM THE AUTHORS: Down
the Rabbit Hole!
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Hi, {{user("firstname")}}!
We hope you don't mind if we keep this week's
comments brief. Like the White Rabbit, we're late, we're late, for a very
important date!
Just a few words: MouseFest! Will we see you in December?
Visit http://www.mousefest.org to learn
more.
2007 Walt Disney World pre-orders. The new
edition will be here before you know it, and a pre-order ensures you'll be
among the first to have it! Remember, you can register any current or previous
edition of PassPorter (including e-books) and receive a 30% returning reader
discount coupon for use in our online store. Register now at http://www.passporter.com/register.htm
A while back, guest contributor Ann Weber described
her family's Alaskan cruise. Now she's
back, with the first of several articles on their "land cruise" (RV
explorations) of that great
state. Anyone planning to rent an RV will find this article fascinating. This
week's Disney article continues Dave's coverage of the Disney Dining Plan. As always,
our very own treasure hunter Captain Jack Skatt serves up a new treasure hunting game at Walt
Disney World. Enjoy!
Jennifer and Dave
PassPorter Authors and Publishers
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For full details, visit http://www.mousefantravel.com/?apid=ptp . As to
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TRAVEL FEATURE: Explore Alaska
(From the Comfort of Your RV!)
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by Ann Weber, Guest Contributor
About two years ago my family started thinking
about an Alaskan vacation. My dad had always wanted to go to Alaska and my
husband jumped on the bandwagon saying he had always thought it would be a
great place to go too. Personally, I couldnÕt understand going on a summer
vacation to a place where it is likely to be 50¡ Fahrenheit and raining! I
quickly changed my mind as I began to research this gorgeous state.
My husband wanted to see the Òvast wildernessÓ of Alaska and I was fascinated by the
culture and history. We received an advertisement that told us we could enjoy
both! We decided to rent an RV and explore some of the interior of Alaska, then
take a southbound cruise. An article about how we selected our cruise appeared
in the August 10th issue of PassPorter
News. In this article you will learn the details about renting an RV as well as
the campgrounds we stayed in.
We looked at several RV rental companies and
quickly decided on Great
Alaskan Holidays. Although at
first glance their prices were more expensive, I liked the fact that most
everything we would need was included in the price - no extra charges for
cleaning (they clean it when you bring it back), using the generator, etc. The
price includes linens, dishes and common kitchen items, 2 folding chairs, and
more. There are extra items that you can pay to add on (like a cooler for
fish), but we didnÕt need any of these items.
There were options to pay by the mile or for
unlimited mileage. Considering the distances we were planning on traveling, we
decided unlimited mileage was a better deal for us. We did travel enough miles
that the option easily paid for itself. One more rental decision to make is
whether to pre-pay for gasoline and propane. We decided it would be easy enough
to fill-up the gas tank just down the street from the rental location when we
returned the RV. The price to prepay the propane was relatively small, so we
decided to do that. We werenÕt sure where in Anchorage you could refill propane
tanks, but we knew gas stations were everywhere.
Great Alaskan Holidays has a shuttle that will pick
you up at and/or take you to the airport. You need to call them and schedule a
pick-up time. Someone just walked in when we were there and was sent away with
a time later in the day to come back. Everything you need to know (even the
fact that you have to call to schedule a pick-up time) is in the paperwork they
send you before your vacation. All drivers must watch a safety/driving video
before you can fill out the paperwork and be on your way. Plan at least an hour
to pick-up your RV. DonÕt make significant driving plans for the first day
since your pick-up time and how long it will take to get the RV are not
guaranteed.
For us, the RV was a great solution. We had a 30Õ
motor home with 2 slide-outs. We were amazed by the additional space the
slide-outs provided. We had 4 adults and 2 teenagers so two hotel rooms would
have been needed. Although I have heard people say they have found nice Bed and
Breakfast locations for under $100/night, I found most hotels were in the $150
to $250 per night range. Our RV was around $200/day. Some of the stretches of
road were long and it was really nice to have a restroom and food always
available. We also had much greater flexibility on where we wanted to stop in
the evenings with the RV. One thing you definitely need to plan for with an RV
is how you will cope with the close to 24 hours a day of sunlight. Our camper
had 3 skylights, making it impossible to darken the RV for sleeping.
Our first evening was in Talkeetna, on the way to
Denali National Park. We stayed at the Talkeetna
Camper Park. Although
this campground was nothing extraordinary, it was pretty, clean and well
maintained. I did not use the showers as I found the price ridiculous
(something like $2 for 5 minutes), but my son and husband used them and said
they were clean. We had full hook-ups at this park.
Our second evening was at the Riley
Creek Campground in Denali National Park. This
campground does not offer hook-ups, but there is a convenient dump station. If
you have a National Parks Golden Access Pass or Golden Age Pass you can camp
for half price. Although we had a difficult time leveling our trailer here, the
campground is beautiful. It was peaceful and really well maintained. In the
National Park, your reservation is not for a specific spot. I recommend getting
there fairly early in the day so you can pick a good campsite for yourself. We
arrived around 5pm and were still able to find a pretty site, but most of the
level ones were already gone. Also, book early as it is not unheard of for
campgrounds to fill to capacity.
The next night we did not have reservations. We
decided we would stop when we were too tired to continue. I decided at the
Denali North Viewpoint campground that I didnÕt want to go any farther. This is
more of a parking lot than a campground, but we knew this ahead of time. We
wanted to see if we would get lucky and have Mt. McKinley be visible in the
morning when we awoke. The view of the mountains from here is beautiful. There
were no facilities here other than public toilets and a few picnic tables.
There is a small shelter with forms that you fill out and leave in a box with
your check and the site (parking place) number you chose.
The following evening was also a stop-when-we-feel-
like-it evening. Although not having reservations gave us more flexibility with
our schedule, having reservations was less stressful as we knew we had a place
to camp.
We ended up near Anchorage, so we stayed at the Anchorage
RV Park, where we
also had reservations for our final evening in the RV. Although this was one of
the more expensive parks, it was beautiful. There was abundant wildlife and
trees in the park and yet it had many amenities including wireless Internet and
a nice Laundromat.
For our next two nights, we had reservations at the
Stoney
Creek RV Park near Seward.
We were disappointed in this campground, especially after the other beautiful
locations we had found. The road into the campground was very rough and it was
a difficult turn on and off of the Seward Highway. The entire campground was a
large gravel parking lot. There were full hook-ups and large pull through
sites, but I felt like I was staying in a Wal-Mart parking lot. This was also a
fairly expensive campground. Both this campground and the Anchorage RV Park had
free showers. I took a picture to show how disappointing the campground was,
but now looking back, all I notice is the beautiful scenery around it and not
the campground itself.
(AnnÕs Alaskan RV adventure will continue in an
upcoming edition of PassPorter News!)
About the Author: Ann Weber is an avid vacation planner. Now that the two years
of planning the Alaska adventure is behind her, Ann is diving into plans for
her family's upcoming Disney Christmas vacation.
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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.
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DISNEY FEATURE: Disney Disney Plan: Act II
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by Dave Marx, PassPorter Author and Publisher
Back in July we published an article about the Disney Dining Plan (http://www.passporter.com/news/news071306.htm#Disney ). The
article generated so much interest and so many comments that we just couldnÕt
help but revisit the topic.
Not long after the article was published, the web
was abuzz with a big Disney Dining Plan story. As most folks put it, Disney
Òcut backÓ on the number of restaurants that would be offering the Dining Plan
in 2007. This was deduced by comparing the preliminary Disney Dining Plan
brochure for 2007 (a PDF download from Disney), with the current 2006 brochure.
The list of restaurants ÒmissingÓ was quite dramatic, including nearly all the
restaurants around EpcotÕs World Showcase. As soon as I read the reports, I
recalled the same thing happened in 2005 at around this time Ð the new list
came out, restaurants were missing, folks were concerned, but eventually, all
the missing restaurants were returned to the list. I also noticed that nearly
all the missing restaurants were managed by independent companies, including
EpcotÕs LÕOriginale Alfredo di Roma and Chefs de France, and the restaurants at
Coronado Springs Resort. My guess was that those organizations simply needed a
bit more time to make a decision. Others wisely noted that, with Advance Dining
Reservations now available 180 days prior, Disney needed to get some sort of
list out to the public, pronto, even if it wasnÕt complete. As it turns out,
this seems to be exactly what happened. Disney has revised the brochure several
times, and now the 2007 Disney Dining list is virtually identical to the 2006
list. Crisis averted. AllÕs well that ends well!
Some people wonder just how long Disney will
continue offering the Dining Plan. After all, anything this good canÕt last.
IÕm here to predict that the Disney Dining Plan will last a very, very long
time. I had one of those ÒAh ha!Ó moments a while back, and realized the Dining
Plan is very similar to DisneyÕs pay-one-price theme park admission policy.
Although we all still talk about ÒE-TicketÓ rides, the days of
individually-ticketed rides will never return to Disney, and I suspect the
Dining Plan will follow the same path.
Why does pay-one-price work so well for Disney?
Just like gamblers who believe theyÕve got a system that will beat the house,
many vacationers feel theyÕll be able to extract greater value from a
pay-one-price ticket than they can by purchasing individual ride tickets (or
ordering meals a la carte). We often calculate, ÒI can buy 10 ride tickets for
the price of that pay-one-price park pass, so if I ride 11 or 12 rides, IÕm
ahead!Ó What we often donÕt realize is that according to the averages, we might
have only ridden 8 rides under pay-as-you-go. The park operator just lured us
into paying for two more rides than we usually enjoy and staying in the park
longer than we might have (buying more stuff as a result)! Other vacationers
are happy to pay a fixed price because we know that our expenses are Òcapped.Ó
Nothing is more painful to Moms and Dads than reaching into our pockets for yet
another strip of ride tickets. Pay it up front, and get the pain out of the
way!
Fortunately for all of us, theme parks and
restaurants arenÕt controlled by the same irrevocable mathematical odds as
roulette wheels. With some study and planning, anyone can manage to ride a
couple more rides or eat a grander meal than the average vacationer Ð there are
no mathematical formulas (or casino goons) standing in the way.
But as casino owners know, long-term, nobody can
beat the odds. I am quite confident that Disney has analyzed their costs very
carefully, and on average Disney is not losing money with the pay-one-price
dining plan. TheyÕve probably succeeded in encouraging most families to spend
more on dining with Disney than they would have otherwise. There are definitely
more people eating at table-service restaurants, as anyone who has tried to get
dining reservations lately can attest. DisneyÕs free Dining Plan deal offered
for September vacations was so popular that they temporarily converted several
counter-service establishments to table-service buffets to absorb the added
demand. This is in September, one of the slowest months of the Disney year.
Disney managers reported that demand for reservations was greater than during
peak holiday periods!
So, weÕre eating more grandly and feeling like
weÕre getting more than our moneyÕs worth. As we get better at extracting value
from our dining experience, IÕm sure the price for the Dining Plan will simply
ratchet-up, just like park admission. (Have you noticed that the added
park-going ÒefficiencyÓ provided by FASTPASS has resulted in higher park
admission prices?) As perceived value increases, prices increase to bring that
perceived value back into line. From DisneyÕs perspective, Ògreat valueÓ is too
generous, Òfair valueÓ is just right.
Now, here is some news, some great tips from our
readers in response to the previous Dining Plan article, and one
correction.
Everyone wonders whether Advance Dining
Reservations (407-WDW-DINE) are really necessary during ÒslowÓ periods. Thanks
to the demand generated by the dining plan, the answer is a firm, ÒDefinitely!Ó
Walk-up seating at the most popular spots, like EpcotÕs Le Cellier, is nearly
impossible to get. So even if you want to keep your plans loose, make sure you
have a reservation in your back pocket just in case, or plan to phone a few
hours prior to meal time.
DVC Members can now purchase the Dining Plan when
they are staying Òon points.Ó Contact DVC for the details.
There are rumors that Annual Passholders will also
be able to purchase the Dining Plan. Keep your eyes on Mickey Monitor, the
Annual Passholder newsletter.
Correction: In the original article, I noted that
all dining credits are encoded on a single Key to the World card. Actually, any
card can be used to access the dining credits. Your party can split up, and
everybody will still be able to eat. Disney keeps track of your credits on its
central computers, so it doesnÕt matter which card you use Ð all credits will
be available and accounted for. You can request a print-out of where the
credits were consumed at any time, by asking your resort lobby concierge. We
recommend you do this several times during your stay, as we have encountered
computer errors.
Tips: Snack credits can be used to purchase
packaged Disney cookies (and other items) in resort gift shops. TheyÕre a great
take-home gift item.
Since you must buy the plan for every day of your
resort stay, folks who arrive in the late evening and depart in the morning may
have some excess credits to use. Reader Holly H. even treated strangers to a
meal, rather than let the credits go to waste. ItÕs a great way to spread some
magic!
Tanya B. suggested an alternate strategy for dining
at Signature Restaurants. She and her husband spent two credits on a single
adult meal, and supplemented it with a cash purchase of one entrŽe (the cheaper
one, of course). They split appetizer and dessert, stayed "on budget"
for the Dining Plan, and certainly got a much better value than if they had
used four credits for two full meals.
Reader S.G. reports seeing dessert coupons at
counter service restaurants so that folks who wanted to get their Dining Plan
dessert later had an easy way to do it. So, keep your eyes open at the cashier,
and be sure to ask.
With Epcot's Food and Wine Festival nearly upon us,
itÕs good to know that snack credits can be used for many of the snack items
offered around the World Showcase. Look for the DDP icon on the menus.
Many people have asked whether sharing meals on the
Dining Plan is allowed. For counter-service and a la carte restaurants,
definitely yes. You cannot share buffet or family-style meals, though. Meal
sharing frees-up credits that can be used to pay for Signature Dining
experiences, a third meal during the day, or a treat for friends/relatives that
are not on the dining plan.
And the big tip for the dayÉ Be sure to visit the Feasting and Snacking forum at the
PassPorter message boards (http://www.passporterboards.com/ubb/postlist.php?Cat=&Board=UBB7 ). Disney
Dining Plan is a hot topic there, so youÕll find more tips and lots of expert
advice.
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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
holiday plans.
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UPDATES: What's New and Changed
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Here's a few relevant news items:
The British Columbia Film Commission's official web site had listed "Disney's
Canada Circlevision Film" as being filmed September 10 - 15, 2006, but the
reference was removed from their web site by the time this newsletter was ready
to send. Finally, possible evidence of a new Canada film!
Rock 'N' Roller Coaster will be closed for rehab
from January 7, 2007 through February 10, 2007.
On September 10, 2006 at 10:56 a.m., a 6.0
magnitude earthquake was detected in the Gulf of Mexico. Shockwaves were felt
throughout Central Florida including in the Orlando area but no property damage
or injuries were reported. Operations at Walt Disney World continued as normal.
Earthquakes are relatively rare in the Gulf. This most recent quake was the strongest
of only 12 that have been recorded in the last 30 years.
Our thanks to http://www.allearsnet.com from which we
get some of our news leads.
>Things To Do: Hear some news? Send it to us at
news@passporter.com
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DISNEY TIPS FROM FELLOW READERS
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Our readers are a wealth of information! Here are
the winners in this month's tip contest:
THE PIN FAIRY
"Our son loved trading pins on our recent cruise,
so each night while he was in the kids clubs, we would go to the pin cart and
purchase a new pin. We would put the pin on his pillow after the beds were
turned down. He would come back to the stateroom each night thinking that
"Disney" left him the pin. It really added to the magic of the cruise
and he couldn't wait to come back each night to see if the "pin
fairy" had left him something special."
--
contributed by Jennifer B. (gregnjen1@...)
JUMBLED JEWELS
"I travel a lot and I like to bring jewelry
with me to dress up an outfit. Well, I always had trouble with a lot of the
chains and earrings getting tangled with everything else, until I found a
solution. I was beading one day when I realized that my little plastic bead
case was just the right size to fit into my suitcase and to keep all of my
jewelry separate to keep it from tangling. It also works great for other little
things like those safety pins or maybe some needle and thread or some cuff
links and other little things. Everything is quick and easy to find and not
shaking loose in some travel bag. Most containers are clear which makes it easy
for a quick pick without opening it up. These containers can be found in any
craft stores or craft department of a larger store." -- contributed by
Morgan W (Ladyhawk_us@...)
GREAT GRATUITIES
"If you plan on tipping Mousekeeping, always
tip daily because your Mousekeeper may change from day to day." --
contributed by Jim M.
>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
>>Want more Disney tips? For Walt
Disney World fans, we've collected 500 of the best tips submitted by readers
over the past six years. All have been edited for accuracy and categorized. For
details, visit the PassPorter Disney 500 info page at
http://www.passporter.com/wdw/disney500.asp
>>For Disney Cruise Line fans, we
have an e-book with 250 cruiser tips, as well as a special cruise line
comparison section and seven customized packing lists. For information, visit
the Disney Cruise Clues info page at
http://www.passporter.com/dcl/cruiseclues.asp
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CAPTAIN'S CORNER: Treasure Hunting Game
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Play our fun and quirky treasure hunting game,
hosted by Captain Jack Skatt from our new 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 treasure from Captain Skatt's
Journal:
"Upon leaving Scat Cat's Club at Port
Orleans last week, I fear I must have been more than a few sheets to the wind.
I cannot remember very much at all. The first thing I do recall is waking up on
a bench in a wooded area. I looked about for some identification, but only saw
a rustic sign with the words 'Floody Place' handpainted upon it. Sure enough,
nearby was an watering hole. I crossed a little wooden bridge to avoid getting
wet. This area seemed to be inhabited by little folk. After some searching for
signs of civilization, I found a little house that appeared to belong to a gent
by the name of Sanders, or at least that's what the sign above the door said.
At this point, I began hallucinating -- I had the daft notion that there was a
little pig in the tree. My memory stops at this point. When I woke up later
safe and sound in my own bed, I had no idea where I'd been."
Where did Jack Skatt go and who did he see?
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 Joy Jacobs who was the winner
of last week's treasure hunt game! Joy correctly identified the club as Scat
Cat's Club at Disney's Port Orleans French Quarter Resort. To view the original
clues, see, see http://www.passporter.com/news/news090706.htm#captain
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!
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 Skatt. ÒPassPorter's Treasure Hunts at Walt Disney World" is
now available! You can order the new book today at http://www.passporterstore.com/store/1587710269.aspx
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Q & A WITH JENNIFER & DAVE
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NYKELLY asks: "Which Deluxe resort has the
least expensive room rate for a family of five? Is a deluxe resort worth the
money?"
Jennifer and Dave answer: "Of the Deluxe
Resorts, the Animal Kingdom Lodge and Wilderness Lodge have the lowest regular
rates (however, to sleep five, you'll need a higher-priced Deluxe room at
either of those resorts). You're most likely to see discounting at Animal
Kingdom Lodge because it has the most rooms of any Deluxe. However, even with
an Annual Pass discount, Deluxe room rates don't begin to match the rates at
the Moderates. You'll get a bit more space at the Deluxes, and you'll have a
wider choice of restaurants. Your rooms will probably have real balconies, and
you can open the window blinds, because you won't have fellow guests parading
past. Then there's location - proximity/view of at least one park,
walking/monorail/boat transportation to the park, Animal Kingdom Lodge's animal
reserve, a greater variety of organized activities at the resort, true room
service ... Is that necessarily worth the higher rates? That depends on your
family. You'll be paying for things you may or may not take advantage of. For
the same money, you might be able to upgrade your dining choices, or even add several
days to your stay. Or not. "
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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WANT TO GET PUBLISHED?
===================================
PassPorter News is now published weekly, and this
means we need more articles than ever! We're on the lookout for guest
columnists who want to contribute articles to this newsletter. No professional
writing experience necessary, just a desire to share your experience with
others! Not only is this a great way to give something back to the PassPorter
community, but you get to see your name in "print" and receive a $25
gift certificate.
====================================
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