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PassPorter News
News, Announcements, Updates, and Tips
November 8, 2007 * Issue 7.45
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: In
Transit
Travel Feature: Grand
Canyon
Disney Feature: Why Our
Hearts Belong To Disneyland
Updates: What's New and
Changed
Tips: PhotoPass,
PhotoPass, PhotoPass!
Captain's Corner: Going to
the Dogs!
PassPorter PhotoPick:
Holiday Fireworks
Q&A: How long is the
boat ride from Studios to Epcot?
Our Sponsors: We
Recommend...
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FROM THE AUTHORS: In
Transit
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Hi,
{{user("firstname")}}!
Preparations for MouseFest
2007 are consuming our office. Meanwhile, in the back of our minds is the
knowledge that the shipping container filled with PassPorter's Walt Disney
World 2008 guidebooks is supposed to be at our warehouse before the week is
out! At least, that's what the shipping company's tracking system says. Give
the folks at the warehouse a little time to get the container unloaded, but it
seems like they'll be ready to start shipping your pre-orders a few days before
our target date of November 15 -- place pre-orders at http://www.passporterstore.com/store/2008.aspx
! Will that be cool, or what?!
In other news, we're
pleased as punch to announce that a PassPorter community member -- BellaBuggy
(Heather) -- has been chosen as one of the 12 panelists for the Disney Moms
Panel, announced in this newsletter back in September. Kudos to member
Caldercup (Eileen) for making it to the semi-finals! Way to go, PassPorter
moms!
The upcoming e-book,
PassPorter's Festivals and Celebrations at Walt Disney World, is coming very
soon! See the PassPorter's Club update below for more details.
Thanks to the popularity
of our PassPorter Photo Archive, we've added a new feature to our newsletter:
PassPorter PhotoPick. This issue's photo is a gorgeous and crystal-clear photo
contributed by DeBestWife of a volley of fireworks exploding over Cinderella
Castle, which is all lit up in snowflakes for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas
Party! This photo would make a great computer wallpaper for the holidays! Along
with the PhotoPick, we offer a list of the week's top photo contributors and a
link to their fabulous photos. Check out the PhotoPick later in this
newsletter.
Going to Walt Disney World
in early December? This is the LAST CALL for this room rate deal -- it ends
November 12!
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 .
PASSPORTER'S CLUB UPDATE
* Nearly 1000 vacationers
are now enjoying access to all our e-books, e-worksheets, and super-sized photo
archive images (see above) -- thank you for your continued support!
* Our next e-book,
"PassPorter's Festivals and Celebrations at Walt Disney World by Thomas
Cackler," will be available for Club Passholders to download free of extra
charges in a couple of weeks! See more details at http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/passporters-club-gallery/142853-new-e-book-coming-soon-passporters-festivals-celebrations-walt-disney-world.html#post1819570
* A screen layout --
Autumn (complete with falling leaves) -- is available for Club Passholders.
Visit: http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/passporters-club-gallery/138106-new-layout-autumn.html
* More details at http://www.passporter.com/club
MouseFest News: We now
have more than 700 folks registered for MouseFest 2007! Registration is still
open for MouseFest, but if you want to receive your registration goodies in the
mail (one of the biggest benefits of registering), you'd better do it REALLY
soon! Check out the MouseFest event schedule, also at the MouseFest.org web
site. At this point, the schedule of meets is pretty well set (it'd be hard to
find space to squeeze something else in), and the list of people attending
still keeps growing (700+ registered attendees at the moment)! Fourteen of our
PassPorter Guides (moderators) are attending, as are five PassPorter authors
(beyond the two of us!), and more than 225 PassPorter community members and
readers! Get more details at http://www.mousefest.org
In this issue, Feature
Columnist Cheryl Pendry tackles a big (well, huge) topic, the Grand Canyon,
and Guest Contributor Kath Davis
explains Why Our Hearts Belong to Disneyland. Finally, Jack Skatt is back with
a brand-new Walt Disney World Treasure Hunt. Enjoy!
Jennifer and Dave
PassPorter Publishers and
Authors
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TRAVEL FEATURE: The Grand
Canyon
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by Cheryl Pendry,
PassPorter Featured Columnist
There are many places that
claim to be "wonders of the world" these days, but few are as
spectacular as the Grand Canyon. This place really does take your breath away
when you see it for the first time.
Although for some people a
visit is a once in a lifetime opportunity, the place has such a great pull for
me that after two visits, I'm eagerly planning to make it three times lucky
next year. One reason for all these visits is that there are just so many
different ways to experience the Grand Canyon, literally by air, water and
ground.
But getting there is only
half the story. The real treasure is what awaits you on your arrival and no
photograph you see will ever do the Grand Canyon justice. You just can't
comprehend the enormity of the place, not even if I tell you that it's 277
miles long and, during those couple of hundred of miles, on average, it's
around 4,000 feet deep. At its widest point, it's 15 miles across, but even
when you know all that, you still can't picture the scene that awaits you
there.
The Canyon was carved out
over millions of years by the Colorado River, which flows through it to this
day. That's the first way that you can experience the Canyon, floating down the
river on a pontoon boat - something offered by a number of tour operators as
part of half and full day packages. It's certainly a method of travel that I
intend to try out on our next visit. These shorter trips promise a taste of the
longer, multi-day white water rafting adventures that have long been offered
along the river.
As the canyon is so deep,
there are really two different perspectives that you need to see this place
from - one is from the rim, where you can see how the river seems to gash
through the landscape for as far as the eye can see and the other is from the
canyon floor.
On my first visit, we took
a light aircraft flight over the canyon, which gave us a bird's eye view. One
of the most stunning sights was as the ground just literally gave way beneath
us, with the canyon suddenly appearing from nowhere.
But that's only half the
story. When I returned, we took a helicopter flight that lands on the base of
canyon floor and that's something that any trip here should include. You get
such a different perspective from being down there, as opposed to just viewing
the canyon from above.
With flights over and into
the Grand Canyon, you need to have a strong stomach. On both occasions, we
encountered strong winds and if you're not a fan of flying, this isn't the best
way to travel. However, if that doesn't bother you, it is an excellent way to
see and do a lot in a short period of time, as driving around here takes many
hours to get from one sight to another. Naturally, before you visit you need to
think about how much time you'll have to enjoy the canyon. Once you decide
that, it's easy to work out which is the best way to travel. Flights allow you
to enjoy a half day or full day, whereas if you're driving, at the very least
it will be an exceptionally long day, or you may want to allow a few days here
to see everything in a more relaxed way.
There are plenty of places
to stay in the area, either at Grand Canyon Village or at Tusayan, a few miles
south, if you do want to extend your stay, but it's worth booking in advance,
as the Grand Canyon is an exceptionally popular place to visit.
So what other options do
you have if you want to get into the canyon without taking off? You can either
use two legs and hike down or get some four legged help and ride a mule, but
you won't be able to do that in a one day visit. Your trip will take at least a
few days, even if your aim is just to hike from rim to rim. That 25 mile hike
requires a mile of elevation gain to get you out of the canyon!
Most of the five million
people who come here annually see the Grand Canyon from their car at overlook
points along the South Rim. That's because it's the most accessible part of the
area and is open year round, with restaurants, camping and lodging, although
some facilities are closed during the winter and in the busy summer months, you
definitely need to book ahead.
If you choose to head for
the North Rim instead, then you'll only have a few months when it's possible,
as it's 1,000 feet higher than the South Rim - it's usually closed by snow from
late October to mid May each year. If you want to drive from one rim to the
other, be prepared for a long day - although it's only 10 miles straight across
the canyon, to drive around it is more like a 200 mile trip!
Unsurprisingly, the Grand
Canyon is a National Park and to enter it, you have to pay a fee of $25 for each
vehicle, all of which is invested back into the park and the National Park
Service, which maintains it. The charge allows you admission for seven days to
both of the rims. If you visit with a tour operator, you shouldn't have to pay
the charge.
If you choose to visit on
your own, rather than as part of an organized tour, there are some things you
should remember. For starters, both rims are way above sea level and if you
suffer from heart or respiratory problems, you may experience problems and find
walking around strenuous. Don't forget to fill up with gas and keep the tank
full, as you never know when you'll find the next gas station. And carry lots
of water with you in your car, especially in the summer months.
Whichever route you choose
to take to get to the Grand Canyon, it's one of those places that you should
make every effort to visit if your plans take you to the southwest of America.
You won't be disappointed with what you find there - both on the rim of the
canyon and 4,000 feet below on its base. And if you're anything like me, you'll
also find a reason to ensure that one day to return to see it all again.
About the Author: Cheryl
and husband Mark live in England and love to travel, particularly to America.
They were on the first 11 night sailing of the Disney Magic around the
Mediterranean and are now looking forward to returning to Walt Disney World in
December.
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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: Why Our
Hearts Belong To Disneyland
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by Kath Davis, PassPorter
Guest Contributor
Wait! Don't shoot the
author! I know I may hold a minority opinion on this topic. But, come on, the
subject is still Disney, so it can't be all bad, can it?
And here's my disclaimer:
I know Disneyland much better than Walt Disney World. I've only been to Walt Disney
World once (my happiest vacation ever, outside of California), and we live less
than an hour (my front door to entering the park, including parking and tram)
from Disneyland. I've had an annual pass to Disneyland for about 15 years, and
when my husband moved to California, one of our first joint purchases was a
pair of annual passes. We don't get to Disneyland as often as we would like;
it's a crime the way working gets in the way of Disneyland! But we go as often
as we can, and we know the two parks in Anaheim very well. Simply put, our
hearts belong to Disneyland. Read on if you want to know why. (And keep in mind
that I've already written two articles on the things we loved at Walt Disney
World!)
Indiana Jones
There is nothing that
compares to Indiana Jones in any of the parks in Orlando. Yes, we rode
Dinosaur; no, it doesn't compare. It does employ the same ride platform, but we
think it lacked the thrills and, even more, the atmosphere of Indiana Jones.
When Indiana Jones first opened, even standing in a two-hour-long line was
interesting: the carvings on the wall (Disney provided a card to translate the
carvings), and twists and turns of the path, down into the bowels of the
excavation site. Dinosaur's sterile scientific institute can't hold a candle to
Indy's dust of ages, excavation holes, and instructional movies.
It's Smaller
Yes, we like the intimacy
of Disneyland. This could certainly be an example of being comfortable with the
familiar. Certainly, the smaller size causes some problems, as anyone who is
trying to get across the park just after the fireworks have finished knows. But
I think Disneyland's smaller size makes it easier for annual passholders to do
exactly what we are well-known for doing; dropping into the park after work in the
summer, or for a few hours on Sunday. It's less daunting and quicker to get
around, and it's easier to get to know the secrets and the shortcuts that help
you avoid the tourists.
Catch-a-Flave Ice Cream
Stand at the entrance to Paradise Pier in Disney's California Adventure
The best soft ice cream
you will ever have. Enough said!
Haunted Mansion Holiday
The haunted mansion in the
Magic Kingdom is a beautiful building, but at Disneyland you get two rides in
the same mansion. The transformation to Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas
as Haunted Mansion Holiday is one we look forward to every year. (Its been
happening just as long as we've been married... any coincidence?) Obviously,
the basic ride remains the same, with the elevator down to the Doom Buggies.
But all the artwork and most of the characters are switched to the theme of,
"when two holidays collide." If you get stuck in a long line, waiting
to get in, you can listened to twisted and humorous Halloween
"carols" while you wait.
Fantasyland Is A Real
"Land"
When we first came upon
Fantasyland in the Magic Kingdom, I commented that it felt like a street, not a
land. This is a perfect example of how the limited space at Disneyland resulted
in a more intimate, more-intensely themed result. Fantasyland is small, yes;
there can be traffic jams, oh my, yes; but it feels like it all belongs
together. The architecture and the basically circular construction, surrounding
the magnificent carousel, enhance the experience of being in another place
altogether. It's a Small World presents a far more impressive facade in
Disneyland than in the Magic Kingdom.
You Can Walk Anywhere
We have also stayed at the
hotels at the Disneyland Resort, and no matter in which hotel you are staying,
no matter in which park you are, you can walk back to your room. In one case,
your hotel is right across the walkway from that ride that got you all wet!
Those buses at Walt Disney World were fun the first couple of times ("Oh
boy, it's our bus to Animal Kingdom!"), but they do get a bit old ...
especially at the end of a long day when you have to stand, crammed in, and
your feet are really, really tired. When you get caught doing the Disney Two-Step
(from wherever you are to Downtown Disney, and then back to where you want to
be), it can be more than a bit annoying. In Anaheim, we've even occasionally
chosen to walk from the park to the parking structure, when we've made the
mistake of trying to leave at the same time as everyone else, rather than stand
and wait for a tram.
The History
After all, Anaheim is
where it all started. Some of the rides have been there for 50 years. We will
ride on outdated rides, like Snow White's Scary Adventure, just for the
nostalgia.
Space Mountain
I just believe that you
should sit beside someone on a roller coaster. You need to be able to grab your
honey when you're scared. (Sitting almost in his lap on the Matterhorn is OK,
too.)
Paradise Pier
Disney's California
Adventure is a bit of an acquired taste; it took us a couple of visits to
appreciate it. For someone who grew up in California, Paradise Pier is
especially nostalgic. It recreates what you remember about those beachside
amusement parks; never mind that the real thing was never so pristine or
colorful... or safe! Paradise Pier is a tribute to what we longed for in our
childhood; music, color, food, water, sun. It's one of the things Disney does
best; reading our minds and creating what our hearts saw.
Fantasmic!
Here's a perfect example
of bigger is not always better. I appreciated sitting in bleachers for the show
at Disney-MGM Studios; it's much more comfortable, and the viewing is better
than in Disneyland. But the show is too long! We felt that the producers added
more villains just because they could, and the pace of the show suffered. Also,
the Fantasmic! amphitheater feels like it was added on to Disney-MGM Studios;
it's such a long walk in and out. In Disneyland, Fantasmic! creates a variety
of logistical issues (read, traffic jams), but the fact that it is performed
right in the middle of the park only adds to its magic. Even if you are not
taking the time to watch it, you can catch glimpses of the show, and hear the
music, as you walk to the Haunted Mansion or Thunder Mountain.
There you have it: my ten
reasons for keeping faithful to my first love, Disneyland. As with most
preferences, they are highly personal, and I am sure that many will disagree
with me. But as for Randy and me, we'll keep enjoying Disneyland and Disney's
California Adventure, and finding new things to love about each of them. Oh,
wait, I forgot about the Electrical Parade...!
About the Author: Kath
Davis lives with her husband Randy in Orange County, close enough to hear the
fireworks from Disneyland. Randy proposed seven years ago, in front of It's a
Small World, at the end of Believe: There's Magic in the Stars. It's their
all-time favorite fireworks show.
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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==========================================
UPDATES: What's New and
Changed
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Here's a few relevant news
items:
Disney's Pirate &
Princess Party returns to the Magic Kingdom in 2008 on the following dates:
January 21, 26, 29, February 2, 5, 9, 14, 22, 26, March 1, 6, 11 and 14.
Tickets purchased by December 15, 2007 will be discounted with an adult ticket
costing $36.16 including tax and a child's ticket costing $31.90 including tax.
After December 15, 2007 the full ticket prices will be in effect: adult -
$48.94 including tax and child - $42.55 including tax. Annual Pass and Disney
Vacation Club discounts are also available prior to December 15.
A new series of
photographs by Annie Leibovitz recreating classic Disney scenes using
celebrities has been released as part of the 2008 Year of a Million Dreams
marketing campaign. The photos will appear in a special insert in the December editions of several
magazines published by Conde Nast. (Vogue, W, GQ just to name a few...) The
photos feature actress Rachel Weisz as Snow White, tennis star Roger Federer as
King Arthur, and Julie Andrews as the Blue Fairy.
Rock 'n' Roller Coaster
has a new sponsor thanks to a 10-year deal between The Walt Disney Company and
Hanesbrands Inc. The stadium at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex will now
be known as Champion Stadium (Champion is a division of Hanesbrands Inc.). In
addition, Hanes will provide Disneyland and Walt Disney World shops with basic
apparel, and Champion will provide the basic apparel for ESPN Zone and Disney's
Wide World of Sports. (Basic apparel, as far as this agreement goes, refers to
T-Shirts, tank tops, sweat shirts, sweat pants, hoodies, and other family
fleece.)
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
==========================================
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:
(Editor's Note: Every once
in a while we will get a series of tip submissions that seem to follow a theme.
Clearly, PhotoPass is what is on everyone's mind this month! Here are three
great tips from recent submissions regarding PhotoPass. )
"My sister and I (we
are 19 and 20) went to Disney without our mom. We found a great use for the
PhotoPass system -- as a photo update for the folks at home. We got a PhotoPass
card, then called our mom. We told her the web site, how to use it, and read
her the card number. Then each day of our vacation she looked at the web site
and got a picture update on what we had done and which characters we saw.
We're doing this again on
our next vacation, because our mom really enjoyed getting new pictures
everyday."
-- contributed by Ashlee
K.
"We recently got home
from Disney and we were entering our PhotoPass cards onto Disneyphotopass.com,
when we discovered two of our PhotoPass cards were missing! Luckily,
Disneyphotopass.com has a form to email to them to help find lost cards and
both of them were found. But, all of the worry would have been prevented if I
had done with my PhotoPass cards what I do with my Key To The World cards --
write down the card numbers in my PassPorter! That way, even if misplaced, I
can still retrieve my photos."
-- contributed by Molly S.
"I am a HUGE fan of
the PhotoPass system at Walt Disney World. I came home with a CD with 263
pictures on it (some were the ones with frames, autographs, etc). My favorite
pictures are the ones I asked a PhotoPass photographer to take of my nephew and
his marching band as they were coming down Main Street. Obviously, I took
several shots from the curb, but the Disney photographer got right in my
nephew's face and took amazing pictures of him with Cinderella Castle over his
shoulder. She also got great shots of the band's banner with the Castle in the
background. I could go on and on about the shots she was able to get by
standing on the street. Another thing I learned is that many of the
photographers on Main Street take several pictures of all the bands as they are
marching. When you go to view your pictures you can also ask to see the bands
from a certain day's parade and they should be able to pull them up and add a
few to your card. Just thought you might like to share this info since there
are so many school bands and band moms that want great pictures."
-- contributed by Bethany
F.
>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:
"I've been thinking
of an addition to my family ... a pet! I think I'd like a dog -- I've always
gotten along great with Pluto and Goofy. I spotted several handsome dogs being
walked at Downtown Disney Marketplace today. They were angular and statuesque
dogs, very sturdy looking. They have beautiful, shiny coats, too! I wonder if
the family who walks the dogs would let me borrow one for the day ... they had
a lot of dogs, I counted (rest of text obscured by a questionable smudge
mark)"
How many LEGO dogs are
being walked? For bonus points, locate the photographic evidence in the
PassPorter Photo Archive and post a comment with the photo!
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 Kerry
Moroney who was the winner of last week's trivia contest! Kerry was the first
person to identify the receptionist in the Toontown Judges Tent as Clarabelle
Cow. Runner up was member HeidiSummers, who was the first to locate and post a
comment with the photographic evidence in the Photo Archive. To view the
original clue, see last week's newsletter at http://www.passporter.com/news/news110107.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
==========================================
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 PhotoPick:
Fireworks over Cinderella
Castle during Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party
Contributed by DeBestWife
PhotoPick Link: http://www.passporter.com/photos/showphoto.php/photo/1830
You can nominate photos
for 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 photos to the
Photo Archive and be considered as a PhotoPick, please read our Photo Upload
Guidelines for details and benefits at http://www.passporter.com/photo-upload-guidelines.asp
Top 5 Photo Contributors:
Meggera - 328 photos
bradk - 171 photos
Dopey007 - 149 photos
imadisneygirl - 117 photos
jpod523 - 54 photos
====================================
Q & A WITH JENNIFER
& DAVE
====================================
Sunnybrook Sue asks:
"Does anyone know approximately how long it takes to take the boat from
MGM to Epcot's International Gate? Do you have to wait long for the boats to
arrive? Is it faster to walk? Thanks."
Dave and Jennifer answer:
"The boat ride from MGM to Epcot is approximately 25 minutes. At most
times, the boats leave on about 15 minute intervals.
Whether walking is faster
than the boat can depend on your walking speed. Under worst-case conditions
(boat leaving immediately before you reach the dock), you may arrive faster on
foot, but you do have to factor-in the effect the walk (especially a brisk one
intended to beat the boat) will have on you. Generally, if we're in a hurry we
split the difference - boat halfway, walk the other half. We'll take the boat
between Swan/Dolphin and Studios (which is a non-stop and roughly at the
halfway mark) and walk between Swan/Dolphin and Epcot. The biggest waste of
time (if waste it is) in my opinion is the stops at Yacht & Beach and
BoardWalk. By skipping those stops, I think this plan gives the best of both
possible worlds.
Then again, you are on
vacation. Relaxation sometimes beats exertion, especially at a place where
you're walking everywhere and going from sunup well into the evening. There
have been plenty of times that the slow boat to Epcot (or Studios) was just the
breather we needed on a busy day. It's a very pleasant ride when the weather is
good (and there are seats to be had), and it sure beats walking when the
weather is bad."
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