From the Authors: We're Going Weekly!

Disneyland Feature: The Future Feature

Walt Disney World Feature: Beach Club

Updates: What's New and Changed

Tips: Daily E-mails, T-shirt Traditions, Conduct Contract

Captain's Corner: It Takes a Village

Q&A: Winter Water Temperatures at Castaway Cay?
 

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Updates:
What's New and Changed

Here's a few of the new developments at Disney·

The Pirates of the Caribbean attractions in both Disneyland and Walt Disney World will be closing in March for renovations and updates. Captain Jack Sparrow and his arch-nemesis Captain Barbossa will become the newest Audio-Animatronic additions to these attractions. Both attractions will re-open in time for the movie premiere of "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" on July 7, 2006 (see The Future Feature for more) . 

Super Bowl MVP Hines Ward did go to Disney World and he brought teammate and friend Jerome Bettis with him! They were both Guests of Honor at Disney World on Monday, February 6, 2006. 

The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel will be closing their Club Level lounges on May 1, 2006. The lounges will be renovated and become hospitality and meeting rooms. 

>Things To Do: Hear some news? Send it to us at
news@passporter.com

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Disney Tips:
From Fellow Readers

Our readers deliver a wealth of information! Here are the winners in this month's tip contest:

EVERY DAY E-MAILS
"My sister and I live about 1500 miles apart and only see each other every couple of years (usually for a Disney vacation). This year it will be a cruise on the Disney Wonder. We have planned the entire trip via e-mail. The trip is still months away and we are zipping e-mails back and forth everyday in anticipation. At least we don't have to worry about the phone bill!"
-- contributed by Mary Jane R. 

T-SHIRT TRADITIONS
"On our last trip to Disneyland I took along MY first Disneyland t-shirt, and photographed my son in the same shirt, standing in front of Sleeping Beauty's castle, 30 years later!"
-- contributed by Taryn M. 

CONDUCT CONTRACT
"When traveling with our kids, we created a contract for them to sign so they understood how their behavior would affect their vacation. We made it colorful and decorated it with Disney stickers. We had items on there such as:  I will get to do what I want to do, just not always when I want to do it. I will eat at the restaurants I'm told to, I will ride rides that may seem to "kiddie" because my sibling likes them, etc. They signed the contract a month before the trip and we reviewed it. For fun, we let them create an adult contract and they wrote, "Don't tell us how to spend our Disney Dollars," "Don't make us pose with the Princesses," etc.  All in all they behaved remarkably well because they knew what the consequences would be if they "acted up"."
-- contributed by Carolyn A. 

>Notes: Send us your tips ! You may see them in this newsletter and win a copy of PassPorter!

Want more Disney tips? We've collected 500 of the tips submitted by readers over the past six years -- most have never been published before. All have been edited for accuracy and categorized. The "Disney 500" are available in e-book form for immediate download. For details, visit the PassPorter Store.

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Captain's Corner:
Treasure Hunting Game

Play our fun and quirky treasure hunting game, hosted by Captain Jack Skatt from our upcoming 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:

"So after my daring adventure down the turbulent waters of the Chakranadi River, enroute to Mt. Everest, my raft washed up on the shores of a quaint little village. Fluttering prayer flags, an ancient monastery, lovingly-carved totems, and fearsome yet awesome stone carvings of the mythical Yeti greeted me in the tiny town. A crumbling sign indicated that this village was named... (rest of text obscured by candle wax)

So, what is the name of the village at the base of the mountain?

Congratulations to Vicki Lynn who was the winner of last newsletter's treasure hunt game last week! Vicki correctly identified the river from the Kali River Rapids as the Chakranadi River. To view the original clues, see the last newsletter.
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!

To view the original clues, see the last newsletter.

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. We will release the book -- "PassPorter's Treasure Hunts at Walt Disney World" -- in April 2006. You can pre-order the new book today at http://www.passporterstore.com.

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Q & A:
With Jennifer and Dave

Jitterjet asks: "I'm wondering whether the water will be warm enough for swimming during our 4-day Wonder cruise next January? "

Jennifer and Dave answer: "Generally, water temperature at Castaway Cay will be fine. Not the 80 degrees of a heated pool, but usually it'll be comfortably in the mid 70s. Temporary circumstances can change that (extended overcast, storm that mixes surface water with deeper layers, really bad cold snap). So far, only one of our winter visits has had what I'd call cool waters."

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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Future Newsletters:
Want To See Your Name in Print?

Big News! PassPorter News is now weekly. This means we need more articles than ever! We're on the lookout for guest columnists 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. 

For details and our article submission guidelines, please e-mail news@passporter.com. Articles about Disney and general travel are welcomed!

The Disneyland Future Feature
by Dave Marx, PassPorter Author
 

Here we are, with the first edition of PassPorter Disneyland Resort ready to go to the printer, and all I can think of are all the things that are going to make the new book seem out of date.

OK, we're lucky, the new Monsters, Inc. dark ride opened in January, so as they say, "It's in there!" And Disney just announced changes to the classic, Pirates of the Caribbean. In there! But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's catch you up on the news, and, what the heck, I'll even save some space for the hottest notions in the rumor mill.

Disney's California Adventure now has two Pixar-inspired attractions on the Pixar Pictur... I mean Hollywood Pictures Backlot. The delightful Turtle Talk With Crush moved into a theater in the Disney Animation attraction last year. (Like, whoa, when are ya gonna update the attraction description at the official Disneyland web site to include the turtle, dudes?) The former Superstar Limos dark ride, certainly one of the park's (if not Hollywood's) biggest flops, has returned as "Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue." The limos have been downgraded to taxis, but the ride experience has been substantially upgraded with the addition of a story firmly rooted in a beloved animated feature and sets that are far more than cartoon cut-outs. Disney even brought Billy Crystal and John Goodman in to record new dialogue. It may not qualify as an E-ticket, but all reports are that folks are really enjoying themselves. Next, it'll be, "Mike & Sulley's Scary Daring Adventures with Mr. Toad and Pooh on a Spin Through Wonderland, the movie inspired by the dark rides." Not!

Speaking of theme park rides that inspired Hollywood, on February 2, Disney Parks and Resorts announced that they'll be enhancing Pirates of the Caribbean (both at Disneyland and Walt Disney World) in honor of the premiere of the second Pirates of the Caribbean movie starring Johnny Depp. Both attractions will close in March and the Imagineers will move in to add Captain Jack Sparrow, villainous Captain Barbossa, and Davy Jones, a character being introduced in the second Pirates movie, to the famous crew of scurvy knaves. Disneyland's Pirates will reopen on June 24, and Walt Disney World's Pirates is slated to reopen on July 7, the same day the movie opens. The new characters are said to be carefully interwoven with the familiar cast of Audio-Animatronic buccaneers, interacting with them (presumably) as if Walt Disney himself had put them there. Jack and Barbossa will also be pursuing a new subplot of their very own. Disney Imagineers will also be adding new special effects, and are on a mission to do no harm to the spirit of this Disney original. May they be chased around in circles forever by a rolling pin-wielding wench if they mess this up. Yo ho, yo ho....

While we're out to sea, let's sail over to Disneyland's Tomorrowland, where the classic Sub Lagoon is being transformed by, yes, more Pixar characters. While the Living Seas at Walt Disney World's Epcot has been receiving its "Finding Nemo" makeover, Disneyland's Sub Lagoon is being redone as the "Finding Nemo Sub Voyage." (Had Walt Disney World not filled its 20,000 Leagues Sub Lagoon with Pooh, maybe they could have had "Finding Captain Nemo." But I digress.) Disneyland is refurbishing its fleet of eight submarines and is populating the lagoon with a school of star fish (and starfish) from the Pixar animated film. Disney promises that the special effects will be astounding, the details of the story line ever-changing, and, oh, they're tossing in a volcanic eruption just for good measure. The new sub ride will surface sometime in 2007. Meantime, you can groove on the wonderful signs they've nailed to the construction fencing, and peer down into the lagoon from the monorail platform.

While we're in Tomorrowland, let's consider the recently reopened Space Mountain (and a fabulous rehab it is)! Disneyland's video promo for Grad Nites 2006 promises the premiere of Rocket (or Rockit) Mountain, a nighttime version of Space Mountain featuring a rockin' sound track and all-new visual effects (thanks to Screamscape for this tip). These goodies seem to have been built into the Space Mountain rehab from the start, but it seems Disney wanted to keep an extra little surprise for the second year of the Happiest Homecoming on Earth. Those who aren't graduating from high school this spring can look forward to riding this evenings, sometime in June 2006.

The monorail is also set for a major mechanical rehab. Reports are that it will be in limited service while the rehab is taking place (presumably, rather than travel around the full loop, it'll go back and forth between Downtown Disney and Tomorrowland on the same section of "beam" while they work on the other half).

Meantime, over in Toontown, Goofy's Bounce House is being replaced by... something Toddler Alexander is likely to enjoy (we'll keep you posted).

That leaves us with... rumors. My favorite? The perennial hope that Star Tours, the attraction that first wowed me way back in the '80s, will finally get a makeover to help out around Tomorrowland. (Hey, Space Mountain/Rockit Mountain, Buzz Lightyear Finding Nemo in the Lagoon, the monorail... are more than four rehabs required? Why can't they spend some of this money on another ship for Disney Cruise Line?). Anyway, Star Wars creator George Lucas has once again been reported to be interested in seeing this happen, and as always, the pundits note that it's not that hard to work a runaway tourist shuttle into a pod racing duel-to-the-death - change the movie, change a few props, reprogram the flight simulator's software... what could be easier for Disney's Imagineers? Well, I'll believe it when I finally ride it to infinity and beyond (or something like that).

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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 Disneyland travel plans.

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Why The Beach Club Is The Best Resort At Walt Disney World
by Cheryl Pendry, PassPorter Message Board Guide and Guest Contributor

Two things are clear to everyone who’s visited a number of Disney resorts over the years. They all benefit from exceptional theming and are all very different from one another. But which one is your favorite? PassPorter message board guide and regular newsletter contributor Cheryl Pendry believes there can be no argument – the Beach Club and their Villas are best! 

Our love affair with the Beach Club began appropriately enough on our honeymoon in 1999. We had debated long and hard over where we should stay for our first visit to a Disney resort, but felt that we couldn’t justify the cost of a deluxe hotel. We’d never visited one, but surely nothing could be good enough to warrant spending that much money? We narrowed our choice down to a moderate and we went for Dixie Landings, or Port Orleans Riverside as it’s known today. Our first couple of days there were magical, the grounds were green and lush and it was a wonderfully romantic place to stay. We knew we had made the right decision – that was, until we walked into the lobby of the Beach Club. 

We thought we’d take the opportunity to find out what was so special about the deluxe resorts and whether it was worth saving all our money to stay in one eventually. I was skeptical, but from the second we were met by Art the Greeter at the front door, I knew that this place was something special. The spacious lobby with its high ceilings and white balconies looking down from the second floor gave a relaxed feel, something clearly being enjoyed by those seated on the series of comfortable chairs, who were just watching the world go by. 

And that’s something you can do plenty of at the Beach Club. Head out through the other side of the lobby and you’re greeted by white wooden rocking chairs, with a view over the resort’s beautifully manicured gardens, looking towards Crescent Lake and the BoardWalk opposite. Walk a few more steps and talk a look back towards the resort. From the first time I saw that view, it bowled me over. The pale blue shade of the buildings were exactly what I’d always imagined a beachside villa to look like and the shade was far more appealing that the dull cream of the neighboring Yacht Club. 

Captivated by the theming of the resort on our first visit, it was time to explore further, and no visit is complete without seeing the resort’s main pool, Stormalong Bay. Calling it a pool may be unfair though, it’s more like a mini water park, sprawling over a couple of acres with something for all ages and all abilities of swimmers. Boasting a children’s pool, water slide, whirlpools in the main swimming area and a deep swimming area providing more of a challenge to regular swimmers, it even offers a poolside bar in the shape of Hurricane Hanna’s, if you need a snack or want to sip a cocktail in the sunshine. But be warned, there’s no way that you’ll be able to experience the delights of Stormalong Bay unless you’re a guest at the Yacht Club, Beach Club or the neighboring Villas. You are expected to bring your resort ID for a swim and are given wristbands showing that you are resort guests before you can enjoy the facilities. No resort ID, no access to Stormalong Bay – it’s that simple. 

Having a lot of good places to eat at a resort is another important thing for us. Let’s face it, we all have mornings and evenings when we don’t want to stray far from our room for a meal – and we don’t have to at the Beach Club. Enjoy character breakfasts with Goofy, Minnie and those mischievous chipmunks Chip and Dale at the Cape May Café, just off the main lobby, which by night serves up a New England-style clambake. 

Carry on past the Cape May Café and you’ll come across a lovely lounge, Martha’s Vineyard, which never seems to be crowded. Wine, beer, cocktails (even that famous Kungaloosh from the Adventurer’s Club) can all be bought here, along with a series of snack items.  Out through the doors, past some of Stormalong Bay and on your right is the home of arguably the best burgers on Disney property – and surely the biggest dessert? Both can be found at Beaches and Cream, a 1950’s style diner, with its Kitchen Sink, packed full of bananas, ice cream, cookies, chocolate fudge cake, cream, cherries, nuts and chocolate sauce. Perhaps it’s easier to describe what’s not contained in it. Eat every bit of it on your own and you’ll get it for free – on all our visits to Beaches and Cream, it’s not a feat we’ve ever seen accomplished. 

A quick walk past the rest of Stormalong Bay into the adjoining Yacht Club opens up more dining possibilities at the upscale Yachtsman Steakhouse or the more informal Yacht Club Galley. There’s another lounge to indulge in just off the Yacht Club lobby called the Crew’s Cup. And that’s before exploring the restaurants at the Swan, Dolphin or the BoardWalk, all nearby. 

On your way there, you’ll also spot Lafferty Place Arcade, somewhere you can easily lose the kids and those “kids at heart” in your family for a couple of hours, as they enjoy the many games in there. The Ship Shape Health Club allows you to work out during your vacation or if that doesn’t sound like much fun, you can book yourself a massage. There’s even a salon called Periwig’s Beauty and Barber Shop, offering hair, skin and nail care for more pampering. 

But it’s no longer just about the Beach Club. Recognizing the appeal of the resort, the Disney Vacation Club started construction work on the Villas in 2000 and it was fascinating to see them rise from the ground on our stay at the Beach Club in that year. Obviously, we’re not the only ones who love the Beach Club, as the Villas sold out in record time. Similarly themed to the main Beach Club complex, but with the accent on sea green, the Villas enjoy their own quiet pool, called Dunes Cove, and public rooms to sit back and relax in, with one boasting its own TV with cartoons for the kids to enjoy. With the arrival of the Villas, another communal room was added to the original Beach Club complex, the Solarium, a delightfully airy conservatory-type room. Again, it never seems to be busy, but it’s a lovely place to sit and unwind.

Beautiful theming, the best pool on Disney property, a great range of restaurants and lots of places to relax and watch the world go by – what more could you want from a hotel? How about a location that’s so central that you can walk to two theme parks if you choose to. Epcot is no more than a ten minute walk from the Beach Club lobby, but if you’re staying in the Villas or at the eastern edge of the Beach Club, it’s more like five minutes. At this end of the resort, you’re closer to the park than the resort's marina. 

The Marina allows you to catch a boat to either Epcot MGM, or the BoardWalk, but in reality it’s nearly always quicker to walk to Epcot. MGM is another matter. If you’re a quick walker and there’s no boat in sight, you can walk faster, but the boat is a charming, albeit slow way of getting to MGM. It is a picturesque routes though, with water views of the Swan and Dolphin along the way, which eventually gives way to the Tower of Terror and finally the Sorcerer’s Hat as you approach the Studios. 

You really couldn’t wish for a more centrally located hotel at Disney. Even the monorail resorts can’t boast excellent transport links to two parks – and there’s no other hotel where you can walk into a park in just a few minutes. 

What’s not to love about the Beach Club? It’s got it all and there’s surely no other resort on Disney property that can compete with its central location, amazing pool, wonderful theming and range of places to eat. What do you think?  

Do you disagree with Cheryl? Do you think YOUR favorite resort is better? Tell us why! E-mail us at news@passporter.com for guidelines on how to submit an article convincing us of the merits of your favorite resort at WDW or Disneyland. 

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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 vacation plans.