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 In
This Newsletter
From the Authors: Greetings
From Florida!
Travel Feature:
Soft
Adventure Travel for Families
Disney Feature: A
Journey Into the Past of Future World
Updates: What's
New and Changed
Tips: Great
Photos, Great Food, Great Advice
Captain's Corner: A
Classic Carousel
Q&A: Can
our grandchildren spend the night with us at our resort?
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Updates:
What's
New and Changed
Here are a few of the new developments at Disney·
Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa will be
testing Poolside Cabanas at their themed beachside pool. Each cabana
will offer 2 padded loungers, 2 padded straight-back chairs, a 22-inch
LCD TV with cable and headphones, Sirius Satellite Radio, a phone for calls
within the resort, a mini-fridge stocked with soft drinks and a complimentary
fruit basket. The cabanas are available in two four-hour time blocks (10
am - 2 pm and 3 pm - 7 pm) for $60. The cabanas are solely for the use
of guests of the Grand Floridian.
New discounts have been announced for Disney Vacation
Club members.
-The discount on Magic Kingdom Tours will be reduced
to 15% on April 1, 2006. (The discount is 20% until March 31, 2006)
-10% off designated packages at the Bibbidi Bobbidi
Boutique when it opens in April through June 2006. (Packages to be announced.)
Off Kilter, who normally perform at
the Canada Pavilion of Epcot's World Showcase, will be found at
Pleasure Island's West End Stage during St. Patrick's Day Weekend, March
16 - 18, 2006.
>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:
GREAT PHOTOS
"We discovered there is an art to taking pictures
with characters. Take your time. Let the "official" photographer take the
photo first then the character will turn toward you and your camera for
another photo. This way you can get both the character and your child's
eyes/face turned toward you instead of looking over somewhere else. If
your children are old enough, tell them ahead of time to look at the photographer
first then at you. This just makes things go more smoothly."
-- contributed by Danielle R. (dnraber@...)
GREAT FOOD
"Every time my family, friends, and I go to Disneyland,
we always make sure we go to Redd Rockett's Pizza Port in Tomorrowland.
They have big portions of pastas and salads, and for a decent price, the
food is YUMMY! I've never tried the pizza there, but the Celestial
Caesar Salad and Chicken Fusilli pasta are "out of this world!"
-- contributed by Maritza L.
GREAT ADVICE
"Take time to smell the roses - literally and figuratively!"
-- contributed by Yvonne B. (yjb1@...)
>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:
"After my daring adventure to Mt. Everest and
my too-close encounter with the Yeti, I have chosen to spend my days in
quiet contemplation. Today I sat on a bench outside a delightful carousel
and watched the young children revolving gleefully. In addition to the
nineteen horses, a spinning "tea cup" and two "nanny seats" are available.
The merry-go-round appeared hand-crafted, as well. As I gazed on this classic
little carousel, it occurred to me that this is the only carousel inside
Disney that has a separate fee. For a ride, the cost is ... (rest of text
obscured by ice cream droppings)"
How much does the classic little carousel on
Disney property cost?
Congratulations to Nadine Daniels who was the
winner of last week's treasure hunt game! Nadine correctly identified the
name of the eatery that sells tea near Expedition Everest as the Royal
Anandapur Tea Company. 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!
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
katydid asks: "My husband and I will have a room
at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge while our son and his family are at Fort
Wilderness. Will we be able to invite the two children (ages 6 and
7) to stay the night so their mom and dad can have a night out to themselves?
I know we would have fun showing them around our resort but I don't want
to break any rules. I won't even mention the possibility to them unless
it would be allowed. "
Jennifer and Dave answer: "This shouldn't be a problem
at all. It's done all the time. The main thing is that you're not exceeding
the posted capacity of the room, and since they're under 19, there's no
extra charge for them. As a courtesy to the front desk, you could let them
know what's happening (our grandkids are staying over with us tonight while
we babysit). I can't imagine there being any issues."
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
published weekly. 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 is 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 use at www.passporter.com.
For details and our article submission guidelines,
please e-mail news@passporter.com.
Articles about Disney and general travel are welcomed!
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Greetings From Florida!
Hi, {{user("firstname")}}!
A
happy hello from beautiful, sunny Florida! We're almost to the middle of
our week-long stay here in Florida and we're having a wonderfully relaxing
stay. Would you believe we haven't been to a theme park yet? Just relaxing,
swimming, napping, hot tubbing, and reading (well, mostly). We do plan
to visit Disney's Animal Kingdom today so we can experience Expedition
Everest for ourselves. Watch for a mini-report of our trip upon our return!
In this edition of the newsletter, Julia Elzie offers
a delightful article about "soft" adventure travel for families. We're
also pleased to note that Jill Clinevell Shelton has contributed a fun
article on the past attractions at Future World, including Jennifer's favorite,
Horizons. Finally, Captain Jack Skatt returns with a new
treasure hunting game. Enjoy!
Jennifer
and Dave
PassPorter Authors
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Did
You Know?
PassPorter 2006 -- Our
Best Yet!
The new 2006
edition of our PassPorter Walt Disney World guidebook now features
a full-color interior along with the most up-to-date text, new TeenTips
and ToddlerTips, and new photos and magical memories. This edition is proving
so popular that we've already had to go back to the printer to print more
books! We're not out of stock quite yet, and our new shipment of books
arrives soon.
Learn more and order today at:
http://www.passporterstore.com/store |
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Travel
Feature:
Soft Adventure Travel for Families
by Julia Elzie,
Guest Contributor
Soft adventure travel is
capturing the imagination of families, thanks to reality television shows
like “The Amazing Race.” Escaping from the busy days of regular life is
becoming more alluring to everyone. Soft adventure travel is a fun and
active way for families to visit another part of the world, slow down the
pace of modern life and get closer to nature, yet not risk sacrificing
comfort, good food or nice accommodations. There are options for every
family’s interests. Biking, river rafting, walking/hiking, spa vacations,
dude ranches or expedition/small-ship cruising are a few of the most popular
choices.
Unlike hard adventure travel,
which requires physical fitness, mental strength and technical expertise,
soft adventure travel can be experienced by almost anyone of any fitness
level. If you are a “scaredy-cat”, do not worry! These trips are about
fun and adventure, not thrill-seeking. Participants can use these trips
to visit far-flung destinations or explore closer to home around North
America. The days are filled with discovery and only as much physical activity
as desired. And you don’t have to sacrifice a gourmet (kid-friendly, if
necessary) dinner, a good drink and a charming inn, luxurious hotel or
luxury camping for a long night’s sleep. Many of the suppliers have special
family trips or special tour guides, whose sole function to entertain and
educate the children on the trip. It allows families to see new cultures
and landmarks, spend quality time with each other and enjoy the outdoors.
The only requirement is a sense of adventure and an open mind!
Biking is a great way
to see the countryside! It is one of the best ways to really see the world,
especially Europe, where even the biggest cities have bike lanes and drivers
are accustomed to sharing the road with cyclists. The biking tour suppliers
bring the bikes, the mechanics, support staff, and a support and gear wagon
to help riders along the way. It is entirely acceptable to ride less than
the full day's itinerary, or you can complete the entire day’s route. If
the bike gets a flat tire, the guest sits under a tree and watches the
scenery – someone else fixes the flat! There is always time to have a picnic
lunch, visit a historical or cultural sight along the way or meet with
the locals. At the end of the day, the bike disappears with the support
staff and guests are free to rest, relax and enjoy their evening. Riding
a bike is NEVER this easy at home!
On foot is also a wonderful
way to see experience a destination and walking/hiking vacations can be
enjoyed by families with members of several generations, personal interests
and fitness levels. Again, the relaxed speed of walking allows for stops
along the way to enjoy cultural or historical sights, shopping in a small
hamlet, or browsing a village’s farmer’s market. You might get caught in
an Irish traffic jam as a farmer moves his sheep between pastures! Walkers
and hikers are also likely to meet locals along the way and those meetings
provide a great opportunity to start conversations and to learn the everyday
lives of the average citizen. Hiking requires more physical fitness, but
it is wonderful way to experience nature and climb to some of the world’s
most remarkable natural views. At the end of the day, guests retreat to
a gourmet meal and a comfortable sleep. Walking and hiking are among the
best forms of exercise and are a leisurely way to see the world – just
bring your feet and good shoes!
If you are more inclined
to the soft part of soft adventure travel, why not consider a spa vacation
for your family? Spas are more pampering and family-friendly than ever.
Spas are no longer entirely geared to weight loss and minimal, healthy
meals and excessive exercise. Spas are located all over the world from
Asia to the Caribbean to Europe and throughout the United States. More
spas are becoming family-friendly, offering activities and treatments for
teenage daughters and mothers, men’s vacation spa programs, senior-friendly
treatments, Mommy & Baby activities, pampering for the mother-to-be
and new mothers or teen spa vacation programs. Spas have been known for
being expensive, but spas in more destinations are creating affordable
packages for families with modest budgets. A spa might be the perfect place
to escape from the harried daily life of today’s families.
Could you use a splash
of cold water on your face? River rafting might be the perfect solution.
It is an adventurous way to get a different perspective on some of the
world’s greatest rivers, especially the Snake River, the Rogue River and
other waterways of the Western United States. Camping fans will enjoy luxury
camping and healthy, delicious meals with fewer bugs and dirt than the
average family camping and river vacation. Plus you leave the task of shopping
and packing the car to the experts! No experience is required and trips
include special guides to challenge and entertain the children while parents
relax by the campfire. River rafting is a wonderful alternative to the
family vacation in the car and might be the refresher needed by adventuresome
parents and kids.
Ever feel like running
away and becoming a cowboy? Why not do it for a week or two? Dude ranches
have an easy-going and relaxed atmosphere, but without the chores and hard
work of becoming a full-time cowboy. A week on a ranch offers close-to-nature
activities for all ages and interests. Dude ranches are an excellent option
for families, multi-generational travel and family reunions. Ranchers are
generally down-to-earth, cheerful and friendly and their very nature is
to guide their guests to see the best parts of ranching life - from swimming
to fly fishing to river rafting day trips, horseback riding, cookouts,
dances under the stars, mountain biking, sitting by a stream and reading
by the campfire. By the way, the ranch staff does all of the cooking, cleaning
and ranch chores – guests enjoy the easy part of life on a dude ranch!
As many cruise ships become
larger and larger, small-ship cruising has become increasingly popular.
These cruises visit every continent and corner of the world, including
Antarctica, and include the rivers of Europe, China and Russia. These voyages
have hundreds instead of the thousands of passengers onboard, unlike the
larger ships. The smaller ships are able to maneuver into smaller ports
and allow passengers to enjoy closer, more intimate experiences during
their cruise. Small-ship cruises are more casual in atmosphere and dining
styles. The focus of these cruises is the destination, not the ship. Instead
of nightly shows, casinos and formal nights, these cruise lines have special
programs with naturalists, biologists, local artists, historians, geologists
and other experts. The ships provide specialized recreation equipment,
such as Zodiacs (inflatable speedboats), kayaks, snorkeling or scuba gear,
to allow passengers to fully experience their destination. On many cruise
lines, shore excursions are included in the price of the cruise and often,
special family departures are offered with family pricing and special family
and children’s activities. Small ship cruises are a way to see an exotic
location, combined with education, fun and adventure.
As life gets busier and
adventures become more a part of our “reality," soft adventure travel offers
fun, escape and discovery to all corners of the world for people of all
ages without having to leave behind the creature comforts of good food
and a soft, comfortable bed.
Julia Elzie is a travel consultant
with Andavo Travel and specializes in family travel. For more information,
please visit her website at http://www.juliaelzie.com,
contact her by phone at (208) 362-6789 or by e-mail at jelzie@andavotravel.com.
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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:
A Journey Into The
Past of Future World
by Jill Clinevell
Shelton, Guest Contributor
Future World at Epcot is an adventure in
technology and experimentation. We can experience the thrill of blasting
off into outer space in a space shuttle, play the role of crash test dummies
as we participate in vehicle testing or find out just how powerful our
imagination can be.
Although Epcot opened twelve years after
its Magic Kingdom sibling, Epcot originated as an idea of Walt Disney’s
many years earlier. Walt believed EPCOT Center, as it was originally dubbed,
to be the most important part of his Florida project. He envisioned a working
city where the brightest ideas of science and technology came together.
However, since Walt Disney died years before Epcot was to be built, Imagineers
were forced to reconsider his vision and go forward with a revised plan.
Epcot was to be divided into two “lands:” Future World, where the latest
technology was displayed and where we were allowed glimpses into the future,
and the World Showcase.
As technology has evolved and the future
that had been envisioned was not coming to pass, some of the older, original
attractions were viewed to be quaint but passé. So, several were
revised or completely razed to make room for newer, more thrilling attractions.
As with most Walt Disney World and Disneyland attractions, these original
rides held a special place in the hearts of many fans that were sad to
see them changed or replaced. But in true Disney fashion, the Imagineers
have some nostalgic surprises “hidden” in plain sight for those of us who
look closely.
Mission: SPACE is a thrilling simulated
space flight that allows guests to experience technology never before offered
to the general public. It not only displays state-of-the-art technical
capabilities but also gives guests arguably one of the biggest thrills
in the World. But before Mission: SPACE even dreamed of thrilling thousands
of guests a day, Horizons was a headliner attraction at Future World.
Horizons opened on October 1, 1983: one
year to the day after EPCOT Center’s opening. Guests boarded omni-mover
vehicles with side-mounted cabins. (Visitors faced side-ways instead of
straight ahead.) Horizons, sponsored by G.E., explored the notion of life
in the 21st century and the possibilities of living under the sea, in a
space colony and on a desert farm. The ride culminated in the guests choosing
the method by which to return to the 20th century: land, sea or space.
Horizons closed on January 9, 1999 to the dismay of many loyal fans.
Today, however, fans who are searching
for a fossil of this bygone attraction can find the old Horizons logo prominently
displayed on the gift shop counter in the Mission: SPACE shop and also
on the center of the gravity wheel in the queue. Interestingly, the gravity
wheel itself is a set piece from the old film, Mission to Mars, also an
extinct ride as well as predecessor to Mission: SPACE, at the Magic Kingdom.
The mission control room at the end of the queue in Mission: SPACE is a
tribute to a comparable set in Mission to Mars as well.
Another relatively new, but wildly popular
attraction in Future World is Test Track. Guests enjoy riding along
through vehicle testing grounds and racing around the partially exposed
track. But before Test Track, guests explored the idea of traveling in
vehicles inside the World of Motion. Also sponsored by General Motors,
World of Motion was a fun jaunt through history with scenes depicting travel
from walking, through the invention of the wheel and on to cars and motorcycles.
There were two speed rooms in which the visitor felt as if he or she was
speeding underwater, in the air and through the world of computers. The
final sequence was a pass by a mirror in which the guest was reflected
riding in a futuristic car, a tip of the hat to the Haunted Mansion ghost
hitchhiker scene.
Inside the new Test Track queue you can
find a car that was originally displayed in World of Motion, up on blocks
and stripped down to its frame. A pig from World of Motion relocated to
California in 1996 and took up residence in Disneyland’s Pirates of the
Caribbean!
Journey Into Imagination With Figment has
a long-standing history in Future World. It opened in October 1983 with
Dreamfinder, a happy, imaginative character who invents Figment, a little
purple dragon-like creature with tiny wings and yellow eyes who helps us
explore our imagination. There was a revision in 1999 in which Dreamfinder
was removed completely and Figment only made two cameo appearances. This
disappointed many Epcot guests who had fond memories of this classic attraction.
So in 2002 there was a second revision and Figment was again center stage,
but Dreamfinder was still absent.
In tribute to the beloved Dreamfinder,
Imagineers have labeled a door in the attraction, immediately following
the Smell Lab, “Dean Finder.” The Dream Vehicle in which Dreamfinder and
Figment ride in the original attraction can be found now on a shelf near
the ceiling in the MouseGear shop in Future World. And a large representation
of the sheet music to the original theme song, “One Little Spark,” is seen
in the climactic scene of the ride.
As old favorites are revised or replaced
with time, we can’t help but feel nostalgic about the ones that are no
more. But most of the time, if we look closely, we might just find a surprise
“hidden” in plain sight.
Jill is a former schoolteacher
and a stay-at-home mom of two little Disney princesses. She and her
family love learning about Disney secrets and history and are currently
planning their next trip to the World, a Grand Gathering, for later this
year.
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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. |
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