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 In
This Newsletter
From the Authors:
Free Shipping Weekend
Travel Feature:
Globe Theatre
Disney Feature:
Unexpected Pleasures & Treasures of Walt Disney World
Updates: What's
New and Changed
Tips:
Pack Extra Power, Luggage Locator, Awesome Autographs
Captain's Corner: Real Slow Mower
Q&A: How
do I avoid over-packing for my seven-night cruise?
Our Sponsors: We Recommend...
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Updates:
What's
New and Changed
Here are a few items of relevant news:
The Patina Restaurant Group has been
announced as the operators of the table service restaurant replacing Alfredo's
at Epcot's Italy pavilion. The Patina Group currently operates a number of
restaurants at Disneyland's Downtown Disney, including Naples Ristorante e
Pizzeria, and Catal. The restaurant is scheduled to open on September 1 although the name
and the menu have not been announced.
The Sounds Like Summer Concert Series,
featuring cover bands, returns to the America Gardens Theater at Epcot this
summer from June 11 - August 12. The schedule (subject to change):
June 11--17 - Kevin White (Garth Brooks)
June 18--24 - Stayin' Alive (Bee Gees)
June 25--July 1 - Slippery When Wet (Bon
Jovi)
July 2--8 - Charlene Bedassie
(Aretha Franklin)
July 9--17 - Bjorn Again (ABBA)
July 18--24 - Hotel California (The
Eagles)
July 25--29 - 52nd Street (Billy Joel)
July 30--Aug. 5 - Captain Fantastic
(Elton John)
Aug. 5--12 - Transit Authority (Chicago)
A Mother's Day Champagne Brunch
will be held on Sunday, May 13, 2007 from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm at
Epcot's World ShowPlace pavilion. (The pavilion is located between
the Canada and United Kingdom pavilions.) The brunch includes one
complimentary glass of champagne for guests 21 and over, as well as
omelet and carving stations, breakfast foods, and a children's
buffet. The price for guests age 10 and up is $45.99 (gratuity
included) and for guests ages 3-9 is $19.99. Guests on the Dining
Plan can use two table service credits per person for this meal.
Disney Cruise Line and Meyer Werft
Shipyards of Germany have signed the formal construction contract
for the two new ships
announced in February. The ships, each weighing in at 124,000
GRT (gross register tons), will be 50% larger than the cruise line's
Magic and Wonder, and are scheduled to be delivered in 2011 and
2012.
Our thanks to AllEars.net
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
Our readers deliver a wealth of information! Here
are the winners in this month's tip contest:
PACK EXTRA POWER
"I always bring an extension cord or power strip on vacation to charge all of
our electronics: cell phone, camera, laptop, DVD player, iPods, etc. The rooms
don't always have enough outlets and they are often in inconvenient places."
-- contributed by Julie P.
LUGGAGE LOCATOR
"When packing your suitcase, put some type of Identification on the inside
of the case. Tape it to one of the sides. Luggage tags may come off and this way
there is a way to contact you in case your luggage is lost."
-- contributed by Buffy B.
AWESOME AUTOGRAPHS
"Have you ever wondered what to do with the autographs our kids collect at
Disney? Well, I scan them into my computer and use them as the background for
our scrapbook pages of our trip. I also made my daughter a great shirt with all
the signatures. I just printed them on special T-shirt transfer paper and ironed
them on! And the best part is that I can remake the shirt as she gets bigger, or
if something happens to the other one!"
-- contributed by Jennifer M.
Notes: Send
us your tips ! You may see them in this newsletter and win a copy of
PassPorter!
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 or the PassPorter store. 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.
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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 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 come down with spring fever and I want to spend all my time outside. I've even got the urge to mow some grass ... any grass will do. I asked Billy Bowlegs if he'd let me use his lawn mower, but he says he left it somewhere and can't find it. He says his mower was too slow, anyway."
Where is Billy Bowlegs real slow mower?
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 Janiejake who was the winner of last week's treasure
hunt game! Janiejake correctly named the Harmony Barber Shop in the Magic Kingdom as
the location of Alexander's and the Captain's 'Mickey Head' hair-dos. To view the original clue, see
last week's
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
Jack Skatt. Get more details on "PassPorter's Treasure Hunts at Walt Disney World" book
at http://www.passporterstore.com.
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Q
& A:
With Jennifer and Dave
rescuesk asks:
"I learned a few thousand trips ago to make a packing list,
edit it and then stick to the edited version so that I don't overpack. Always
worked in the past. Then along comes this seven-night cruise and blows my whole theory
up! So ... how do you decide
what to take and what to leave home?"
Dave & Jennifer answer: "I always overpack, but I never
exceed my one-bag self-imposed limit. One trick is to select items that will
mix-and-match so you can re-use items you'll only be wearing for a couple of
hours at a time. Another is to choose casual items that will be as suitable in
the evening (changing after dinner) as they are during the day. Don't forget you
can run a load of laundry or buy something in the gift shop or in port if it
turns out you packed too little.
You probably can get away with the same amount of "emergency" extras as you
carried for shorter trips (for those white capri/red fruit punch moments) - you
don't need a fresh emergency change for every day of the trip (unless you're a
real klutz). As a guy, I manage to get along with fewer items by bringing only
"sport shorts" that double as swim suits.
I also apply a discipline I learned as a backpacker -- set a limit, gather all
the stuff you think you'll need, then start paring away items until you get down
to your limit. "Do I really need this? How can I get more use out of each
item I carry?" One backpacking trick that can work is to plan on only shorts for
daytime use, but carry one pair of lightweight, windproof pull-over long pants
to cover those times when wind or temperatures dip a bit (in evenings, on cool,
windy days, etc.) They rinse-out and air dry very quickly, and it never gets so
cold on a Caribbean cruise that you need greater warmth. They may even be enough
for a wintertime flight home, assuming you'll only be out in the cold for a few
minutes. You can pack several pair of these in the space occupied by a single
pair of jeans.
Good luck!"
Have a question? Post questions at
http://www.passporterboards.com
-- and if you're lucky, you may find that folks have already asked and
answered the same question that's on your mind!
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Future
Newsletters:
Want
To See Your Name in Print?
PassPorter News is published
weekly, and this means we're always in need of articles! 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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Our Sponsors:
We Recommend...
PassPorter only accepts advertising from services of the highest quality -- we recommend these companies because we use them ourselves. Please support our sponsors and, in turn, support this
newsletter! This week's sponsors are (in order of appearance):
MouseEarVacations.com -- Disney Cruise Line special offers
Mouse Fan Travel -- Magic Your Way with FREE Dining
ALL STAR Vacation Homes -- Choose from more than 150 homes within four miles of
Disney World
Thank you, sponsors!
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From the Authors:
Free Shipping Weekend
Hi, {{user("firstname")}}!
Rather than mope about April's rain showers, we're celebrating them (and our return to spring) with a free shipping weekend! Here are the details:
Get free USPS Media Mail shipping in the PassPorter Store from now to Monday, April 30, 2007. Just select Media Mail as your shipping method -- no coupon or discount code needed. Free Media Mail shipping expires at midnight ET on Monday and is only valid for shipment within the U.S. This is a great time to get a new cruise guide, pick up the 2007 edition of PassPorter Walt Disney World, or upgrade to a deluxe. This offer only applies to orders placed between 12 pm ET (noon) on Thursday, April 26 and 11:59 pm ET on Monday, April 30 -- we cannot apply this offer retroactively. Order your new books at: http://www.passporterstore.com/store
PassPorter's Club recently celebrated its first month anniversary and we're amazed to report that we now have nearly 450 Club passholders! Once again you've surprised us with your enthusiasm for our projects. Here are some of the comments we've received from passholders about PassPorter's Club:
"What an awesome addition to the in-hand PassPorter ... you rock!" "The ebooks and worksheets look fantastic -- what a wonderful reason to have to plan maaaaany more future WDW holidays." "I just signed up and am already loving the worksheets." "Thanks for all the e-worksheets, this is great!!" "This is A+." "I just said to DH, 'This is SOOOOO COOL!'" "Wow, this is just amazing. Outstanding job!" "This was a great idea. There is so much helpful information!" "This is awesome. I can't believe I put off joining up for so long."
Thank you, Club passholders, for your support! We'd love to hear from YOU with your thoughts on PassPorter's Club -- whether you have yet to join, are currently a passholder, or have unsubscribed. You'll find a quick survey at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=445793700189
Not entirely sure what PassPorter's Club is all about? PassPorter's Club is "all-you-can-read" access to ALL of our popular e-books (currently five, including our just-released "PassPorter's Free-Book" with 150+ free and low-cost things to do at Walt Disney World), access to a huge library of
interactive e-worksheets that you can fill-in and print-out to make your
vacation planning and park time even more effective and enjoyable, and more. A one-month
subscription to PassPorter's
Club costs the same as just one e-book ($4.95). You can save
even more with an annual membership at $44.95, which gets you every e-book we
release and e-worksheet we create for a full year plus the right to
invent and commission a customized e-worksheet for the e-worksheet library, all
at no extra charge! Get all the details at:
http://www.passporter.com/club
Meet us in person: Will you be at July's
MagicMeets event in Harrisburg,
Pennsylvania? We sure will! We'll be on hand to meet, greet, and maybe put on a
presentation or two. Alas, if you aren't already registered for MagicMeets, you
won't be able to join us there. The event sold-out in ten short days (before we
could even announce our participation). But if you did sign-up, surprise! We'll
be seeing you there!
Hear us on the radio: Dave Marx makes a return visit to KGNO 1370 AM
in Dodge City, Kansas on May 8. Tune into "Live & Local" with Keith Tallent, at
8:05 am Central time. Be ready with your Disney questions -- we will be taking
call-ins.
In this issue, Feature Columnist
Cheryl Pendry visits London's reconstructed Globe Theatre
to commune with Shakespeare's legacy, and Disneyland "native" Kath Davis revels
in Walt Disney World's Unexpected Pleasures & Treasures. Enjoy!
Jennifer and Dave
PassPorter Publishers and Authors
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Did You Know?
Great Cruise Rates are available at
MouseEarVacations.com!
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Travel
Feature:
The Globe Theatre
by Cheryl Pendry, PassPorter
Feature
Columnist
William
Shakespeare is a name that's known throughout the world. Regarded by many as the
best writer in history, his work has been translated into just about every
language in the world. Many of us no doubt studied one of his plays at school
and perhaps some of us even performed them.
Of course, the plays were also performed in Shakespeare's day and
if you were in London in the early 1600's, the chances are if you wanted to
catch a play, you'd have headed for the Globe Theatre on the banks of the River
Thames, just opposite St. Paul's Cathedral. Now 400 years on, visitors to London
can once again head for the Globe and see how it would have looked in
Elizabethan times.
That's due to the vision of one man. American actor and director
Sam Wanamaker came to London in 1949, expecting to find some sort of monument to
the Globe Theatre, but instead he found nothing to mark the site where the
theatre had once stood. From then on, it became his life’s mission to put that
right. However, Sam didn’t just have some simple statue in mind as a memorial to
what was there 400 years earlier. He had a much grander vision, one that
involved bringing the Globe back to life for a new generation of theater goers.
It's often easier to have an idea than make it a reality, and that
proved to be the case with the Globe. I won't spoil the story, as it's
beautifully told in the visitor exhibition at the Globe, but let's just say that
building work didn't start on site until 1987, with the construction of the
theatre only getting underway six years later in 1993. Sam Wanamaker lived long
enough to see that construction start, but sadly he died the same year, without
seeing his project completed.
Construction took another four years, but since 1997, every summer has
seen performances of some of Shakespeare's greatest works in exactly the same
way that they would have been viewed in the days of Elizabethan England. The
original Globe was burnt to the ground in 1613, after a fire started in its
thatched roof. A mere 50 years later, much of the capital suffered a similar
fate in the Great Fire of London. Ever since then, no thatched roofs had been
permitted in the city, until the Globe that is. Just another example of the
faithfulness of this reconstruction is the fact that there's no roof over
the middle of the theatre. So, when you go to see
a play there, you're at the mercy of the Great British weather -- and anyone
who's ever been to London knows that can mean rain at any time of the year. If
you're seated, it shouldn't be too much of a problem, but for those standing,
they could get wet during a downpour!
So how does the theatre work? There are seats, arranged in three
semi-circular tiers, costing between £12 and £32 ($24-$64 at the current exchange rate), or if you really want to experience a taste of
theatre in days gone by, you can buy tickets for as little as £5 ($10) and stand in
the "Yard" in front of the stage to watch the action.
Even if you pay for a seat, you're welcome to wander down and join the standing
crowd at any time you want to, but it's not for the faint of heart.
It's not just the building that's been recreated to how it would
have been in Shakespeare's day. The plays have been as well, and that means
interaction between the actors and those in the standing area. According to the
guide who showed us around the theatre, this can mean some jokes at your
expense, especially if you're near the stage. It's certainly a unique theatre-going experience. Where else in the world can you get taunted by the people
you've gone to watch?
As well as theatre performances during the summer months,
visitors can learn more about the Globe all year round. The Globe Exhibition is
the most extensive in the world dedicated to Shakespeare and takes you back in
time to give you an idea about the man himself, those who performed in his plays,
and the way of life at that time. Once you've learned about the history of the
original Globe, you then find out about the struggle to build the new Globe
Theatre.
As part of the exhibition, you'll also be taken on a guided tour
of the theatre and this is perhaps the most fascinating part of any visit to the
Globe. Your guide explains how plays are
performed and points out how things would have been in Elizabethan days.
Let's just say after hearing her descriptions, I feel very glad that we have
modern restrooms!
Tours begin every 15-30 minutes during opening hours, and once
you've finished your tour you can go back into the exhibition and spend as much
time as you wish. It’s a good idea to allow at least 1.5 hours for the exhibition and the tour.
If you're interested in the history of
London and England's greatest writer, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre should
definitely be on your list of places to visit.
The exhibition is open all year, except for Christmas Eve and
Christmas Day. Outside of the summer season, opening times are 10 am until 5 pm,
with theatre tours at all times. During the summer performance season, which
this year runs from May 6 until October 9, the exhibition is open from 9 am until
5 pm, but if you want to take the theatre tour, you'll have to arrive in the
morning. During the afternoon, when matinee performances are taking place in the
theatre, visitors are instead taken to the nearby site of the Rose Theatre.
Admission for the exhibits and tour costs £9 for adults, £7.50 for seniors and students,
£6.50 for children aged 5 -- 15, with family tickets for two adults and three
children £25. For more information, visit
http://www.shakespeares-globe.org
About the Author: Cheryl and husband Mark live in England
and love to travel, particularly to America. They're regular visitors to London
and are now looking forward to setting sail on Disney's first cruise around the
Mediterranean in May.
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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 travel plans. Also check out our
Article Collection for more great information!
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Disney Feature:
Unexpected Pleasures &
Treasures of Walt Disney World
by
Kath Davis, PassPorter Guest Columnist
My husband Randy and I have only been home for one week from our first trip
to Walt Disney World. We still haven't had a chance to organize the 900+
pictures that we took into a (much) smaller slide show to present to family and
friends. But we are still talking about some of the unknown treasures that we
discovered in Walt Disney World.
Don't get me wrong. We bought
our first PassPorter about a year before our trip, and then bought the new
edition when it was available. (Having two PassPorters made those long planning
evenings much easier.) But even with our careful study of the PassPorter books
and message boards, we "discovered" a few things that either were not
uncovered
in our research, or that we thought were undervalued. Read on to learn about
some of the things we think you should be sure to seek out at Walt Disney
World.
Future World's "Inventor's Circle"
Why isn't
this on any map? As you pass from Epcot's fountain plaza to Future World West
and approach The Land, look down. Set into the pavement are
concentric circles. Within these circles are round plaques celebrating great
inventions, from the wheel all the way through the microcomputer. There is a
central hub with four fascinating quotes from scientists, and the inventions
radiate from there, like planets in a solar system. We spent quite a while
wandering back and forth, with our gaze downward, exclaiming over dates we
didn't know, or even disputing a few allegations. I am sure we looked crazy to
the people who had to maneuver around us, but we were amazed that no one stopped
to see what it was that had captured our attention so keenly. If you are at all
interested in science, you need to go find this!
The
posters in the queue for Mickey's PhilharMagic at the Magic Kingdom
We had to
let people in the queue pass us, because we were more interested in getting
photos of these posters than in getting to the main event, and later we went
back to get a few more! Mickey's PhilharMagic ended up being one of our favorite
attractions at Walt Disney World, and these posters really "plussed" the
package. Imagine old-style theater posters, with familiar Disney characters
spotlighted for musical performances: "Genie Sings the Blues," "I Pagliacci" performed by Willy the Whale,
and "Ariel's Coral Group." Classic Disney art with
tongue placed firmly in cheek, and not to be missed.
Canadians really are the friendliest people in the world ... or in the World.
OK, we
could be prejudiced on this one; Randy is from Canada. But one of the reasons I
fell in love with him is that he is so darn nice! We found that the students who
work at the Canadian pavilion and its Le Cellier restaurant were the friendliest group in any of
the parks, and particularly in World Showcase. We actually had one negative
encounter with a cast member in the World Showcase (I won't tell which country),
but even in the upscale Le Cellier, where you might expect some reserve, I saw
the wait staff interact in ways that went above and beyond the call of duty with
all the tables around us. Our server directed us to excellent wine pairings,
discussed his upcoming plans for a road trip to California, and cheerfully took
our picture. Who cares if the Canada film is outdated when the people are so
wonderful?
Those
fabulous cameos in the ride pre-shows
We were
not surprised to find more of Hollywood signing on to add "plus" to the ride
pre-shows (and sometimes into the rides themselves). Being Disneyland "natives," we already had enjoyed actor Patrick Warburton as the chief
steward in Soarin' Over California, and we were pleased to see that he worked
Epcot also. I can remember the days when Disney used mostly unknown voice-over
actors for their feature animation; now, half the fun of the movie is figuring
out who does that voice. With the ride pre-shows, at least you sometimes get to see the
actors, but even then, it took us a few minutes to place them out of context.
There's Ileanna Douglas as Aerosmith's manager at Rock 'n' Roller Coaster, and
John Michael Higgins as the head test engineer in Test Track. But the most
inspired cameo has to be Gary Sinise in Mission:Space. Who better to add credibility to your space mission, than the
very man who talked Ron Howard's Apollo 13 astronauts through their
dangerous re-entry procedure?
Port
Orleans horse-drawn carriages
Here is
one delight that is mentioned in PassPorter, as well as in the resort
literature that you receive upon checking in. But mere words can not describe the
sound of the carriage wheels and the horse's hoofs clopping on the pavement
within the buildings of the resort. We did not have the time to take a ride
ourselves, but we were fortunate enough to be in our room, changing for dinner,
when we heard the horse go right by our door! Our room in the French Quarter was
at the corner of two small streets, streets just wide enough for the horse and
carriage. I had imagined that the carriage ride would be along the riverbank,
between the resorts, but it actually wends through the resort buildings, and in
the French Quarter at least, it was unspeakably romantic. A carriage ride will
go to the top of my list for our next trip!
Mosaics inside Cinderella Castle
Although
Cinderella Castle dominated our experience of the Magic Kingdom, we did not take the
time to walk through it until we were leaving the park, technically after the
park had closed. We were delighted and amazed at the gorgeous mosaics that tell
Cinderella's story. Five large mosaics composed of small glass tiles, set in
arches in the wall of the walkway, tell the story of Cinderella. The colors are
breathtaking and the level of detail is astonishing. Many shades
of blue are used to give the texture of running water to a stream; the ball
gowns have intricate
patterns "woven" into the fabric; the floor of the ballroom is multi-colored
parquet. Some of the tiles are as small as a centimeter, and many fuse real gold
and sterling silver with the glass to give Cinderella the "royal" treatment.
Again, we spent many minutes here, drinking in the colors and artistry. We had
to take pictures of the the whole mosaics and close-ups of the details. I look forward to
seeing them by daylight next time.
One
quality that keeps us constantly delighted at Disneyland and Walt Disney World
is the detail that the company puts into the experience. When I was on Sunset
Boulevard in Disney-MGM Studios, I knew that Hollywood in
the 1930s looked just like this ... at least, I hope it did! Many of the
treasures mentioned here aren't what we'd call attractions; we think of them as
things that enhance the experience, which Walt always strove for. I think he
would have enjoyed reading my list, and knowing how much we appreciate that
extra effort.
About the Author: Kath Davis is the executive director for a non-profit youth
orchestra in Orange County California. Randy telecommutes as a global test analyst for a
company based in New York, and spends a lot of time in Tokyo. They haven't
wrangled at trip to Tokyo Disneyland yet, but there is still hope!
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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 vacation plans. Also check out our
Article Collection for more great information!
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You Know?
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pool & Disney ticket specials with every reservation!!
Special for PassPorter News readers:
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