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In
This Newsletter
From the Authors:
Spring Fever
Travel Feature:
Key
Largo & Islamorada
Disney Feature: How
To Make The Most Of Meeting With Mickey
Updates: What's
New and Changed
Tips: Shutters
Shuffle, Different Dinner, Adults Alone?
Captain's Corner: Toontown
Patriarch
Q&A: How
can a single parent ride with two young children?
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Updates:
What's
New and Changed
Here are a few of the new developments at Disney·
At 9:02 a.m. on Tuesday May 2, 2006, Disneyland welcomed
it's two-billionth guest (yes, billionth with a "b!") to visit a
Disney theme park. Lucky 12 year-old Emmalee Mason from Colorado Springs,
Colorado was the honored with a golden key and a lifetime pass to every Disney
park in the world. Lifetime passes were also given to Emmalee's entire
family of 10, yes 10, people including Emmalee, her parents, six siblings and
one soon-to-be sibling. Talk about a baby gift! On
Tuesday, Disney announced that, "by the beginning of summer," Epcot guests will
have two Mission: Space experiences to choose from. Both versions will
make the
same journey to Mars, but in one version, the centrifuge-based
simulator ride will not spin at all! No g-forces, no air sickness bags needed -
just the thing for anyone with motion sickness or many of the health
concerns Disney lists on its warning signs for the attraction. All guests will
enter the same queue, and once inside will be given their choice of ride
experience. This isn't the first time Disney has done this for a simulator-based
attraction, but it's the first time it's a full-time option. By request, Star Tours can also be experienced without the motion
effects for the benefit of those in wheelchairs and with other special needs. Jennifer and Dave were recently interviewed
for a podcast by Mike Scopa, Matt Hochberg, and Mike Newell from
http://www.wdwtoday.com. Episode
94 is available for download now! Check it out for information on upcoming
books, and a behind-the- scenes look at the making of PassPorter.
PassPorter's Walt Disney World for Your Special
Needs authors Deb Wills and Debra Martin
Koma will be appearing on Comcast Network (CN8) Tuesday May 9.
They'll be on "Your Morning," a news/magazine program that runs from 9:00
am - 11:00 am. Deb and Deb will be discussing Disney on a Budget. Unfortunately,
we don't know when the segments will appear during those hours. If you
have Comcast On Demand, you may be able to catch the program in the Get
Local section of the On Demand listings. Comcast's CN8 is available in
much of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast on Comcast cable systems in and
around Richmond VA, Baltimore MD, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and
New England. If you're a Comcast subscriber, we hope you'll tune in!
Our thanks to AllEarsNet.com
from which we get some of our news leads.
>Things To Do: Hear some news?
Send it to us at
news@passporter.com
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Disney
Tips:
From Fellow Readers
Our readers deliver a wealth of information! Here
are the winners in this month's tip contest:
SHUTTERS SHUFFLE
"On the Disney Cruise, at Shutters gather your pictures
daily in one place for easy selection at the end of your cruise."
-- contributed by Beth A. (blabak2@...)
DIFFERENT DINNER
"For a change of pace from the hustle and bustle
at Disneyland, there is an Old Spaghetti Factory in Fullerton. It is just
a five minute drive from Disneyland down Harbor Blvd. Just go north on Harbor
to the rail road tracks and it it there on your right. The food is really
good and the price is family affordable."
-- contributed by Tim T. (timsforgiven@...)
ADULTS ALONE?
"If at all possible, allow yourself at least one
trip without your children. You will see Walt Disney World in a whole new
light. It is an opportunity for you to be a kid again if only for a few
days."
-- contributed by Debbie A. (debmeg29@...)
>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:
"In my continuing exploration of Disney statuary,
I ventured over to Mickey's Toontown Fair in search of it. Red Barns had
mentioned that a statue of the founder and mayor of Toontown Fair was in
the town square and I had to see this for myself. Interestingly, the founder
and mayor of Mickey's Toontown Fair is not Mickey Mouse himself. The statue
itself was easy to locate and Toontown's residents seem to take pride in
it. Did you know the founder of Toontown is also the great-great-great-grandfather
of Huey, Dewey, and Louie?"
Who is depicted in the Toontown Fair statue?
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 Julie Dunlap who was the winner
of last week's treasure hunt game! Julie correctly identified the statue
as being of Cornelius Coot, the great-great-great-grandfatjer of Huey,
Dewey, and Louie. 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.
The new "PassPorter's Treasure Hunts at Walt Disney World" book is now
available! You can order the book today at http://www.passporterstore.com.
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Q
& A:
With Jennifer and Dave
dattman86 asks: "Our family is going to Disney
World in July. We have two younger children who may often need to be back
at the hotel for naps. I am looking for ideas on how to take my 7 year
old twins on rides by myself, especially those rides that will only seat
two at a time like Space Mountain. I don't want to leave them to ride alone
for obvious reasons. Any suggestion on this dilemma?"
Jennifer and Dave answer: "There's no easy
answer if you want to sit alongside your children. However, in almost all
cases, it's easy to sit right behind them. That'll certainly work for all
the Mountains. They're small enough that you can probably fit all three
of you into Buzz (although only two can shoot) and Haunted Mansion. The
only rides that this wouldn't work well for would be Dumbo, Astro Orbitor,
and Tomorrowland Indy Speedway. Moving to the other parks, you'll be completely
cool. Sit a row behind on Rock 'n' Roller Coaster, Triceratop Spin, and
Expedition: Everest, everything else will allow at least three abreast."
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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From
the Authors: Spring Fever
Hi, {{user("firstname")}}!
Are we obsessed with the outdoors now that
spring has truly come to our corner of Michigan? You bet! The woods out back
morphed from bare branches to a dense, fresh green in just the past week, we
finally had to mow the lawn Sunday (and darn, it looks like it needs it
again!), and we finished-up pressure washing and staining
our deck (a two-week project). It looks gooooood! We're sure many of you can
relate, and hope you, too, have been making the most of the season.
Meantime, it's very quiet here in the office.
Nicky and Chad, who you met last week in this newsletter, are off on a very
brief brother/sister trip to Walt Disney World, thanks to an unbelievable $16
roundtrip, last-minute airfare from Spirit Airlines. Add-in an Annual Pass
discount on their room, and they were golden! They'd have had to spend
more on gas for a drive to Ohio's Cedar Point
for this Saturday's Opening Day (May 6)! Folks, if your favorite airlines
offer e-mail newsletters, be sure to subscribe. You don't know what kind of
last-minute deals you may be missing!
On the business front, we popped into our local Borders book store the other
night, and found four different PassPorter books on the shelves -
PassPorter Walt
Disney World 2006,
PassPorter's
Field Guide to the Disney Cruise Line 4th Edition,
PassPorter's Walt
Disney World for Your Special Needs, and the brand-new
PassPorter's
Treasure Hunts at Walt Disney World. As Mushu said in Disney's Mulan, "My
baby's all grown up and :::sniff::: saving China!"
We're also very happy to announce the debut of
a second PassPorter e-book,
PassPorter's Disney
Cruise Clues. This downloadable, printable file in PDF format offers 250
great tips for enjoying your Disney Cruise Line experience. And if that wasn't
enough, we throw in an incredible
collection of extras including seven different, customized packing lists and a
huge packing worksheet, comparisons between DCL and other cruise lines, shopping
resources for hard-to-find cruising items, and a pre-teen's perspective on
cruising with Disney. For just $4.95, you can't go wrong!
Next week, if we're all very lucky, we'll have
some really exciting news about our
Disneyland and
Southern California guidebook. Stay tuned!
In this edition of the newsletter, Maureen Austin takes us down the road
to Margaritaville, with the first of several articles on the
Florida Keys, and first-time contributor Terry Rohrer shares his tips for
making the most of a Meeting with Mickey and other
characters. 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 Land/Sea
Combo Deal
You asked for it, you got it! Here's a combo deal for those of you lucky
enough to be doing both Walt Disney World and the Disney Cruise Line (or
just dreaming of it). Getting the deal is simple -- just add both a cruise
guide (paperback, refill kit, or deluxe kit) AND a Walt Disney World guide
(spiral, refill kit, or deluxe kit) to your shopping cart in our online
store. At checkout, enter this code: DCLWDW, and you'll get 25% off the
list price of BOTH books.
Please note that this offer cannot be combined with other coupons, discounts,
or offers. Please also note that the discount is not valid on just the
looseleaf text sets of either the cruise guide or the Walt Disney World
guide.
Order today and save at:
http://www.passporterstore.com/store/combodeal.aspx |
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Travel
Feature:
Unlocking The Magic of The Florida Keys: Key Largo
and Islamorada
by Maureen Austin,
PassPorter Message Board Guide and Guest Contributor
When thinking about South Florida, many
think about Miami and Miami Beach. However, keep heading south and you’ll
discover a part of Florida that is unique and positively special in its
own right. Welcome to 106 miles of island beauty known as the Florida Keys. Surrounded
by the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico and Florida Bay, the Keys have
rich history that includes Spanish, British exploration and occupation.
Pirates were also known to be found around these parts back in the day,
too. Equally notorious as the Keys are some of its better known residents,
such as Tennessee Williams, Ernest Hemingway and of course, Margaritaville’s
own Jimmy Buffet.
Some refer to the Keys as America’s Caribbean.
To write a comprehensive article covering every aspect of what the Florida
Keys have to offer is like trying to eat a piece of key lime cheesecake
in one sitting - too rich to do all at once. In this article, we’ll visit
Key Largo and Islamorada.
Just about an hour’s drive south of Miami
International Airport, you can find yourself in what some consider to be
the dive capital of the world. Home of the Florida Marine National Sanctuary,
Key Largo has a long history of marine preservation. Key Largo’s many dive
spots are known for exquisite coral and friendly fish, making diving
here an experience unlike any other. Known as the “Dive Capital of the
World,” Key Largo is at the forefront of marine conservation. The nation’s
first undersea preserve, John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, was created
here in 1960. Spear-fishing and coral collection has been banned here for
over 40 years, resulting in incredible marine life – an underwater photographer’s
Eden!
If you have a fondness for staying on top
of the water with a reel, you’ll feel right at home in Key Largo. Although
many areas in the sanctuaries are off limits with respect to fishing, there
are other areas to cast into. Charters offer many outstanding opportunities
to take in deep sea fishing, where the catch are some of the world’s
most sought-after fish. Tarpon and grouper are just a couple of the prized catches in Key Largo.
Animal lovers and eco-enthusiasts will
enjoy many activities and tours in Key Largo. Many private tour operators
conduct guided expeditions exploring wildlife and environments, including
animals and plant life indigenous to the Keys.
If shopping or art are more your style,
you’ll have no trouble finding paradise in Key Largo. Each April,
Key Largo hosts the Art Guild Outdoor Festival, showcasing works of local
artists. In any season, quaint stores await the shopping enthusiast.
Accommodations range from charming cottages
and family run motels to camping at John Pennekamp State Park,
which has some of the best diving the Keys has to offer.
Continuing south, you’ll reach Islamorada.
Sport fishing reigns supreme here, with most marinas hosting some of the
best pro fishers anywhere, available as guides. Choose between flats or tackle - you
are sure to land a catch you’ll remember!
Sport divers aren’t left out here either.
Tropical marine life along the coral reef abounds, providing underwater
photographers with colors one can only dream about. Alligator Reef is the
home to the sunken USS Alligator,
a 12-gun schooner scuttled in 1822.
Boat enthusiasts will find a wide variety
of watercraft rentals for plying the blue waters of Islamorada.
You can also take in ecotourism in Islamorada.
Head to the back country and check out alligators and manatees. Florida
sea grasses and flats also abound here. Nearby Indian Key is only accessible by
boat or private tour, and is worth the effort to get there. Here, Native
Americans walked for thousands of years.
Accommodations in Islamorada also include
camping, hotels and motels as well as condo rentals. For a change
of pace, you can also call a bed and breakfast home during your stay. Many are traditional
masonry conch houses that have unique décor
and styles all their own.
Both Key Largo and Islamorada offer activities
for everyone in the family. Children will love feeding tarpon at Robbie’s
Marina in Islamorada as well as Founder’s Park. In Key Largo, the little
ones will be sure to love the water park at Jacob’s Aquatic Center, for
a very reasonable admission price.
Savvy travelers and travel enthusiasts
will find these Keys web sites helpful.
http://www.fla-keys.com/keylargo/
http://www.fla-keys.com/islamorada/
http://www.thefloridakeys.com/index.html
http://www.pennekamppark.com/
In our next article, we’ll continue on
our journey as we explore Marathon and Big Pine Key.
Maureen Austin is co-owner
of Grand Getaways Travel
and a proud Florida native. Born in South Florida and having lived all
over the state, she enjoys writing about the Sunshine State's many attractions
and natural beauty.
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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.
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Disney
Feature:
How To Make The Most Of
Your Meeting With Mickey
by Terry Rohrer,
Guest Contributor
You have made the big decision
to take your kids to Disney World. For months you have been planning on
how to get there, where to stay and how much money to budget for souvenirs.
You are making the kids watch every Disney movie ever made so they will
know all the characters.
So you arrive at the Magic Kingdom,
and after walking through the gates and past the train station, you appear
on Main Street U.S.A. The kids are excited and next thing you know you
are in line to get autographs and pictures of two mice in dresses. But
your brain freezes - you don’t remember their names! You realize that you
don’t have anything to write with or on, and suddenly before your camera
is ready, it is your turn. Now the kids freeze and try to hide inside your
shorts. Just then, you notice the other parents and kids waiting for their
turn. You panic and hold the kids or even take them up close to get the
picture. When you get home, the only picture you have of your children’s
first visit to Disney World is of them crying and trying to run away from
two mice. I’m going to give you some tips to prevent this scene and help
create lifetime memories.
Getting the perfect picture with
the Characters takes a little planning and some great timing. It all starts
before you leave. There is no “magic” age that makes kids want to run up
to Mickey or even just not run away from the famous mouse. A good
place to have a test run is at your mall at Christmas or Easter or at your
local Chuck E. Cheese’s. If they do not want to get close to the Easter
Bunny, then you may have the reaction I mentioned earlier and you may want
to wait before you take that big vacation. On the other hand, if they run
up to Chuck E. Cheese and want to talk, play or even dance, then be ready
for a great vacation.
So now that you know your child
is ready, a little planning is in order. Before you go to Disney World
rent, buy or borrow any Disney movie you can get your hands on. This will
help you as you run into different characters. With a little searching,
I found which characters would be out greeting guests, and where some of
them would appear before we went. But as with all things Disney, this is
subject to change. So just because you found a message board or blog where someone
said they found Snow White next to her attraction in the Magic Kingdom,
does not mean that she will be there during your vacation. Disney changes
the character schedule all the time.
Not all characters appear regularly
each day. If after watching all those Disney movies, they have their heart
set on meeting Aladdin and Jasmine, Disney has a way for you to find out
if and when they will be appearing. Ask any cast member wearing
a pin displaying Mickey’s white glove. They have a schedule of where and
when all the characters will make their appearances that day.
Also, on each of the park maps,
there will be locations marked with the same Mickey’s white glove icon. If the
map shows that Captain Hook will be near the Pirates of the Caribbean but you get there and don’t see him, just ask any cast member in the area
and they will be happy to help. You may not realize you are 10 feet from
where he will be, but that you’re just a little early. Don’t panic, and before
you know it he will appear and be ready to sign an autograph and have
his picture taken with all of you.
All of the Disney characters will
have a “greeter” with them. This is a cast member that will help keep everyone
who is waiting to see the characters in line, and the best part is if you
ask them, they will take a picture of your entire family with the character.
I find, like many unofficial family photographers, that when I get home
I am not in any of the pictures! With a little help from the greeter, this
doesn't have to happen. Also, do not let the line or
anxious kids behind you make you hurry and miss something. Be sure to make
a list of characters that you want to see, and once you find them, take
all the time you want within reason.
There are a few other things you
can do to enhance your experience. Be sure to have something that the characters
can sign. Disney sells autograph books at almost every store. My wife,
who enjoys scrapbooking, took a small spiral bound card stock book and
Sharpie markers for them to sign with. Your PassPorter also includes several
pages for autographs. Keep in mind, some characters wear
very large gloves or some may not be able to sign at all. Keep a thick
marker with you as these are easier for the characters to hold. If the
characters cannot sign, they often have a rubber stamp they can use.
So you’ve waited in line, and it
is finally your turn with the character. Most everyone will send his or
her kids up to ask for an autograph. Be sure to have your camera ready. Some of the best photos I have ever seen are
taken during the moments before the "big pose," when they first get to see their favorite star. This is when you will get the
best smiles and the most candid photos. Your child does not have to be
facing the camera to get a great picture. Be sure to get a picture of
the big hug, which they will talk about long after you are home.
Now, to make this few minutes even
more memorable, be sure to let your children talk to the characters. You
will see most parents send the child up, they get the autograph, turn for
the picture and then the parents say “Let’s go!” Instead, take a minute
and have them or even you, ask some questions. You will get some great
reactions! Ask Minnie why Mickey has not married her yet. Tell Donald
that you think Mickey is number 1. Don’t be scared to say “Tick, tock, tick, tock” around Captain Hook. Be sure to ask Belle what her favorite
book is. You will be amazed at what some of the reactions or answers will
be! You will create memories that will last a lifetime.
Our son loved talking to the princesses
and interacting with them. He took his Beauty and the Beast book for Belle
to read to him. He would wait in line, and then when it was his turn he
would let her read a page. After that, he would go to the back of the line
and wait his turn for her to read another page. We have a ton of pictures
of Belle reading with him. He still talks about it a year after it
happened!
Another way to get a great character
interaction is to take advantage of a Character Meal. There are many different
locations and types of meals to choose from – breakfast, lunch, dinner,
even an ice cream social. Check out the Walt Disney World web
site for information and call (407) WDW-DINE to make reservations.
These meals let you enjoy some great food, and the Characters will come to your
table and interact with you and your family.
To sum it up, do a little work
before you go and let the kids talk and play with everyone you see. While
you are waiting, be sure to get your autograph book, pens, markers and
cameras ready for the moment that is about to happen. Take lots of pictures
and be sure to get all the autographs you can. Long after the vacation
you will be able to look back and say, "That is Junior with Suzy and Perla!"
(the two mice I mentioned at the beginning of the article, who made Cinderella's
gown)!
Terry is the father of
two - a 6 year old son whose eyes "light up" when talking with a Disney
Princess ,and a 17 year old daughter. Terry describes himself as "obsessed
with Disney!"
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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. |
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