 |
|
 In
This Newsletter
From the Authors: Greetings from the Big Apple!
Travel
Feature: The Smoky Mountains
Disney Feature: A Party For The Senses
Updates:
What's
New and Changed
Tips: Ice, Ice, Baby, End of Day Excitement, Double Dryers
Captain's Corner: Scary Sweets
Q&A: Should I take my good camera on shore excursions?
Our Sponsors: We Recommend...
| .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
Updates:
What's
New and Changed
Here are a few items of relevant news:
Universal Orlando's Islands of Adventure has announced plans for a new "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter" land. Set to debut in late 2009, the land will feature Hogwarts,
the Forbidden Forest and Hogsmeade Village. Locations from the
forthcoming final installment of the series may also be
included.
Celebrating a birthday or other special occasion while at Walt Disney World? Guests who wish to request a personalized cake for the occasion can now call the new "Cake Hotline"
at (407) 827-2253 and place an order. 48 hours notice is required.
Prices vary according to the type of cake chosen. A 6-inch,
non-personalized cake is available upon request at the podium of your
restaurant with no notice and costs $12.50 plus tax.
Performers for the Eat To The Beat Concert Series which
takes place during Epcot's Food & Wine Festival, have been
announced. Shows take place each night in the America Gardens Theater
at 5:45 p.m., 7:00 p.m. and 8:15 p.m. The schedule is subject to change.
September 28 - 29: Al Stewart
September 30 - October 1: Otis Day and the
Knights
October 2 - 3: The Beach Boys
October 4 - 6: The Original
Family Stone
October 7 - 9: Sheena Easton
October 10 - 13: Starship
starring Mickey Thomas
October 14 - 16: David Cassidy
October 17 - 18:
Little Richard
October 19 - 21: TBD
October 22 - 25: The Four
Tops
October 26 - 27: The Village People
October 28 - 30: The
Outlaws
October 31 - November 3: Jon Secada
November 4 - 6: Chubby
Checker and the Wildcats
November 7 - 8: The Contours featuring Sylvester
Potts
November 9 - 11: David Sanborn
Our
thanks to AllEars.net
and MousePlanet.com
from which we get some of our news leads.
>Things To Do: Hear some news?
Send it to us at
news@passporter.com
| . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . |
Disney
Tips:
From Fellow Readers
Our readers
deliver a wealth of information! Here
are the winners in this month's tip contest:
ICE, ICE, BABY
"This will sound like I'm such a cheapskate, but about a two weeks
before we leave for our trip, I start to freeze some ice cubes and store
them in a large plastic baggie every day or two until we leave. This
way, I don't have to think about buying ice bags before we leave.
We always pack our cooler the morning of our trip and this way the ice
is already at the house ready to use."
-- contributed by Camille T.
END OF DAY EXCITEMENT
"Prior to traveling to Walt Disney World I printed gift tags on my
computer using Disney font and attached them to small Disney gifts I
had purchased near my home. Each day I was the last to leave our hotel
room and I left a gift from Mickey/Goofy/Minnie/Donald to each child.
Rather than be disappointed to be going to bed they were very excited
(after the first night anyway) to see if the characters had visited
their room with a surprise. On our final morning they left a thank you
note to the characters (which I hid away to relive the memories in
years to come)!"
-- contributed by Ky R.
DOUBLE DRYERS
"When we travel to Disney I always bring a blow dryer with me and there
is usually one in the room. This way if our sneakers get wet I have a
blow dryer for each shoe. I have also used it to dry a cloth baby
carriage."
-- contributed by Jo Ann L.
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.
| . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . |
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:
"Before going to see that new At World's End show that Jack
had mentioned to me. I decided to indulge my craving for a sugary
snack. Not since rescuing my friends Hansel and Gretel have I seen a
villain with such a sweet tooth! The hag who greeted me at the door to
her candy establishment was even holding a... (the rest of the entry is
obscured by what appears to be a smear of chocolate...)"
Where did Jack go to purchase his snack and what is the "hag" featured on the establishment's sign holding?
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 Renee DeWeese who was the
winner of last week's treasure hunt game! Renee correctly
identified
the shop that Jack visited to purchase his snack as the Candy Cauldron
in Downtown Disney. The witch featured on the sign is holding a candied
apple. 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.
| . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . |
Q
& A:
With
Jennifer and Dave
kdevoe asks: "I will be going on my first cruise in May 2008. I love taking
pictures while I am on vacation, but I have one question. During the excursions
and while on the beach, should I leave my good camera on the ship and take a
disposable camera? I want to get great pictures, but I don't want to ruin my
good camera. Are there lockers on the beach or in the vicinity of the
excursions?"
Dave and Jennifer answer: "Sorry, you won't find lockers at Castaway Cay or for most excursions (there are
always exceptions, though).
A disposable is one way to go, although it
may not deliver the quality you desire. They do make fairly inexpensive
protective bags for cameras (something like a zip-lock, only better) that are
suitable for beach and moisture protection. You can shoot without removing the
camera from the bag. That might be enough for your needs. If you're worried
about security... go with something you're willing to lose."
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!
| .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
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!
| .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
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 Specials
Quicksilver Tours & Transportation
-- Save $5 off airport round-trip transportation in a town car
Thank you, sponsors!
|
|
|
|
|
From the
Authors: Remembrance
Hi,
{{user("firstname")}}!
Greetings from BookExpo America, the country's largest trade book convention. We
attend this convention annually and this year it's in the Big Apple -- New York
City! We're networking, schmoozing, and meeting new and old friends. Tomorrow is
the start of the convention itself and we've got a full schedule of book
signings (four this year!) and meetings. Sara Varney (our Newsletter Editor and
Online Coordinator), Debbie Wright (PassPorter Guide and Board E-Mail Support),
and Carolyn Tody (Jennifer's mother) are joining us to help us out. It's shaping
up to be a great event!
Reminder: PassPorter's Walt Disney World 2008 is
available for pre-order -- order now to be among the first to get your copy in
November! Pre-order at http://www.passporterstore.com/store/2008.aspx
PassPorter's
Club Update
Over 600 vacationers
are now enjoying access to all our e-books and e-worksheets -- thank
you for your continued support!
A new
e-worksheet -- DVC Points Tracker -- is available for download in the Club. We now
have more than 30 e-worksheets in our library.
New Passholder Perk Coming Soon!: Super Sized Photos! We are
testing the possibility of sharing our massive photo collection online
-- and allowing Club Passholders the ability to see the photos
super-sized (up to 25 times larger, or at a resolution of up to 2000
pixels). For more details and to see 150 super-sized, original images
of Fort Wilderness, visit The Parlor
More details at http://www.passporter.com/club
|
Peer reviewer and friend Bruce Metcalf has nearly finished his live
trip
report of his trans-Atlantic crossing and first Mediterranean itinerary cruises on the Disney
Magic. To read his live reports, visit 25 Days on the Disney Magic
Meet us in person: Will
you be at July's sold-out MagicMeets
event in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania? We sure will! We'll be on
hand to meet, greet, and maybe put on a presentation or two.
In
this issue, Michelle Clark brings us a semi-"Live" update from the inaugural Mediterranean cruise onboard the Disney Magic, and Debbie Mekler shows us how to live a Pirate's Life (or at least eat a Pirate's Meal!) at the Pirate's Dinner Adventure in Buena Park, California.
Enjoy!
Jennifer and Dave
PassPorter Publishers and Authors
|
|
Did You Know?
Great
Cruise Rates are available at
MouseEarVacations.com!
Disney Cruise
Line® Special Offer
Dec. 2-6, 2007 - MouseFest
Cruise
4 night Disney Wonder
Save up to $210* per
cabin
compared to current Disney pricing.
Click
here to get a quote for December 2, 2007
*Savings based on double occupancy. Ships' Registry: The
Bahamas
CST2058090-40 www.MouseEarVacations.com 800-886-8601
|
| |
Travel
Feature:
The Great Smoky Mountains
by Michelle Clark, PassPorter Guest Contributor
Looking for an escape from the hustle and bustle of
city life? A great destination for a weekend getaway or a family vacation is
the Great
Smoky Mountains. Situated at the North Carolina/Tennessee border, the Great Smoky Mountains or the “Smokies” are part of the Appalachian Mountains and are home to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Some 521,000 acres were set aside
as a National Park in 1934. With over 9 million visitors to the park each year,
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited National Park
in the country. This is largely due to the fact that over half of the U.S. population is located within a
day’s drive of the park. U.S. Highway 441 travels through the park and is the
most utilized route to enter the Great Smoky Mountains.
The Smokies
are a true nature preserve, with forest comprising nearly 95 percent of the national park. Approximately 1,600 black bear make their home in the park, and whitetail
deer are plentiful. Bird watchers will delight in the 200 species of birds
native to the park. Recently the National Park Service reintroduced elk and river otters
into the park. There are over 1,600 different wildflowers native to the
Smokies, more than any other national park.
As you
travel on U.S. Highway 441 you will encounter many beautiful scenic views of
the Smokies. Newfound Gap (elevation 5,048 feet) is the lowest drivable “gap”
or pass in the park. There is plenty of parking at Newfound Gap, so be sure to
stop and check the view. Clingmans Dome at 6,643 feet is the highest point in
the Great Smoky Mountains National Park as well as the highest point in Tennessee. You can take the half-mile hike up
to the observation tower at Clingmans Dome. On a clear day you can see seven
states from the tower! The hike is steep but paved and pretty easy to maneuver.
Bring a jacket along, even in the warmer months it can be a bit chilly at the
top.
The park
itself provides a variety of activities for day trips or vacations. There are
over 800 miles of hiking trails inside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. These trails range from short
nature trails to longer backwoods hikes. If you desire something in between,
there are several 1.5 to 2 mile hikes that will reward you with fabulous scenic
views of the mountains or waterfalls. Horseback riding is another popular
activity in the park. There are several riding stables in the area that offer
guided riding tours in the mountains.
The Oconaluftee River at the southern end of the park
near Cherokee and the Little Pigeon River near Gatlinburg are popular with
trout fishermen. Open season for trout fishing runs April 1 through November
30, and a license and permit are required to fish. These can be obtained at the
Park Welcome Center for fishing in Tennessee. If you plan to fish the
Oconaluftee in the Cherokee Indian Reservation you will need to purchase a
separate North Carolina license, available at a number of stores and
locations in Cherokee.
Picnic and
camping facilities are available inside the park. Need to cool off? White water
rafting on the Pigeon River is another popular activity in the
area. You can make reservations for your rafting trip with several area
outfitters. The dense foliage of the forests in the Smokies provides spectacular
colors in the fall, drawing large numbers of leaf watchers. The roadways in the
park can be packed on autumn weekends with cars lining up to view the changing
leaves.
One of the
most popular destinations inside Great Smoky Mountains National Park
is Cades Cove. Cades Cove is a
valley tucked deep inside the Smokies that was originally inhabited by
a group
of pioneer settlers. Many of the original log homes and other buildings
dating
back to the 1800s have been preserved and can be toured today. Cades
Cove is
accessible by an 11-mile one-way loop road. There are three churches
still
standing in Cades Cove that can be reserved for church services. Our
local congregation has visited Cades Cove and held a service in
one of the old
church buildings. Sitting on backless pine benches is quite different
than the
padded pews we have today! The biggest draw of Cades Cove is not the
old settlement
buildings but rather, the plentiful wildlife. One trip around the loop
road can
easily reward visitors with glimpses of dozens of whitetail deer and
possibly
even a bear. Approximately halfway around the loop is a visitor center
with
restrooms. There is a large meadow next to the visitor center that
is
perfect for picnics. Since Cades Cove is extremely popular and has only
a one-way road, traffic can back up during the busier seasons. Biking
and horseback
riding is also allowed on the loop road.
New visitors
to Great Smoky Mountains National Park will benefit from a stop at the Sugarlands Visitor Center located on U.S. 441south of Gatlinburg. Nearby is Little River Road, which leads to Cades Cove.
Here you will find information on all the park has to offer. The center has
plenty of maps and brochures. You can also view a short film about the park and
view a preserved animal exhibit in the nature museum. There is a bookstore and
gift shop inside the visitor’s center along with restrooms and vending
machines.
Most hotels
and restaurants in the Great Smoky Mountains area have brochure stands with
literature on a variety of attractions in the area. There are an abundance of coupon books for some
of the area attractions as well.
The Smokies
offer a variety of activities for visitors from all walks of life, any time of
the year. There is sure to be something
to please everyone!
Here are
some helpful sites when planning a trip the Smokies:
National
Park Service (http://www.nps.gov/grsm/index.htm)
Gatlinburg Chamber of Commerce
(http://www.gatlinburg.com)
Pigeon
Forge Department of Tourism (www.mypigeonforge.com)
About the Author:
-
- - - - - - - - - - -
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!
|
|
|
Did
You Know?
MouseFanTravel.com
has special rates
& FREE extras for MouseFest 2007 too!
~Walt
Disney World®
Resort -- 4 nights ~
10/25/07
-- It's Almost Halloween - from $189*
11/08/07 - Super Soap Weekend - from $202*
Includes a Disney Gift Card too!
If this doesn't quite fit your needs
Ask us about customizing your stay!
Visit us at www.MouseFanTravel.com
*Per person/dbl occupancy,
subject to availability - CST207807440
Click for full details - As to
Disney artwork: ©Disney
|
|
Disney Feature:
Party For The Senses
by Cheryl Pendry, PassPorter Featured Columnist
If you’re a food lover like me and you want an exclusive evening of fine
wine, food and entertainment while you’re at Walt Disney World, then you’ll
probably be thinking about getting tickets for the Party for the Senses.
Held on Saturday nights during the Food and Wine Festival held at Epcot
every fall, tickets don’t come cheap. In 2005, the price was $95 per person,
but the following year that rose dramatically to $125 per person. For ages, we
wondered whether this event could be worth the money. After all, we were
talking about three hours and that’s a lot of money for that little time. Then
again, it’s fairly comparable to the price of tickets for some of the biggest stage
shows these days. Well, that’s the logic I used anyway, when deciding whether
or not we take the plunge. Working on the theory that you only live once, two
tickets were booked for the night of Saturday, October 28. So having made the
decision to go for it, was the party worth the money we paid? The answer is an
unequivocal yes.
The party is held in what
was once the Millennium Village (remember that?) between Canada and the UK in the World Showcase. These days the space is only
open for special events and it’s massive. There seemed to be hundreds of people
waiting outside before the party started, but once we got inside, it never once
felt crowded and there were plenty of tables.
As we walked in, we were given
a program, detailing the food and wine available, the chefs responsible for
them and the restaurants they work in. Although a number were understandably
from Disney, there were also many other names from across the country. We
avidly studied the guides to work out exactly what we wanted to sample.
For me, my main concern had
been whether there would be enough options for me as a non-meat eater. I
needn’t have worried; there were plenty of fish and vegetarian dishes – and of
course desserts! – on the menu and I literally tried every dish I could. In
that respect, I felt lucky, as I had just about enough choice, with the meat
eaters in our party admitting that the choice of goodies on offer was almost
too much to pick from!
The first thing you notice
is that you get very small portions of food to sample, but that’s not a bad
thing, as you may come across the occasional item that you don’t like. You can
also go back to any section as many times as you like and by the end of the
evening, having lost count of the amount of different foods I’d sampled, I felt
as if I’d had a really good meal and left there feeling pretty full.
To give you an idea of some
of the items that have been available to sample in the past, during the night
we tried such delicacies as Curry of Wild American Shrimp with Lemon Grass
Steamed Basmati Rice by Jens Dahlman from the California Grill, Grilled Lamb
with Salsa Verde, Roasted-garlic Cauliflower Mash and Feta Cheese by Adam
Levine from the Contemporary Resort Conventions and Catering and a white
chocolate mousse with a citrus glaze from Deran Lanpher from the Boardwalk
Bakery.
Or how about Squash Soufflé
on a Phyllo Cup with Hazelnut Crème Anglais, Spicy Squash Shooter with Brandy
Cream and Squash Roulade with Watercress Salsa by Edgardo Ruiz from Disney’s
Grand Floridian Catering and Conventions? Maybe the Duck and Chicken Polpetine
with Caramelized Onions and Truffled Basil Pesto by Maurice Bonhomme from Pave
Caldo in Chicago is more to your liking? Or perhaps the Smoked Eel
and Duck Ravioli with Celery and Apple Salad by Brooke Vosika from the Four
Seasons Hotel in New
York appeals
instead?
If, like me, you’re getting
hungry just reading that list, you would definitely enjoy the party. And here’s
where the warning comes - if none of those food names excite you, then maybe
Party for the Senses isn’t for you.
What about the other aspects
of the party? In each section, you’ll find wines to complement your food and if
you’re worried about getting a little light headed by the end of the night or
you don’t drink alcohol, then water and coffee are on hand as well.
In between all the sampling
of the food, there were also performances by artistes from Cirque du Soleil’s
La Nouba. As you’d expect from such a high caliber show, you’ll watch the
performers in awe. It’s a good way of finding out what La Nouba is all about,
as anyone who’s seen it will tell you that it’s not the easiest show to
explain! You’ll also see Cirque du Soleil performers wandering around during
the evening, which is a piece of additional magic.
We all know that Disney puts on a wonderful show and Party for the Senses is no
exception to that rule. Yes, it’s a pricey night out, but it’s also a magical
night out and you really are in for a treat for your senses. It may not be the
sort of thing that you can afford every night, but it’s definitely something
worth sampling at least once.
About the Author: Cheryl
and husband Mark live in England and love to travel, particularly to America. Their last visit to
Disney World was in the fall, when they enjoyed both the Food and Wine Festival
at Epcot and the Halloween Party at the Magic Kingdom.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
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!
|
|
Did
You Know?
You Can Arrive at Walt Disney World in Style!
Airport Meet & Greet, luggage help, free car seat
Free 30-minute grocery stop with airport round-trip
Special! $5.00 off airport round-trip
Use Discount Code: PassPorter News
Call 888-GO TO WDW
or visit quicksilver-tours.com
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
