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In
This Newsletter
From the Authors:
On the Road Again Travel Feature:
Key
West
Disney Feature: Disney
Dining Plan
Updates: What's
New and Changed
Tips: Don't
Plan a Park - Pick a Line, Dedicated Disney Bags, Dinner & A Show
Captain's Corner: Finding Nemo
Q&A: How
do I get the room I want?
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Updates:
What's
New and Changed
Here are a few of the new developments at Disney:
The Flying Dutchman, nautical star of Pirates
of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest has dropped anchor at Castaway
Cay, the Disney Cruise Line's private island. Guests renting a boat
during their stop at Castaway Cay can get a closer look at the Flying Dutchman,
a 175-foot ghost ship. Keep an eye out for Captain Jack Sparrow on Castaway
Cay as well! The pirate is said to have been spotted lurking around the
island and while hard to catch, is happy to chat and sign autographs once
he has been found.
The reviews are in! We heard from many readers
of PassPorter News who have been lucky enough to see Captain Jack Sparrow
in his new home, the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction at Walt
Disney World and Disneyland. One reader has this to say, "Overall, they
did an excellent job of incorporating new effects and new characters form
the movies into a true Disney classic ride." Brad G. from PA said, "The
sound system has been upgraded and is much clearer as is the re-mastered
sound track ... The cannon blasts coming from the Wicked Wench are also
a significant upgrade. The blasts have such clarity and force, you can
feel them down in your chest." Sounds like it's a hit! (Pun intended...)
Disney has announced a new hard-ticketed event in
the Magic Kingdom beginning January 2007. Disney's Princess and Pirate
Party will be held January 22, 26, 29; February 1, 5, 8, 12, 15, 23,
26; and March 2, 5, 8 from 7:30 pm to 12:30 am. This themed event includes
a treasure hunt (Choose your adventure - Pirate or Princess?), a new
themed parade, new themed fireworks display, exclusive merchandise and
entertainment. Advance ticket prices including tax are as follows: Adults
(age 10+) - $39.36, Youth (ages 3 - 9) - $31.90, children under age 3 are
free. Same day ticket prices including tax are: Adult (ages 10+) - $45.75,
Youth (ages 3 - 9) - $38.29, children under age 3 are free. Tickets are
on sale now and are available by calling (407) WDW-MAGIC.
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:
DON'T PLAN A PARK - PICK A LINE
"After 37 trips to Walt Disney World my wife and
I have stayed at all the resorts at least once. One thing we noticed at
the All Stars was since all the bus stops to get to the parks are in front,
if you're not in a hurry to get to a particular park, see which lines are
shortest and pick that one. 9 times out of 10 that park won't be too crowded.
Many people stay at the All Stars or Pop Century, so long
lines at the buses are a good indication of how crowded that park will
be!
" -- contributed by Joe L. (joeyrocks69@...)
DEDICATED DISNEY BAGS
"I have a special Disney backpack and wallet that
I only use on our Walt Disney World vacations. When we get home I keep
all our park hopper passes and any stroller rental vouchers that are left
over in the wallet. I store the wallet in the backpack in my closet. This
way, when it comes time to pack for our next trip, I can always find our
tickets. I also put any special event tickets that are mailed to me in
the wallet when I get them, so they aren't lost either. I never have to
worry about forgetting our passes. I also keep other items that are
only used on our trips, such as pixie dust and our Hidden Mickey book
in the backpack. This way, I don't have to remember to find these special
things. I just grab my backpack and I've got it." -- contributed by Kimberly
S.
DINNER & A SHOW
"If planning to dine at 'Ohana (great family dinner)
get a later seating and then you will be able to walk out to the beach
area and watch the Electrical Water Pageant. The little ones can play in the sand
and parents possibly enjoy a hammock." -- contributed by Terri S. (disneyts@...)
>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 new 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 a delightful showing of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, I headed straight
for The Living Seas at Epcot. After all, Davy Jones was the epitome of the 'living seas' in the movie. Before you get
to the entrance of the pavilion, there is a 'reef' with several sea creatures in it, the stars of the Finding Nemo movie.
After careful scrutiny, I found ..." (rest of text erased by what looks like a big suction mark)
How many Finding Nemo characters are in the reef outside The Living Seas? For extra credit,
name them.
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 Bob McGowan who was the
winner of last week's treasure hunt game! Bob correctly answered that what
is unusual about the Jolly Roger skull and crossbones flag flying near
the entrance to the Pirates of the Caribbean is that there are holes in
it. To view the original clues, 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
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
DonDon asks: "I called to see about getting a smoking
room with a king size bed. I was told that they don't book specific rooms,
that they assign rooms on check-in. I would assume this is the policy so
now what are our chances of getting a smoking room with a king size bed?
My wife and I are going for our 5 year anniversary and I don't want to
spend it sleeping in separate beds! "
Jennifer and Dave answer: "Unless there's an unusual
number of smokers, you'll get a smoking room if you request it. The king
bed is another matter, as that depends upon the resort. In some cases,
the king bed rooms cost more, and in other cases they're only available
in the Accessible rooms. It's reasonable to assume that Accessible rooms
will generally be non-smoking rooms. Let Disney know which request is more
important to your needs - smoking, or king bed.
Rooms are generally not assigned when you check in. There's
a room assigner who make preliminary assignments several days before you
arrive, based on your party's needs and requests. Not all requests can
be met, of course, but they do try. Naturally, circumstances may arise
that cause your preliminary assignment to be re-arranged, so Disney doesn't
want you to know your actual room number until you check in. When you check
in, be sure to cover your requests with the cast member - if one or more
has not been met, there may still be leeway to find you a different room."
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: On the Road Again
Hi, {{user("firstname")}}!
Tomorrow we pack the car and head towards Allentown, PA, for the second
annual DISMeets gathering. Over 350
Disney fans will be congregating this coming Saturday for a day filled with
meeting, greeting, speeches and presentations. Jennifer and I will be on hand,
as will AllEarsNet's Deb Wills, MousePlanet's Mike Scopa, Hidden Mickeys author
Steve Barrett, Walt Disney World Trivia author Lou Mongello, Disney on a Dime
co-author, Chris Carlson, and pin trading guru John Rick. Alas, if you don't
already have tickets to this event, you're out of luck - it's been sold-out for
quite a while. But if you will be there, we look forward to seeing you!
Be sure to stop by our table at the meet -- we're bringing PassPorters to give away!
Now, since Dave has had plenty to say elsewhere in this newsletter, we'll
keep things brief up here....
In this
edition of the newsletter PassPorter Guide Maureen Austin completes her tour of
the Florida Keys with a stop in wonderful Key West, and
Dave reports on our recent experiences living high off the hog (or dining like
hogs) on the Disney Dining Plan. As always, Captain Jack Skatt returns
with a new treasure hunting game. Enjoy!
Jennifer
and Dave
PassPorter Authors and Publishers |
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Travel
Feature:
Unlocking the Magic of the Florida Keys: Key West
(Part 3 of 3)
by Maureen Austin,
PassPorter Message Board Guide and Guest Contributor
Our final and southernmost stop on this tour of the
Florida Keys is the most well known section of this majestic series of
islands. Key West has had many famous residents and a reputation for laid
back lifestyles unlike any other resort town in the world.
The focus in Key West tends to be either in-town on
famous Duval Street and vicinity, or off shore - sailing, diving, and fishing.
Beaches are few and far between, so let's take a moment to put that topic behind
us. Get a little history with your beach by
taking in the sights and sands at Fort Zachary Taylor, encompassing 87 acres on
the island's southwest corner. If the
locals go there, you know it’s good. Most Key West residents take seaside refuge
at South Beach located at the far end of famous Duval Street.
Speaking of Duval Street, let’s talk all
there is to offer on this main thoroughfare. Shops, restaurants, clubs
are crammed into this festive and busy area. You’ll find an array of specialty
shops located in the area, where you can pick up everything from Key Lime
cookies to Key Lime bath products.
Key West, as most folks know, has a rich
literary history. Writers have been drawn to the laid back atmosphere for
years, even as far back as the early 1930’s. Ernest Hemingway’s home has
been lovingly preserved here and you can also take in Sloppy Joe’s, one
of his favorite hang outs. One of Key West’s other famous residents, Jimmy
Buffet, introduced the world to the Margaritaville way of life - soak that
in by visiting the original Margaritaville, located at 500 Duval St.
Mallory Square is near the northern end of
Duvall Street - a trip to Key West just wouldn’t be complete without a photo op
there. This place is well known for its spectacular viewing
stage for that famous Key West sunset you’ll be talking about long after
the vacation is over. You’ll find an eclectic mix of street performers
as well.
Kids of all ages will enjoy the Key West
Aquarium, which is the oldest attraction here. Free guided tours are an
excellent way to take in all the museum has to offer. Treasure hunters will
appreciate a visit to the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum located on Greene Street. If you prefer someone else to do the guiding
as you tour the city, then you are indeed in luck. The Conch Tour Train is a
tram that wends its way through the town's streets, or choose the Old Town Trolley, known for humorous
hosts that provide a rich history as you make your way around. Air tours
are also available at Key West Airport.
Divers and water explorers will want to
head to Key West Marine Park. Swim-only zones in the waters here provide a
serene and safe way to explore the majesty under the surface.
Fishing is big here and there are numerous
opportunities to catch the big one by choosing from the many outstanding charter
boat tours.
70 miles from Key West are a small string
of islands known as the Dry Tortugas. If you love nature, you’ll find this
side trip well worth the time it takes to get there. Fort Jefferson was
built to protect the Gulf of Mexico; however it served as a prison in the
Civil War. Now open to visitors, Fort Jefferson is a national monument
run by the National Park Service. Camping is an option to extend your visit
here.
The widest range of accommodations in the
Keys is found in Key West, from the traditional conch style cottages to multi-million
dollar resorts by national chains, as well as condominiums and family-run motor inns.
Most major cruise lines include a stop
at Key West on Western Caribbean itineraries. Disney Cruise Line is no exception.
If you are sailing with Mickey, you’ll surely want to take advantage
of the numerous shore excursions available to you as you visit Key West.
From kayaking, touring the waters on a glass bottom boat or snorkeling
trips, water play abounds. If you’d rather stick to shore consider one
of the many landlubber excursions - a walking tour or Pirate Soul and Shipwreck Historeum tour.
However you get here, whenever you get
here, be sure to relax and take in the island way of life. Key West is
like no other city in the world and it will surely provide you with memories
to last long after you depart.
If you're looking for
the the first two installments of this series, check out the May
3, 2006 and June
29, 2006 issues of PassPorter News.
About the Author: 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:
Disney Dining Plan
(or) Davey (and Jennifer, Alex, Allie, and
Melanie) Does Dining by Dave Marx,
PassPorter Author and Publisher
‘Twas a time, not many years
ago, when we considered Disney’s vacation packages and their add-on options with
skepticism. Buy a dining package? Ridiculous! You had to overeat at only the
most expensive restaurants to get your money’s worth. But Disney changed all
that in 2005, with the introduction of the Disney Dining Plan package add-on for
Magic Your Way vacation packages. The dining package has proven so popular that
we just had to experience it for ourselves. So, for our recent 10-day research
trip at Walt Disney World we bought adult-priced dining packages for the two
adults and two teens on our team - $37.99 each, per day. You can study and
theorize all you wish, but there’s no replacement for actually experiencing
things first-hand.
The Disney Dining Plan puts guests on a
two-meal-and-a-snack per day diet for each night of their stay. There’s great
flexibility. Unlike older plans that supplied earmarked coupons for breakfast,
lunch and dinner, the current plans provide “credits” encoded onto a Key to the
World card. One card per guest room holds all the credits for that room. For our
ten-night stay we had 40 table service credits, 40 counter service credits, and
40 snack credits that we could use any way we saw fit during our stay. The big
challenge is to actually use them all wisely, since unused credits expire
without refund at the end of your check-out day (11:59pm), and some meals are
just not quite as good a value as others. Certain Table Service meals “cost” two
credits, rather than one. Generally, these reduce the value you receive under
the dining plan, sometimes substantially.
We’ve often said that two full meals per day at
Walt Disney World are plenty of food, and this meal plan was proof-positive.
How’d it work for us? Too well (looking at my poor waistline). Each Table
Service credit buys appetizer, entrée, dessert, soft drink, tax and gratuity,
and each Counter Service credit buys entrée, dessert, soft drink and tax. This
is more than we normally eat – we generally split or skip appetizers and
desserts at table service restaurants, and don’t bother with dessert at all at
counter service. It takes a bit of will-power to say no to that extra, “free”
food. After a big dinner, we sometimes didn’t have an appetite for the next
day’s breakfast.
Your dining receipts will list the number of
dining credits you have remaining. We found that these numbers were not always
accurate. Keep all those receipts in your PassPorter! At least once during your
vacation, visit the lobby concierge at your resort for a detailed print-out of
your dining activities, and compare those with your own records. You don’t want
to be caught a meal short on your last day by a computer error!
In one of those, “Wow, I coulda had a V-8”
moments, I realized that the average meal prices that we provide in the dining
chapter of PassPorter Walt Disney World are calculated on exactly the same
formula Disney uses for its Table Service and Counter Service meals on the
dining plan – an appetizer, entrée, dessert, soft drink, tax and 18% gratuity
for Table Service, and entrée, dessert, soft drink and tax for Counter Service.
Do you want to know whether your meal plans deliver good value? Just add up the
numbers from your PassPorter. You’ll quickly see that an average Table Service
dinner at Le Cellier ($53) is worth more than the day’s cost for the dining
package. OK, so you usually don’t eat appetizer and dessert? Deduct $7.50 each
for the typical cost of a Table Service appetizer/dessert, and you’re still
ahead. That means your Counter Service meal (average value $12) and Snack
(average value $2.50) are freebies! It also explains why it’s so hard to get a
reservation at Le Cellier these days.
We have also calculated the average cost of
Table Service and Counter Service breakfasts, lunches and dinners across Disney
property to arrive at an average value for each kind of dining credit (you’ll
see even more detailed break-downs in PassPorter Walt Disney World 2007, due out
in November). A Counter Service lunch/dinner averages $12, Table Service dinners
average $41, and that snack credit is worth $2.50. That adds up to a $55.50
value daily. Pay $7.50 cash for a continental-style breakfast, and your daily
food budget is $44.99 for meals worth an average of $63.
Before you get too excited, consider the
Signature Dining “gotcha.” The value of the average Signature Dinner or Dinner
Show (either of which cost 2 Table Service credits) is $61, a value of $30.50
per credit. Signature Dining at lunch drops to a $42 value ($21 per credit), and
that coveted 2-credit Breakfast at Cinderella’s Royal Table is worth $40 (you do
the math). Those can pull your daily meal average below the cost of the dining
package on the day(s) you use them, but you may still come out ahead overall
when you consider the savings on other days. You may be tempted to pay cash for
some of these meals, to increase the value you obtain from your dining credits,
but you still have to find ways to use those extra credits before they turn into
pumpkin soup. You may still prefer to use two credits for those special meals,
and pay cash for a counter service meal to replace that Table Service credit.
Keep your calculator handy to work out the best value for your needs.
Another “gotcha” might be your hotel room rate.
We had to surrender our Annual Pass discount at All-Star Sports in order to
qualify for the dining plan. The new reservation cost us an extra $20 per room
per day ($40/day in our case), or $10 per adult. Add that to the cost of the
dining plan ($47.99 total, in our case), and we weren’t necessarily getting a
big bargain, although the way we utilized the meal credits, we still came out a
bit ahead.
Free dining is offered as part of some of
Disney’s vacation packages. Since the value of the meal plan is the same
regardless of the resort you select, you’ll get the most bang by staying at
lower-priced resorts. A good Annual Pass discount at a deluxe resort may provide
greater dollar savings than the free meal plan, but be sure to factor-in the
savings you may enjoy using the dining plan, not just the purchase price of the
plan, since you won’t be able to combine the dining plan and an Annual Pass
discount.
Your Table Service server will love the fact
that you’re on the dining plan. His/her tip is calculated using the actual menu
prices of the items you’ve ordered. You may not have the appetite for dessert,
but if you order it and just eat one bite, your server is the richer for it. On
the average, we had better service using the dining plan then we ever had when
we paid cash, and considering the normally high quality of Disney service,
that’s really saying something. We were treated like cruise ship passengers.
“Are you sure you don’t want dessert? It’s wonderful! I’ll box it up for you if
you can’t eat it here.” We could also stretch the budget by using dining plan
appetizers as toddler Alexander’s meals. The more extravagantly we ate, the
brighter the glint in our servers’ eyes.
As part of the experiment, I made a habit of
ordering the most expensive items on the menu. While that was a very satisfying
tactic at some establishments, at others (like 50s Prime Time Café) it seemed
like the kitchen was skimping on the “best.” Prime Time’s top-priced shrimp
cocktail consisted of a half-dozen soggy, medium-sized defrosted shrimp, a bit
of iceberg lettuce, a lemon wedge and some bottled cocktail sauce, slapped on a
regular bread plate. No appealing presentation, no flavor, nada. The $19 sirloin
steak couldn’t have weighed more than 6 ounces. Granted, six ounces is plenty of
steak for my lunch, and it was tastily prepared, but I’d have been incensed to
have received either the appetizer or entrée if I had been paying cash. The 50s
Prime Time “standards” like onion rings, meatloaf and fried chicken were far
more satisfying, even if they didn’t add up to the maximum bang for the dining
credit.
Your estimation of value extracted can plummet
when teenaged girls are involved, at least in our experience. What happened to
the kids who are drawn like flies to the most expensive items on the menu when
we’re home, paying cash? When all restraints were removed, they went right to
the bargain-priced comfort foods! Appetizer? “Do we have to?” (That’s one way to
get a free toddler meal!) Even desserts weren’t tempting them. In short,
whatever Disney may have “lost” feeding me, they more than made up feeding Allie
and Melanie.
I’ve focused on the values to be had at the
Table Service establishments. What of Counter Service? Our magic spreadsheet
determined that average costs vary little, whether you’re buying breakfast or
lunch/dinner. A counter service breakfast with all the trimmings at a resort
food court averages $10.50, and the lunch/dinner average is just about $2.00
higher. So, if you need a big breakfast to start your day, you aren’t really
cheating yourself by using a Counter Service credit.
The Snack credit was the biggest surprise for
me. Skinflint that I am, I hate to buy treats at theme parks, gas stations and
convenience stores. “I’ll just have a sip/bite of yours, honey!” Sure, I’d do a
Dole Whip once a visit or a Mickey Bar when I’m not worrying about chocolate
stains on my white polo shirts, but normally; I just hit the water fountain when
I need to hydrate. Oh, the luxury of an ice cold Coke in the blistering Florida
sun! Even so, it was hard to use up all those credits. Our solution? Spend your
remaining snack credits on Mickey Rice Crispy Treats – they’re virtually
indestructible in your baggage and a fun way to share the magic with friends
back home.
And one more trick while we’re talking about
beverages. If you’ve purchased refillable mugs at your resort, use the soft
drink portion of your Counter Service credit on a bottled beverage from the
Grab-n-Go. It’ll come in really handy later on. Meantime, your refillable will
do all the heavy sipping at the food court.
All in all, we had a very satisfying experience
with the dining plan. While it’s not a one-size-feeds-all solution, it is a
viable option for many vacationers.
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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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