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!

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!

Disney Cruise Line® Special Offer

February 3, 2007 - 7 night Eastern Caribbean Cruise
Save up to $670* per stateroom compared to current Disney pricing.
Other dates available.

Click here to get a quote for February 3, 2007

*Savings based on double occupancy. Ships' Registry: The Bahamas

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.

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.