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 In
This Newsletter
From the Authors: Allentown, Cedar Point, and Back Again!
Disneyland Feature:
White
Water Snacks
Walt Disney World Feature: PhotoPass
Updates: What's
New and Changed
Tips: TTC
Trick, Chill Out, Tide Tip
Captain's Corner: Gravity-Defying Fountain
Q&A: Why
are there no Yacht Club Villas?
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Updates:
What's
New and Changed
Here are a few of the new developments at Disney:
Foodie Alert: Reservations
for special dining events at this years 11th
Annual Epcot International Food & Wine Festival can be made
beginning at 7:00 am on July 31, 2006 by calling (407) WDW-FEST. Events
will include the weekly Party for the Senses Grand Tasting dinner, special
wine pairing meals and wine tasting classes. Reservations are limited so
call early!
Ahoy Mateys! Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort is now
offering the "Island of the Caribbean Pirate Adventure" for potty-trained
children ages 4 - 10. Offered weekly, this adventure sets sail from Old
Port Royale and leads kids on a cruise/treasure hunt around the resort
ending back at Old Port Royale to share some grub. (Lunch is included in
the cost of the tour.) This adventure is every Tuesday from 9:30 am
- 11:30 am and costs $28.17 plus tax per child.
Mickey's Halloween Treat (similar to if not
as lavish as Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Walt Disney World)
will be held at Disney's California Adventure on October 13, 20, 22, 27
and 29 from 7:30 pm - 11:30 pm and October 26, 30 and 31 from 6:30 pm -
10:30 pm. Special entertainment, activities and treat stations will be
set up through out the park. This event requires separate admission. Ticket
prices are $24 in advance and $29 at the door.
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:
TTC TRICK
"If you have little ones that are afraid of the
fireworks noise, visit the Transportation and Ticket Center for a great
view. We watched Wishes from benches near the ferry boat docks which gives
you a great view. The music from the fireworks is played over the speakers
there and you can beat the crowds when the display is over." -- contributed
by Jennifer Filling (jenfilling@...)
CHILL OUT
"To help beat the Florida heat on our trip
to Walt Disney World last week, my sister and I packed small, one-use cold
packs that we had purchased at our local dollar stores. The packs aren't
cold until activated by shaking the contents, popping the inner bag and
voila - instant cold pack! The cold packs last for about 20 minutes and
are good for one use only, but what a blessing they were in the middle
of the parks on a hot day! I even gave one to another guest who had become
motion sick after riding a few rides one day. These inexpensive cold packs
will be going with me on every future trip to WDW!" -- contributed by Laura
E. (TerpnTime@...)
TIDE TIP
"We all enjoy good food at Disney and many of
us splurge on a few new outfits...probably something with white in it to
reflect the hot Florida sun! If your family is like mine then spills and
stains are common and there goes the new clothes. Pack the new TIDE TO
GO laundry pen. It's small, very portable and easy to use on the go. The
small price you pay for it may help you save some new (and old) outfits."
-- contributed by Ilene F. (ifab@...)
>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:
"Egads! I've just stumbled upon the most amazing thing!
After my adventure at The Living Seas, I was scared witless. So off I went in search of my
wits and naturally I headed to the most obvious spot in Epcot. As I approached the
pavilion, I spied a most unusual water fountain. It must have been in some odd gravity pool
because it appeared that the fountain's water was actually flowing UP rather than down.
Most astouding!"
Where in Epcot can you find a fountain that appears to flow backward?
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 JamesD. who was the winner
of last week's treasure hunt game! James correctly named the seven Finding
Nemo characters outside The Living Seas - Nemo, Marlin, Dory, Pearl, Bloat,
Tad, Gill. 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
DogLady asks: "Why are there no Yacht Club Villas?"
Jennifer and Dave answer: "Where there's a will,
there's a way, but I'd bet that Yacht Club would be the last deluxe resort
to which they'd add DVC villas, since its "sister," Beach Club already
has villas.
Why doesn't the Contemporary, Polynesian, Grand Floridian
or Animal Kingdom Lodge have them? And why aren't they building the long-delayed
Eagle Pines resort? Some of this has to do with available space, but it's
probably got a whole lot to do with DVC's marketing strategy, coupled with
projected demand for DVC memberships. Typically, DVC has only built (and
sold) one resort at a time. When that resort sells out, they announce the
next. Based on that strategy, there simply hasn't been enough time to build
DVC villas at every deluxe resort. Further, both Villas at Wilderness Lodge (VWL)
and Beach Club Villas (BCV) sold out so quickly, that I suspect DVC will continue
to focus on larger-scale projects like Saratoga Springs than on the resort
add-ons like VWL and BCV, which are only good for about 100-150 units.
The advantage DVC has enjoyed adding on to existing
resorts (or re-purposing a retired resort like Disney Institute/Saratoga
Springs) is that most of the resort infrastructure is already in place
- restaurants, recreational facilities, main lobby, etc. This cuts the
cost of development and speeds completion time for the project, and also
leverages the established reputation of the existing resort. The only downside
as I mentioned, is that there are so few new units that can be added. By the time the
marketing "machine" is up and running, it's time to shut it down. In classic
Disney style, DVC does not want to announce the next project until the
current one is fully sold - it helps ensure that folks won't defer their
purchase because they're waiting for the next project to open."
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: Allentown, Cedar Point, and Back Again!
Hi, {{user("firstname")}}!
First, we're pleased to report that Kim Larner, Jennifer's sister and one of the
editors of our Treasure Hunts book, is recovering well from her surgery! Thank you all for the
well wishes!
We're back from the DISMeets.com
meet in Allentown, PA, and had a great time! The hall was packed with 350
enthusiastic Disney fans, we met lots of PassPorter friends, and made a whole
bunch of new friends. Our exhibit table was always busy with folks excited to
learn about all the different books we have to offer. These veteran park
visitors were especially interested in our
Treasure Hunts
book, which offers yet another way to find fun during their visits. Dave
presented two break-out sessions (Disney Cruise Line and Disneyland), both of
which were heavily attended, and we gave away lots of goodies - luggage tags,
PassPorter pins, older editions of our Walt Disney World and Disney Cruise Line
guidebooks, and a door prize consisting of all five current PassPorter
guidebooks (only one of dozens of door prizes given out during the day). Hidden
Mickeys author Steve Barrett and MousePlanet columnist Mike Scopa wowed the
crowd with their presentations, AllEarsNet founder Deb Wills, Walt Disney World
Trivia author Lou Mongello, Disney on a Dime author Chris Carlson and pin trader
John Rick also hosted popular break-out sessions, and the pin traders were at it
until after Midnight! Altogether, a great time was had by all. Meet organizer
Fred Block, his family, and a large team of volunteers all deserve great thanks
and congratulations for a job well done! While the date has yet to be set for
next year (sometime during the summer), folks in the Northeast just may want to
pencil this in for next summer! We'll be sure to let you all know when next
year's date has been set.Now, once you're on the road from Michigan to
eastern Pennsylvania (U.S. 23 to Toledo, I-80 to Lake Harmony PA, then the PA
Turnpike extension south to Allentown), one thing in particular becomes apparent
to a theme park fan - you have the choice (or obligation) to visit
Dorney Park,
Knoebel's, or
Cedar Point. No, we didn't visit all
three, but we did get in an evening at Cedar Point. We took advantage of their
"Starlight" admission deal, entering at 5:00 pm and leaving after park closing
(11:00 pm) for just $24.95 per adult. It's been a while since we were last at
Cedar Point, and we've accumulated a whole lot of park wisdom since that visit.
As you know, none of us are exactly "big coaster" fans, and Cedar Point is one
of the two top coaster parks in the country. But Allie was with us, and she's as
fearless as any teen. We understood yet again just why Walt Disney felt the need
to create a new style of park. Far too often, the rides at Cedar Point were
intended for either the smallest children or thrill-seekers, with relatively
little that could be enjoyed by the entire family. Still, the park was clean,
very well maintained, has a great line-up of classic and headline amusement
rides, and is reasonably well designed (for a classic amusement park). There
were even hints of the kind of attention to design detail that Disney is famous
for (alas, they were rare, but they could be found). Unfortunately, the entrance
Midway - concrete paved, and flanked by relatively cheap-looking shops and
arcades - doesn't really set the tone for the rest of the park. As you
make your way deeper into the park you see more greenery, nicer architecture,
and you catch a wonderful breeze coming off of Lake Erie. Altogether, even if we
weren't riding a lot, it was a pleasant place to spend time. Now, Daddy did have
to screw up his courage and ride at least one "big" ride with Allie (who rode a
lot of coasters on her own). Without a lot of thought, he agreed to
maXair, a swinging, spinning behemoth that left his poor insides unsettled
for several hours thereafter. The effect on Dave's guts was very similar to that
of Mission: SPACE at Epcot, but many times worse. He had originally planned to
ride at least a couple more coasters, but that one ride took him out of the
game. Jennifer got off easy, accompanying Allie on the relatively sedate
Cedar Creek Mine Ride (a tamer Big Thunder Mountain without the elaborate
landscape). After that, we all rode around the park on the
CP & LE Railroad, which boasts coal-fired steam locomotives and an
absolutely flat roadbed. Allie ended her evening on
Millennium Force, one of the park's epic coasters. 310 feet tall? 92 miles
per hour? Sorry, not us! Miscellaneous Notes: Do your homework on the rides
before you arrive. The Cedar Point web site
has all sorts of useful ride information and statistics, far more than Disney
provides. On the flip side, the printed park maps don't provide much useful
information at all beyond the name and picture of each ride - you have to arrive
at the queue entrance to learn anything about it. Even the signs outside the
attractions could be better. They try to be helpful, with a 1-to-5 (gentle to
extreme) numeric rating scale, but nearly any thrill ride, from easy/moderate to
the truly extreme
Top Thrill Dragster rates the same "5." By comparison, the incredibly sedate
Antique Cars (think, "Tomorrowland Indy Speedway on Prozac") rates a "3."
While admission is lower than Walt Disney World pricing ($39.95 for anyone 48"
tall and up), you'll pay the same $9 for parking, and food prices are at least a
match for Disney's. We dropped over $50 on a dinner of hot dogs, subs, and
pulled pork sandwiches for three adults and one toddler. Ouch! In this
edition of the newsletter Gincy Heins tips us off to White
Water Snacks, a hidden gem at Disneyland's Grand Californian Hotel, and
Terry Rohrer shares the benefits of using Walt Disney World's
PhotoPass.
As always, Captain Jack Skatt returns with a new treasure hunting game.
Enjoy!
Jennifer
and Dave
PassPorter Authors and Publishers
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Did
You Know?
PassPorter Goodie Bags are Back!
Our PassPorter Goodies Bags are so popular we can't keep them in stock! But we just got a fresh
shipment of PassPorter Pens in and they're now back in stock and ready to ship.
Show your PassPorter spirit with this fun "goodie bag" for PassPorter fans!
Kit contains one of our popular PassHolder Pouches, two PassPorter luggage tags,
two translucent PassPorter pens, and one PassPorter cloisonne pin.
The luggage tags and pens are not sold individually.
For more details on the
Goodie Bag, please visit:
http://www.passporterstore.com/store/0966899453.aspx
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Disneyland
Feature:
White Water Snacks
by Gincy Heins,
Guest Contributor
You’re at the Disneyland Resort,
the children are hungry and the adults could use a break, but no one wants
to take time away from the fun to eat. Is there a dining solution that
will satisfy everyone’s needs? Borrow the motto of the Golden State, and
shout, “Eureka!” when you find the hidden nugget at Disney’s Grand Californian
Hotel, White Water Snacks!
When you travel, even some place as fun
and exciting as the Happiest Place on Earth, or maybe because of the fun
and excitement, it can be difficult to find something young children will
eat. A visit to White Water Snacks could be just the solution! White Water
Snacks is a combination of a snack bar and a restaurant. They have both
fountain beverages and beverages in individual containers.
My family and I have been there many times,
both to pick up a quick snack and to eat a meal. We have taken guests visiting
the Disneyland Resort with us, and have even gone there just to go out
to dinner!
What makes White Water Snacks worth the
visit? The food is good and the atmosphere is relaxing. As you enter, a
sign listing the general foods offered, rather than specific items with
prices, greets you. Walk around this wall and you will discover the fountain
drinks and refrigerator cases on your left. In addition to more drinks
including milk, you will find pre-made salads and sandwiches in the refrigerator
cases. On your right you will find baked goods and packaged cereals, a freezer
case with ice cream bars, and a small selection of candy bars. A variety
of packages of chips are also available.
On the wall directly in front of you, there
is the menu posted high on the wall with descriptions and prices of the
food. The grill is on the left and the cash registers are on the right.
When you reach the cash register, a cast member will take your order and
ring up your other purchases. If you order food from the grill, you will
be given a number to place on your table. Your food is brought to you piping
hot when it is prepared.
We have two favorites at White Water Snacks,
both from the grill. My husband usually orders the Foot Long “Coney Island”
hot dog. This large hot dog is served in a bun and covered with chili,
cheese, and onion, if desired. French fries are included. The other favorite,
which our son and I order, is the Chicken Tenders off the children’s menu.
It includes three generous pieces of chicken, fries or baby carrots, a
fountain drink and a fun straw. You will be given the cup for the beverage
once you order the children’s meal, so you’ll need to go back to the fountain
drink dispenser to fill up the cup.
With both of these items, there is so much
food we find it difficult to finish it all! We have discovered that if you order
the items “to go”, you receive even more fries!
If you get your food to eat in the restaurant, the children’s meal comes in a
small plastic lunch box. There is seating both inside and outside
at White Water Snacks. There are approximately 25 tables inside and another
dozen outside. The restaurant is well air conditioned and feels refreshing
on a hot day! Because of the high ceiling, it can be a little noisy inside,
but still relaxing. The outside seating area is very pleasant. You’ll hear
people at the pool and the birds and crickets from the Redwood Creek Challenge
Trail at California Adventure. In fact, there is a fence separating you
from the Trail, so you are sitting next to a lovely, wooded area!
Despite the small number of tables, we
have only encountered a line once at White Water Snacks, and have never
had a problem getting a table. The crowd was in December when both parks
had just closed at 5:00 pm, right after the fireworks at Disneyland. There
were about eight groups in line ahead of us, and the wait for our food
was closer to 30 minutes than the usual ten.
How do you get to this hidden gem? There
are two ways to get to White Water Snacks. One is from California Adventure
and one is through the Grand Californian Hotel. If you are already in California
Adventure, enter the Grand Californian Hotel across from the viewing area
for Grizzly Rapids. As soon as you enter the hotel area, it is like entering
a serene environment. When you reach the end of the passageway, turn left.
You will pass the rest rooms on your left, and the pool is on your right.
Walk a little farther and the entrance to White Water Snacks will be on
your left.
Reaching White Water Snacks through the
hotel is less direct, but still not difficult. After walking between Sephora
and Club Libby Lu in Downtown Disney, enter the Grand Californian Hotel
near the conference rooms, go through the lobby and back outside past the
pool. (If you have time as you stroll through the lobby, be sure to admire the
beautiful fireplace with chairs sized separately for children and adults, and
the way the pattern on the floor blends into the pattern on the carpet.) You’ll pass Storyteller’s Café and Napa Rose before
reaching the entrance to California Adventure. The entrance to White Water
Snacks is just a bit beyond.
However your reach White Water Snacks,
relax and enjoy the food and atmosphere in this virtually undiscovered
location.
About the Author: Gincy
Heins recently contributed an article about the new Adventures by Disney
trip to Wyoming.
She is planning a trip to Walt Disney World for her family later this year.
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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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Walt
Disney World Feature:
Say Cheese!:
Making The Most of PhotoPass
by Terry Rohrer,
Guest Contributor
It all started at an
amusement park, with a bunch of pushy kids trying to get everyone’s picture at
the front gate. Then they hand you a piece of paper that tells you to
come back and see your group photo after a designated time. After a long
day of rides and ice cream, you find the ticket and stop to see your picture
(that is if you remember). When you find it, it’s a small slide photo on
a cheap key chain that you have to hold up to a light to see. All this
for the bargain price of $11.95. Like all things, Disney
has made this not just better, but fantastic. Disney teamed up with Kodak
some years ago to capture families as they walk down Main Street USA.
With the help of Kodak, cast members were trained to not only stop and
take pictures, but give them better quality pictures than most family’s
point and shoot cameras.
This service has “developed”
as the technology advanced. Yes, they started with old-style film cameras,
but like everything Disney touches, they have made it better. With the
old way, film had to be developed, so you had to stop back after a period
of time to see the prints. Even after the introduction of digital cameras, you had
to wait about an hour or so to see the pictures, but now you could view them on
a computer screen. You still had to go to
a shop and ask to see your pictures. Then you had to decide at that
very moment if you wanted to purchase the photos. Sometimes, it was a
tough decision due to budget constraints, or because Mom did not have her eyes
open in the picture but everyone else looked great. Now with the new PhotoPass
system, you don’t have to stop that day to look at pictures, and you have
lots of time to make your decision. Yes, Disney still has
locations in every theme park where you can view and purchase your photos,
but you can also view and purchase any and all of your PhotoPass photos on the
Internet when you get home.
So here is how it works
- you start down Main Street USA (or as you go into any park) and someone
with a Nikon D-70 Digital SLR camera and a Disney name badge asks you to
stop for a picture. Tell the kids this will only take a second, and
make them turn around and follow the directions of the cast member. The
cast member will stand you in the perfect spot and take a few pictures
of the family. If you want a picture of just the kids, ask, and they will make that happen also. By the way, they will be more
than happy to take a shot with your camera, too. If you ask for advice, they will give
you some tips about how to take photos and get great shots during your
vacation. Be sure that you get your PhotoPass card before you walk away (they
should offer it to you automatically).
Treat this card like your park tickets or your credit cards, as it will
be the way you will be able to see your photos
later.
Carry your card
with you, and give it to each cast member that takes your picture. They will
scan your card, and all your photos will be stored together. If you forget to
give them your card (or leave it in your room), they'll give you another. Don’t worry, you will be able to view all of the pictures
- you'll just need to keep track of all those extra cards. To be safe,
make sure you have a record of each card. Take a digital photo of
the back or write down the number, so you have it in case the card gets
misplaced. When you meet
Disney characters there will usually
be a PhotoPass photographer on hand to take pictures of you and
your kids with the characters. They will get candid shots of the first
moments with the characters, as well as posed shots.
If you are
taking pictures at the same time the cast member is, let your
family know that the cast member gets the first photo, then have whatever family
member
is also taking photos say, “Now, look at me.” This way, you will not get home and find
that everyone in your pictures was looking at the PhotoPass photographer!.
As
I said in an earlier article, the cast member with the character (the “handler”)
will be happy to take your picture, using your camera. We had the PhotoPass
photographer use our camera right after he took his shots and they turned
out great. Use both of these cast members to your advantage while you spend
time with the characters. Now you have spent the
day or week getting your picture taken in front of all the park icons and
with the characters. You can stop at one of the locations in the park to
look at the photos, or better yet, go home and visit the PhotoPass
web site to start the process of viewing your photos.
Logging into the web
site is a simple process. On the first page of the web site you are asked
for the number on the back of your PhotoPass card. Enter the number and
go to the second page and fill out the required information. It will ask
for your, name, address, e-mail, and a password. Keep in mind
that if you want anyone else to be able to view and purchase these photos,
they will have to enter your e-mail and password, so don’t use a password
you use for other software.
After you register, the photos
will come up in the file marked “My Disney Photos.” They will be there for the
next 30 days so you can view them and decide if
you want to purchase any of them. There are six things you can do at this point
- view all of them in a slideshow, purchase them, create greeting cards
out of your favorite photos, share them with others, enhance them, and add other PhotoPass numbers
if you have multiple cards - you'll be able to view everything with a single
login. To me, the neatest feature is enhancing the photos with borders, autographs,
or customized captions.
If at any time you need
help, you can click on the word "Help" at the top of the page and it will
take you to http://www.disneyphotopass.com/help.
This will answer any questions you may have and give you additional information
about the system. Two things to keep in mind at this point is that you
only have 30 days to make up your mind, and you will not be able to download
any photos from the site. Any photos you buy will be shipped to the address
you listed.
The cost of the program
is listed at the site when you choose to purchase a picture. Currently, a 5x7 is $12.95, an 8x10
is $16.95, and the best deal is 1- 5x7 and 4 wallets for only $19.95.
If you want all of them
but they took A LOT (our last trip they took 120 photos), Disney has started
something new. You can have all of your photos put onto a CD for $99.95
and take them home with you. In the future, you will be able to order this
CD from the PhotoPass web site, but
for now you have to do it at one of Disney's in-park camera shops before you
head home. Disney usually has discounts
available on the web site and they will change often. For the most part,
the more you buy, the better the discount. Just keep checking and take advantage
of them if you can.
In closing, do not shy
away from the PhotoPass cast members, as they are there to not only help
Disney’s bottom line, but to capture the magic as it happens for your
family. Take the time to let them take your picture, talk to them about
photographic tips and when you get home, share the photos with everyone you know. Who
knows? You may just find the perfect picture, and save the magic forever.
About
The Author: Terry Rohrer is the father of two and contributed
an article on meeting Mickey Mouse in the May
4, 2006 issue of PassPorter News.
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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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