November 9, 2006 * Issue 6.43 |
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In
This Newsletter
From the Authors:
Hard At Work in SoCal!
Travel Feature:
Adventures by Disney: Viva Italia! (Part 3)
Disney Feature: Top
10 Questions
Updates: What's
New and Changed
Tips:
The Grumpy Pin, Pick a Podcast, Fantastic Fireworks
Captain's Corner: The Greatest
Invention of All Time
Q&A: Why
are the Disney Resorts all booked for our dates?
.
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Updates:
What's
New and Changed
Here are a few items of relevant news:
The Country Bears will not be celebrating Christmas
at Walt Disney World this year. Disney has decided to forego a Country Bear
Christmas this year. The regular show, Country Bear Jamboree, will continue
as scheduled.
Gatorland, the 57 year old
Orlando-area attraction, suffered a fire on November 6. The fire started in the
main entry building with the iconic "gator mouth" entrance, but was contained
and all of the animal pens, fencing and venues are in tact. Two exotic snakes
and one crocodile died in the fire, but all of Gatorland's other residents
(reptile, animal and human alike) were unharmed.
Walt Disney World resorts began testing a discount program
yesterday (November 8), similar to the Disney Cruise Line's onboard booking
discount, to see if current guests would be interested in receiving discounts on
a future trip by booking while at Walt Disney World. The special currently being
offered is a 5 night/5 day package including standard accommodations at a Value
Resort, a base Magic Your Way ticket and the Disney Dining Plan starting at
$453/adult. You must travel from August 5, 2007 - September 29, 2007. A minimum
stay of three nights is required.
There are two ways to book this package - "Your Next Disney Vacation"
desks will be set up in the lobbies of Disney's Yacht & Beach Club and Port
Orleans Resorts where a Disney Reservation Specialist will be on hand to book
your package. Guests of Disney's Pop Century and Contemporary Resorts will be
given a phone number at check-in to call to book their packages. You must be a
Guest of a Walt Disney World owned and operated Resort to book this package. You
do not have to be a Guest of the Resorts that have test sites. You can go
to Port Orleans or the Yacht & Beach Clubs to book the package. You must book
and place a deposit on your package prior to check-out.
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:
THE GRUMPY PIN
"The last time we went to Disney World our boys were eight and four years old.
We recalled from previous vacations that occasionally the boys would have cranky
periods (ok sometimes us adults too) from being tired, hungry or just plain
over-exhilarated. So we came up with the "Grumpy Pin". We purchased a Grumpy pin
at Epcot and stated that anyone who is "Grumpy" has to wear the Grumpy Pin for
at least an hour. It worked like magic. Just the thought of having to wear the
pin is an automatic mood booster. It also allows the whole family to get in the
act. Our boys made one of us wear the pin more than once during one of our
grumpy moments. It was amazing to see how quickly bad moods went away. We are
going back this December with the whole extended family and plan to put the
Grumpy Pin Plan into action."
-- contributed by Jane B.
PICK A PODCAST
"Get excited for your trip by listening to a Disney podcast! It has fun info on
the parks and will get you thinking Disney." [ Note: Disney podcasts are
available at web sites such as
www.disneypodcastnet.com and
http://mousetunes.com] -- contributed
by Mike D.
FANTASTIC FIREWORKS
"If you want to enjoy fireworks and dinner (and California Grill is
booked or not to your taste), make a reservation at Narcoossee's for about an
hour before the Wishes fireworks are about to begin. If you do this, you will
just be finishing your dinner when you can go outside on the deck that overlooks
the water, and see the fireworks with the music piped in!" -- contributed by
Chloe C.
>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 journal entry:
"As I disembarked my space cruiser for the final time and began my
trek across Tomorrowland, I was halted by a voice extolling the wonders of "the
greatest invention of all time"! As I consider myself somewhat of a "weekend"
inventor, further investigation was required. I followed the sound of the voice
to see what I could discover."
According to the narrator of the Tomorrowland
Transit Authority, what is the "greatest invention of all time"?
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 Jennifer Shaughnessy who was
the winner of last week's treasure hunt game! Jennifer correctly identified
planet Dannmoll X1 as being in sector 6. (This was a tough one - only 4 answers
were received and Jennifer's was the ONLY correct answer.) 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
Lilyian asks: "Does
anyone know why the Disney resorts seem to be sold out 12/3 and 12/4? Does the
fact that Disney Resorts are full mean that the parks will be especially
crowded?"
Dave & Jennifer answer: "Early
December has a variety of special events - conventions, Pop Warner, etc. This
fills the hotels, but the rest of the hotels in Orlando are quieter than a mouse
(so to speak). Even with every on-property room filled, you can't come close to
filling the parks. To fill the parks, you need a lot of folks coming in from
off-property, too, and they're just not out there. Most of those events at
Disney are also keeping the participants busy outside the parks for much of the
day - at Wide World of Sports, and in the convention halls. No, the parks won't
be empty, but most of the time they won't be close to crowded, either."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?
PassPorter News is now published
weekly, and 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: Hard At Work in SoCal!
Hi, {{user("firstname")}}!
Jennifer and Dave are in California hard
at work on the second edition of PassPorter Disneyland Resort and Southern
California Attractions. Have you always wanted to meet your favorite guidebook
authors in person? (Or you've already met them but really love the freebies they
always have on hand?) Meet up with them this Saturday, November 11! Check out
the public appearance calendar below for more details.
In other happy news, all pre-orders for
PassPorter Walt Disney
World 2007 have shipped and new orders are being shipped on the next
business day. That means there is plenty of time to order a new PassPorter if
you are planning to attend MouseFest!
Place your order today at
http://www.passporterstore.com/store/2007.aspx. And if you subscribe to the
HTML version of this newsletter, don't forget to use the 20% off coupon code at
the bottom of this issue of PassPorter News!
PassPorter Public Appearance Calendar
Here's an update on where you can see/hear/meet PassPorter's
authors in the upcoming months:
Coming soon:
11/11/2006
1:00 PM
PassPorter Meet at
Disneyland Park with Jennifer, Dave, and Alexander Marx
(this is NOT
a blockout date for Deluxe AP holders, but is blocked out for SoCal AP holders)
Place: Fountain near Haunted Mansion
Join us to check out the new Pirates of the Caribbean attraction, Haunted
Mansion Holiday, and anything else we feel like doing together. We'll have our
brand new "PassPorter Pal" cloisonné pins to give to anyone who attends our
meet!
Note: If you are a SoCal AP holder but still want to get together with us, we'll
be in the park on Sunday, November 12, too. Just e-mail us (jenniferanddave@passporter.com)
and we'll set up a time and place to meet.
12/3 - 12/11/2006
MouseFest 2006
See the MouseFest
web site for the full schedule
http://www.mousefest.org
Appearing:
Jennifer, Dave and Alexander Marx, Deb Wills
Be sure to bring
your books for autographing
Books will also be
available for sale at the MegaMouseMeet, Saturday 12/9, at 1:00 pm. |
In this issue of the newsletter Dotti Saroufim
finishes her three-part report on her Adventures by Disney tour of Italy,
and Terry Rohrer shares his Disney "expertise" with you. Enjoy!
Sara Varney PassPorter
News Editor
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Travel
Feature:
Adventures by Disney: Viva Italia! by
Dotti Saroufim, Guest Contributor and member of the
MouseEarVacations.com team
[Note: Adventures by Disney is Disney's new guided vacation travel organization,
currently offering a dozen different tours in North and Central America, and
Europe. To learn more, visit
http://www.adventuresbydisney.com or contact your Disney Specialist travel agent. -
Ed.]
Day Seven: Venetian Fantasy
Ouch. My turn for the
pained expression in the morning, but I deserved it. Poor Tony -- I made him
talk very, very quietly. Our luggage was to be outside our door at 7:30 a.m. to
be picked up and transported to Venice, and our motor coach pickup was at 8 a.m.
for the ride back to Florence and the train station. I don’t know what I
expected, but I was surprised to see our luggage being loaded onto a truck.
This, of course, meant stress-free traveling for us - for our first-class
Eurostar train ride to Venice, we only had to worry about our backpacks and our
bagged lunches, thoughtfully prepared by the hotel chef. Our luggage would be
waiting at our hotel when we arrived!
I have taken many, many
train trips from Boston to New York City. I don’t know how trains in the rest of
our country compare, but I have to say that the Eurostar ROCKS! Smooth, quiet
and fast, this three-hour train ride passed by in no time at all. Our first
class seating was luxurious - very large, comfortable seats with loads of
legroom and with push button controls to recline. I felt like I was in a spa
rather than a vehicle speeding through the countryside at 200 mph. We were
fortunate enough to be seated with Beth and her husband, Mike, the “other”
troublemaker of the group. I say that with great affection, since his
partner-in-crime was my husband. We spent some of the trip reminiscing on the
Italian words we learned while growing up. Funny how many of those words were
the same - and most we wouldn’t dare say in front of Cinzia!
The train arrived at the
Santa Lucia station on the Grand Canal and it was just a short walk to where we
would embark on our gondola tour of Venice. We paused for a group photo, waited
a few minutes for Tina and Cinzia to work their magic, and soon we boarded our
gondolas in groups of six.
I don’t know how best to
describe Venice without sounding trite. It was like a dream. A fairytale land
set on water. There are no cars, no motorbikes, no trucks, and no “street noise”
other than the sound of people walking and talking. The only motors you hear are
those of the waterbuses ferrying people between stops, or the barges delivering
goods. To see this incredible city, hundreds of canals and tiny islands amid the
tidal waters of the Adriatic Sea, was more moving to me than any cathedral or
work of art -- this whole city is a work of the art of man. I could live in
Venice. If someone gave me a ticket to anywhere on this planet at this moment,
it would be to the Marco Polo airport.
Our gondola tour ended at
Piazza Sant’Angelo, where our walking tour began. There we met Laura (pronounced
L-ow-ra), who expertly guided us through the streets, over bridges, and up and
down stairs to ultimately turn a corner into Piazza San Marco for our first view
of the breathtaking beauty of Basilica di San Marco and Palazzo Ducale. And at
least one million pigeons, maybe more. There were so many pigeons; they
virtually carpeted the entire piazza. If you walked too fast, you’d step on them
as they rarely moved too quickly. (Don’t ask me how I know.)
Those of us who opted to
were led into the Basilica for a tour with Laura, while others were free to head
to the hotel, only a three minute walk away. Once adequately bedazzled by the
amazing mosaics (and this structure deserves a long visit, as there is just too
much to be taken in!), we made our way to the Bauer Venezia to pick up our keys
and to sadly unpack for the final time in Italy.
The entryway to the Bauer
is situated in a little square with a beautiful small church (relatively
speaking) off to its side called Chiesa de San
Moisè,
and many designer shops across from its door. One can shop and then pray for a
way to pay, or as our friends Mike and Dennis did, just pray that their wives
found the shops only after they closed. The hotel itself is situated right on
the Grand Canal and has its own water taxi stop. The views from the restaurant
at breakfast were nothing less than stunning. Our room was in a second, older
building next door, and was comprised of two separate areas, one with our bed
and huge marble bath, and the other a sitting area with sofa, desk, table and
two chairs. It also had a tiny kitchen area with sink, mini-fridge and microwave
- quite nice and so much larger than we expected! One of the families on our
tour had the room down the hall, which actually had an ornate winding metal
staircase leading up to a loft.
I was on a mission to find
the Venice Disney Store, and I’m happy to report that I now own a Venezia Mickey
T-shirt. Searching for the store was a fun way to see other parts of the city,
including the Rialto Bridge and the
surrounding areas.
Since we didn’t know where
the name “Rocco” would find us a good meal, we wandered the streets, peering
into windows to see if we could find Italians enjoying their food. We lucked
upon a wonderful restaurant where we filled up on salad, pizza, pasta, and wine
for a total of 15 Euro each - the bargain of the trip! We strolled along
afterwards, finally making our way into Piazza San Marco (with not one pigeon to
be seen in the evening!) to listen to the music at the outdoor cafes, and then
back out again in search of gelato and coffee. We sipped our coffees and ate our
dessert while listening to a street performer singing an aria – an experience
unlike any other.
Day
Eight: Carnevale!
We awoke to a gorgeous warm
and sunny day, and the breakfast buffet, and wonderful coffee, were enjoyed and
appreciated. We weren’t scheduled to depart that morning for our next adventure
until 9 a.m. - a late morning! Good thing I was still half on
Boston time or I never would
have survived these wake-up calls. We met in the hotel lobby for our trip to
Tragicomica, the mask store and workshop, where we would be making our own
Carnevale masks.
I have to say that this
morning was one of the highlights of the entire trip. Visiting the store alone
would have been fascinating, but to be brought into the workshop and supervised
by a master mask maker and her assistants in the creation of our own masks was
great fun! We were asked to choose from a number of pre-made mask styles - the
initial Plaster of Paris process had already been performed for us. Masks
chosen, we were asked to think of an original design for our masks and sketch it
out, if possible, on the paper supplied. From there, we were to choose colors,
both for the base and for decoration, and also the glitter, jewels, or other
embellishments that we might want added.
Our teacher and her
assistants were always close by to give advice, supply the paints, blow-dry our
creations, and give a hand in any way needed. What we all came up with was
indeed both creative and clever, and this was quite the “souvenir” to take back
home! Since our next stop was a water taxi for our trip to the island of
Murano, the masks were packaged up and sent back to our hotel, and were in our
rooms when we returned later that evening.
Our busy day continued with
a tour of the Marco Polo Glass Factory on the beautiful island of
Murano. We watched glass being blown and then were able to see the many
elaborate creations made in the factory. We then had lunch at an outdoor
trattoria, the Busa alla Torre, where we met the owner - a large, jovial man who
visits the states often and gives much of his time and energy to raise
scholarship money for orphans of fireman who perished in the 9/11 tragedy. He
was deservedly given a rousing round of applause, both for his generosity and
for his very good food!
We headed back to our hotel
with a few free hours before our farewell dinner, and we decided to take one
last walk around the city. We weren’t looking for anything special but managed
to buy some Limoncello to take home, and some delicious biscotti and chocolate
to eat on our voyage back.
At 6:15 p.m., we met in the
hotel lobby for the walk to dinner, this one held on a 16-galleon pirate ship!
We were met by pirates as we boarded the ship, while music from the Pirates of
the Caribbean movie soundtrack played in the background. Well, what did I expect?
Drinks were passed around (champagne, wine, Bellini), hors d’oeuvres were
served, and everyone got into the party mood - for this bunch, it didn’t take
long at all. Dinner was as delicious as expected, more wine was consumed, and
even more surprises were unveiled. It was a bittersweet evening - everyone
saying their goodbyes as we sailed up and down the
Grand Canal, the sun setting in the distance.
All said they could not imagine a more perfect ending to a perfect trip.
Day Nine: Arrivederci
Based on our flight times,
each of us had a different meeting time to take the water taxi to the airport.
(A few wiser travelers added on a day or two in Venice or Rome!) In true Disney
fashion, one of our guides (Tina) was putting us and our luggage into the taxi
at the hotel, while the other (Cinzia) was waiting for us at the airport to send
us in the right direction. From start to finish, there was not one stressful
moment for us on this trip -- they truly thought of every little thing.
We had our final breakfast
on the patio overlooking Santa Maria della Salute, and sadly bid farewell to our
new friends enjoying breakfast on the patio. Four of us had the same flight
time, so we boarded our water taxi together. As we pulled away from the dock and
began our trip to the airport, we looked back at the patio - and one by one, we
saw them all stand up - Beth and Mike, Marilyn and Dennis, Robbin and Marc,
Kathy and Amy and Len, and more - and there they stayed, standing and waving,
until we were only small specks in the distance.
Until we meet again….
Final Thoughts:
Our Adventure Guides:
I cannot say enough about Tina and
Cinzia, and how they looked after us for nine wonderful days. They were not only
highly efficient and capable, but were truly caring, patient and compassionate
people. And they were fun! That the 36 of us became such a “famiglia” during
this trip was due in large part to the personalities of our guides.
Our Group:
We ranged in age from mid-30’s to one incredibly energetic woman of 85! (Katie,
our collective hats were all off to you -- you are one amazing “young woman!”)
We had doctors, lawyers, teachers, business analysts, nurses, real-estate
agents, CIO’s, CEO’s, stay-at-home parents, a
chaplain, and a travel agent who writes trip reports that are way too long,
among others. The majority were big enough fans of Disney that they didn’t laugh
when I found a Hidden Mickey in the Pantheon. Over 30 of our group have
exchanged email addresses and are sharing stories and photos. As I said at our
farewell dinner, there isn’t one person in this group who I wouldn’t eagerly
share another trip with.
Would I recommend this
tour to others? Well, yeah… y’think?
In all seriousness, when Tony and I first signed on, we were a little wary of
the price. When we finished, we said that we got our money’s worth and so much
more. I’m more than ready for my next Adventure by Disney!
About the Author:
Dotti
Saroufim is a
CruisingCo.com/MouseEarVacations.com
travel agent. She recently returned from Epcot's Food and Wine Festival and is
looking forward to meeting some of you on land or at sea in December for
MouseFest 2006.
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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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You Know?
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Cruise Rates are available at MouseEarVacations.com!
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Disney Feature:
The Top 10 Questions Asked of A
Disney "Expert" by
Terry Rohrer, Guest Contributor
Your
friends know you as the “Disney Expert.” You own every guide book and have over
50 Disney-related web sites bookmarked. Any conversation usually leads to
something Disney related. When your friends are thinking about going to Walt
Disney World, you are the first phone call they make. Sound familiar? Do you
often get asked questions about where to stay, what tickets to get, or even what
ride to do first?
As one of these so called,
or self described, “Disney Experts” I often find myself helping friends, and
even friends of friends, plan their trips. Of course, the first thing I do is
tell them to get the PassPorter and read it. That way they have some idea of
what they are getting into. But I thought I would put together a list of my most
asked questions to help the other “Disney Experts” out there.
1.
Do you really have to plan for a Disney vacation?
Chances
are if you are reading this newsletter, your answer to this question is a
resounding, “Yes!” Once your friends get a guide book and see how much there is
to do, they may get overwhelmed. But you need to give them some idea as to
why you do the planning – to avoid over-crowded parks, to make sure they get
the meals they want, etc.
2.
When is the best time to go?
The
short answer is, “Go when kids are in school.” But if taking kids out of school
is not an option, direct them to the chart in your PassPorter that shows crowd
levels and costs throughout the year. If a school schedule is not an issue, be
sure to tell them about the special events that may interest them –Mickey’s Not
So Scary Halloween Party, the new Pirates & Princesses events starting next
year, the International Food & Wine Festival, etc. And you must, as a friend,
tell them about Hurricane season. You may lose a friend if they have to spend
two days trapped inside a hotel room or their flights get canceled.
3.
Do you stay on Property or off?
This
will be a personal preference of the person being asked. We always recommend
staying onsite, because of the theming of the resorts and the Disney
transportation system. You have to give people enough information to help them
make their own decisions here. Make sure they know the difference between a
Disney owned and operated Resort, a Disney Good Neighbor Resort, and off-site
accommodations. Then let them make their own decisions! Choosing a Resort is
probably the most personal decision a family can make during the planning
process.
4.
Which Disney Resort should we choose?
This
question always leads me to more questions. Are they on a budget? What is
important to them - pool theming, location, inside hall? How many people are in
their party? We all know the issues that come with having a family or 5 or more…
I will then refer them to the PassPorter and
www.disneyworld.com so they can see what each resort has to offer.
5.
How do you get there?
Once
again, more questions for you to ask. Do they have a budget, do they like long
car rides, and do they need a car when they get there? This is when I explain
why I plan so much in advance - I start looking at air fare and gas prices to
decide whether to fly or drive. I have a little boy and he does okay for a few
hours in the car but for us it is an 18 hour drive. I know I can only take “Are
we there yet?” for so long! But if they want to see the beach, Kennedy Space
center or have family to see, then driving may be their only option. I tell
people to look for web sites that have games and ideas for traveling with kids.
I also tell them to join AAA as car problems only happen when you don’t want
them to. Another reason to plan ahead!
6.
What ticket option should we get?
As
before, more questions on my part. How long are they going for, do they think
they will really use the Park Hopper option? This seems like a
straightforward question but it may be the most complicated. You’re going for 5
days then get a 5 day ticket, right? But with all the different options there is
a little more to look at. I also tell people to think ahead – will you be
returning to Disney World in the near future? An Annual Pass may be their best
bet. I tell people to consider how long their trip will be and if this is a once
in a lifetime trip or potentially just the first of many. If this is a 10 day
trip and they will be back in a year or two, they may only need park admission
for 7 or 8 days. If this is a once in a lifetime trip, 7 day trip, then consider
adding on the Park Hopper and Water Park option so they can see as much as
possible during their trip.
7.
Where should we eat?
Now
that they have started planning you get the question about what restaurants to
eat at. And you should have more questions. Budget, what type of food, do you
want to meet the characters, etc. Our family is early to rise so we have a
character breakfast almost each morning. You can eat a ton of food for a little
bit of money, the meals have all been great and you get the characters to come
to your table. No waiting in line to see or meet them. This saves time in the
parks to ride the rides. Also, do they want to try new types of food? Are the
kid’s picky eaters? The menus at www.allearsnet.com will give them some idea as
to what each restaurant offers and what the price range may be. Once again, if
you schedule your trip you can find a place to eat at the park you are at. By
doing this you will not be one of the ones waiting for a table or in the long
lines to get a meal when you should be riding the big rides when the lines are
smallest.
8.
When do I do the Magic Kingdom?
This
question also depends on the make-up of the party. For younger kids, you may
want to save the Magic Kingdom until later in the trip, or everywhere else pales
by comparison. For older kids, this is less of a concern. This can be when you
explain about Extra Magic Hours (if you haven’t already covered them in the
on-site vs. off-cite debate) and the merits of using a touring plan like those
suggested in PassPorter. This will allow them to decide what they want to see
and what they can miss. After they do this I get with them and make sure they
have not missed something good because they didn’t understand what it was. For
example, friends of ours did not have Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin on the
list because they thought it was a spinning ride and they get sick easy.
9.
What is FastPass?
This is
when you really get to look like an expert! You need to tell them how to get the
FastPass, how to read it and when they can get new ones. I will tell friends
with small children to use their tickets to get extra FastPasses and Mom or Dad
can go 2 times with the older children. This is also a good time to explain the
“Baby Swap”. You now will be a friend forever.
10.
What else is there to do besides the 4 theme parks?
This is
where the Disney expert shines. You have been there enough to know that it takes
more than just 4 days to see it all. We tell them about the water parks and
Downtown Disney. Of course my wife tells them about the shopping. I tell them
about the Adventurers Club. We tell them to take in a dinner show if it is in
the budget, or book a fireworks cruise. It is these little things that make the
trip even more special.
Now, I
am sure they will have more questions and if you don’t know the answer then
don’t be shy, tell them you have not done that or just don’t know. But keep it
in mind so you can ask how it was when they get back and add it to your next
vacation. Don’t overwhelm them with details; just point them in the right
direction. The planning is half the fun, so resist the urge to do too much
planning for them. (Especially tough if you do not have a trip in the works!)
Either
way, just make sure to remind them to have a good time and take lots of pictures
to remember the magic.
About the Author:
Terry Rohrer is the father of two
and contributed an article on meeting Disney's PhotoPass program in the
July 20, 2006
issue of PassPorter News..- - - - - - - - - - - -
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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