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 In This Newsletter
From the Authors: 2010 Spirals Shipping and a New E-Book!
Travel Feature: Willcox, Arizona
Disney Feature: Christmas Day Delights
Updates: What's New and Changed
Tips: Great Groceries, Luggage "Scales", Columbia Crowdless,
Captain's Corner: Cookies!
PassPorter PhotoPick: Christmas and Thanksgiving Towel Animals
Q and A: What should we do on our first evening after a long trip?
Our Sponsors: We Recommend...
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We encounter many Disney- and travel-related products and services. From among those we try, a few are good enough to use ourselves and recommend to you:
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Updates:
What's New and Changed
Here are a few items of relevant news:
Name Change for Character Meals at Cinderella's Royal Table. Beginning February 7, 2010, all meals - breakfast, lunch and dinner - at Cinderella's Royal table will be known as Fairytale Dining. This updates page 227 of PassPorter's Walt Disney WOrld guidebook
Victoria & Albert's Receives AAA Five Diamond Award. The AAA Five Diamond Award has been awarded to Victoria & Albert's restaurant at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa for the 10th consecutive year. Victoria & Albert's is one of only 52 restaurants in North America, Mexico and the Caribbean to receive the award. This updates page 300 of PassPorter's guidebook
DCL Passengers Robbed on Shore Excursion. Nine passengers from the Disney Wonder as well as nine passengers from Royal Caribbean's Navigator of the Seas were robbed at gunpoint while on a "Segway Off Road Back to Nature" tour of Nassau, Bahamas on November 20, 2009. The Royal Caribbean group and their tour guide were attacked by two men with shotguns who ordered them to the ground and took their money, passports, phones, credit cards, etc. The Disney Cruise Line group following the same route happened upon the incident and were also accosted. No one was injured. Disney Cruise Line representatives worked with the affected passengers providing assistance. Both cruise lines have canceled the tour and the crime is being investigated by the Bahamian police. This updates page 300 of PassPorter's guidebook
Our thanks to AllEars.net and MousePlanet.com from which we get some of our news leads.
Hear some news? Be a 'PassPorter Reporter' and send it to us!
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Disney Tips:
From Fellow Readers
Our readers deliver a wealth of information! Send us your tips! You may see them in this newsletter and win a copy of PassPorter! And you never know -- your tip could even appear in a future edition of a PassPorter guidebook.
GREAT GROCERIES
'We visited with our 10 month old in July. Bottled water and juice was a MUST! Not having a stop off with Disney's Magical Express, we utilized a great on-line grocery service, We Go Shop. I was in constant contact with my personal shopper and she went to the store of my choice! All items were at sale price and included tax, tip and delivery fee. Totally worth it!'
-- contributed by Katie
LUGGAGE "SCALES"
'Whilst looking through some sale catalogs recently, I came across a nifty little gadget that allows you to weigh your suitcase so you can repack if you are over the airline limit. I mentioned out loud to my husband that I would like to get one at only $49.95. He disappeared into the garage and returned with a much sturdier looking model and told me it was used to measure the weight of the fish when he went fishing with his mates! Cost to me - zilch! (Actual cost to husband was originally less than $20 and can measure double the weight than the travel model too). I will certainly be packing this little beauty on my next trip.'
-- contributed by Kylee
COLUMBIA CROWDLESS
'Columbia Harbour House in the Magic Kingdom is a wonderful counter service eatery in Liberty Square. To avoid the crowds eating downstairs, go upstairs where you will be able to dine on the inside of the bridge that separates Liberty Square and Fantasyland. You will also find an uncrowded bathroom upstairs.'
-- contributed by Susan
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 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. (Please note: Players can win once every three months.)
Here is this week's journal entry:
"There's nothing quite like a warm, gooey cookie on a cool autumn day. I've been hankering after a good cookie all week, so I asked my good friend Minnie for her famous cookie recipe. I jotted down her recipe and rushed off to the store for the ingredients. Shortening, butter, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, flour, baking soda, salt, chips .... wait, WHAT kind of chips does Minnie's recipe call for???"
What kind of chips are in Minnie's Famous Cookies?
For bonus credit, locate the photo in the PassPorter Photo Archive and post a comment with the photo!
Congratulations to Allan P. who was the winner of last week's trivia contest! Allan P. was the first person to identify the answer to last week's clue as the Great Seal of the United States in the rug in the Hall of Presidents in Liberty Square. Bonus credit goes to lukeandbrookesmom as the first person to locate the photo in our PassPorter Photo Archive. To view the original clue, see last week's newsletter.
Send your full answer to jackskatt@passporter.com -- the winner will be notified by e-mail and announced in a future newsletter, along with the correct answer!
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PassPorter PhotoPick
Each issue we choose a special photo from the PassPorter Photo Archive which highlights something beautiful, interesting, humorous, or timely at Disney or around the world. Here is this issue's PassPorter PhotoPick:
 Christmas and Thanksgiving Towel Animals
Photo by MickeyWatch
(click the photo or link to see a larger photo with details)
You can nominate photos as a PassPorter PhotoPick by giving ratings in the PassPorter Photo Archive (you'll need to be logged in to do this). If you'd like to contribute your own photos to the Photo Archive and be considered as a PhotoPick, please read our Photo Upload Guidelines for details and benefits.
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Q and A: With Jennifer and Dave
Julian asks: "When we arrive we will have been on the go for about 15 hours (including a 9 hour flight). Our 5 year old daughter will probably be tired. What do you suggest we do our first night? Should we just chill out and check out the resort or should we make our way to a park?"
Dave answers: "Allow for a little flexibility. Maybe your daughter will have slept on the plane enough that she's alert. Maybe she'll be ready for bed. So... plan to eat a quiet, relaxed meal at the food court or carry the food back to your room, depending on circumstances. After that, see what happens. She may enjoy a dip in the pool to unwind and exhaust any remaining energy, and even an exploration of the resort may be enough to sample the magic and take the edge off. After all that travel, another 20 minutes on a bus might not be worth the bother. There's a lot to be said for staying in one place for a bit. But, if you're all still itching to go, then the World awaits."
Did our message board members agree with Dave? To see other answers that Julian received, check out the rest of the thread on the PassPorter Message Boards..
Have a question? Post questions at http://www.passporterboards.com -- and if you're lucky, you may find that folks have already asked and answered the same question that's on your mind!
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Future Newsletters:
Want To See Your Name in Print?
PassPorter News is published weekly, and this means we're always in need of articles! We're on the lookout for guest columnists who want to contribute articles to this newsletter. No professional writing experience is necessary, just a desire to share your experience with others! Not only is this a great way to give something back to the PassPorter community, but you get to see your name in 'print' and receive a $25 gift certificate for use at www.passporter.com.
For details and our article submission guidelines, please e-mail news@passporter.com. Articles about Disney and general travel are welcomed!
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Our Sponsors:
We Recommend...
PassPorter only accepts advertising from services of the highest quality -- we recommend these companies because we use them ourselves. Please support our sponsors and, in turn, support this newsletter! This week's sponsors are (in order of appearance):
MouseEarVacations.com - Special Adventures by Disney Offer
Mouse Fan Travel - Last Call! Book "Stay 4 nights, Get 3 FREE" by 12/20/09!
Quicksilver Tours & Transportation - $5.00 off airport round-trip town car!
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From the Authors: 2010 Spirals Shipping and a New E-Book!
Hi, {{user('firstname')}}!
We have exciting news ... we're releasing a brand-new e-book today called PassPorter's Personalized! (see below for the juicy details), and the spiral versions of our 2010 editions have begun shipping!
2010 Spirals Now Shipping!
We're pleased to report that we've received the first shipment of PassPorter's Walt Disney World 2010 into our warehouse (the spiral editions) and pre-orders are now beginning to ship out! As we have a rather large list of pre-orders, it will take several days to ship them all, but once those are done we can begin shipping new orders. Deluxe starter kits, refill kits, and looseleaf text sets are in a separate shipment and are expected to arrive very soon, too! This is the perfect time to place your order for a 2010 edition if you haven't already -- pre-order at http://www.passporterstore.com/store/2010.aspx
Free Electronic Edition of 2010 Guidebook For All Orders!
Would you like to start reading and planning now while you wait for your copy of PassPorter's Walt Disney World 2010 to arrive? Now you can! We've put the entire book into our new online book browser for you to flip through, search, and zoom into. To access the electronic edition, look up your PassPorter Store order number (check your confirmation e-mail), login, and go to the PassPorter Book Browser (enter your order number when prompted). Step by step directions on how to do this are at the 2010 Order Center page! Tip: Anyone who orders a copy of the 2010 edition through the PassPorter Store has access to this electronic edition, so if you order right now, you'll get immediate access also!
New E-Book: PassPorter's Personalized!
Announcing a new e-book ... made by YOU and for YOU! PassPorter's Personalized! is a special e-book that is created just for you based on your destination, departure/return dates, ages in your travelling party, transportation method, hotel, and special interests.
How does it work? We ask you a few questions about your trip and within seconds you get a customized, fully-formatted e-book containing your trip details and helpful information about your destination, transportation, hotel, plus tips targeted toward those traveling with you (i.e., babies, kids, or mature travelers). You can even choose the title of your book and select a photo for the cover! When you're satisfied with the result, you can save the PDF and/or print it to take along ... it's fully formatted in the classic PassPorter style and perfect to slip into a Deluxe Binder or give to your family/friends going with you. To see an example, check out Jennifer's customized e-book -- which she titled "Our Holidaze" -- at http://www.passporter.com/MyCustomEbookPDF-toc.php?id=41&tripstart=20091210120100
So how do you get your own PassPorter's Personalized! e-book? Currently we only offer this e-book to PassPorter's Club passholders and it's free-of-extra-charges if you're already a passholder. No pass to the Club yet? You can get one for just $4.95/month or $44.95/annual at http://www.passporter.com/club -- you also get access to our 11 other e-books, 50 e-worksheets, 16,000 super-size photos, and our best discount on print guidebooks! The Club is an amazing value.
Click here to sign up for the PassPorter's Club -- and once you've got your pass (it's usually issued immediately), head here to begin creating your customized e-book: Create your customized version of PassPorter's Personalized!)
PassPorter's Club Update
- More than 1500 vacationers are now enjoying access to all our e-books, e-worksheets, and super-sized photo archive images. Thank you for your continued support!
- PassPorter's Personalized! is brand new e-book available ONLY to Club passholders in the Reading Room!
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In this issue, PassPorter Guest Contributor Jane Price shares information on Willcox, Arizona: Birthplace of Rex Allen. Then PassPorter Featured Columnist Cheryl Pendry gives us a glimpse into Christmas Day Delights: Holiday Wonders at Walt Disney World. Finally, Jack Skatt is back with a brand-new Walt Disney World Treasure Hunt.
Jennifer and Dave Marx
PassPorter Founders and Authors
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Travel Feature:
Willcox, Arizona: Birthplace of Rex Allen
Jane Price, PassPorter Guest Contributor
Who is Rex Allen and what is his connection to Walt Disney and the Disney theme parks? Every Disney fan knows of Rex Allen's work, if not the man himself.
Rex Allen was a singing cowboy who was billed as "The Last of the Silver Screen Cowboys." His most famous recording was "Streets of Laredo," but to Disney fans of all stripes his most famous tune was "A Great, Big, Beautiful Tomorrow." Yes, Rex was the original voice of the father/host of GE's "Carousel of Progress" at the 1964-1965 New York World's Fair.
And that's not all he did for Walt Disney. His voice can be heard in 150 Disney movies and TV shows! He narrated virtually all of Walt's "True-Life Adventures" and lent his voice to other Disney cartoons and nature shows. Perhaps his most famous narrated movie was the non-Disney, animated "Charlotte's Web."
Willcox, Arizona is the hometown of Rex Allen and a museum dedicated to his life can be found in the historic part of town. Willcox is a small town in Southeast Arizona on I-10. There are two parts of the town, which follow the changing times. The old, historic part of town, which houses the museum, is located along the Union Pacific Railroad. The newer, commercial part of town is located north of the older part along the interstate highway.
Willcox is also the gateway to beautiful, but little known, Chiricahua National Monument. The Chiricahua Mountains are but one of many mountain ranges rising up from the desert floor that surround the town. This mountainous national monument, with its varying temperate zones and unusual rock formations, is a destination in its own right and only adds to the reasons you should visit the area.
The western town of Willcox is friendly and fiercely proud of its heritage, especially its native son. In the historic part of town, in addition to the Rex Allen Museum, there are other attractions: a railroad museum celebrating the railroad's role in westward expansion; a Marty Robbins museum (remember the song about the guy who fell in love, got shot, and died in the west Texas town of El Paso?); a movie theater; and a small, picturesque park. The park has a statue of Rex, plaques telling you about his life, including his connection to Walt Disney, and a burial marker for his beloved horse, Koko. All of these are within a few yards of each other, with convenient, nearby, free parking. Along this strip are also western wear shops where you can get boots and a cowboy hat to make you feel at home in the old west. Some places to get a hearty western meal are nearby as well.
If you make your visit in the late summer or fall, there are orchards north of the town where you can get fresh peaches or apples, or freshly pressed apple cider at Apple Annie's.
Around the first weekend in October, the town goes all out to celebrate Rex Allen Days. Western-style entertainment; a big, small-town parade involving the whole town, craft vendors, a western rodeo, and a small carnival are among the offerings during Rex Allen Days. It is the best time to visit.
Remember, Arizona is so much more than the famous Grand Canyon. Every Disney fan ought to pay a visit to Willcox and the Rex Allen Museum, because of his great contribution to Walt Disney's best works.
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About the Author: Jane Price is a first-time contributor to PassPorter News. Jane lives in southeast Arizona with her husband, three granddaughters, and the family parrots. She is an Annual Passholder for Disneyland as well as a Disney Vacation Club member.
Questions, feedback, or corrections about this article, or just want to give kudos to the author? Share a comment here or e-mail us at news@passporter.com. Also check out our Article Collection for more great information!
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Disney Feature:
Christmas Day Delights: Holiday Wonders at Walt Disney World
Cheryl Pendry, PassPorter Featured Columnist
Christmas Day is perhaps one of the most magical days of the year, with all the joys of this festive season. Presents sit beneath the Christmas tree waiting to eagerly be unwrapped, turkeys are cooking ready for lunch, and families arrive at each other's houses to share the day together. That's how many people spend Christmas Day, but for us, we have our own family tradition for Christmas. As many times as our budget – and workplaces – will allow us to, we head to the Walt Disney World Resort for Christmas.
Why go to Walt Disney World for Christmas? There are many reasons why, not least the fact that Christmas almost coincides with my birthday, allowing me to spend my special day in my special place with my special husband – and a special certain donkey named Eeyore, who's also close to my heart!
However, we love Christmas Day at Disney for so many other reasons. Firstly, there's no thought needed, in terms of wondering which part of the family we should be spending Christmas with or whether we should enjoy it just the two of us. Of course, one thing you do need to do is to plan ahead and make sure that all your meal bookings for the big day are in place as soon as you can make them. We've never had a problem getting what we want, but then, we don't go for character meals, which are probably a lot tougher to get. To give you an idea of our previous Christmas Day dining, we've eaten at Chefs de France, the California Grill, and Boma for dinner, all of which have been absolutely superb. Boma was certainly a very different Christmas dinner, but exceptionally enjoyable as we shared it with my husband's family, who fell in love with the restaurant and keep asking to go back there on their next visit!
The next tough decision you'll need to make is which park you want to spend Christmas Day visiting. There's only one rule we ever have on this – we always avoid the Magic Kingdom. We've heard too many horror stories about how packed it is on the day and I've seen the park filled to capacity just a couple of days after Christmas. It was not a pleasant experience and one that put me off the idea for life! If you do want to head to the Magic Kingdom on Christmas Day, be sure to make the most of Extra Magic Hours early in the morning if you're staying on property. That's the time you're likely to find lower crowds and waits for the rides, allowing you to hopefully do more than you'd achieve later in the day.
We find Epcot absorbs the crowds beautifully. Of course, if you do want to go on Test Track or Soarin', you will need to grab a Fastpass as soon as the park gates open or face the prospect of torturous hours waiting in line. The worst wait time we've seen at Christmas was 240 minutes for Test Track, that's right, a full four hours! Not the most fun way to spend a special day.
Instead, we tend to spend our time wandering the parks and checking out the wonderful little details that you find everywhere. Christmas Day is also a great time to stop and admire some of the performers in the park. One of our favorite things to do is to try and catch as many of the World Showcase's Holidays Around the World Storytellers as we can, as they bring to life the holiday traditions from their home country.
Something else that's a lot of fun to do on Christmas Day – or Christmas Eve, as we've done that before in the past – is to take in the Osborne Lights at Disney's Hollywood Studios. We always find that walking around that helps to remind us of the meaning of Christmas, which can sometimes get lost. Another way to remind yourself is to enjoy the Candlelight Processional at Epcot, the re-telling of the Christmas story. Be warned through, unless you've booked the Candlelight Processional Dining Package, the chances of actually getting into the American Gardens Theatre are fairly low, as this is an exceptionally popular event, particularly during Christmas week.
If the weather's working in your favor, there's another fun thing that you can do on Christmas Day that's very untraditional for most of us and that's to head to your resort pool for a swim. We had a wonderful Christmas Day morning a few years ago just hanging out at The Yacht and Beach Club's Stormalong Bay on a beautifully hot day. It was a very strange feeling, but also very relaxing and one of the best ways I know to enjoy Christmas!
I've heard people ask, "What's Disney really like on Christmas Day?" and I must admit I found myself asking something similar before our first stay there. I had images that maybe things would be closed, particularly outside the parks, or perhaps we'd run into grumpy Cast Members, miserable at being forced to work on Christmas Day and be away from their families. Not a bit of it. Christmas Day at Walt Disney World is very much like any other day of the year, with everything open as usual and Cast Members who walk around with huge smiles on their faces, wishing their guests "Happy Holidays." It really is a bit like a big family gathering, with everyone enjoying the day together.
I guess maybe that's the reason that we keep returning time and time again to spend Christmas at Disney, because is a truly magical time of the year and there's no better place for us to celebrate than at a truly magical place, filled with friendly and happy faces.
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About the Author: Cheryl is the author of the new e-book, PassPorter's Walt Disney World for British Holidaymakers, as well as Co-Author of PassPorter's Disney Vacation Club Guide: For Members and and Members-To-Be. Cheryl and husband Mark live in England and love to travel, particularly to Disney, and they have traveled around the world, visiting every Disney theme park along the way.
Questions, feedback, or corrections about this article, or just want to give kudos to the author? Share a comment here or e-mail us at news@passporter.com. Also check out our Article Collection for more great information!
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Did You Know?
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Use Discount Code: PassPorter News
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