Affordable Walt Disney World Vacation
THE DISNEY NEWS
November 16, 2005
Copyright © 1999 - 2005 by John P. Gross. All rights reserved.
=================================================
To subscribe to Affordable Disney's blog, click the following
icon:
Or copy and paste the following URL into your RSS Reader:
http://affordabledisney.blogspot.com/atom.xml
: My Yahoo! users can instantly add our blog
content to My Yahoo! Add My Yahoo!
: You can also subscribe to our blog at MSN!
Add to My MSN!
=================================================
Hi Everyone!
In this blog...
* Deals and specials - including a new Disney vacation
package for Canadians
* The latest news from around the "World" - including The
Chronicles of Narnia in the Snow Globes Experience
* Raymond asks about exceeding the number of guests per room
* Cherry writes about the Disney Dining Experience
* Beth, our travel agent, writes about her recent WDW visit
* This week's money saving tip - how to get free autographed
Disney character photos
=================================================
We continuously update our information and you can find
these current specials in our Addenda:
WALT DISNEY WORLD:
New Affordable Disney Discount For Active Military
Active duty US military personnel receive a FREE upgrade to
a Lifetime Basic Membership when they purchase a Basic
Membership! Mention Code "military" on the order form. Thank
you for your service! You can sign up here.
--------------------------------
Disney Vacation Package for Canadians: Save US $121 and
receive FREE ticket upgrade to Park Hopper Option AND Water
Park Fun & More Option! Log in for your discount codes!
--------------------------------
Earn a FREE 1-Way Ticket or a FREE Round-Trip Ticket with
this Airfare promotion!
--------------------------------
Two new sweepstakes: Win a vacation to Walt Disney World or
a trip to London for the world premiere of Disney's new
film, The Chronicles of Narnia!
--------------------------------
DISNEY CRUISE LINE
Get early booking savings on these three-, four-, seven,
ten- and eleven-night cruises booked November 14-20 for
travel in 2006. Three-night cruises start at $479 per
adult, double occupancy!
=================================================
DISNEYLAND CALIFORNIA
These members save $10.00 per ticket to SeaWorld San Diego
through 12/31/05! Maximum 6 tickets per purchase.
=================================================
CRUISES
4-night Caribbean cruise from $239 per person, double
occupancy! Book through Friday November 18, 2005, 11:59 PM.
Sailing dates: 12/05/05 and 12/12/05.
=================================================
Affordable Disney Members should log in at our password-
protected site (The Disney Reading Room) to access the
particulars about the above mentioned specials.
If you are not a member, you can join our Disney family here.
=================================================
Cherry writes:
"Hi John,
Have you included information on the Disney Dining
Experience in past newsletters? I apologize if I missed it
and this is duplicative. I first heard about the dining
experience when I visited Disney World during Spring Break
in April. I received the information when I renewed my
annual pass and was very interested but when I called (from
my Disney hotel room) I was told that I had to request it in
advance and get it through the mail before I visited Disney.
Of course I was disappointed but I did request it in time
for a short trip with my husband and two friends in July. We
more than made up for the cost of joining the Disney Dining
Experience on that trip.
The card provides for a 20% discount on meals including
food, soft drinks, and alcohol drinks at all the major
Disney park and resort restaurants - for up to 10 people in
your party. Discounts on beer, wine, and cocktails are a
very rare find. On our 4 night trip in July we ate lunches
and dinners at California Grill, Flying Fish, Bistro de
Paris, Coral Reef, Biergarten, and Brown Derby. We also
had cocktails and snacks at Rose and Crown lounge and MGM's
Prime Time Cafe ounge. I paid $50 for the card and, on
this July trip, for 4 adults we saved at least $300!!"
By the way, we are Disney Vacation Club members and are now
getting a $100 member discount on our adult annual passes.
Hope some of this info is useful."
Yes, we posted it in the newsletter - Beth wrote an article
about it - and it's in the book. The Disney Dining
Experience is available to Florida residents and now Annual
Passholders from any state. For more information, click here.
Thanks for the feedback, though, and the additional info.
Glad to see you get a discount on your passes with DVC
membership.
=================================================
NEWS FROM AROUND THE "WORLD"
WALT DISNEY WORLD
"A 4-year-old Pennsylvania boy who died last summer after he
rode one of Walt Disney World's most popular thrill rides
died from a cardiac arrythmia brought on by heart disease...
The medical examiner's office also announced on Tuesday that
the unrelated death in August of 12-year Jerra Kriby at Walt
Disney World's Typhoon Lagoon was caused by a viral
infection that attacked her heart."
(Source: Orlando Sentinel, 11/15/05)
--------------------------------
The 13th annual Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival
will take place from April 21 - June 11, 2006. Next year's
motif will be Disney couples.
--------------------------------
The Chronicles of Narnia in the Snow Globes
"Through larger-than-life snow globes, this spectacular
holiday set includes a walk-through 20-foot snow globe that
simulates snowfall in Narnia, life-like figures that help
tell the story of the film and green-screen digital photo
opportunity."
The experience is on display now through January 8, 2006
in the following cities:
Los Angeles CA
Denver CO
Fairfax VA
Norfolk VA
Charlotte NC
Short Hills NJ
Hartford CT
Dallas TX
--------------------------------
"Walt Disney Co. has signed a 12-year marketing agreement
with technology giant Siemens AG that includes rights for
Siemens to sponsor a number of attractions at Walt Disney
World in Orlando..."
* Epcot's SpaceShip Earth and Illuminations: Reflections of
Earth
* MGM's Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights
* Disney's Electrical Parade and Walt Disney's Parade of
Dreams at Disneyland California
(Source: Orlando Sentinel, 11/08/05)
=================================================
Walt Disney World Monthly Calendar.
=================================================
DISNEYLAND CALIFORNIA
"Oakley Celebrates the Opening of its 100th Iacon Sunglass
Specialty Store at Downtown Disney Anaheim
Oakley, Inc today announced the opening of its 100th Iacon
sunglass specialty store, a Sunglass Icon, at the Downtown
Disney(r) District in Anaheim, Calif. In addition to the
Sunglass Icon store, a new outdoor Sunglass Designs kiosk
located near the Disneyland(r) Resort's Downtown Disney tram
drop-off opened in October.
'Reaching 100 stores within our Iacon organization is a
significant achievement in our retail expansion strategy,'
said Link Newcomb, chief operating officer, Oakley, Inc.
'This flagship store, which will be branded as Sunglass
Icon, is similar to the successful design featured at the
Downtown Disney store in Orlando and provides customers an
excellent location to find a wide range of Oakley products,
together with other leading brands.'" (Source: Oakley, Inc,
11/10/05)
--------------------------------
Candlelight Procession and Ceremony 2005
Host: Dick Van Dyke
When: December 3 and 4
Where: Main Street, U.S.A.
When: 5:30 PM and 8:00 PM
A dinner package includes reserved seating. A minimum dinner
purchase is required. The following restaurants are
participating:
* Napa Rose at the Grand Californian Hotel ($60 per adult;
$15 per child (3-9), not including tax and tip)
* Storytellers Cafe at the Grand Californian Hotel ($40 per
adult; $15 per child (3-9), not including tax and tip)
* Granville's Steakhouse at the Disneyland Hotel ($60 per
adult; $15 per child (3-9), not including tax and tip)
Hook's Pointe at the Disneyland Hotel ($40 adult; $15 per
child (3-9), not including tax and tip)
To make reservations, call 714/781-3463.
--------------------------------
Disneyland Resort Calendar
=================================================
HONG KONG DISNEYLAND
"Hong Kong Disneyland's debut was marred by public relations
debacles that left Mickey Mouse looking like Cinderella's
stepmother in this former British colony."
(Source: USA Today, 11/10/05)
--------------------------------
"Hong Kong Disneyland said Tuesday it will offer ticket
discounts for one month to local residents to thank them for
their support, but denied the move was prompted by low
attendance at the park, which opened two months ago."
(Source: Yahoo! Asia News, 11/08/05)
=================================================
NOTE: Links to newspaper articles change quickly and without
notice. If you receive a "File Not Found" error message,
search the newspaper's archives for the story. Certain
newspapers require a free registration to view their
articles online. If web addresses are broken into more than
one line, copy and paste all lines.
=================================================
Raymond writes:
"Hi John, I would like your advice. I have an opportunity to
get a 7 night stay at Old Key West at a one-bedroom villa
for a really good price. My problem is, I have a party of
six (3 adults, 3 children). The person I would be buying
points from says he has had six there before, but has not
told Disney. I don't want to be deceptive. I had him ask
Disney if they would allow 6. Disney told him 5 was the
limit because of a shortage of bed linens and towels. Do you
think Disney would allow my party to stay there if I
provided my own towels and bedding? Would they give me six
keys? Do all six of us need keys for extra magic hours? I
love your book and newsletter."
Disney will not allow 6, even if you bring extra linen. If
you did stay there and bring your own sheets and towels,
they would only give you 5 keys. You need your key to gain
access to Extra MH. So someone will be left out.
I am delighted to hear that you are enjoying the book and
newsletter!
=================================================
Beth, our travel agent, filed this trip report:
"Hi, John. Just back from a few days with The Mouse and I
thought I'd report. This was a trip to do things I'd never
done before - either because they didn't exist that last
time I was there, or because I was always too chicken to
try, or because I just never got around to it before.
First, we had to swing over to Epcot's Guest Relations
window to pick up our temporary Dining Experience card. I
was so busy doing vacations for everyone else I'd forgotten
to renew early! (No park admission necessary, since the
window is outside the turnstiles.) The parking toll
attendant collected our $9, but printed a new parking tag
that clearly showed the time of day we were entering. After
picking up the Dining Experience card, we went back to the
toll plaza and they refunded the $9 since we'd clearly been
there for under a half hour. Getting the fresh tag printed
is important!
Then we checked into Port Orleans French Quarter right about
3:00. I'd requested a room on the end on the first floor
with a garden view near the main building. Sure that they'd
only be able to pull of a part of that detailed request, I
was amazed to discover that our room, 2101, fit every single
request! Check-in took awhile since our girl was "earning
her ears," but we finally got to the room and quickly put
away our stuff before heading over to the boat dock. It was
a lovely evening, and we didn't mind the 15 minute wait
before the boat showed up. There was still plenty of time
before dinner, so we strolled along from where we were
dropped off (near the Rainforest Cafe) toward Pleasure
Island. Our reservations for Raglan Road were for 6:30, but
we arrived really early. They were happy to accommodate us.
Raglan Road is HUGE, but it still has a warm, comfy feel to
it. We were too early to catch any of the entertainment,
but still enjoyed the authentic Irish decor and ambiance.
At first glance, the menu would maybe leave something to be
desired - but don't let it fool you. The seemingly everyday
fare is anything but! We shared a side order of crispy
onions (very thin, very crispy) as an appetizer. They were
served in the cutest little pail! All three of us - my
daughter, the onion-hater included - loved them. The two
adults both ordered Pie in the Sky. It's sort of a chicken
and mushroom soup (or thin stew) served in a small crock and
topped with a nice round of puff pastry, and a little salad
of greens to the side. Not a lot of food, but filling
enough for us ladies and deemed absolutely wonderful by us
both.
My almost-eight-year-old daughter shocked us by ordering the
Bean Bag, a child's version of Chef Kevin's signature dish,
Kevin's Kudos. It's honey-glazed, roasted loin of bacon with
braised cabbage and creamed potato. The bacon would be
called ham by most Americans - but it's fabulous no matter
what you call it. We found the cabbage to be undercooked,
but the potatoes and bacon were magnificent and plentiful -
WAY too much food for even a big eater like my child.
Children's meals range from $7.95 to $10.00. Adult entrees
run $11.99 to $28.99. Save your pennies and do this one.
You'll be happy you did!
We then strolled through Pleasure Island for a bit, but
found it to be crowded and noisy even early on a Thursday
night, so we turned around and sauntered over to Ghirardelli
to use the 2-for-1 sundae coupon they'd emailed us for my
daughter's birthday. (Sign up on their website.) Then we
hopped the boat back to the resort and had a good night's
sleep."
TO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK
=================================================
DISNEY SECRETS NOW IN HARD COVER!
The Hard Cover/CD version of our "Secrets To An Affordable
Walt Disney World® Vacation" is now available with a Deluxe
Lifetime Membership!
These professionally printed works (weighing over 6 1/2 lbs)
come in two beautiful 3-ring binders with inside pockets.
You can easily add more pages to the binders in the future,
if you wish, and keep important documents in the inside
pockets where you can quickly access them.
Plus! Our book and all our reports are now available on CD!
You'll be able to access our book and reports on your
computer without paying for costly Internet access or trying
to figure out how to download!
Click Here To Learn More
=================================================
MONEY SAVING TIP
Free Disney Character Photos
Did you know that Disney will send your children autographed
photos of their characters at no charge? Send the request
for your favorite character to:
The Walt Disney Company
Attn: Fan Mail Department
500 South Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91521
Limit: one photo per request
Delivery: 4-6 weeks
=================================================
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Don't Leave Home Without It!
Universal offers special deals to Universal Entertainment
MasterCard cardholders. Apply now and receive a movie ticket
with your first purchase! For more details, click here.
--------------------------------
Affordable Disney Books
Disney and other new books 50-90% off the list price.
Hundreds of books under $1.00! Plus! Over 700 videos have
been marked down to $1.99!
Exclusively for Affordable Disney Readers!
Save $5.00 on an order of $35 or more!
Coupon code: bookcloseouts
Coupon password: bargainbooks
Expires: December 31, 2005
To check out the bargains, click here.
--------------------------------
Got Coupons?
With the Orlando Entertainment Book, you can save big on
travel, groceries, shopping, movie tickets, and more!
Receive a FREE $5.00 gift card from Target when you order
the 2006 version. Coupons in the 2006 book are valid through
11/01/06. Save at hotels and restaurants near Walt Disney
World, on car rental, airfare, admission to Universal
Orlando, SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa!
For details, click here.
--------------------------------
Affordable Accommodations
Get the guaranteed lowest prices at the Downtown Disney
Resorts as well as at hotels, condos and vacation rentals
outside Disney property. Plus! Receive up to a $100.00 rebate! For hotels, click here.
--------------------------------
Affordable Car Rental
Just enter in your travel dates, select the kind of car you
want, and receive a list of car rental prices at over 12
companies starting with the cheapest price! Click here.
Cheryl writes: "I saved over $200.00 on my mini van rental!!!"
--------------------------------
Affordable Airfare
This service delivers as many as 230 flight options in a
single search - more options than any other travel site.
It's possible to save as much as 80%! To compare prices, click here.
--------------------------------
Affordable Luggage
Save up to 60% on Luggage, Backpacks, and more! Click here.
--------------------------------
Own a piece of the Magic Kingdom
Disney framed stock certificates are works of art. They
feature Walt Disney and the Disney characters. Unlike stock
brokers that require you to purchase several shares of
stock, OneShare sells one share of stock and mails you the
certificate. You can frame the stock certificate yourself or
OneShare will frame if for you at a nominal cost. Click here.
=============================================
See You Real Soon!
John
AffordableDisney.Com.
johngross@affordabledisney.com
=============================================
Disclaimer: We cannot guarantee the accuracy of information
contained in THE DISNEY NEWS. Always check to be sure. The
views and opinions expressed by others in THE DISNEY NEWS do
not necessarily reflect the views of AffordableDisney.Com.
=============================================
November 16, 2005
Copyright © 1999 - 2005 by John P. Gross. All rights reserved.
=================================================
To subscribe to Affordable Disney's blog, click the following
icon:
Or copy and paste the following URL into your RSS Reader:
http://affordabledisney.blogspot.com/atom.xml
: My Yahoo! users can instantly add our blogcontent to My Yahoo! Add My Yahoo!
: You can also subscribe to our blog at MSN! Add to My MSN!
=================================================
Hi Everyone!
In this blog...
* Deals and specials - including a new Disney vacation
package for Canadians
* The latest news from around the "World" - including The
Chronicles of Narnia in the Snow Globes Experience
* Raymond asks about exceeding the number of guests per room
* Cherry writes about the Disney Dining Experience
* Beth, our travel agent, writes about her recent WDW visit
* This week's money saving tip - how to get free autographed
Disney character photos
=================================================
We continuously update our information and you can find
these current specials in our Addenda:
WALT DISNEY WORLD:
New Affordable Disney Discount For Active Military
Active duty US military personnel receive a FREE upgrade to
a Lifetime Basic Membership when they purchase a Basic
Membership! Mention Code "military" on the order form. Thank
you for your service! You can sign up here.
--------------------------------
Disney Vacation Package for Canadians: Save US $121 and
receive FREE ticket upgrade to Park Hopper Option AND Water
Park Fun & More Option! Log in for your discount codes!
--------------------------------
Earn a FREE 1-Way Ticket or a FREE Round-Trip Ticket with
this Airfare promotion!
--------------------------------
Two new sweepstakes: Win a vacation to Walt Disney World or
a trip to London for the world premiere of Disney's new
film, The Chronicles of Narnia!
--------------------------------
DISNEY CRUISE LINE
Get early booking savings on these three-, four-, seven,
ten- and eleven-night cruises booked November 14-20 for
travel in 2006. Three-night cruises start at $479 per
adult, double occupancy!
=================================================
DISNEYLAND CALIFORNIA
These members save $10.00 per ticket to SeaWorld San Diego
through 12/31/05! Maximum 6 tickets per purchase.
=================================================
CRUISES
4-night Caribbean cruise from $239 per person, double
occupancy! Book through Friday November 18, 2005, 11:59 PM.
Sailing dates: 12/05/05 and 12/12/05.
=================================================
Affordable Disney Members should log in at our password-
protected site (The Disney Reading Room) to access the
particulars about the above mentioned specials.
If you are not a member, you can join our Disney family here.
=================================================
Cherry writes:
"Hi John,
Have you included information on the Disney Dining
Experience in past newsletters? I apologize if I missed it
and this is duplicative. I first heard about the dining
experience when I visited Disney World during Spring Break
in April. I received the information when I renewed my
annual pass and was very interested but when I called (from
my Disney hotel room) I was told that I had to request it in
advance and get it through the mail before I visited Disney.
Of course I was disappointed but I did request it in time
for a short trip with my husband and two friends in July. We
more than made up for the cost of joining the Disney Dining
Experience on that trip.
The card provides for a 20% discount on meals including
food, soft drinks, and alcohol drinks at all the major
Disney park and resort restaurants - for up to 10 people in
your party. Discounts on beer, wine, and cocktails are a
very rare find. On our 4 night trip in July we ate lunches
and dinners at California Grill, Flying Fish, Bistro de
Paris, Coral Reef, Biergarten, and Brown Derby. We also
had cocktails and snacks at Rose and Crown lounge and MGM's
Prime Time Cafe ounge. I paid $50 for the card and, on
this July trip, for 4 adults we saved at least $300!!"
By the way, we are Disney Vacation Club members and are now
getting a $100 member discount on our adult annual passes.
Hope some of this info is useful."
Yes, we posted it in the newsletter - Beth wrote an article
about it - and it's in the book. The Disney Dining
Experience is available to Florida residents and now Annual
Passholders from any state. For more information, click here.
Thanks for the feedback, though, and the additional info.
Glad to see you get a discount on your passes with DVC
membership.
=================================================
NEWS FROM AROUND THE "WORLD"
WALT DISNEY WORLD
"A 4-year-old Pennsylvania boy who died last summer after he
rode one of Walt Disney World's most popular thrill rides
died from a cardiac arrythmia brought on by heart disease...
The medical examiner's office also announced on Tuesday that
the unrelated death in August of 12-year Jerra Kriby at Walt
Disney World's Typhoon Lagoon was caused by a viral
infection that attacked her heart."
(Source: Orlando Sentinel, 11/15/05)
--------------------------------
The 13th annual Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival
will take place from April 21 - June 11, 2006. Next year's
motif will be Disney couples.
--------------------------------
The Chronicles of Narnia in the Snow Globes
"Through larger-than-life snow globes, this spectacular
holiday set includes a walk-through 20-foot snow globe that
simulates snowfall in Narnia, life-like figures that help
tell the story of the film and green-screen digital photo
opportunity."
The experience is on display now through January 8, 2006
in the following cities:
Los Angeles CA
Denver CO
Fairfax VA
Norfolk VA
Charlotte NC
Short Hills NJ
Hartford CT
Dallas TX
--------------------------------
"Walt Disney Co. has signed a 12-year marketing agreement
with technology giant Siemens AG that includes rights for
Siemens to sponsor a number of attractions at Walt Disney
World in Orlando..."
* Epcot's SpaceShip Earth and Illuminations: Reflections of
Earth
* MGM's Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights
* Disney's Electrical Parade and Walt Disney's Parade of
Dreams at Disneyland California
(Source: Orlando Sentinel, 11/08/05)
=================================================
Walt Disney World Monthly Calendar.
=================================================
DISNEYLAND CALIFORNIA
"Oakley Celebrates the Opening of its 100th Iacon Sunglass
Specialty Store at Downtown Disney Anaheim
Oakley, Inc today announced the opening of its 100th Iacon
sunglass specialty store, a Sunglass Icon, at the Downtown
Disney(r) District in Anaheim, Calif. In addition to the
Sunglass Icon store, a new outdoor Sunglass Designs kiosk
located near the Disneyland(r) Resort's Downtown Disney tram
drop-off opened in October.
'Reaching 100 stores within our Iacon organization is a
significant achievement in our retail expansion strategy,'
said Link Newcomb, chief operating officer, Oakley, Inc.
'This flagship store, which will be branded as Sunglass
Icon, is similar to the successful design featured at the
Downtown Disney store in Orlando and provides customers an
excellent location to find a wide range of Oakley products,
together with other leading brands.'" (Source: Oakley, Inc,
11/10/05)
--------------------------------
Candlelight Procession and Ceremony 2005
Host: Dick Van Dyke
When: December 3 and 4
Where: Main Street, U.S.A.
When: 5:30 PM and 8:00 PM
A dinner package includes reserved seating. A minimum dinner
purchase is required. The following restaurants are
participating:
* Napa Rose at the Grand Californian Hotel ($60 per adult;
$15 per child (3-9), not including tax and tip)
* Storytellers Cafe at the Grand Californian Hotel ($40 per
adult; $15 per child (3-9), not including tax and tip)
* Granville's Steakhouse at the Disneyland Hotel ($60 per
adult; $15 per child (3-9), not including tax and tip)
Hook's Pointe at the Disneyland Hotel ($40 adult; $15 per
child (3-9), not including tax and tip)
To make reservations, call 714/781-3463.
--------------------------------
Disneyland Resort Calendar
=================================================
HONG KONG DISNEYLAND
"Hong Kong Disneyland's debut was marred by public relations
debacles that left Mickey Mouse looking like Cinderella's
stepmother in this former British colony."
(Source: USA Today, 11/10/05)
--------------------------------
"Hong Kong Disneyland said Tuesday it will offer ticket
discounts for one month to local residents to thank them for
their support, but denied the move was prompted by low
attendance at the park, which opened two months ago."
(Source: Yahoo! Asia News, 11/08/05)
=================================================
NOTE: Links to newspaper articles change quickly and without
notice. If you receive a "File Not Found" error message,
search the newspaper's archives for the story. Certain
newspapers require a free registration to view their
articles online. If web addresses are broken into more than
one line, copy and paste all lines.
=================================================
Raymond writes:
"Hi John, I would like your advice. I have an opportunity to
get a 7 night stay at Old Key West at a one-bedroom villa
for a really good price. My problem is, I have a party of
six (3 adults, 3 children). The person I would be buying
points from says he has had six there before, but has not
told Disney. I don't want to be deceptive. I had him ask
Disney if they would allow 6. Disney told him 5 was the
limit because of a shortage of bed linens and towels. Do you
think Disney would allow my party to stay there if I
provided my own towels and bedding? Would they give me six
keys? Do all six of us need keys for extra magic hours? I
love your book and newsletter."
Disney will not allow 6, even if you bring extra linen. If
you did stay there and bring your own sheets and towels,
they would only give you 5 keys. You need your key to gain
access to Extra MH. So someone will be left out.
I am delighted to hear that you are enjoying the book and
newsletter!
=================================================
Beth, our travel agent, filed this trip report:
"Hi, John. Just back from a few days with The Mouse and I
thought I'd report. This was a trip to do things I'd never
done before - either because they didn't exist that last
time I was there, or because I was always too chicken to
try, or because I just never got around to it before.
First, we had to swing over to Epcot's Guest Relations
window to pick up our temporary Dining Experience card. I
was so busy doing vacations for everyone else I'd forgotten
to renew early! (No park admission necessary, since the
window is outside the turnstiles.) The parking toll
attendant collected our $9, but printed a new parking tag
that clearly showed the time of day we were entering. After
picking up the Dining Experience card, we went back to the
toll plaza and they refunded the $9 since we'd clearly been
there for under a half hour. Getting the fresh tag printed
is important!
Then we checked into Port Orleans French Quarter right about
3:00. I'd requested a room on the end on the first floor
with a garden view near the main building. Sure that they'd
only be able to pull of a part of that detailed request, I
was amazed to discover that our room, 2101, fit every single
request! Check-in took awhile since our girl was "earning
her ears," but we finally got to the room and quickly put
away our stuff before heading over to the boat dock. It was
a lovely evening, and we didn't mind the 15 minute wait
before the boat showed up. There was still plenty of time
before dinner, so we strolled along from where we were
dropped off (near the Rainforest Cafe) toward Pleasure
Island. Our reservations for Raglan Road were for 6:30, but
we arrived really early. They were happy to accommodate us.
Raglan Road is HUGE, but it still has a warm, comfy feel to
it. We were too early to catch any of the entertainment,
but still enjoyed the authentic Irish decor and ambiance.
At first glance, the menu would maybe leave something to be
desired - but don't let it fool you. The seemingly everyday
fare is anything but! We shared a side order of crispy
onions (very thin, very crispy) as an appetizer. They were
served in the cutest little pail! All three of us - my
daughter, the onion-hater included - loved them. The two
adults both ordered Pie in the Sky. It's sort of a chicken
and mushroom soup (or thin stew) served in a small crock and
topped with a nice round of puff pastry, and a little salad
of greens to the side. Not a lot of food, but filling
enough for us ladies and deemed absolutely wonderful by us
both.
My almost-eight-year-old daughter shocked us by ordering the
Bean Bag, a child's version of Chef Kevin's signature dish,
Kevin's Kudos. It's honey-glazed, roasted loin of bacon with
braised cabbage and creamed potato. The bacon would be
called ham by most Americans - but it's fabulous no matter
what you call it. We found the cabbage to be undercooked,
but the potatoes and bacon were magnificent and plentiful -
WAY too much food for even a big eater like my child.
Children's meals range from $7.95 to $10.00. Adult entrees
run $11.99 to $28.99. Save your pennies and do this one.
You'll be happy you did!
We then strolled through Pleasure Island for a bit, but
found it to be crowded and noisy even early on a Thursday
night, so we turned around and sauntered over to Ghirardelli
to use the 2-for-1 sundae coupon they'd emailed us for my
daughter's birthday. (Sign up on their website.) Then we
hopped the boat back to the resort and had a good night's
sleep."
TO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK
=================================================
DISNEY SECRETS NOW IN HARD COVER!
The Hard Cover/CD version of our "Secrets To An Affordable
Walt Disney World® Vacation" is now available with a Deluxe
Lifetime Membership!
These professionally printed works (weighing over 6 1/2 lbs)
come in two beautiful 3-ring binders with inside pockets.
You can easily add more pages to the binders in the future,
if you wish, and keep important documents in the inside
pockets where you can quickly access them.
Plus! Our book and all our reports are now available on CD!
You'll be able to access our book and reports on your
computer without paying for costly Internet access or trying
to figure out how to download!
Click Here To Learn More
=================================================
MONEY SAVING TIP
Free Disney Character Photos
Did you know that Disney will send your children autographed
photos of their characters at no charge? Send the request
for your favorite character to:
The Walt Disney Company
Attn: Fan Mail Department
500 South Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91521
Limit: one photo per request
Delivery: 4-6 weeks
=================================================
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Don't Leave Home Without It!
Universal offers special deals to Universal Entertainment
MasterCard cardholders. Apply now and receive a movie ticket
with your first purchase! For more details, click here.
--------------------------------
Affordable Disney Books
Disney and other new books 50-90% off the list price.
Hundreds of books under $1.00! Plus! Over 700 videos have
been marked down to $1.99!
Exclusively for Affordable Disney Readers!
Save $5.00 on an order of $35 or more!
Coupon code: bookcloseouts
Coupon password: bargainbooks
Expires: December 31, 2005
To check out the bargains, click here.
--------------------------------
Got Coupons?
With the Orlando Entertainment Book, you can save big on
travel, groceries, shopping, movie tickets, and more!
Receive a FREE $5.00 gift card from Target when you order
the 2006 version. Coupons in the 2006 book are valid through
11/01/06. Save at hotels and restaurants near Walt Disney
World, on car rental, airfare, admission to Universal
Orlando, SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa!
For details, click here.
--------------------------------
Affordable Accommodations
Get the guaranteed lowest prices at the Downtown Disney
Resorts as well as at hotels, condos and vacation rentals
outside Disney property. Plus! Receive up to a $100.00 rebate! For hotels, click here.
--------------------------------
Affordable Car Rental
Just enter in your travel dates, select the kind of car you
want, and receive a list of car rental prices at over 12
companies starting with the cheapest price! Click here.
Cheryl writes: "I saved over $200.00 on my mini van rental!!!"
--------------------------------
Affordable Airfare
This service delivers as many as 230 flight options in a
single search - more options than any other travel site.
It's possible to save as much as 80%! To compare prices, click here.
--------------------------------
Affordable Luggage
Save up to 60% on Luggage, Backpacks, and more! Click here.
--------------------------------
Own a piece of the Magic Kingdom
Disney framed stock certificates are works of art. They
feature Walt Disney and the Disney characters. Unlike stock
brokers that require you to purchase several shares of
stock, OneShare sells one share of stock and mails you the
certificate. You can frame the stock certificate yourself or
OneShare will frame if for you at a nominal cost. Click here.
=============================================
See You Real Soon!
John
AffordableDisney.Com.
johngross@affordabledisney.com
=============================================
Disclaimer: We cannot guarantee the accuracy of information
contained in THE DISNEY NEWS. Always check to be sure. The
views and opinions expressed by others in THE DISNEY NEWS do
not necessarily reflect the views of AffordableDisney.Com.
=============================================
posted by AffordableDisney.Com at 6:49 AM
<< Home