Budget Travel reports a surprising development at Walt Disney World. Something free from Disney? Cool.

For the last few years, Walt Disney World has offered free dining plans in September to entice visitors during a notoriously slow month. Well, Disney announced yesterday that the Disney Dining Plan will once again be offered free with select vacation packages. If you stay at one of Disney’s “value” or “moderate” category resorts—or at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa—between Aug. 24 and Sept. 20, 2008, and you book a 5-night “Magic Your Way” package (at a starting price of about $1,300 for a family of four), then they’ll throw in the dining plan for free. The plan ordinarily costs $38 per day per adult.

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According to Engadget Disneyland is doing an upgrade to their monorail system. The monorail system has had pretty much the same “futuristic look” for the last 50 years. The new cards will come in a variety of colors according to reports.

The first in line will feature blue glass and red stripes that “change color in the sunlight,” while the next two will be blue with purple glass and orange with blue glass.

Cool, sort of like a large mood ring on a track.

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If you have ever been disappointed to driven up to Disneyland and been disappointed that they are welcoming the Shriners but not your family then the Disneyland Sign Generator is for you. You can send your family and friends photographic evidence that your name was up in lights. Of course… f you do lie about something like that don’t tell Jiminy Cricket.

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I was prompted by the birthday contest at the Disney Blog to think about the answer to the question:

“What is your favorite Disney theme park attraction or show and why?”

Those of you who saw Video Episode 6 - Disneyland - Jungle Cruise probably already know the answer. The Jungle Cruise has long been one of my favorites. When I was very young it took itself very seriously (and I apparently took it seriously also as I gave my brother a bloody nose fighting over who would go first in line for the Jungle cruise when I was 4… then after the first aid station I let him go first).

But somewhere around 1997 when the ride was redone and the original boats were replaced, the ride got campy and the jokes got corny. And at that point it probably started to become one of my favorite rides. You can ride it 3 times in the same day (I like it best at night) and if you get different guides you can get different lame jokes. And anyone who knows me knows that that I like lame humor.

“Watch your step and watch your head as you get out of the boat and if you fail to watch your step and hit your head, watch your languages as there are children everywhere”.

“If you feel your feet getting wet as you leave the boat, you’ve probably gone out the wrong side. Don’t fall in the water as you leave… we’ll have to charge you extra.”

“Well folks, I hope you all enjoyed your trip around the jungle. I had such a good time- I’m going to go again! (low voice)… and again, and again, and again…”

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My whole family is crazy about Walt Disney World.  It is truly our magical place to vacation. My wife and I made our first trip when with her family while we were still dating and with the whirl wind that was we both discovered how much the other liked the Magic Kingdom.  A few years into out marriage we had the opportunity  to go back for another trip.  This time at least we got to set our schedule and see all of the three parks at that time.  What we did not do was plan. 

So fast forward a few years and now we are a family of four and were preparing for our first trip to Walt Disney World in Florida with our own children.  As soon as we picked a date and got a hotel reservations at Shades of Green (one of the Armed Forces Reserve Centers) (www.shadesofgreen.org) I headed out to get a guide book .  It was good.  It told us all of the basics, tickets, restaurant descriptions, how to use the FastPass and which rides were most likely to scare the kids. However this one seemed very cookie cutter.  I started looking for a better option almost as soon as we got home from trip. 

I must have spent hours standing in the bookstore looking through all of the various different books.  I looked at several resources online.  The one book that caught my attention is the PassPorter Guide.  This is not only a guide book, but it is also a whole system to help you plan your travel. 

The PassPorter comes is several versions and loose leaf version, that you can easily update, a spiral bound addition that is my preference, because it is slightly lighter.  The author publishes a new updated version each year and has several “additional pages that can be downloaded from there web site. (www.passporter.com) The system includes pages you can use to organize all of the events you want to do on your trip. 

The Passpoter books range in price from $19.51 to $36.51 depending on the binding you get.  They produce yearly additions that are published each year around November. 

Another great aspect of the PassPorter is their Yahoo Group.  The group describes itself this way.
“The PassPorter WDW list is for everyone planning a vacation to Walt Disney World®, with or without the help of the award-winning bestseller, PassPorter Walt Disney World travel guide. Join us to discuss planning your Disney adventure, getting to Florida (and back!), staying in style at the resorts and hotels, touring the “World” at the theme parks, feasting and snacking, making more magic, and sharing Disneyworld fun! Authors of “PassPorter® Walt Disney World®: The unique travel guide, planner, organizer, journal, and keepsake” contribute to the mailing list. You do not have to have a copy of PassPorter to join the “happiest mailing list on earth” — everyone is welcome!” 

(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/passporterwdw/)

Chuck Prevatte is a regular contributor to The Amateur Traveler.  His travels include North America, Europe and the Middle East.  He is married and the father of three children, a 10 year old girl, a six year old boy  and one due any day.

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