Chapter 1: Introduction
Planning is the secret to a successful vacation. The vast Walt Disney World Resort is not designed for procrastinators or last-minute travelers. Good planning is rewarded by a far more magical Disney experience. Planning is also wonderful fun. It increases the anticipation and starts the excitement months before the vacation begins.
Planning begins with learning about the Walt Disney World Resort. Your PassPorter has all the information you need for a great vacation, and then some! Written to be complete yet compact, PassPorter can be your only guidebook or act as a companion to another. You can use it in a variety of ways: as a travel guide, a vacation planner, an organizer, a trip journal, and a keepsake. We designed it for heavy use and#151; you can take it with you and revisit it after your trip is a fond memory. You can personalize it with your plans, notes, souvenirs, and memories. We even crafted it with extra room in the binding to hold the things youand#8217;ll squeeze and jam into the pockets along the way. PassPorter is the ultimate Walt Disney World Resort guide and#151; before, during, and after your vacation.
This first chapter helps you with the initial planning stage: Gathering information and budgeting. Your PassPorter then continues through the planning stages in order of priority. Sprinkled throughout are ways to personalize your trip, little-known tips, and magical Disney memories.
Above all else, have fun with your plans, both now and when you reach the Walt Disney World Resort. Leave room for flexibility, and include time to relax and refresh. Despite the temptation to see and do it all, an overly ambitious plan will be more exhausting (and frustrating) than fun. Donand#8217;t get so bogged down with planning and recording that you miss the spontaneous magic of a Disney vacation. As Robert Burns so appropriately said, "The best laid plans of mice and of men go oft astray." Use your PassPorter to plan ahead so you can relax and enjoy your vacation, no matter what it brings.
Chapter 1: Planning With Your PassPorter
Each important aspect of your vacation and#151; budgeting, traveling, packing, lodging, touring, and eating and#151; has a special dedicated worksheet in your PassPorter. Donand#8217;t be shy, we designed these worksheets to be scribbled upon at will. Not only do they take the place of easy-to-lose scraps of paper, they are structured specifically for your vacation.
When you start planning your trip in your PassPorter, use a pencil so you can erase and make changes. Use a permanent pen once your plans are definite to avoid smudging. You can keep a pen handy, too! Slip it inside the bookand#8217;s spiral binding. The penand#8217;s pocket clip holds it in place.
Additions and significant changes at Disney World since our 2013 edition are highlighted in green, just like this paragraph! This is not to be confused with general changes to PassPorter and#151; almost every page has changed!
Your PassPorter is most useful when you keep it handy before and during your vacation. It fits compactly into backpacks and shoulder bags. Or, tuck your PassPorter into a waist pack (at least 6.5and#8221; x 9and#8221; or 17 x 23 cm). Your PassPorter loves to go on rides with you, but try to keep it dry on Splash Mountain and Kali River Rapids. The heavy cover offers good protection, but a simple resealable plastic bag (gallon size) is a big help.
Personalize your PassPorter! Write your name under the front cover flap, along with other information you feel comfortable listing. Your hotel name, trip dates, and phone number help if you misplace your PassPorter.
Under the back cover flap are places for your important phone numbers, reminders, and addresses. Use the checkboxes to mark items when done. The label page at the end of the text is a fun feature and#151; use the labels to personalize your PassPockets and attach the tabs to mark your chapters!
Two tools you may find helpful for planning are a highlighter (to mark and#147;must-seesand#8221;) and those sticky page flags (to mark favorite pages).
Itand#8217;s normal for the handy spiral binding in your PassPorter to rotate as you flip pages. If this causes your binding to creep up, you can easily rotate it back and#151; just twist the binding while holding the pages securely.
Your PassPorterand#8217;s sturdy cover wraps around your book for protection, and you can fold it back and leave the book open. The binding is a bit bigger than necessary to fit your stuff. We crafted a pocket for each day of your trip (up to eleven days), plus special ones for your journey, lodging, and memories. Read more about these "PassPockets" on the next page.