Passporter for Disneyland? Worth it?

[bumbershoot]

I noticed that the '07 Passporter for DL is about to be released (well, at least on amazon ), and I wonder if it's really worth it. I can see how one would use it* for WDW, since there's just so MUCH to plan over there (can you tell I'm in WA?), but for D'Land?

I'd love to hear opinions!



* "it" meaning the Disneyworld version, not the Land version, of course.

 

[Phalene]

I e-mailed the Passporter team about that, since they didn't list an '07 book on their website and their response was that it is an error on Amazon's part, and the next update will be for '08

 

[blackjackdelta]

We love the last version. The kids haul it out and plan everything they want to do and more.

Jack

 

[bumbershoot]

Aha! Well, OK, then is the '06 version worth it for Disneyland?

Or is the '08 version coming out April 28th of this year as it said yesterday, or is that also an error?

And for their email people... I used to work for amazon and had friends in editorial...that sort of info comes straight from the source, usually has nothing to do with amazon employees!

I'm all for souvenirs and planning guides (says the chica who has something like 6 separate, partially used, wedding planner-books), but I want them to be a *little* bit useful.

 

[LynnythePooh]

Fellow Washingtonian here - we returned from a spring break trip a little over a week ago now; had been to DW in the past where we loved using the passporter. So I ordered the DL version - I'm an organizer, so it was fun to have a place to write down all our plans, my ds's loved reading it on the plane and we used their touring plans loosely. I thought it was worth it - even though the version we had wasn't updated for 07.

Hope that helps....

 

[Grandma Debby]

I have the first edition PassPorter for the Disneyland Resort with a 2006 copyright and I LOVE it We were at Disneyland in 2005 before we boarded the Disney Magic and I wish I had the PassPorter back then because it has tons of tips that I could find on my own but I don't have the time. I am a planner and the PassPorter is great.

 

[DLVixen]

I bought one last year and really loved reading it but in the end I didn't even use it on my trip I used all my printed info from the dis boards instead

 

[bumbershoot]

I bought one last year and really loved reading it but in the end I didn't even use it on my trip I used all my printed info from the dis boards instead

That's what I'm afraid of. Last year for our October trip I read the '07 guidebooks (whatever one/s was/were out), I read here, I read over at another board...I've managed to squeeze QUITE a bit into our one-day blasts the last two years, and I really wonder if this organizational doohickey will be helpful on our long, luxurious 4 days there.

I waaaaaant it, but I might not neeeeed it. Then again, I did throw the coins into the Coinstar tonight and I got an amazon gift certificate (they don't charge you if you do it that way) which was supposed to be for a non-jogging stroller...but now the color I wanted is out of stock, so I could get the hideous color stroller for mucho cheaper and just get this book....that way NO ONE would think of snagging the stroller, right? Gray and orange is not as attractive as chocolate and blue? Right? $20 difference....

OK fine, 12 dollar difference.

Thanks for the thoughts so far!!!!

 

[limace]

I'm curious too-about whether folks like their Passporter or not. Would it be good for a 10 year old girl to use in trip planning? She's getting pretty into that this time around.

And hey! I love my grey and orange stroller!

 

[squidmo]

I love my passporter! If you take regular trips to Disney (DL, WDW, or the cruse lines), I'd recommend getting the deluxe binder edition. The annual binder refill editions are pretty inexpensive (cheaper than getting a new paperback version), and you can take out the parts that don't interest you. For example, I'm going to DL next week (YIPPIE), and I've removed all the pages regarding hotels, since I already know where I am staying, as well as for the places I'm not going (Universal Studios, Knotts, etc...). And I love being able to print out and insert your own info- I've printed out menus for the restaurants I am interested in, the daily parade and entertainment schedules from the Disneyland calendar, and my ridemax itineraries, and have put it all in the binder! Note- you will have to format them to fit, the binder isn't a standard paper dimension.

 

[Danauk]

I too love my Passporter, I also have the deluxe edition and just get the refill pages and new pockets. I must say though that I use it for the pockets and the organisation. The content and tips I probably have read here and on other Disney boards. Unlike the WDW version which comes out every year the DL edition is a 2006 edition and will not be updates until 2008 so some of the info is slightly out of date. However I still love it and would use one every trip. Like Squidmo said I remove the pages I know I won't need and use the pockets to keep my maps, touring plans, parade time info etc in. I also use it so I can keep track of what reservations I have one each day and at what time. I find it useful that I can keep all my information in one place, then each day just remove the pockets for that day with all the information in it to take to the parks.

 

[bumbershoot]

It's good to know that it's helpful even for the less complicated DL.

 

[NannyPooh]

Another gal from Washington here!
I just ordered the DL Passporter (07) yesterday (yep...from Amazon), BEFORE I read this thread! I grew up near DL, and couldn't count the times that I have been there, so I don't think that I really NEED the Passporter, but like Bumbershoot, I WANT it! Big difference! I just enjoy reading through them, and getting other people's opinions on things!
For WDW, I think that the books are a necessity for the first few trips. If someone hasn't been to DL, I think they also help, but again, I just enjoy looking at them and getting excited about going!

 

[bumbershoot]

Hi NannyPooh...I was looking around the passporter site, and they say that the next edition is being released in the fall. So now I've written to them, to try to figure this out...it's not the '07 edition but the '08 edition released in '07 (as is usually done with guidebooks anyway)...now when is it being released?

I'll update my thread here when I hear back from them. I'd hate to be expecting the book for our Sept trip and then not get it. Then again, I really don't want the '06 version if the info is from '05! (then again again, I know that they have updates on their passporter site, and you can register your book and get access to things like that...ah, the things I've learned in the last 2 days...)


limace, we ordered the grey and orange stroller. It's not that I think it's *ugly*, I mean, I once owned a pair of BRIGHT orange pants from J.Crew, it's just the least conventionally attractive color combo of the four we were looking at. But the price made it more and more attractive the longer we priced them.

 

[NannyPooh]

Thanks Bumbershoot -
It will be interesting to see what I hear back from Amazon - the book is *scheduled* to ship out May02! I don't want the older version either, but our trip is scheduled for the end of August, so we would miss the new book by several weeks! Oh well...
What kind of a stroller did you get? We bought a *beautiful* ( ) black and lime green travel Combi several years ago for a trip to WDW. It was such a great stroller, we never used our Peg Perego one again!
Thanks for the updates on the books!

 

[bumbershoot]

It's the "desert sun" Combi.

I hope it works nicely! There are lots of good reviews on amazon, and it's inexpensive and goes to 45 lbs. But then I read two or three people here that said it doesn't move very well with an older child (heavier, I suppose) in it...

Since I'm relatively (we don't use strollers very much) used to my faboo InStep jogging stroller that moves like a dream, I don't want this one to feel like a big lump of lead!

 

[bumbershoot]

Heard back from 'em. I'll paraphrase:

They were going to have the book out this fall but that has changed to January with pre-orders starting in November. They are working to get the info changed with amazon.

(by the way, although amazon is MUCH better about estimates of getting items out than they were when I worked customer service with them, it is still all automated, based on what they have in their system. so an estimated ship date is simply done by the computers, and, like I said, it's better than it used to be, but in situations like this it's going to be frustrating!)

The book available now is the 2006 edition. It is current up to April of '06. Any updates are located in the update section of our web site, but they say there haven't been that many changes in that time, so they say that the book is pretty close to being accurate.



So I'm going to order the '06 edition and check with their website. It's about a dollar cheaper than the current book's price on amazon, anyway.

 

[NannyPooh]

Thanks for the update Bumbershoot - but...rats! I was really hoping for the new book!
Oh well - I guess that I could have worse problems!
Enjoy your stroller - I think that you will really like it. They have a big basket underneath for stowing things, and a full-size hood (good for sun protection AND sleeping babies!). One thing that we did when we got ours was to waterproof it (I can't remember the name of the spray-on stuff...same thing that you use for couches!). It worked great, and rain drops just roll right off!

 

[Phalene]

I forgot to mention, I did just order the '06 edition for my trip in November. I wanted to have something to work with until the new version is out.

I've used Passporter for WDW and really like it, so figured it was worth picking up for DL even though I've been there more often.

 

[eeyore01905]

I used the '06 edition for our recent trip and loved it! It was very useful for planning. It has color maps of both parks, a dining worksheet where you can record your dining reservations, and little pockets for each day where you can stash tickets, mementos etc. They also describer and rate each ride for both adults & kids. It has also had some information on other California locations such as Universal & Knotts Berry Farm