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Vacation Packages Preferred Hotels

MouseSavers.com - Disney World Vacation Package Discount Great deals on all things Disney! Find out how to save on: Walt Disney World Walt Disney World Resorts Walt Disney World Vacation Packages Preferred Hotels Near Disney World Other Hotels Near Disney World Tickets & Passes Meals, Snacks & Drinks Entertainment, Activities & Nightlife Other Disney World Savings Time is Money Disneyland Disney Cruise Line Transportation for Your Disney Vacation Other Disney Travel Savings Discount Disney Shopping Mall Live Disney Shows Disney Freebies Disneyland Resort Paris Disney Parks in Asia Disney's Vero Beach/Hilton Head Non-Disney Theme Parks & Attractions More information: About MouseSavers Frequently Asked Questions Trip Reports and Articles Links Testimonials Privacy Policy & Legal Stuff Contact Mary Discounts on Walt Disney World Vacation Packages LAST UPDATE: 12/20/05 - MOST RECENT ADDITIONS ARE IN RED All of the discounted vacation package rates listed below are subject to availability and are PER PERSON, per night, usually for adult double occupancy, unless otherwise noted. Adult single occupancy (or one adult plus kids) usually carries a surcharge. Most rooms are set up for 4 people. A few rooms can accommodate 5, mainly at the Deluxe resorts. There are a few rooms with trundle beds at Port Orleans Riverside that can handle 5, but one will have to be small enough to sleep on the trundle; none of the other Moderates can accommodate 5. There are no rooms at the All Stars that accommodate more than 4 people. Not sure which Disney resort to pick for your vacation package? Read about the various resort types and my recommendations for the best values in each resort category. Rates listed do not include tax, which is 11.5% for most resorts, 13% for the All Star Resorts. Jump to: Is a Package For You? 2006 "Magic Your Way" Packages 2005 "Magic Your Way" Packages My Value Recommendations Dream Maker Packages Grand Gatherings (Groups of 8 or More) Trip Insurance Package Specials That Are Available to Anyone: Package Promotions with Small World Vacations Discounted Packages Through Expedia Package Specials With Membership or Residency Required: Florida Resident Packages Canadian Packages Is a Package For You? A lot of people like Disney's vacation packages because they are convenient and worry-free. However, it is important to note that t he standard full-price Disney vacation packages offered by Disney, American Express, Delta Vacations and other tour operators are designed for convenience rather than savings. With the exception of AAA (American Automobile Club) vacation packages, you will NOT automatically get a discount by purchasing a package! It is frequently cheaper to book a " room only " reservation with the AAA discount or another discount and then buy the package components ( tickets , meals , etc) separately. In fact, it used to be that Disney's vacation packages were consistently more expensive than purchasing the components separately. However, Disney has responded to complaints and made package prices more consistent with paying full price for the separate components. Also, Disney sometimes offers special seasonal package discounts . You have to know the special discount codes, which I list here when available. Most Disney World packages must be purchased through Walt Disney Travel Company (WDTC). The WDTC rules about advance payment, cancellations and changes are usually much more restrictive than those associated with "room only" reservations, so be sure to inquire about the restrictions. It can be difficult to sort out what is best for your particular situation. That's why I think it's a good idea to have someone knowledgable on your side, making sure all the details are covered. My advice is this: if you want to book a Walt Disney World vacation package, I strongly recommend using a travel agent who specializes in Disney travel . It costs you nothing, and you can sit back, relax, and have all the vacation planning and hassle taken care of by someone else. 2006 "Magic Your Way" Packages 2006 Magic Your Way packages went on sale 6/30/05. For 2006, you can choose from the following Magic Your Way package options: Disney’s Magic Your Way Package – The base package helps you experience the magic of a Walt Disney World vacation at an affordable rate. The package includes accommodations at a Disney-owned-and-operated resort hotel, and Magic Your Way base tickets for everyone in the group. Disney’s Magic Your Way Package Plus Dining – This package includes everything from the Disney’s Magic Your Way Package, and adds a dining plan that includes two meals and a snack per person, per package night at more than 100 restaurants across the Walt Disney World Resort. Disney’s Magic Your Way Premium Package – This deluxe package includes everything from Disney’s Magic Your Way Package as well as breakfast, lunch and dinner per person, per package night, along with other exciting options like recreation, theme park tours, admission to the Cirque du Soleil show La Nouba and more. Disney’s Magic Your Way Platinum Package - Due to popular demand, Disney is bringing back the Platinum Plan for 2006. In addition to your hotel room and tickets, this "ultimate luxury" plan includes breakfast, lunch, dinner and room service, unlimited recreation (bicycle and boat rentals), unlimited select tours, reserved seating for Fantasmic! , private golf lessons, one selected spa treatment, tickets for Cirque du Soleil La Nouba , unlimited child care in the resort Child Activity Centers, in-room child care, Fireworks Cruise, itinerary planning, Platinum Plan keepsake and turndown service. 2005 "Magic Your Way" Packages On January 2, 2005, Walt Disney World Resort unveiled an innovative new vacation package system called Magic Your Way. These vacation packages provide a wide range of options that allow you to design a Walt Disney World vacation that matches your needs and desires. The basis of the new packages is a completely new admission ticket system. The new Magic Your Way Tickets offer savings that grow the more days you visit. The new tickets offer the flexibility of adding options like Park Hopping or water park visits to theme park tickets or selecting a vacation package that includes meals. For that reason, Disney’s Magic Your Way Vacations put you in control of framing the vacation that best suits your desires and budgets. The Magic Your Way packages have no minimum length of stay . Also, in most cases the length of the ticket no longer has to correspond with the number of nights a guest is planning to stay at the Walt Disney World Resort. So if you want to stay 5 nights and buy a 1-day ticket, you can do that! The exception is that guests selecting Disney’s Magic Your Way Premium Package are required to have the length of the Magic Your Way passes be equal to the number of nights of the resort stay plus one day. You can choose from the following Magic Your Way package options: Disney’s Magic Your Way Package – The base package helps you experience the magic of a Walt Disney World vacation at an affordable rate. The package includes accommodations at a Disney-owned-and-operated resort hotel, and Magic Your Way base tickets for everyone in the group. Disney’s Magic Your Way Package Plus Dining – This package includes everything from the Disney’s Magic Your Way Package, and adds a dining plan that includes two meals and a snack per person, per package night at more than 100 restaurants across the Walt Disney World Resort. Disney’s Magic Your Way Premium Package – This deluxe package includes everything from Disney’s Magic Your Way Package as well as breakfast, lunch and dinner per person, per package night, along with other exciting options like recreation, theme park tours, admission to the Cirque du Soleil show La Nouba and more. My Value Recommendations for 2006 The first thing you need to bear in mind is that Disney REALLY wants you to stay for 6 nights/7 days. For that reason, the Magic Your Way Packages are heavily discounted on longer (5 to 7 day) stays . Staying for 7 days costs only a little more than staying 4 days! So live it up -- take the longer vacation. For most people, the Magic Your Way Package Plus Dining is the best value. To add the dining plan to a basic package, you pay only $37.99 per night per adult, $10.99 per night per child (ages 3-9), plus tax. For that amount you'll get a sit-down meal, a counter-service meal and a snack each day! That is a terrific value -- it is easy to get your money's worth. The best part is that the new dining plan is flexible , allowing you to swap a sit-down meal for a Character meal, or use two sit-down meals to attend a dinner show or eat at one of the higher-priced restaurants. You also have flexibility in when you use the meals. If you want to eat three of your sit-down meals in one day, you can. The higher level packages are really luxurious, but for the average family they are also serious overkill. First of all, eating the included three full meals a day is just too much for most people. But if you're like me, you'll feel compelled to eat all those darn meals, because you're paying for them! These upper-level packages also include lots of unlimited extras like recreation (i.e. boating) and behind-the-scenes tours, which sound great -- until you factor in the hot and humid Florida weather and the extensive walking, which slow most people's energy level to a crawl by the end of the day. The reality is, it's highly unlikely that you will play tennis in the afternoon and attend a Cirque du Soleil show in the evening, on top of spending your day in the theme parks. But to get your money's worth out of the Premium Package or the Platinum Package, you really need to be taking advantage of such "extras" every day. My Value Recommendations for 2005 The first thing you need to bear in mind is that Disney REALLY wants you to stay for 6 nights/7 days. For that reason, the Magic Your Way Packages are heavily discounted on longer (5 to 7 day) stays . Staying for 7 days now costs only a little more than staying 4 days! So live it up -- take the longer vacation. For most people, the Magic Your Way Package Plus Dining is the best value. To add the dining plan to a basic package, you pay only $35 per night per adult, $10 per night per child (ages 3-9), plus tax. For that amount you'll get a sit-down meal, a counter-service meal and a snack each day! That is a terrific value -- it is easy to get your money's worth. The best part is that the new dining plan is flexible , allowing you to swap a sit-down meal for a Character meal, or use two sit-down meals to attend a dinner show or eat at one of the higher-priced restaurants. You also have flexibility in when you use the meals. If you want to eat three of your sit-down meals in one day, you can. The higher level packages are really luxurious, but for the average family they are also serious overkill. First of all, eating the included three full meals a day is just too much for most people. But if you're like me, you'll feel compelled to eat all those darn meals, because you're paying for them! These upper-level packages also include lots of unlimited extras like recreation (i.e. boating) and behind-the-scenes tours, which sound great -- until you factor in the hot and humid Florida weather and the extensive walking, which slow most people's energy level to a crawl by the end of the day. The reality is, it's highly unlikely that you will play tennis in the afternoon and attend a Cirque du Soleil show in the evening, on top of spending your day in the theme parks. But to get your money's worth out of the Premium Package, you really need to be taking advantage of such "extras" every day. Dream Maker Packages You cannot purchase the Dream Maker packages anymore. Disney stopped selling them on 1/1/05, replacing them with the new "Magic Your Way" packages . However, Dream Maker packages purchased before that time will be honored for stays in 2005 and fulfilled according to the original offers. You can also choose to change a Dream Maker package to a Magic Your Way package if you wish -- contact Disney or your travel agent for help with the conversion. I have included links to information about the old Dream Maker packages below for those who have already purchased one of these packages and want information for their trip planning. Jump to: Dream Maker Package Dream Maker Silver Package Dream Maker Gold Package Dream Maker Platinum Package Dream Maker with Romance Plan Dream Maker with Princess and Prince Plan Grand Gatherings (Groups of 8 or More) With family and multiple-household travel increasing over the past few years, Walt Disney World has created a new program called Grand Gatherings, which is designed to provide special opportunities for groups traveling with 8 or more people ages 3 and up. (Babies under 3 can still come along, of course, but aren't counted toward the minimum number of people required to participate.) Grand Gatherings offers special benefits and one-of-a-kind experiences that may not be available to smaller groups attending Walt Disney World. As part of a Grand Gatherings group you will have the option of booking special events with your group. These include: International Dinner and IllumiNations Desert Reception This event offers international cuisine. Following dinner the children in the audience are invited up onto the stage to hear a classic Disney story by the bookmark storyteller. After the story there is a character meet-and-greet, a dessert reception and VIP viewing of the IllumiNations fireworks. The International Dinner experience is available on selected evenings at Epcot. Adults (10 and older) $59.99, children (ages 3-9) $24.99. Safari Celebration Dinner This event takes place at Disney's Animal Kingdom where your party will embark upon the Kilimanjaro Safari with a private guide. Following the safari is a dinner at Tusker House Restaurant with up-close animal visits, a Q & A and a visit from Terk and Timon. The Safari Celebration Dinner experience is available on selected evenings at Disney's Animal Kingdom. Adults (10 and older) $59.99, children (ages 3-9) $24.99. Good Morning Gathering A breakfast event at Tony's Town Square Restaurant. Guests are escorted from the front gate of the Magic Kingdom and served by Tony and other Disney characters. Included is some one-on-one time with Mickey Mouse. Beginning in 2006, this event will include reserved seats to experience Mickey's PhilHarmagic after breakfast . The Good Morning Gathering experience is available on selected mornings at the Magic Kingdom. Adults (10 and older) $26.99, children (ages 3-9) $13.99. As of 1/1/06, prices are Adults (10 and older) $39.99, children (ages 3-9) $19.99. Magical Fireworks Voyage This dessert party is hosted by Captain Hook and Smee and is followed by a cruise of the Seven Seas Lagoon to view the fireworks and Electrical Water Pageant. The evening concludes with a telling of the Peter Pan story, and Peter Pan greets your group upon return. The Magical Fireworks Voyage experience is available seasonally on selected evenings on the Seven Seas Lagoon near the Magic Kingdom. Adults (10 and older) $34.99, children (ages 3-9) $19.99. A Grand Gatherings group can book one of these special events, or all of them. Experiences will be shared by multiple Grand Gathering parties. Valid theme park admission is required for all Grand Gathering experiences except the Magical Fireworks Voyage. The same experience must be purchased by at least 8 guests (based on ages 3 and up) in the party. Experiences and dates are subject to change and weather conditions. Availability is limited. Reservations can be made from 90 to 6 days in advance (beginning 1/1/06, you can reserve 190 to 3 days in advance), and full payment for each experience is required 45 days prior to arrival. May be cancelled up to 6 days prior to first Grand Gathering Experience without penalty. Pricing includes gratuities/service charge(s). For 2006, you can use dining plan credits from the Magic Your Way Package Plus Dining for the three Grand Gatherings experiences that include a meal (International Dinner and IllumiNations Dessert Party, Safari Celebration Dinner and Good Morning Gathering): each experience requires 2 table service options per person. If you are on the Magic Your Way Premium or Magic Your Way Platinum package, the Grand Gatherings experiences will "cost" only one table service option per person. There are also custom events that can be arranged for your group's special needs, including dinner parties, behind-the-scenes tours, group photographs, spa experiences and golf. Interested in organizing a Grand Gathering? Here are four steps to follow when planning your group: Invite your friends and family to join you on vacation. You may want to read my page on organizing a reunion at Walt Disney World . Decide on the best time for your group to go. Consider family celebrations, holidays or special events that are going on at Walt Disney World. If your dates are somewhat flexible, try to go in the off-season. For more advice on when to go, click here . Choose your resort hotel. In order to qualify for a Grand Gathering, at least 80% of your group must be staying on Disney property. Guests not staying on property or at a Good Neighbor Hotel cannot participate in Grand Gathering events. You can select one resort or several to suit the individual needs of your group, and you can book the rooms as part of a package or as "room only" reservations. Use a travel agent. By using a travel agent who specializes in Disney , you can make the most of your money and time, allowing them to coordinate everything for your group. They can also do additional research and bookings for you. Trip Insurance It is especially important to buy trip insurance for a vacation package , because you have to pay the entire cost in advance and you won't get a refund if you have to cancel right before your scheduled departure. With hundreds or even thousands of dollars at stake, it's worth it to protect the investment. As events in 2004 proved, it's super-important to buy insurance if you will be visiting Walt Disney World on a package vacation during peak hurricane season (roughly the months of August and September). While Disney World weathered the 2004 hurricanes very well, guests were stuck in their rooms for up to 36 hours and many had major travel problems because airports were closed. While Disney did waive "no-show" fees for a few dates, those whose trips began before the specified dates (but whose travel plans overlapped with the hurricane) or just afterward were out of luck. Many people had similar problems with their airfares. The airlines allowed highly restrictive changes for certain dates without extra fees, but many of those who had to reschedule could not work within the airlines' narrow rules and just had to suck up the extra cost. Perhaps the most important coverage included in a trip insurance policy is trip cancellation and interruption insurance , which can protect your investment if you have to cancel your vacation at the last minute (or come home early) due to illness or injury. Depending on the policy, you may be covered if you cancel for other reasons, such as jury duty, terrorism at your destination, or even unemployment. Emergency medical coverage and medical evacuation insurance are very important if you become ill or injured during the trip. Otherwise you're on your own as far as booking very expensive last-minute airfare to get home. And if you're too ill to travel by commercial jet, you may have to pay for treatment in Florida (which your personal insurance may or may not cover) or for evacuation on a medically-equipped jet, which is incredibly expensive. Delayed baggage insurance will help you pay for replacement clothing if the airline sends your suitcase to Timbuktu and you need something to wear in the meantime. Supplemental baggage insurance will pay a predetermined amount if an airline loses your luggage completely. (Some higher-end credit cards provide extra baggage insurance, so check with your card issuer before paying extra for this coverage.) Disney sells trip insurance (which is provided by Access America), but it's expensive and it has major exclusions. For instance, it does not cover pre-existing medical conditions, most airline delays, terrorism or unemployment -- but there are many policies available from other companies that will cover these things. You can almost always get better insurance than Disney provides, and at better rates, by buying it elsewhere. Be aware that in most cases, trip insurance will provide slightly less coverage (usually by adding exclusions on pre-existing conditions) unless you buy it within about 14 days of paying your DEPOSIT on the vacation package. So be sure to purchase it right away, once you've committed to the trip. A great place to comparison-shop for trip insurance is InsureMyTrip.com , where you can see side-by-side policy information and rates for major, reputable insurance companies. I used InsureMyTrip.com myself to buy trip insurance. I saved about $25 and got much more comprehensive coverage than Disney's policy would have provided. Package Promotions with Small World Vacations I've been working with Sue Pisaturo at Small World Vacations to develop some nice package promotions that will add extra value to your vacation. Watch this space for information! Discounted Packages Through Expedia When discounted packages are offered, the same vacation package discounts that are offered through other travel agencies (and directly by Disney) are usually also available online through Expedia . The discounted rates are listed as "promotional rates" or are given special names such as "Magical Fall Rates." Be aware that Expedia makes it look as if you can book "room only" reservations at these special rates, but you really can't. Later in the ordering process you are forced to add on theme park tickets, which makes the purchase into a vacation package. Generally speaking you're better off to book the corresponding discounted package through a travel agent, because Expedia has rules and requirements that can be confusing, plus Expedia charges fees. In general Expedia is not very forgiving about changes and cancellations, and may charge significant fees for such changes. If you decide to use Expedia , be sure to read all the small print very carefully, and click on any "terms and conditions" links and read those carefully. Hints for best Expedia search results: Click on the bubble next to Orlando and enter your dates, number of rooms, and number of people traveling. On the next page, go over to the left panel and type DISNEY'S (or the name of a specific hotel, such as Contemporary) in the hotel name field, then search again. This will narrow the search so that you don't get pages and pages of results. Florida Resident Packages No current offers. Canadian Packages No current offers. Back to the home page Back to top Content of MouseSavers.com is © Mary Waring & MouseSavers 2001-2005. No part of this website may be reproduced in whole or in part without permission.

South America Travellers ,

South America @ Travel Notes -- Online Travel Guides -- Latin American Countries& The Caribbean Car Hire Cruises Flights Hotels Tours Vacations About Travel Notes™ Destinations Budget Travel Feedback Search Travel Forums Travel Writers Africa Asia Caribbean Europe Middle East North America South America Oceania Countries in Latin America Anguilla Antigua Argentina Aruba Bahamas Barbados Belize Bermuda Bolivia Brazil BVI Cayman Islands Chile Colombia Costa Rica Cuba Dominica Dom. Republic Dutch Antilles Ecuador El Salvador Falklands French Guiana Grenada Grenadines Guadeloupe Guatemala Guyana Haiti Honduras Jamaica Martinique Mexico Nicaragua Panama Paraguay Peru Puerto Rico St Barths St Kitts St Lucia St Martin St Vincent Sth Georgia Suriname Trinidad Turks Uruguay USVI Venezuela United States --------------------------- South America @ Travel Notes -- Online Travel Guides -- Latin American Countries & The Caribbean Around Latin America , Columbus , Eco Tourism in Latin America , Map of Latin America , Native Indians , South America Tours , South America Travellers , Spanish America , Visiting Central America . Round The World Flights - Free TravelNotes e-mail Latin America Destinations Argentina Belize Bolivia Brazil Caribbean Chile Colombia Costa Rica Ecuador El Salvador Falklands Fr. Guiana Guatemala Guyana Honduras Mexico Nicaragua Panama Paraguay Peru Sth. Georgia Suriname Uruguay Venezuela Food Travel Fiction Health Kids Bios Humor Mags Software Gifts Tech Business Other Your Ad Here Travel Notes Mailing List News Headlines World News Directory of newspapers and news sources from around the world. Hotel City Search : Travel Notes ™ guides you around every country in Latin America and The Caribbean . Map of Latin America -- 1800-Countries.com Free Maps for Personal Webpages Mismapping of America Map of South America (North) Map of South America (South) Visiting Central America By Air Grupo Taca : Alliance of the main airlines in Central America: Aviateca (GU), Lacsa (LR), Nica (6Y) and Taca (TA). No other airline offers more direct service to Central America from more cities in the United States, Mexico, the Caribbean and South America. Spanish America Learning Spanish : This free online tutorial includes written and oral exercises in some 50 separate topics. If you're travelling in Latin America, you'll be glad you studied a little Spanish. Native Indians Indians.org : Native Indian culture and literature. Columbus Columbus Navigation : Briefly examines the History, Navigation, and Landfall of Christopher Columbus in what he thought was the Indies. It was Amerigo Vespucci who realised that they had discovered a continent. An excellent links pages takes you further on the trail of discovery. Eco Tourism in Latin America El Planeta Platica : The Eco travels website, with archives of Ron Mader's ecotourism newsletter. Volcanoes in Latin America : Volcano World should be a bookmark in any classroom. This site erupts with information. South America Travellers South American Handbook : This is one book you shouldn't travel to South America without. As it's not just aimed at budget travellers, it beats the pants off Lonely Planet's South America on a Shoestring . If you're visiting many countries in South America this is the guide for you. Luke's South American Diary : Luke's anecdotes of day-to-day life while bringing up a small child abroad was written while living in Venezuela and Colombia during 1994-9. The collective pages form a kind of travelogue of Luke's travels in Venezuela , Colombia , Ecuador , Peru , Bolivia , Argentina and Chile . Around Latin America LANIC -- Maps of Latin America : Links to various websites hosting maps of Latin America. South America Tours Kon-Tiki Tours : Full-service travel agency in New York, offering a variety of customisable South America tour packages. Southern Explorations : Small group tours and cruises to the Galapagos Islands, Peru, Costa Rica, Patagonia in Chile, Ecuador, Bolivia and the Amazon Rainforest. Latin America Travel Forum : From Anguilla to Venezuela, sailing in the Caribbean to trekking in the Andes, Latin America is a world of wonderful contrasts. Join us in the travel forums if you have a question about Latin America or would like to share your experiences about travelling or living in Latin America and The Caribbean. The Internet TravelNotes.org Footprint South America Flight Tickets : Save money on Round The World flight tickets. Travel News : Get the inside scoop with the latest travel features and tips. Past Articles . Airlines & Airports : This travel article points you to airlines and the three letter airport codes with links to their websites. Currency Converter : How much is your money worth abroad. Cyber Cafes : The Internet Caf Guide. Travel Guides : Travel guides are a Godsend and a tremendous amount of research has gone into them; but which one is best for you? Weather Outlook Car Hire Cruises Flights Hostels Tours Vacations Destinations Budget Travel Feedback Meta-Travel Travel Forums Travel Writers Africa Asia Caribbean Europe Middle East North America South America Oceania Travel Directory : Latin America @ Travel Notes -- Submit to Travel Notes | Advertise on TravelNotes.org | Favourite Destinations | Magun'sCompass | Travel Articles | Writers | | Airlines | Airports | Car Hire | Cruises | Flights | Hotels | Online Reservations | Vacation Rentals | | Casinos | Olympics | World Cup | General Disclaimer | Meta-Travel | Search Resources | | TravelNotes is a Trademark of TravelNotes.org | Travel Notes Blog | Add URL | Add to Favorites The URL for this page is: http://www.travelnotes.org/LatinAmerica/index.htm

Russia Travel

David Tomanek's Russia Travel Page David Tomanek's Russia Travel Page This is one of the most unusual destinations I have visited so far.Below are some of the noteworthy facts you will appreciate knowing as a visitor. To a large degree unspoiled by the Communist system, Russians (and other nationals of the former Soviet Union) have kept up withtheir tradition of hospitality. While service personnel may be unfriendly, people are generally friendly, caring and helpful on a personal level. Culture in its original sense, not restricted to performingarts or architecture, and including culture of human relationships,is highly valued. It is truly a joy to get involved in a livelydiscussion with Russians about Art, Science or Politics, and feel theexcitement and deep desire to find the fundamental truth. This alonemakes an encounter with the Russian culture worth the trip. With amazing accuracy, locals spot foreigners even beforethey open their mouth. By default, foreigners are assumed to beAmericans. Ownership of a car provides drivers with a license to kill. To alesser degree, this also applies at pedestrian cross­walks,where car drivers exercise their right of way somewhat lessaggressively. The dual­pricing system, where foreigners are charged a higherrate than locals for the same service, is an outgrowth of plannedeconomy in desperate need for resources. More resources are believedto be generated using the well­established method to increase egg production by forcing chickens to lay several eggs a day, rather thanacquiring more chickens. This dual­pricing system has recently reached a new level ofabsurdity. As an example, the beautiful state Hermitage museum in St.Petersburg charges foreigners 15­20 times more than Russians. Individual tourism is efficiently suppressed by linking visarequirements to a hotel reservation. This provides hotels with aneffective monopoly on visa, and allowing for hotel rates, applied toforeigners, to be a multiple of those applied to locals. Individualtourists are often asked to pay the price of a western first­classhotel accommodation for a room without running water or toilet paper. One unusual exception from this rule is the American­founded Youth Hostel in St. Petersburg .It charges locals and visitors the same rate of US$ 19 per night perperson (as of Summer 1997) in clean rooms with few beds. Showers andtoilets are unusually clean by local hotel standards. There are noage restrictions. Most important, the hostel is run very efficientlyby an in­house travel agency that specializes in arranging visa. Thehostel/travel agency runs a server on the internet and a very useful Web site . The staff are helpful and experienced, and routinely make use oftheir in­house e­mail and fax facilities. ... back to David Tomanek's home page David Tomanek at Michigan State University tomanek@pa.msu.edu This page has been visited 1325 times. Last update: 15 July 1997.

European Vacation U.S. Front

U.S. Front Groups Take a European Vacation - Center for Media and Democracy Center for Media and Democracy Publishers of PR Watch Home Spin of the Day Dec 08, 2005 U.S. Front Groups Take a European Vacation U.S. Front Groups Take a European Vacation Topics: corporations | lobbying | global warming Source: The Independent (UK), December 8, 2005 Britain's Independent reports on a "detailed and disturbing strategy document" authored by a U.S.-based Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) official that seeks "to destroy Europe's support for the Kyoto treaty on climate change ." CEI's Chris Horner , also a senior figure in the " Cooler Heads Coalition ," is "a veteran campaigner against Kyoto." CEI has received "almost $1.5m from ExxonMobil ." Horner's plan "seeks to draw together major international companies, academics, think-tanks , commentators, journalists and lobbyists from across Europe," under the name " European Sound Climate Policy Coalition ." The coalition, Horner suggested, would be based in Brussels and have "anti-Kyoto position papers, expert spokesmen, detailed advice and networking" devoted to undermining the accord. He pitched the plan to Ford Europe, Lufthansa and German utility company RWE; the document says that Lufthansa, Exxon and Ford "have already indicated their interest." Asked by the Independent whether a U.S. lobbyist funded in part by oil companies should be targeting European companies, Horner replied, "Everybody else does." login or register to post comments | printer friendly version Home SourceWatch PR Watch Spin of the Day Books Forum Volunteer News Feeds Donate Search this site advanced search About Us The Center for Media and Democracy About PR Watch Staff Biographies Financial Supporters Privacy Policy Contact Us Navigation recent posts news aggregator syndication Syndicate more User login Username: Password: Create new account Request new password Topics activism animal rights arts/culture corporations corporate social responsibility tort reform democracy education environment agriculture mad cow disease biotechnology global warming nuclear power sludge ethics gay/lesbian health food safety human rights international labor lobbying marketing advertising guerrilla marketing media citizen journalism internet journalism pundits pharmaceuticals politics left wing right wing propaganda public relations astroturf crisis management front groups issue management public diplomacy third party technique video news releases race/ethnic issues religion rhetoric science secrecy social justice think tanks tobacco U.S. government war/peace Iraq terrorism women Weekly Spin Enter your email address to get our free weekly bulletin about spin and propaganda in the media. Books Banana Republicans Weapons of Mass Deception Trust Us, We're Experts Mad Cow USA Toxic Sludge Is Good For You Recent blog posts USAID in Indonesia: Expecting Waves of Gratitude Tracking the Zigs and Zags of Issues The Victory of Spin Fake News: It's the PR Industry Against the Rest of Us Academic Freedom Ain't What It Used to Be One Step Forward (But Two Back) in the Fight Against Fake News Support Our Props The Emperor Doesn't Disclose: Why the Fight Against Fake News Continues The Wave of the Future: From Tragedy to Far-Reaching Policy, in Less Than a Month Jim Crow Propaganda more Active forum topics INTELLIGENT DESIGN Where are the Faceless Cowards at USCIS? Poll, Bush, politics The dark side of US For our readers in the right wing more Upcoming events Public Affairs Council's Annual "Grassroots" Conference (event) (26 days) International Conference on Disease-Mongering (event) (103 days) more Center for Media and Democracy 520 University Avenue, Suite 227 Madison, Wisconsin 53703 Phone: 608-260-9713 Email: editor AT prwatch.org