Week 4 - and PassPorter - winner!

While the promise of an actual prize – and some additional publicity on the PassPorter Facebook page – drew in a lot of first-time entrants, it was this entry from contest regular Alan AJ Irby that made me laugh the most! A.J., you just really get my sense of humor, which should frighten you greatly. But congratulations, you’ve won a brand new PassPorter Walt Disney World 2014!

All of the Honorable Mentions are from Stupid Guest Tricks this week! Widget: "The start time for the 3 o'clock parade must be in the book somewhere."; actual PassPorter contributor Zazu: "'Wait! Is that a photo of Zazu on the PassPorter Team page?' 'Ah-hyuck!' 'Well, there goes the credibility of this guidebook.'"; Lasolimu: "This guide talks about getting a picture in front of the castle, but I can't seem to find this castle anywhere."; and hhsrat: "Why doesn't this thing have directions to Hogwarts?"

Thanks to all who entered! New picture coming Monday – no prize next week, but I do have another PassPorter to give away sometime, so watch for another prize contest soon! 

2014 Caption Contest - Week 4 (There's a prize!!!)

2014 CAPTION CONTEST, Week 4 -- THERE IS A PRIZE!! Yes, the Wombat Caption Contest this week is being sponsored by PassPorter's fantastic Disney travel guides (http://passporter.com/), and the winner of this week's contest will be awarded a brand-new PassPorter Walt Disney World 2014, a $25 value!! And since I'm a lawyer and there is an actual prize this week, there are Official Rules that you agree to by entering. You can read them at http://tinyurl.com/WombatOfficialRules.

So, how would you caption this picture? Comment below! The same pic will show here and on Facebook. I'll repost the pic with my favorite caption on Friday. Whoever submits the winning caption will receive their own Passporter Walt Disney World 2014!!

Caption Contest PassPorter Giveaway - Official Rules!

Wombat Caption Contest for January 31, 2014
 

OFFICIAL RULES

Participation in the Wombat Caption Contest (the “Contest”) constitutes your agreement to be bound by these Official Rules.  NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN.

Contest Administrator: Brad ‘Wombat’ Randall (the “Administrator”).

Eligibility:  Any person aged 13 or over who resides in the United States or Canada may enter. Immediate family members of the Administrator are not eligible to participate in the Contest (sorry, Becky, Brandon & Benjamin!).  Void where prohibited by law.  

Entry:  To enter, post an amusing caption to the provided picture (your “Submission”).  Submission may be posted in any of three locations: (1) a comment to the picture on Administrator’s Facebook timeline (http://facebook.com/brwombat) (either the original post or any “shared” repost by Administrator); (2) on the Caption Contest thread on Stupid Guest Tricks (http://stupidguesttricks.com); or (3) a comment on the picture’s post on The World of Wombat blog (http://theworldofwombat.blogspot.com). There is no limit on the number of entries you may submit.
 
Winning: Administrator will choose a winning entry from among all valid Submissions after the Contest Period expires, and will choose what he believes is the funniest caption best suited to the picture, in his sole discretion. The winning entry will be added to the photograph in a manner chosen by Administrator and reposted on the above three locations. The entry may be altered or edited to enhance the result, at the sole discretion of Administrator. By submitting an entry, you agree to these uses of your entry.  Any number of additional Submissions may be selected as “Honorable Mentions”; however, no prizes will be awarded to those selections.
 
Contest Period: The Contest begins at the time the contest photograph is first posted and ends Friday, January 31, 2014, at 6:00 AM Central Time.

Prize:  The winner of the Contest will receive one (1) copy of Passporter’s Walt Disney World 2014, a $25 value. No substitutions are allowed, and the prize may not be redeemed for cash. All federal, state and/or local taxes are the sole responsibility of the winner.

Notification: The winner will be notified by private message on Facebook, Stupid Guest Tricks, The World of Wombat, or by email, at the Administrator’s discretion, on or about the date that the contest results are published. Winner will need to supply a valid U.S. or Canada mailing address. If a prize notification or prize is returned as undeliverable and Administrator is unable to reach the winner after at least 2 further attempts, the prize may be awarded to another individual, or may be withdrawn and awarded in a future contest, at the sole discretion of the Administrator.

Intellectual Property: You agree that Administrator may use the Submission, or any portions or elements of the Submission, as described in these Official Rules without any payment or other obligation whatsoever to you. If you are selected as a Winner, you agree to assign and hereby do assign to Administrator all of your rights, title and interest in the Submission.  You represent and warrant that you are (a) the author/creator of the Submission, (b) that you are the present and sole owner of all right, title and interest in and to the Submission, (c) that it is an original work, (d) that you have the full, exclusive and unconditional right and authorization to submit the Submission, and (f) that no third party has any rights in or to the Submission.  You agree to indemnify, defend and hold harmless Administrator, and his subsidiaries, affiliates, successors and assigns, from and against any and all claims, demands, expenses, losses or liabilities including but not limited to reasonable attorney's fees and punitive damages that may be asserted against or incurred by them at any time in connection with the Submission, or any use thereof, including, without limitation, those arising from any breach, or alleged breach, of the warranties, representations and promises provided by you in these Official Rules.

General Conditions:  No purchase necessary.  Administrator is not responsible for and shall not be liable for: (i) misdirected or delayed mail or e-mail; (ii) telephone, telecommunications, hardware or third party software malfunctions, failures, or difficulties of any kind; (iii) any condition caused by events beyond Administrator’s control that may cause the Contest to be disrupted, corrupted or terminated; (iv) any injuries, losses, or damages of any kind arising in connection with or as a result of participating in the Contest or foolish misuse of the prize; or (iv) any printing or typographical errors in any materials associated with the Contest.  Administrator reserves the right to disqualify, in its sole discretion, any person tampering with the entry process, the operation of the systems required to conduct the Contest or operate the websites involved, or who is otherwise in violation of these Official Rules.  All issues concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, or the rights and obligations of the participants, shall be determined by Administrator in his sole discretion.  All decisions of Administrator are final.  

Week 3 winner!

Aaaand it only took until the third week of 2014 for last year’s champ to take the prize*! Congratulations Alan AJ Irby on your first win of 2014!

Honorable Mentions: Alan AJ Irby (again): "J.K. Rowling's idea for an 8th novel, 'Harry Potter and the Wombat,' never made it beyond concept level."; Lisa Lavelle: "While introducing his two friends, Harry forgot that 'Wombat' is a favorite Hippogriff treat...."; and StupidGuestTrick's PatchOBlack: "Brad soon learns why there is a 'No boating' sign for the lake near Hogwarts...." 

Thanks to all who entered! New picture coming Monday – along with a big announcement! 

*Still no prize… yet. :-)

Book review: PassPorter Walt Disney World

Disney parks aren't cheap, but the fact that they are consistently among the top vacation destinations in the world -- and the fact that fanatics like me keep going back -- show that they are incredible places, and worth the occasional expense. They are packed with things to do, and (especially in the case of Walt Disney World) incredibly large and overwhelming, so you'll want to get the most out of your vacation dollar. That takes planning.

I cannot honestly say that PassPorter is the best Disney travel book out there. Why not? Because once I got my hands on a PassPorter, I didn't bother looking at any other travel books. There was no need -- PassPorter has everything. It's hard to compare other books when I haven't seen them!

I discovered PassPorter when planning my first trip to Walt Disney World with my boys over eleven years ago, and even now that I'm a Disney "pro," it's still a valuable resource for me. With its Walt Disney World guidebook in its 16th edition, PassPorter is a unique combination of trip planner, travel guide, organizer and journal.

It works wonderfully as a trip planner. Not only is PassPorter jam-packed with information about the Walt Disney World Resort's parks, hotels, and recreational opportunities, but it provides tips on travel times, weather, and budgeting, along with planning pages and worksheets. It's clear that the information comes from the collective experience of many seasoned travelers and can be fully trusted.

At the back of each guidebook is a set of "PassPockets," an exclusive feature which provides easy-reference, fill-in-the-blank pages for your travel details, as well as storage space for receipts, notes, tickets, and other keepsakes. The PassPockets allowed easy access to our trip details while we were on vacation, and then after we returned home, we reference them to help us relive our memories.

 

(Pictured: Me in 2005 at Walt Disney World, carrying my Deluxe PassPorter. And 70-80 extra pounds.)

My PassPorter traveled with us on all of our Disney trips. I carried it with me to the parks -- it has full-color fold-out maps of each park, as well as details on each attraction, restaurant and other entertainment. I also used it for note-taking for each of my (overly detailed) trip reports.

As if the bountiful contents between the covers weren't enough, there's even more information available online. PassPorter provides pages of links to Disney resources, and the PassPorter website itself is a fantastic source of current information. There is also an active and friendly community of Disney fans on their discussion boards, and you can find answers and advice for any situation there, as well as entertaining reports, photographs, and conversation.

The original PassPorter covered Walt Disney World. Now you can also get guidebooks for Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland and S. California, Disney Vacation Club, and Disney Weddings, as well as books focused on money-saving and for visiting Disney with special needs. In addition to the guidebooks, there are multiple e-books available for download on their website. Several of the guides also come in a Deluxe version, a leather-bound 3-ring binder with removable pages, as opposed to the standard spiral-bound book. (The Deluxe is what I've had -- it allows me to travel light, carrying only the pages I need into the parks. Plus I can just purchase a set of refill pages when I need to update the info!)

If you have a Disney trip in your future, and especially if you're new to the magic of the Mouse, I highly, highly recommend PassPorter. Even without a trip in the offing, it's a pleasure just to read through this fantastic guidebook and dream of the day you can go to visit Mickey!

PassPorter is available in bookstores and on Amazon, but the best way to ensure you have the latest information is to order through their website, PassPorter.com -- plus that's where you find all of the great community, photos, and extras.

(Disclaimer: the lovely and talented Jennifer Marx, co-author of PassPorter, graciously provided me with a free review copy* of the current edition of PassPorter Walt Disney World, with no obligation to review -- or to review favorably. I've also contributed to their weekly newsletter and even had a personal quote of mine printed in their first editions of the Disneyland PassPorter. It may still be there, for all I know. If you can't tell, I'm really sold on this guidebook, and would've been glad to review it positively anyway! I do like free stuff, though.)

*(And more, too, that will be revealed in coming days! Stay tuned!)

2014 Caption contest - Week 3

2014 CAPTION CONTEST, Week 3. How would you caption this picture? Comment below! The same pic will show here and on Facebook. I'll repost the pic with my favorite caption on Friday. As always, no prizes, other than the glory/infamy of being chosen.

Week 2 winner!

This was a really tough week – I laughed hard at almost every entry, so picking a winner wasn’t easy! Way to bring the funny, everybody – but in the end Lisa Lavelle’s Lion King reference took the prize. (Poor Simba!!) Congratulations, Lisa!

Lots of Honorable Mentions: Stupid Guest Trick's hhsrat: "The degree of difficulty score was very impressive, but the Russian judge deducted several points because Brad's left foot wasn't pointed."; Don Kistler: "If this doesn't get me in the front row, NOTHING will!"; Jay Marsh: "Why did he go straight for the 'triple dog dare'?"; and G Scott Lewis: "This is what Wombat will do for a Klondike bar." A special Honorable Mention goes to SGT’s hobie16, who rotated the picture 90° clockwise and provide this caption: "Superman was in such a rush to save a bus load of seniors on their way to a Lake Tahoe casino from being crushed by a gigantic rock that he neglected to remove his civilian clothes." And finally, a slightly dis-honorable Honorable Mention to Alan AJ Irby, who referenced Baylor’s bowl drubbing: "So Brad, what'd you have to do after losing that bet for the Fiesta Bowl??" 

Thanks to all who entered! New picture coming Monday! 

2014 Caption contest - Week 2

2014 CAPTION CONTEST, Week 2. This is totally something I would actually do, by the way. (Pose for a photoshopped pic, not handstand on an insanely high rock, that is.) How would you caption this picture? Comment below! The same pic will show here and on Facebook. I'll repost the pic with my favorite caption on Friday. As always, no prizes, other than the glory/infamy of being chosen.

Week 1 winner!

And... our first winner for 2014 is the always-funny darph nader from Stupid Guest Tricks! Who knew Norman Rockwell lived in Colorado?

Honorable Mentions: Craig Godwin: “Wow...I didn't realize I was so good looking!”; David Wilmoth: “Unfortunately this work gave Rockwell an artistic license suspension!"; and SGT’s WEDFan: “Fully defeated by the haunted canvas, Norman didn't realize the fires of Hell had kindled his trash pail.” 

Thanks to all who entered! New picture coming Monday! 

2014 Caption contest - Week 1

2014 CAPTION CONTEST, Week 1 – We start the year with Norman Rockwell. How would you caption this picture? Comment below! The same pic will show here and on Facebook. I'll repost the pic with my favorite caption on Friday. As always, no prizes, other than the glory/infamy of being chosen.