Update for November 6 – 12, 2006
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News and Views
Yes, they really mean it
Anyone who has parked in one of Walt Disney
World‘s expansive theme park parking lots has heard the tram attendant’s
spiel reminding riders that – if something should fall off the tram –
they should not go after it, but wait until the next stop and inform the driver
or the attendant. Every once in a while, there’s somebody that disregards
this, proving to the rest of us the importance of heeding those words.
Last Monday morning at around 9:30 a.m., a 49-year-old man jumpted off of
a moving tram at the Magic Kingdom parking
lot in an attempt to retrieve a camera that had fallen from the tram. The
tram, which was approaching the left turn under the roadway in its final approach
to the Transportation & Ticket Center, was traveling at a good rate of speed.
When Reedy Creek Emergency Services personnel arrived on the scene, the man
was conscious and coherent, but bleeding from the head. He was transported
to the Orlando Regional Medical Center by helicopter as a precautionary measure.
The man had been visiting the resort with his wife, daughter and grandchildren.
We’ll say it again, folks. The spiel may be boring, but it carries important
safety information. Keep kids and valuables to the inside of the tram, and
if something falls off, don’t go after it. The trams move much faster than
you think.
The new decor for the “Where Dreams Come True” promotion adorns
the entrance to the Magic Kingdom. Photo by Chris Snead.
More shipping price details
Last week, we noted that Disney had raised shipping fees for merchandise
shipped from anywhere on property. Some folks wrote in asking for more details
on the pricing between the upper and lower ranges. Others wanted to know about
shipping through their resort’s front desk. Here’s what we know. For ground
shipping, pricing is as follows:
| For merchandise costing: | Shipping will cost: |
| $0-$50 | $8.95 |
| $51-$75 | $14 |
| $76-$100 | $21 |
| $101-$150 | $26 |
| $151-$250 | $36 |
| $251-$500 | $76 |
| $501-$1000 | $112 |
| $1001-$1500 | $187 |
| $1501-$2000 | $262 |
| each additional $500 | add $75 |
Also, remember that if you are shipping to a location outside of Florida,
you will not have to pay the 6 percent Florida sales tax. (This only applies
to purchases shipped from point of purchase. If you consolidate a number of
purchases and ship them later, you’ll have already paid the tax and they won’t
refund it when you pay to ship everything.) While it will no longer be cheaper
to ship things home than carry them (due to the fact that shipping is now
more than 6 percent of the purchase price), the lack of tax will decrease
your total cost.
If you’re looking to ship all of your purchases into one box, here are some
things to bear in mind:
- Any Disney merchandise location (including at your resort) will consolidate
your purchases into one box for you, provided that you still have the merchandise
receipts;
- Shipping costs will be the same for consolidating purchases as it would
be if you had purchased everything there;
- The front desk of your resort will point you to the gift shop to do your
shipping (note that they will help you to ship things from the front desk,
but they will not provide a box to put everything into and will charge you
the same rate as the gift shop;
- Pay attention to the pricing levels – shipping two $250 boxes is
cheaper than shipping one $251-$500 box, and two $1,000 boxes cost less
than a $1,501-$2,000 box.
Thanks to MousePlanet reader Jeff Carey for assembling the numbers.
The flower/butterfly-like design includes silhouettes of famous Disney and
Pixar characters on the larger petal/wing. Photo by Chris Snead.
Nemo musical now in previews
Finding Nemo – The Musical is now in previews at Disney’s
Animal Kingdom. The show opened yesterday, and through November 18 will
be showing at various times during the day. However, the show times will not
be published in the Times Guide for the park. The times will only be communicated
to guests via the Tip Board and verbal communication from Cast Members encouraging
folks to go see it. Beginning on November 19, the show will be listed in the
Times Guide, and will be considered “open,” though there will be
some sort of official “grand opening” in January, when the official
Year of a Million Dreams press event occurs. (The press event is waiting for
the suite in Cinderella Castle to be ready.)
