Archive for the ‘Mousellaneous’ Category

Around every corner, you’ll find a Disney Cast Member looking for ways to make your vacation more magical.  Here are some guidelines for acknowledging the many helping hands you’ll encounter during your stay:

Limousine Driver
20% of the total round-trip charge, or 10% each one-way segment if you wish to be certain to tip individual drivers

Airport Baggage Handler
$1.00 or more per bag

Airport Wheelchair
$3.00 – $5.00 or more, depending on services provided

Sky Cap
$2.00 for first bag; $1.00 for each additional bag

Full Service Restaurant
15% to 20% of pretax total; more if you feel the service was truly exemplary; if you have received a discount or complimentary items, your tip should be based upon what the full cost would have been.

Sommelier
15% to 20% of your total wine expenditures

Buffet Restaurants
5% – 10% of the bill, depending on level of service

Bartender
10% – 15% of the bar tab

Room Service
15% to 20% of pretax total.   Please note:  any additional service fees added to you bill are separate from the tip

Taxi
15% of fare; $1.00 to $2.00 additional for luggage handling

Housekeeping
$1.00 person per night; generally $2.00 to $3.00 per night minimum; because the staff changes from day to day, leave a tip each morning rather than once at the end of your stay

Bell Services
minimum of $1.00 per bag; additional for extra services such as explaining room features, filling ice bucket, etc.

Concierge
when staying at the Club Level, $5.00 to $10.00; more for special services; at the Disney Resorts, most Concierges will refuse a tip when offered but will then accept it gracefully if you insist

Valet Parking
$1.00 to $2.00 when your vehicle is returned to you; if you know must leave in a hurry, you can tip the attendant when dropping off your vehicle and request that it is parked in a location for quick retrieval

Massage Therapist
10% to 20% of the charge

Aesthetician
10% to 20% of the charge

Spa Attendant
At a resort spa, tip the spa attendants about 5% of your total bill at the front desk. If any particular attendant went above and beyond for you, you should tip that attendant individually

Many positions at the Disney Parks and Resorts are specifically prohibited from accepting tips.  Walt Disney had a particular philosophy about tipping, wanting everyone to feel they were receiving the same exemplary levels of service regardless of means, and wishing to avoid preferential treatment for those who could afford to offer financial incentives.  If a Cast Member has provided a special service to you but refuses a gratuity, a letter of commendation is a wonderful way to say, “Thank You!”  All letters go into the Cast Members’ permanent files and are a very meaningful way to express your appreciation.

You can send a letter to:

Guest Communications
Walt Disney World Co., Inc.
P. O. Box 10040
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830-0040

or email: wdw.guest.communications@disney.com

Board the riverboat at Liberty Square and cruise along the Rivers of America with characters from Disney’s new movie, The Princess and the Frog.   Featuring the music of New Orleans and appearances by Princess Tiana, Prince Naveen, Louis, and Dr. Facilier, Princess Tiana’s Showboat Jubilee makes its debut today with a fun-filled promenade down Main Street U.S.A.

Scheduled to run until January 3, 2010, the show includes songs from the movie during its three daily performances.  A live six-piece band and 22 dancers will join the passengers who will also become part of the musical production.

Those on shore can enjoy the festivities from both Liberty Square and Frontierland.

Guests can also take advantage of meet-and-greet opportunities with Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen in Liberty Square for autographs and photos.  Don’t miss the special movie admission offer available for a limited time.

Years ago, during one of my earliest visits to Walt Disney World, I was certain that, while driving to Disney’s Contemporary Resort, I had seen a boat glide by on an overpass.  Each time I brought it up, I got strange looks from people and after a while, I began to think that I had misremembered.

Much later, while on the launch between Disney’s Wilderness Lodge and the Magic Kingdom, I was delighted to hear the explanation for that vivid memory from long ago:  a water bridge!  With an eye to keeping the vistas beautiful, Disney decided to put the water over the road rather than having a roadway over the water.  While there is a second water bridge in the EPCOT resort area, guests can actually cross over the one that connects Bay Lake with the Seven Seas Lagoon.

Most visitors never realize that they are passing over a busy road as they travel between the Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, and Disney’s Fort Wilderness.

All vessels cut their speed as they approach; a signal to passengers that the water bridge is just ahead.  So, next time you’re cruising the lake or lagoon, watch for the NO WAKE signs and take a moment to appreciate this engineering marvel.

The courts dismissed a suit brought against the Walt Disney Company by those demanding to be allowed to use Segways in the parks for reasons of disability.  I find it discouraging that this company, which fosters some of the most accessible places on earth, must battle to maintain a safe environment for the majority of visitors.

It’s difficult to imagine how overwhelming it must be to face each day knowing that even the simplest task will be a physical challenge.  How terrific to find a vacation destination which has invested so much to ensure the comfort and convenience of all guests.  A quick trip outside the U.S. is all that’s required to see just how far our country has come in terms of public accessibility, and Disney stands at the forefront of this initiative.

There has already been a huge proliferation of wheeled vehicles in the parks over the past several years.  In addition to the guests with infants in strollers and the injured and disabled in wheelchairs and EVC’s, there are now many more families choosing strollers for much older children, and a number of visitors renting ECV’s simply as an easier way of getting around.

The fortunate masses, who have good health and/or fortitude, wait patiently as vehicles are loaded onto busses; suffer banged ankles from errant strollers, and endure the ever more congested walkways.  Every guest pays a monetary premium at the parks and resorts to underwrite the infrastructure put into place to make Disney destinations welcoming and wonderful for all visitors; and we do it gladly.  At some point, however, this silent majority should be able to expect some consideration, as well.

There is no individual who has not encountered something made for general use  which is not right for him.  Whether it is a cabinet too high, a counter too low, a lid too tight to open, an uncomfortable seat, or print too small to read, every single person has to compromise now and again; make do; ask for assistance; use a stepladder; wear glasses.  And, few of us have the expectation that things should be adjusted simply to suit those of us who are taller, shorter, weaker, older, or have bigger feet than average.

As one who visits the parks often and has been on a Segway several times, I am of the opinion that the two don’t mix.  Perhaps wheelchairs and ECV’s are not the perfect answer for everyone, but nothing is.  The addition of Segways to the busy parks would be simply unsafe.

Americans seem to cling to the notion that all of life’s unfairness can be legislated out of existence.  It is unfortunate that some may not be able to experience the parks standing up, but it’s a minor inconvenience.  It’s no more “undignified” than having to deal with many other small inequities that life throws at all of us, and certainly does not outweigh the safety issues for everyone else.

It would appear, though, that this battle is far from over.  The ADA has framed this as a matter of “equal treatment and human dignity.”  I find that deeply offensive.  To use those time-honored words as a basis for this action belittles their very meaning.  Whatever our individual abilities, we all need to share equally in the concepts of compromise and consideration for others.  That’s equal treatment; that’s dignity.

Those visiting the Disneyland Resort or the Walt Disney World Resort theme parks between October 5 and November 22, 2009 can take advantage of a limited offer.  Present a valid adult theme park admission ticket at selected merchandise locations and receive a special card.  The card has instructions for obtaining a certificate valid for up to $8.00 towards a child’s admission when purchased with an adult admission ticket for Disney’s new movie, The Princess and the Frog, opening December 11, 2009.  Certificates will be redeemable from December 11 to December 31, 2009, offering a wonderful holiday activity for the entire family.

Looking for a little downtime from the parks?  Pull up a chair and enjoy a board game.  There are a number of places where guests of the Walt Disney World Resort can find something fun to play.

Members of the Disney Vacation Clubs have access to a variety of games in the Community Halls of each deluxe villa resort.  The beautiful Carolwood Pacific Room at the Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge is a cozy spot for a family game of Chinese Checkers.

Visitors can raft over to Tom Sawyer Island in the Magic Kingdom and settle into rocking chairs for a round of checkers, or travel to Disney’s Fort Wilderness Campground and enjoy a game at the General Store.

Most guests are not aware that the tables in the rooms of many of resorts have a checkerboard top.  Both checkers and chess pieces are available at the front desk.

Little ones can play games during their stays at the childcare centers, and for the rest of us, there’s the inviting Belle Vue Room at Disney’s Boardwalk Inn with its library ambiance and game tables set for chess and backgammon.

Our favorite?  It’s the third floor at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa.  Chess pieces and giant checkers are waiting on tables by the windows, offering guests beautiful views of the grounds and an opportunity to slow down, relax, and enjoy the leisure time.

October 1, 1971 marked the Grand Opening of the Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, and Fort Wilderness Campground at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.  Fearing the enormous crowds of Disneyland’s opening day, the company chose a time that was historically slower, and the attendance of 10,000 was exactly as planned.  However, local media had been projecting much higher numbers and the negative publicity caused a drop in Disney stock prices.  Just a few weeks later, on the day after Thanksgiving, the Magic Kingdom welcomed more than 50,000 guests and  traffic heading for the park was backed up more than 200 miles.

The park opened with six themed lands: Main Street U.S.A., Adventureland, Frontierland, Liberty Square, Fantasyland, and Tomorrowland.  Mickey’s Toontown Fair, currently the seventh land, began as Mickey’s Birthdayland in 1988 to commemorate Mickey’s 60^th birthday.  Renamed Mickey’s Starland at the end of the birthday celebration 1990, it became Mickey’s Toontown Fair in 1996.  It will be interesting to see if current plans for an expansion of Fantasyland return the park to six lands.

While many of the original opening-day elements can still be found today,some no longer exist.  Shops like the Penny Arcade, House of Magic, and the New Century Clock Shop have given way to new stores or incorporated into larger shopping venues.  Familiar favorites such as the Haunted Mansion, It’s a Small World, the Jungle Cruise, Dumbo, the Mad Tea Party, and Cinderella’s Golden Carousel continue to delight visitors.  Others, including the Skyway to Tomorrowland and Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, have been retired.

Guests can still dine at the Crystal Palace, the Liberty Tree Tavern, and the Columbia Harbor House, but will no longer find the Mile Long Bar, and will search in vain for King Stefan’s Banquet Hall which has been renamed Cinderella’s Royal Table.  Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort lost its “village” as well as the Coral Isle Café and Papeete Bay Verandah restaurant.  Over at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, the Gulf Coast Room restaurant is no more, and the Top of the World is now the California Grill.

Today, Walt Disney World Resort is the world’s largest recreational destination, attracting more than 40 million visitors annually.