WDW and the U.S. Postal Service

[CaptainKirk]

I find this subject interesting and most likely political. Since my first visit to WDW I have always had difficulty finding a mailbox.
A real USPS mailbox. In order to get my postcards out quicker rather than a hotels box. During the anniversary(25th), I wanted to have some postcards marked with LBVista instead of Orlando.
I found the Post office in the crossroads. I asked the worker if there was some politics. She said that wdw did not want any boxes on property. My mail arrived with orlando postmark.Darn!

I am no expert on this yet it appears to be something interesting to this dilemna. Only someone like WDW can dictate it's standards to the USPS regarding the handling of mail and locations of boxes.

If anyone has input I would be grateful. We all know how big WDW is. It is very peculiar that the USPS's presence is limited.

Have you noticed that law enforcement presence is also limited?

 

[The Mom]

I agree that it is interesting that WDW doesn't have any mailboxes. I think (but I don't know for sure) that businesses can request a mailbox be installed on site for convenience; at least this has been the case in all of the large hospitals I've worked in over the years. I assume the hotels have a way of sending out mail, but wouldn't it make sense to have drop boxes in the parks? Do they sell stamps anywhere in the parks? As a "local" I've never sent any postcards!

As to why they don't HAVE to have them (mailboxes), or municipal police, wdw is a private company on private property and has its' own security force.Even though many people sleep there, very few LIVE there! Think of it as a large building rather than a spread out resort and that makes sense.

 

[Maria]

Hhmm.. interesting... When I worked there, I sent mail from my building and the mailmen came and picked it up there, but I know that you can send mail from the parks at Guest Relations where they have a "mailbox", but I don´t know how they actually send it (at least I don´t remember learning about that). Stamps are sold at AA from a machine, and there is a mailbox right there, and I also remember another one in UK at Epcot, and have the blurry image of another one at IG, but I could be wrong on that last one.
I´m not sure, but I think the mailmen came to WSC and picked the mail up before WSC opens, early in the morning.

Ah! and there is a stamp with the Mickey ears that GR people stamp when you give your letters to them to be sent.

 

[CaptainKirk]

WDW and USPS

Thanks for the replies. Especially the pretty lady in Yucatan. Yes I do understand that WDW is a private company. Six Flags over Texas is a private company yet they retain local law enforcement within the park. My point is that WDW seems to have the ambition to retain it's magical character. I take my police scanner when I travel.While listening to WDW frequencies, I notice how security was negotiating incidents. What one may consider public intoxication,WDW security treated as "a guest asleep on a bench needing help to his room". I for one like WDW's policy much better.

We have been many times since 1992. It was a shame to see the security gates at the hotels go up. I appreciate WDW's efforts to keep the property as Disney as they can. In fact I am fascinated by them. With these efforts comes complications I believe. Most are likely political and I am sure the guy with the ears has the most clout.:sohappy:

 

[zonguy]

Actually, I recall there was a legitimate legal reason Disney Corp. did not allow mail to be postmarked within the Disney resort, and instead forwarded all mail to Orlando. I only wish I could remember it now... :veryconfu

It seems that it was partially the same reason that Disney Corp. will not maintain a runway (airport) operations. A wholly operational airport, even a private one, would require Federal oversite, and may impede the autonomy Reedy Creek Improvement enjoys.

As to sending items from LBV, the LBV PO (32820) is has an office just about a mile further north from Crossroads. It is tucked into a small shopping plaza on the right. I completely missed it the first time I was looking for it, even with the road signs that provided directions. The only caveat is, I am not sure how they postmark the mail, since I have never thought to ask.

I am pretty sure that the CM housing areas (The Commons, et al) are in zip 32821, and that is not officially a LBV zip. The land may still be Disney land (not Disneyland ), since many of the manhole covers along Vineland Ave. still have the familiar 'D' with the mouse icon in the center.

 

[Maria]

I lived in the Commons and you are right, the zip code is 32821. I will look for the letters I sent from there and see what the postmark says...

 

[zonguy]

Hey Maria, do you still know anyone over there? I live at PP, and those kids over at Commons are keeping me up at night... all that partying and such...

 

[Maria]

What is PP? I can´t figure that out now! :veryconfu I remember "Sabal Palm", the neighbors... ;-)

I don´t know anyone at the Commons anymore... my friends are gone home already... sniff. And yeah... the place NEVER sleeps!! loved it!

 

[zonguy]

Sorry... PP is Plantation Park. Real close to 535.

 

[Maria]

I think I know where that is! Nice place! Close to Mickey´s Retreat, right? Like on that road behind Commons where Chatham Square is, no?

 

[zonguy]

Sort of... you can see Chatham from that road. It is down at the 535 end across from a couple of hotels. I can hear the fireworks from RoE every night it is so close. I just love the location, and the apartment I lease is very spacious. (I opted for the "solarium" in stead of a patio.)

Heck, I am living closer to the resort now, than when I used to come to Orlando on vacation.

 

[MrPromey]

Re: WDW and USPS

Originally posted by CaptainKirk
Thanks for the replies. Especially the pretty lady in Yucatan. Yes I do understand that WDW is a private company. Six Flags over Texas is a private company yet they retain local law enforcement within the park. My point is that WDW seems to have the ambition to retain it's magical character. I take my police scanner when I travel.While listening to WDW frequencies, I notice how security was negotiating incidents. What one may consider public intoxication,WDW security treated as "a guest asleep on a bench needing help to his room". I for one like WDW's policy much better.

We have been many times since 1992. It was a shame to see the security gates at the hotels go up. I appreciate WDW's efforts to keep the property as Disney as they can. In fact I am fascinated by them. With these efforts comes complications I believe. Most are likely political and I am sure the guy with the ears has the most clout.:sohappy:

Check out: http://www.state.fl.us/rcid/

That is the government body that was developed for Disney.

 

[MrPromey]

btw, they have post office boxes all up and down Main Street in MK and all around the streets of MGM (those are the two that I've noticed them in, anyway) I took a picture of one in MGM when I was there the other night to give you an idea of what they look like since they are a lot smaller than what most people in the U.S. would probably expect them to be. I'm at work right now but I'll try to remember to post it tonight when I get home

 

[The Mom]

Thank you, Mr Promey! As I said earlier, I've never needed one, so really didn't notice them.

 

[MrPromey]

Originally posted by marciahahn
Thank you, Mr Promey! As I said earlier, I've never needed one, so really didn't notice them.

I should also mention that they aren't "real" post office boxes. The postal service does not send a carrier out to each of the boxes in the parks to get the mail. Disney collects the mail and then forwards it to the postal service. At one time, they used to post mark them from WDW but not anymore. It's kind of a shame because that was a really cool way to mail things

 

[Mattore]

You can still send mail from the post office drop boxes on Main St, etc. The mail is only collected about once a week. There is a small notice on almost all of these mailboxes explaining the above. Mail from these boxes is postmarked "Lake Buena Vista" and not "Orlando". I sent myself a postcard from there a little while ago to see what they would mark it, and it was indeed marked Lake Buena Vista, FL.

 

[zonguy]

Strange... The one at Disney Studios stated that the mail would be collected and taken to Orlando.

LBV makes more sense though, seeing as the PO is just north of Hotel Plaza Drive.

 

[MrPromey]

BTW, I forgot to say that I did post that picture in the pictures section. It was about two weeks go so you’ll have to scroll down a bit. I think I named the thread “Trivia Mailbox”