This just in:

[By Leo N. Holzer
Friends of the Walt Disney Family Museum

Well, here’s news many of you have been waiting for: Details about the annual membership plans for the Walt Disney Family Museum.

There are three levels for basic membership — Individual, Dual and Family — and a premium “Founding Membership” with additional perks.

All memberships are annual from date the museum opens or your registration date. For example, if you sign up now, your membership would be good through Sept. 30, 2010; but if you make it a Christmas present to yourself, family or another and sign-up on Dec. 18, then the membership would be good through Dec. 18, 2010.

All memberships include admission into the museum with a timed-entry ticket, (best acquired) from the Museum’s Web site ticketing system, www.waltdisney.org once it becomes operational Aug. 1 or in person, as available.

The Web-based ticketing system will offer tickets up to 60 days in advance. During August, tickets may be obtained for any day in October, as available.

It’s possible that there may be very few, if any, tickets available at the door on some given days, especially weekends, until well after the museum’s opening.

What is a timed-entry ticket?

Well, the system has been designed to help avoid overcrowding in the galleries. Ticket-holders will have a 15-minute window for entry, 10-10:14 a.m.; 10:15-10:29, etc.

Additional basic membership benefits include: a quarterly newsletter mailed to a member’s address; a 10 percent discount in the Museum Store; a membership card and additional discounts for educational and public programs.

The price for an Individual Membership is $75; $55 for seniors over 65 and students with valid ID. It allows tickets for one person on any day of operation, as available.

Dual membership, which includes admission for two, is $125 general and $95 for seniors.

The Family Membership is $175 and includes tickets for four, as available, on any day the museum is open.

All basic memberships are fully tax deductible.

Now, let’s talk about the premium FOUNDING MEMBERSHIP plan. It’s $500 per person, of which $425 is tax deductible.

Founding Members get all the basic individual membership benefits along with an additional 5 percent discount in the Museum Store; a total of 20 admissions for guests; an exclusive membership card and pin; an autographed copy of a newly published book; a numbered certificate signed by Diane Disney Miller and Executive Director Richard Benefield; and, invitations to select events, lectures, concerts, receptions and openings.

Those 20 guest admissions may be used in one visit — with coordination with the membership office for any group larger than 8 — or the Founding Member could use six in October, four in December and hold the remaining 10 in reserve for later.

Only Founding Members who join before the end of 2009 will get the signed and autographed certificate, which will be retired.

There’s an additional charge of $25 on all International Memberships.

To receive a membership application, send ane-mail to membership@wdfmuseum.org. For questions or to process an application over the phone, call (415) 345-6810.]