Behind the Scenes: Special Tours in Walt Disney World
In addition to the greenhouse tour in Epcot's the Land pavilion, the Disney parks offer a number of walking tours and learning programs. The tours are subject to change. These tours represent a sampling of the most recent ones available at press time. Times, days, and prices also change. It's best to call ahead to Disney's tour line, tel. 407/939-8687, to make reservations or get additional information. Tip: Custom Guided Tours (tel. 407/560-4033) are available at $125 per hour with a 6-hour minimum.
- Epcot's Aqua Seas Tour lends you a wet suit and then takes you on a 2 1/2-hour journey that includes a 30-minute swim in the 5.7-million gallon Seas with Nemo & Friends Aquarium, home to some 65 marine species. The tour includes a souvenir T-shirt, refreshments, and group photo. The cost is $100, park admission is not required, and it's open to guests 8 and older (those younger than 11 must be accompanied by a participating adult). It's offered daily at 12:30pm.
- The Family Magic Tour explores the nooks and crannies of the Magic Kingdom in the form of a 2 1/2-hour scavenger hunt. You meet and greet characters at the end. Children (ages 3 and older) and adults are $27 per person. You must also buy admission tickets to the park and book in advance. If you have young kids and want to do a special tour, this is the one to take. It begins daily at 10am outside City Hall.
- The 3-hour Magic Behind The Steam Trains tour (ages 10 and up) is a fun one for locomotive buffs. A pair of veteran conductors gives you insight, which other guests don't get, into the history and present operations of the little engines that could. Monday through Thursday and Saturday at 7:30am; cost is $40 per person, plus park admission.
The following tours are for those 16 and older:
- The 4 1/2-hour Keys to the Kingdom tour provides an orientation to the Magic Kingdom and a glimpse into the high-tech systems behind the magic. It's $60 (mandatory park admission not included) and includes lunch at Colombia Harbor House. Tours are held daily at 8:30, 9, and 9:30am.
- At the top of the price chain ($199 per person, including lunch) is Backstage Magic, a 7-hour, self-propelled bus tour through areas of Epcot, the Magic Kingdom, and Disney's Hollywood Studios that aren't seen by mainstream guests. The 10am tour (Mon-Fri only) is limited to 20 adults, and you might have trouble getting a date unless you book early. Some will find this one isn't worth the price, but if you have a brain that must know how things work or simply want to know more than your family or friends, you might find it's worth the cost. You'll see WDW mechanics and engineers repairing and building animatronic beings from it's a small world and other attractions. You'll peek over the shoulders of cast members who watch closed-circuit TVs to make sure other visitors are surviving the harrowing rides. And at the Magic Kingdom, you'll venture into the tunnels used for work areas as well as corridors for the cast to get from one area to the others without fighting tourist crowds. It's not unusual for tour takers to see Snow White enjoying a Snickers bar, find Cinderella having her locks touched up at an underground salon, or view woodworkers as they restore the hard maple muscles of the carousel horses. Park admission isn't required. Lunch is included.
- Backstage Safari at Animal Kingdom ($65 per person, plus park admission) offers a 3-hour look at the park's veterinary hospital as well as lessons in conservation, animal nutrition, and medicine (Mon and Wed-Fri). Note: You won't see many animals.
- Yuletide Fantasy, available from November 30 to December 24 (Mon-Sat) each year, gives visitors a 3 1/2-hour front-row look at how Disney creates a winter wonderland to get visitors in the holiday spirit. It costs $69 per person, and theme park admission isn't required.
Playing the Part
As part of Disney's Year of a Million Dreams celebration (which has actually continued into a second year), immersive entertainment experiences were added to the already impressive lineup of street-style shows in the Magic Kingdom:
1. Captain Jack Sparrow's Pirate Tutorial (Adventureland): The great Captain himself, along with his mate Mack, take on a pint-sized crew of pirates-in-training, teaching them the art of swordplay and other silly swashbuckling fun. Upon completion, the little pirates are sworn in as official swashbucklers as they say the pirate's oath and become honorary buccaneers and part of Captain Jack's crew.
2. Woody's Cowboy Camp! (Frontierland): Woody, Jesse, and Bullseye head through town, Frontiertown that is, rounding up guests along the way. Kids giddy-up on wooden horses, making their way through a cowboy obstacle course filled with cacti, mountains, and mineshafts as Bullseye leads the way. For Toy Story fans and kiddie-cowboys (or cowgirls), this one's a must!
3. Main Street Family Fun Day Parade (Main Street, U.S.A.): Guests are invited to join in and march down Main Street right along with their favorite Disney characters, floats, and marching bands -- there's even a pint-sized stroller drill team (ensuring that little ones still in strollers -- and their parents -- have a place in the parade, too).
