I thought i'd start a little discussion about the 'tours' you can do. Has anyone done any of them or are you planning on doing any whilst out there? xx
I've done the Segway tour at Epcot, and obviously the Backlot Tour at Hollywood Studios but I don't think that counts
I did Keys to the Kingdom last year. I want to do every tour possible while I'm there. Maybe even more than once. I found this link with all of the different tours http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/tours.htm I didn't realize that there were so many. Can't wait until I'm there!
I've been fortunate enough to do a few tours - my mum was antsy for me to turn 16 just so I could do 'em hehe I did the Keys to the Kingdom tour a good few years back with my mum which was fun! Basically it's a tour around the Magic Kingdom, and your guide points some things out and any related stories (like the names on windows along main street, how certain attractions came to be, etc). You also take a quick run through the tunnels beneath the Kingdom which I was pretty much obsessed with at the time hehe! When I was little, like maybe 12 or so, I remember doing a mystery tour of sorts around the World Showcase. Had to go to the different countries and find clues to solve different puzzles! It was lots of fun, though I presume that the Kim Possible thing has taken the place of that now - which in itself sounds awesome and I totally want to do it! Umm did some other tour that went between Epcot and Hollywood Studios I think... maybe briefly at MK? In any case, it was neat cause we went behind the scenes of Star Tours and saw the machinery behind it all, got into the World Showcase before it opened and was told some stories, all that fun stuff! Possibly my fav one though was going backstage of the Animal Kingdom!! Got to see where they prep all the food for the animals, checked out some of their surgery rooms and research areas, looked at x-rays of some animals they were treating... all really really neat! OH and we went to a backstage facility where they keep the elephants and rhinos and got to pet 'em! hehe Was actually funny because all the cast members have to park far away from the elephants... apparently they like to play with car tires and throw them our of their pen a lot Cheeky! This was before Expedition Everest was even built, but I remember seeing them test different panels with different "snow" and paint out in the sun to see if they'd stand up to the Florida heat! I'd def do that one again, I just had a blast with it! Plus I'm kinda obsessed with all things animals - I just think they're so neat!
During the summer I did a cast member tour around MK called Mickey's Milestones. It was only in the morning but it was a lot of fun and we learnt a lot about Mickey and his relation to the park. Mainly about where he is referenced (even if you don't actually notice it) and then a load of information on the history of hidden mickey's and the different types. It was a pretty cool tour and free!!! (you got a cool name badge as well )
I want to do that one so badly! We were debating on that and keys to the kingdom, I can't even remember why we did keys. But it was amazing and I want to do it again. My mum has done it 3 times and says its completly different every time
I've done Keys to the Kingdom as well. It is a wicked tour. I had the fortune of having one of my good friend's as the guide so that made it a million times as cool! And you get a key shaped pin afterwards, your own personal key to the Magic Kingdom, lol! I'd like to do the Segway tour, that seems like a lot of fun! I also want to do the CastMember tour for the Haunted Mansion, that would be sweet!
I am going to Florida (on vacay.. still no call re: waitlist ) on June 2-10 and we are def thinking about doing the Keys to the Kingdom.... Is it for sure worth it? lol I am on a students budget :S
This summer, I desperately want to do the x-country segway tour at fort wilderness. I did the epcot round the world one couple of years back and fell in love with segwaying around! Join me!
SO worth it. And you get a yummy lunch out of it. I really want to try all of the segway tours. Or at least just ride a segway. Does anyone know, for the cast member tours, is it only cast members who can go on them. Or can our family join us?
I'm not sure on that. But I would wager a guess that it would just be cast members because I hear they're fairly popular so it would be hard enough getting a spot just for yourself.
The CM ones do fill up quick. I tried for one of the tours, but by the afternoon of sign up day when I got to a computer to do it, the tour was filled up already.
Yeah they're definitely CM only - largely I think because when you're taking a group into the guts of an attraction there are more potential hazards. Better to have a group of people who have at least been trained in the safety of it all and won't try to mess about. Plus they probably don't want to take *too* much of the magic away from the typical guest! I don't think the tour groups are that large too - so they do fill up miiiiighty quick! I've heard good things about the Segway tour... never been something that strikes my fancy, but the idea is starting to grow on me with all the positive opinions I hear!
Thanks everyone... I had never heard about them until a few weeks ago and my mum was pretty disappointed to hear it's just cast members. But I'm definetly going to do them all.
Thought I'd add my 2 cents. Last year I did a couple tours: Behind the Scenes at the Nemo ride, which was good; Some one round Animal Kingdom, which wasn't that good - i thought it would be about the park and its creation etc but it was about the myths and legends the park tells. Still, I got to fasttrack Everest! And my friends loved the behind the scenes on the Haunted Mansion! Those were exclusive CM tours but there are lots for guests to do, although they are quite expensive. My friend had done the Keys to the Kingdom with her parents, and I got half off the Round the World on Segways for my mum and me, which went round EPCOT before it opened...Really a lot of fun if you get to do it! Then there are the diving ones - i sold DVDs of their time to people who dove (sp.?) in the Seas...
ah so i've just read more and see that they do special ones for CM's...are they all free then? i want to do the Keys with my family,so the discount will come in handy there!
