Tours of the World
[ Disney Vacation Planner
]
The Magic Behind Our Steam Trains
The Magic Behind Our Steam Trains is a new Magic Kingdom
tour starting on October 1st 1999 which reflects Walt Disney's
love of trains and gives guests the opportunity to learn the history
and operation of the Walt Disney World steam engines. The tour
allows guests to see the inside of an engine cab from the Walt
Disney Railroad that runs around the park's perimiter, and watch
the opening crew prepare a train for the day's operation as well
as learn about Walt's early experience with trains and how the
Magic Kingdom park trains were built.
For more information, call 407/WDW-TOUR.
Backstage Magic
Running on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, the Backstage
Magic tour is Disney's most popular behind-the-scenes tour, and
also the most expensive. The reason for it's popularity is that
it allows a full day's look into the backstage workings of Walt
Disney World, and isn't restricted to a single park.
The tour lasts for approximately 7 hours in total, the highlight
of which is a tour of the underground tunnels known as Utilidors,
which link the various parts of The Magic Kingdom together, and
allow unrestricted access for the various service personnel and
characters to move around the park out of the sight of normal
eyes.
As well as The Magic Kingdom, Backstage Magic also visits some
of the computer rooms that house the systems controlling attractions
such as Body Wars, and visits the Animation Studios in the Disney
MGM Studios, where you get to illustrate your own animation cel
(which you can then keep if you wish).
Backstage Magic includes lunch and costs around $160 per person,
although it doesn't require any additional access to the theme
parks.
Showbiz Magic
Showbiz Magic is a 6 hour tour for kids, which is similar in
some respects to the 7 hour Backstage Magic Tour for Adults.
Keys to the Kingdom 
(Revised: 12th Dec 2000)
The Keys to the Kingdom tour runs four times daily and lasts
for four and a half, to five hours in total. The tour starts from
City Hall on Main Street USA at 08:30, 09:30, 10:00 and 13:30.
The Keys to the Kingdom tour is open to all guests aged 16 or
older.
This tour provides a great insight into the history and workings
of The Magic Kingdom. During the tour you get to see some of the
Utilidors and the Production Center, and get to experience several
rides, though you still have to queue along with everyone else.
The tour costs around $58.00 per person, and also requires a
valid The Magic Kingdom theme park ticket. This price includes
lunch at the Columbia Harbour House. (The meal is prepared ready
for the tour's arrival, overcoming one of the delays experienced
by previous formats of the same tour).
Tour parties are generally limited to eighteen people or less,
and the tour tends to fill quickly, so reservations are strongly
recommended.
Bookings can be made through the WALT DISNEY WORLD Tour Information
line at (407)WDW-TOUR.
Gardens of the World
The Gardens of the World tour runs twice a week, on Tuesdays
and Thursdays, and costs around $25 per person, with the additional
requirement of a valid Epcot theme park ticket.
The tour is hosted by one of Disney's horticultural experts,
and provides an insight into the plants that are used throughout
WDW, and particularly in the World Showcase at Epcot. Primarily
it is a tour for avid gardeners, since it is mainly concerned
with a study of the various Plants and Trees but it may still
hold interest for non gardeners as well.
Inside Animation
Inside Animation is another tour that only runs twice a week,
though this time it's centered around the Disney MGM Studios.
It runs on Tuesdays and Thursdays and lasts for around 2½
hours, and costs around $45 per person. Again a valid theme park
ticket is also required.
Inside Animation takes the guest through a brief course about
the art of animation, and culminates in you drawing and colouring
an animation cel, which you then get to keep.
Hidden Treasures of the World Showcase
Hidden Treasures of the World Showcase is actually three tours,
each run on a different day.
- Hidden Treasures (East) on Tuesdays lasts 2 hours, and takes
the guest through the Mexico, Norway, China, Germany, Italy
and America countries of the World SHowcase at Epcot, and costs
$25 per person, plus a valid theme park ticket.
- Hidden Treasures (West) on Saturdays also lasts 2 hours and
takes the guest through Canada, France, Morocco, Japan, America,
and The United Kingdom countries of the World Showcase. As with
the Hidden Treasures East tour, West costs $25 per person, and
also requires a valid theme park ticket.
- Hidden Treasures on Wednesdays is a 5 hour journey through
all 11 pavillions of The World Showcase, and also includes lunch
in Morocco at the Marakesh restaurant. It costs $65 per person,
but unlike the East and West tours, doesn't require a theme
park ticket as well.
DiveQuest
DiveQuest is only available
to certified "Open Water" scuba divers, who can provide
proof of certification. It costs $140 per person plus tax, and
takes place in The Living Seas at Epcot. where the guest gets
a 2 hour tour, and then a 30 minute dive in the Living Seas aquarium.
All underwater gear is provided, and theme park admission is
not required, though it's available to a very limited number of
guests at a time, so it's one tour that needs to be pre-booked,
and the further in advance the better.
Broadway Bound Tour
Backstage Safari Tour
The Backstage Safari Tour is located in the new Animal Kingdom,
and is likely to be starting in June 1998, though no firm start
dates have been announced yet. The tour which is likely to run
on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 08:30 AM should be open to
ages 16 and above, and will cost around $60 per person on top
of the park admission price.
Tour Information
Tour information can be obtained from WDW by calling (407) WDW-TOUR.
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