Behind the Magic?

[arcsbite]

was just looking through some threads about behind the magic tours
keys to the kingdom and three park tour especially

have read some rave reviews and had a few questions
Has anyone been on any of these? I know it says no photo's but does anybody have any? or any additional info?
would you recommend them?
does anybody know if these will be run in December as we travel to WDW on Dec 7th :xmas: and I would REALLY like to book these as a surprise for my boyfriend for out anniversary
also, do they still give exclusive pins? anyone have a scan? (Avid pin collector!)
umm, and any other info would be gratefully received
I just read everything at <a href="http://allearsnet.com/btp/tours.htm#vip">allears.net</a> but was just asking

thanks

 

[KaliSplash]

This won't be much help in your plans, but just a something to think about.

I would never take a behind the scenes tour. I don't want to know how they do it. I don't want to know the very practical, efficient, industrial reasons for why things work the way they do.

I prefer to attribute it all to magic.

It's the reason I would never want to work at Disney. I like the fact that I live 8 hours away. That means I can't go all the time, which means it's always special when I can.

Having said all that, I'm sure you'll get some useful help from the fine folks on the boards here momentarily.

Enjoy your trip!

 

[arcsbite]

Originally posted by KaliSplash
This won't be much help in your plans, but just a something to think about.

I would never take a behind the scenes tour. I don't want to know how they do it. I don't want to know the very practical, efficient, industrial reasons for why things work the way they do.

I prefer to attribute it all to magic.

It's the reason I would never want to work at Disney. I like the fact that I live 8 hours away. That means I can't go all the time, which means it's always special when I can.

Having said all that, I'm sure you'll get some useful help from the fine folks on the boards here momentarily.

Enjoy your trip!

Hi there :wave:
I understand totally what you mean, but I spent 3 years working for Disney out of the US and am now not only hooked on the magic but also on how it works

 

[AkiraRaptor]

I've done the Backstage Magic tour. If you do a search on Backstage Magic in the trip reports section, you'll find some reports on it.

My take...it's really really long. You will be wiped out at the end of the day. But it is the most informitive tour Disney offers.

We even had a few buisness men on our scoping out how Disney does things so they could use the ideas at there own companies.

The stuff behind the sceens of the three parks are good, but the way backstage stuff that support the whole resort like costumes, woodshop, metalshops, and that type of stuff is what I liked the most.

They were building Mission Space at th time of our tour, and it was cool to see the ride in all it forms from a mold to the finished shell with all the electronics in them. Very cool.

But even though they provide a little bus to take you around, you are on you feet for most of the day. Take good walking shoes, and travel light. And you can only use you're camera in a few places, so take a small light one, cos you won't be allowed to use it much.

Have fun!

 

[manda0125]

When I was a freshman in highschool my class took a trip to Disney and did a tour. I think it was the Keys to the Kingdom. I was alittle nervous thinking that seening the behind the scenes stuff would ruin the magic, but I must admit it was really cool seeing how somethings work . They even took us into the warehouses where parts of the rides get fixed, and where they make the character heads. (I don't know if that stuff is part of the tour.) But it's really interesting and you learn cool facts.

 

[DiPSU224]

Originally posted by arcsbite
was just looking through some threads about behind the magic tours
keys to the kingdom and three park tour especially

have read some rave reviews and had a few questions
Has anyone been on any of these? I know it says no photo's but does anybody have any? or any additional info?
would you recommend them?
does anybody know if these will be run in December as we travel to WDW on Dec 7th :xmas: and I would REALLY like to book these as a surprise for my boyfriend for out anniversary
also, do they still give exclusive pins? anyone have a scan? (Avid pin collector!)
umm, and any other info would be gratefully received
I just read everything at <a href="http://allearsnet.com/btp/tours.htm#vip">allears.net</a> but was just asking

thanks

Hello! I don't know much about the tour of the three parks, but I do know that the Keys to the Kingdom tour does give a pin. My parents went on it in September and I'm scheduled to go on May 19. The pin they give you is gold and is shaped like a key with mickey ears on the end of it. I think it says "Keys to the Kingdom" on it as well. I can't wait to get mine and add it to my collection! Hope this helps!

 

[ZHoyt]

i know this isnt one you were asking about, but the epcot aqua seas tour was a real treat for me. i would highly recommend it, even though its a bit weird walking around the living seas in wetsuits.

 

[GoofyFan1]

Originally posted by arcsbite
was just looking through some threads about behind the magic tours
keys to the kingdom and three park tour especially

have read some rave reviews and had a few questions
Has anyone been on any of these? I know it says no photo's but does anybody have any? or any additional info?
would you recommend them?
does anybody know if these will be run in December as we travel to WDW on Dec 7th :xmas: and I would REALLY like to book these as a surprise for my boyfriend for out anniversary
also, do they still give exclusive pins? anyone have a scan? (Avid pin collector!)
umm, and any other info would be gratefully received
I just read everything at <a href="http://allearsnet.com/btp/tours.htm#vip">allears.net</a> but was just asking

thanks

I don't know about those tours, but in July my daughter and I went on the Dolphins in Depth tour at Epcot. This program is very cool and I recommend it. you don't get a pin, but you do get a tee shirt, picture, and refreshments. Sorry forgot the best part. You get to interact with the dolphins!

 

[stitch131313]

I've done the Magic Behind the Steam Trains tour and it was great. They show you how they get the trains ready for the day, you get to go to the roundhouse, and they tell you how the train are important to Disney history. It's a great tour, I highly recommend it.

And they do give you a pin.

 

[cloudboy]

I did the a kind of behind the scenes tour back when the Disney Institute was still around. It was just as they were starting it - the class was supposed to be an imagineering class just at the studio, when we got there they surprise us by saying they are trying something new and actually took us into the park.

If anything, the behind the scenes tour makes you enjoy the magic even more, because you realize how much actually goes into it. If you think the stuff onstage is magical, wait until you see what they go through backstage to make everything run! The fact that they can pull it of at all is the real magic!

I would definitely NOT recommend taking any pictures while on the tour. You might find some sneak photos somewhere of backstage areas, however. But seriously, if you are going to do the tour I would not look them up and be surprised by what you see.