Disney "add-on" experiences

Ciara

Well-Known Member
I know Disney has a long list of extra experiences that aren't included in park tickets. Parties, tours, characters in flight, boat rentals, dessert parties, Etc. We have never done any of them. Hoping to get ideas of more and maybe opinion if you have tried them! Thanks :)
 
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CaptainAmerica

Well-Known Member
My opinions:

Desert parties - Complete waste of money
Tours - Highly recommend Behind the Seeds and Wild Africa Trek
Characters in flight - Not worth a special trip, but kind of fun if you have extra time
Boat rentals - Meh
Fireworks cruise - Expensive, but can be worth it if your party is the right size
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique - Complete waste of money
Harmony Barber Shop - Great value, unique experience
 
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DisneyDreamer08

Well-Known Member
I whole heartedly disagree that BBB is a waste. My 5 year old did the $60 package our last trip and it was worth every penny. We brought our own dress and she got the hair, make up & nails package. She got to take home a cute canvas bag filled with her make up, nail polish, face gems, a sash, a crown and a sparkly Mickey clip. The cast members were so friendly, they were super organized and the whole experience was so much fun. We LOVED it and I would do it again in a heartbeat.
 
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Ciara

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
We have no kids yet, but if we have a daughter, BBB would be a can't miss thing!

This may be our last trip just the two of us. We won't be back to WDW for some time after this year and who knows what may happen :hilarious:
 
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DisneyDreamer08

Well-Known Member
I would definitely do some sort of add on before you have kids. Once you do, planning things like that becomes so much more difficult & expensive. Enjoy your freedom while you can :p
 
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Tyaloo

Active Member
We rented a sea racer (not at Disney) at our Kissimmee hotel back in 2003. This year, we're renting a pontoon boat to go through the Seven Seas Lagoon.
I find it peaceful and fun! Not for everyone, but we enjoy it :)!
 
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Tyaloo

Active Member
I agree, too, that BBB is a "must" do if you have a child that is into it! My daughter loved it and I have sweet memories of her at that age! We did the basic package, and brought our own gown.

We will probably do it again before she's too old to go!
 
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lostpro9het

Well-Known Member
Hoping to get ideas of more and maybe opinion if you have tried them! Thanks :)
The Behind the Seeds: may offer the best bang for the buck and is both informative and enjoyable.

Wild Africa Trek: We've done the this one a few times and LOVED it! There are a lot of extras with this tour including a water bottle, access to download all digital photos taken by the CMs during the experience, a meal on the savanna, and an exclusive wildlife preservation pin. All that is addition to the behind the scenes viewing of the animals, private savanna truck to view more animals, and the rope bridge walk.

Epcot Aqua Seas: We've also done the tour twice and this, believe it or not, is my favorite! There are not as many extras in this tour but it is very educational, you get some great behind the scenes experiences and you get to swim in "The Seas" with specialized scuba gear that keeps you near the surface for 30 minutes. Each time we did this tour we also got to spend some time with the dolphins, not actually swimming with them but watching them get trained and tended too.
 
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elliot

Member
Not sure if it's your cup of tea or not, but "Lunch with an Imagineer" is fantastic. For a fee (of course), you basically have open access to a random Imagineer over the course of a really nice lunch in a private room off to the side of the Brown Derby. If I remember right, there were 3 other families booked with us. I can't remember our guys name, but he was a construction supervisor of some sort in Tomorrowland Shanghai (lack of detail is the fault of my memory, not a refection on the speaker. He was great). He showed us some videos from his phone and was funny. All the families had great questions and he went around the table asking each of us why we picked this particular activity. I got in a friendly debate about replacing old attractions Lol. Anyhow, you get to ask questions and you learn a bunch of behind the scenes info. It was conversations, not a lecture. Your menus are personalized and you get a souvenir plate, which our guy was gracious enough to sign. Because I find this type of interaction special, the cost was well worth it to me. And my wife and daughter loved it so much, we decided it was a must-do on future trips, just to see how different the next stories will be. I'd highly recommend looking in to doing it if time and funds allowed.
 
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LuvtheGoof

Grill Master
Premium Member
You could try the Afternoon Tea at the Grand Floridian. We've done it many times, and it's always a must do. It's from 2-5pm daily, and a real nice break from the parks. If you time it right, it takes the place of a meal as well, as you get quite a bit of food.
 
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nickys

Premium Member
Keys to the Kingdom Tour
World Showcase: Destinations Discovered Tour (see WS, most of it befor anyone else is in the park, go backstage, learn more about the history of the park, the theming of each land and even hear about future plans, includes lunch).

Loved both, probably WS best.

Wine tasting and kitchen tours at AKL & Kidani - not done these but have them on my list.
I think there's beer tasting too, maybe at Contemporary.
 
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LeighM

Well-Known Member
We've done the Halloween party a couple of times and have enjoyed it. And the Behind the Seeds tour was one of our favorite things last trip. We were there during the Food & Wine Festival and I added a cooking seminar to our plans. We actually lucked out and got two chefs and samples for the price of one :) It was a great experience and ours was well worth the cost.
 
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JIMINYCR

Well-Known Member
Parasailing over Bay Lake was a fun experience and for us a worthwhile add on. Hoop de Doo is one of the best entertaining shows on property, well worth doing for the time and money.
 
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rufio

Well-Known Member
We loved the Star Wars Dessert Party both times we did it! The Illuminations Sparkling Dessert Party was extremely disappointing and the Wishes Dessert Party falls in the middle.

The Wild Africa Trek is incredible and totally worth the money!

Characters in Flight is fun if you're already at Disney Springs.

The Harmony Barber Shop is the cheapest hair cut I've ever had and I'd definitely go back (but I don't have high maintenance hair).

I've done the Halloween Party twice and the Christmas Party once. They're both worth doing at least one time in my opinion.

The wine tasting at Jiko was a lot of fun and definitely worth the price!
 
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ajrwdwgirl

Premium Member
I've done the Halloween and Christmas parties, both were worth it to me. We like the special parades, fireworks, and shows. It really gets one into whatever season it is for. I was actually surprised that I enjoyed the Halloween party, as I really don't like Halloween or dressing in costumes. But it was really fun seeing all the guests dressed up, on of my favorites was a multi-generational family dressed up as characters in Cinderella and the dads were the step-sisters. They were a hoot in their dress shoes and full beards! I regret not taking a picture of them.

Dessert parties: My husband and I thought the Star Wars and Jingle Bam ones at Hollywood Studios were worth it. We enjoyed the food and that liquor was included. The Wishes one at the MK was fine, but we weren't impressed by the view or food.

Tours: Behind the Seeds is a great value and the Keys to the Kingdom was very interesting. I would like doing more tours.

Dine with an Imagineer is fabulous. I really enjoyed my lunch with the imagineer I had, it would be something I would do again.

Mini-golf at all the courses are fun. I prefer Winter-Summerland to Fantasia Gardens because I think the theme is more fun.
 
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