Keys to the Kingdom tour worth it for a park veteran?

[LAKid53]

Lord knows I do like to talk Disney trivia!
We are total park people, August-September park people. We walk and walk and walk, never stop but for a show, a ride or a meal, from park opening til close for 10 days each trip . We love the crazy Florida heat so we would be okay there. I really wanna do the Trek too because I love the Safari, that would be so cool to see it in a different view/up close.

Since you like to visit in the hottest months in Florida, the Trek is cheaper in the summer than cooler months. But well worth the cost, IMHO. I've done Keys to the Kingdom, Backstage Safari (not sure if DAK offers this anymore) and Wild Africa Trek. Have plans to do both Keys and the Trek again with the rest of my family since my daughter's fiancé didn't do Keys with us and I did Trek solo. Plus a few other tours.

 

[Goofyernmost]

I took the Backstage tour a few years ago and thought it was worth it. When we did it, we did central shops, but, we also went to the laundry service area. I thought that would be a crashing bore, but, it turned out to be very interesting and quite automated. Anyway, I never regretted spending the money on it at all.

 

[Bairstow]

I'm trying to decide between doing Backstage Magic or just a keys to the Kingdom (plus maybe Segways at the Fort). Backstage magic looks good, but Animal Kingdom now instead of the parade floats you talk to a guide of the Africa Trek, which feels a bit pointless. But central shops, Tower of terror and utilidors would be highlights.

But keys to kingdom looks good too and is a lot cheaper...

You just chat with a guide about another tour?
Do you do this in a particular spot?

 

[LAKid53]

I'm trying to decide between doing Backstage Magic or just a keys to the Kingdom (plus maybe Segways at the Fort). Backstage magic looks good, but Animal Kingdom now instead of the parade floats you talk to a guide of the Africa Trek, which feels a bit pointless. But central shops, Tower of terror and utilidors would be highlights.

But keys to kingdom looks good too and is a lot cheaper...

You just chat with a guide about another tour?
Do you do this in a particular spot?

I think what Jon was trying to say is that you talk to one of the guides for the Wild Africa Trek about the guide rather than a tour of the park. This is why it is important for people to proof their comments before posting.....

 

[Bairstow]

I think what Jon was trying to say is that you talk to one of the guides for the Wild Africa Trek about the guide rather than a tour of the park. This is why it is important for people to proof their comments before posting.....

That still doesn't make sense.
And what I'm wondering is where this supposedly happens. Does the bus still take you to the southeast backstage corridor of Animal Kingdom like it used to, or is that now tied up with Avatar construction?

 

[LAKid53]

That still doesn't make sense.
And what I'm wondering is where this supposedly happens. Does the bus still take you to the southeast backstage corridor of Animal Kingdom like it used to, or is that now tied up with Avatar construction?

That I cannot answer as I've not done that tour. If you take the Wild Africa Trek, you meet the guides at Kilimanjaro. According to Disney's website, the Animal Kingdom portion of the Backstage Magic Tour is a face to face meeting with a Trek guide who will tell you their story. Which could happen anywhere in the Park. Somewhat disappointing that the DAK part of the tour is talking to a Trek guide about why he/she became a Trek guide, rather than a more backstage tour of the Park (like Backstage Safari was).

 

[Jon81uk]

That I cannot answer as I've not done that tour. If you take the Wild Africa Trek, you meet the guides at Kilimanjaro. According to Disney's website, the Animal Kingdom portion of the Backstage Magic Tour is a face to face meeting with a Trek guide who will tell you their story. Which could happen anywhere in the Park. Somewhat disappointing that the DAK part of the tour is talking to a Trek guide about why he/she became a Trek guide, rather than a more backstage tour of the Park (like Backstage Safari was).

Yep that's exactly what I feel too, out of everything I expect to see, hearing from a guide at DAK doesn't sound very backstage and interesting. If it was a talk from a vet and tour of the animal hospital or similar that may be more interesting?

I still think we might treat ourselves to the tour, just feels like a high cost if some elements may not be great.

 

[sxeensweet]

The only guided tour I've done as an adult was the Backstage Magic tour a couple years ago, and it was pretty great.
It costs about three times as much as Keys to the Kingdom but includes lunch and doesn't require a park pass.
You also get to see the utilidoors, but the tour takes you all over property, including to the unspeakably cool Central Shops.

KTTK does include lunch as well in the price at Columbia Harbor House at the conclusion of the tour. You choose what you want to eat in the morning when you arrive before your tour starts and it's ready at your table reserved upstairs at CHH at the end of the tour.

 

[TB4244]

KTTK is definitely worth doing. I'm the kind of person who loves to know how things work and why so it really appealed to me, I wasn't disappointed. As others have said you get a little radio gizmo which allows you to hear what you guide is saying and you get all sorts of fascinating information whilst getting to see and go places that most people visiting the park will never see or realise is there. But don't do it if you don't want the 'magic' spoiled for you.

But I'd also like to say that if you're a fan of Epcot, the UnDiscovered Futureworld tour is brilliant, I think I actually enjoyed this more than KTTK, but then Epcot is my favourite park. so I may be biased.

 

[mikenatcity1]

I have been an AP holder, DVC member for a few years and still loved it- I learned small little things about the park and history I didn't know. We loved going backstage (we did it when the Spectromagic "refurb" was going on, so we saw a bunch of the floats, prior to making them pins). Skipping the lines on some major attractions was a plus, and the food was delightful!