Best WDW Tours for Adults?

[TeacupsForever]

My mom has always wanted to go on some of the special tours at WDW, but it's never worked out with kids' ages. Now we're thinking about a solo trip with just her and I so we can do some of those tours, and I want to make sure we choose the best ones. We're most interested in history/behind the scenes magic/gardening and don't care so much about rides.

I'm curious about the difference between Keys to the Kingdom, Marceline to Magic Kingdom, and Backstage Magic tours. If you've been on one or more of these tours, what did you think? If you've experienced all of them, which one was your favorite?

My mom is also very into gardening. Aside from the Behind the Seeds tour (which we'll probably do either way because it's budget friendly and doesn't take too much time), I'm curious about the Gardens around the World tour offered during the Flower and Garden Festival. Is the tour good enough to be worth planning a trip during the festival? We'd prefer to go in fall since it's the only time of year we haven't been yet, but I don't want her to miss out on an awesome landscaping tour if it's really worth it!

 

[EsseG]

I did the Gardens tour in 2018, loved it. The tour guide was the head gardener, responsible for planning and implementing all the displays, hanging baskets, holiday magic, etc. She hires and supervises the gardening crew, assigning them according to their interests and strengths. Besides the point and explain, she gave lots of design and plant selection tips appropriate for home gardens. The group was small, only a dozen or so, so lots of time for Q&A. Gave me a new appreciation of both the F&G Festival and the park displays overall.

 

[TeacupsForever]

I did the Gardens tour in 2018, loved it. The tour guide was the head gardener, responsible for planning and implementing all the displays, hanging baskets, holiday magic, etc. She hires and supervises the gardening crew, assigning them according to their interests and strengths. Besides the point and explain, she gave lots of design and plant selection tips appropriate for home gardens. The group was small, only a dozen or so, so lots of time for Q&A. Gave me a new appreciation of both the F&G Festival and the park displays overall.

This sounds so amazing! Right up my mom's alley. Maybe going in spring will be worth it!

 

[fhtpdw20]

If you decide to go in the spring during F&G, be sure to also do the Royal Tea Tour. The cost is nominal for the tour and the tea that follows compared to the cost now of the Grand Floridian Tea (it is a scaled down version, not as fancy). Plus you get early morning access into UK for the tour before it gets too hot.

There are also free tours at some of the resorts. I did the Boardwalk Inn tour, but they no longer host that one. The only resort tours I can think of are the Animal Kingdom Lodge and Wilderness Lodge which are free. I would look into the Animal Kingdom one if I was planning a trip. It is an amazing resort where you could have a nice dinner and do the Starlight Safari on the grounds of the lodge with night vision binoculars to see the animals. The Safari is short but after a long day in the parks, it is a nice way to cap off the evening and you will be in a Safari vehicle the entire time.

I have done several park tours. It depends on your interest, mobility, how much time, and how much money you want to spend. I have not done a tour that was a waste of time or money. As far as park tours go, factor in that you will be standing most of the time and if you do Backstage Magic, you will be getting on and off the bus several times. The Backstage Magic is the longest tour going to all the parks but you do not have to have park ticket. I have done this one twice and it was a different tour each time. All other tours require you to have a park pass. The Wild Africa Tour is the best at AK and they take a photographer along so you get some great pictures. MK has the Keys to the Kingdom (pretty much cover same topics/access as Backstage Magic). The Marceline tour is shorter and the highlight is going under the Haunted Mansion Ride while it is in operation. Epcot tours included the Behind the Seeds Tours (great for gardeners), Future World and Destinations. My Future World tour group consisted of me and another couple. Being a small group we got a surprise bonus of seeing where the 3D glasses from all over the parks are sent for cleaning. The DestiNations tour picks up where Future World stops. I wonder how it is going to change with Illuminations going away. You visit each country and at the Outpost go back stage to see the barges and globe.

Should you ever decide to do a Disney cruise, check out the Art of the Theme Ship tour. The Disneyland tours that I have done include the Guided Tour which covered both Disneyland and California Adventure. The Walk in Walt's Footsteps is the Cali version of Magic Kingdom Tours. The most fun tour was the Happy Haunts tour during Halloween. It would be great if WDW had a version of that one available during the Halloween season.

 

[TeacupsForever]

I have done several park tours. It depends on your interest, mobility, how much time, and how much money you want to spend. I have not done a tour that was a waste of time or money. As far as park tours go, factor in that you will be standing most of the time and if you do Backstage Magic, you will be getting on and off the bus several times. The Backstage Magic is the longest tour going to all the parks but you do not have to have park ticket. I have done this one twice and it was a different tour each time. All other tours require you to have a park pass. The Wild Africa Tour is the best at AK and they take a photographer along so you get some great pictures. MK has the Keys to the Kingdom (pretty much cover same topics/access as Backstage Magic). The Marceline tour is shorter and the highlight is going under the Haunted Mansion Ride while it is in operation. Epcot tours included the Behind the Seeds Tours (great for gardeners), Future World and Destinations. My Future World tour group consisted of me and another couple. Being a small group we got a surprise bonus of seeing where the 3D glasses from all over the parks are sent for cleaning. The DestiNations tour picks up where Future World stops. I wonder how it is going to change with Illuminations going away. You visit each country and at the Outpost go back stage to see the barges and globe.

Thank you, thank you, thank you! This is exactly the info I was looking for! Now we're thinking of a solo fall trip for some behind-the-scenes tours, and a separate spring trip where we split off from the rest of the family to do the Epcot garden-focused tours. Thanks also for the tip about the Royal Tea!

I stayed at AKL a few years ago with my husband and we were *this* close to taking the resort tour. Now I'm kicking myself that we didn't! He also wanted to do the Wild Africa Tour, but I wasn't feeling quite that adventurous.

 

[fhtpdw20]

The two Backstage Magic tours were in 2012 and 2016. Both were very different tours based on changes to the parks and different guides. In 2012 the tour included Epcot backstage American Adventure look with more info and time spent in the backstage area, Main St. and Utilidors at MK, Tower of Terror at Studios with actual ride vehicle present, Jammin Jungle Parade float building at AK, Cast Member Services, Central Shops, Garden Nursery (pictures allowed), and Creative Costumes. The 2016 tour also had the backstage American Adventure with an auto-animatronic figure being refurbished in the area, but no time spent backstage except for underneath the American Adventure area and more time spent onstage in the Rotunda pointing out it's features. AK was a conservation cast member giving a 10-15 minute presentation on conservation (pre-Rivers of Light). The Tower of Terror presentation was a lot shorter and there was no vehicle present as all were in service. Then there was Creative Costuming, Central Shops, Garden Nursery (No pictures allowed this time) and at MK the Utilidors with the tour finishing at a reserved spot for the 3pm parade by Guest Services.

You should really do the Wild Africa Tour. Great memories, good snacks, and part of the cost of the tour goes as a donation to conservation. You vote for the animal group you want to support. DestiNations was my favorite but the Future World may be put on hold with all the construction in that area of the park. We visited each "land" but Fountain of Nations is now dry, Spaceship Earth ride, the Land, the Seas (Coral Reef Restaurant before it opened), Mission Space, Imagination area, Test Track ride, a VIP Lounge, passed by Ellen Energy which is closed to talk about monorail being in Epcot, The Odyssey which is now First Aid Station what it used to be, and Wonders of Life with its use now.

Whatever you decide, enjoy!

 

[msk]

I've done The Behind the Seeds tour in Epcot and the Garden tour during Food & Garden. They were both fun and I would easily do them again. We got so much great information about gardening and were able to implement some of it at home. We have also done Backstage Magic in Magic Kingdom and Caring for Giants in Animal Kingdom. Those are also great and would do them again. The only tour I would not do again is the Family Magic tour in MK. Only because it is for little kids and even my grandchildren are too old to enjoy it again

 

[gh256]

I read someone suggested doing Keys to the kingdom and if you like that and the behind the scenes aspect then do the Backstage Magic. I think they suggest that way round as one adds to the other and as the Backstage one is all day, would suck if you didn’t enjoy that type of tour and found out on it.