My Dreams of Disney

Exploring Walt Disney World, Disneyland, and beyond!

Walt Disney World Tours

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Walt Disney World Tours
Image ©Disney

Walt Disney World Tours

By Mike Ellis.

Walt Disney World is more than just theme parks, more than just golfing, more than just water parks, more than just hotels.  Walt Disney World is all of that, of course, and certainly that is what 99% of us come to Disney to experience, but for those of you that are looking for more than just attractions, this post may be just what you are looking for.

Walt Disney World tours are special event packages that immerse you into the behind the scenes type experiences that a typical Guest doesn’t experience.  Many of the tours that Walt Disney World offers are for adults only, or for Guests that are over a certain age.  In this post, I’m going to give an overview to these tours, and will write in more depth on many of the more popular ones in the future.

  • Backstage Magic
    • Call 407-WDW-TOUR for reservations
    • Must be age 16 or older and have photo ID.
    • 7 hour tour!
  • Backstage Tales
    • Call 407-WDW-TOUR for reservations
    • Must be age 12 or older.  Anyone age 18 or under must be accompanied by an adult.
    • There may be an opportunity for an animal interaction, but it is not guaranteed.
  • Behind the Seeds
    • 1 hour walking tour
    • Call 407-WDW-TOUR for reservations
    • Any age may take part.
  • Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge Night Safari
    • 1 hour long nighttime “Safari”
    • Exclusive to Guests staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge, or DVC resorts Jambo House or Kidani Village
    • Call 407-938-4755 for reservations.
  • Disney’s Dolphins in Depth
    • This intimate encounter with the Dolphins from The Seas with Nemo and Friends is limited to 8 guests per day.
    • Guests must be at least 13 years of age.  Anyone under age 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
    • Call 407-WDW-TOUR for reservations
  • Disney’s Family Magic Tour
    • 2 hour walking scavenger hunt best suited for Guests aged 4-10.
    • Guests under age 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
    • Call 407-WDW-TOUR for reservations
  • Disney’s Keys to the Kingdom Tour
    • 5 hour walking tour of the Magic Kingdom, with access to many backstage areas.
    • Guests must be ages 16 or older and have a photo ID.
    • Call 407-WDW-TOUR for reservations
  • Disney’s The Magic Behind Our Steam Trains Tour
    • 3 hour walking tour begins promptly at 7:30AM
    • Guests must be ages 10 or older and have a photo ID.
    • Call 407-WDW-TOUR for reservations
  • Epcot DiveQuest
    • All Guests must be SCUBA certified, and be age 10 and up.  Guests ages 10-12 must be accompanied by an adult, and all participants must bring proof of certification.
    • Friends and family can view your dive from the upstairs Viewport in The Seas Pavilion — approximately 1 hour after the tour begins.
    • Call 407-WDW-TOUR for reservations
  • Epcot Seas Aqua Tour
    • 2 1/2 hour tour, featuring approximately 30 minutes of snorkeling time.
    • Guests must be 8 years of age or older.  Guests under age 12 must be accompanied by an adult.
    • Call 407-WDW-TOUR for reservations
  • The UnDISCOVERed Future World
    • 4 hour walking tour
    • For Guests ages 16 and older — must show valid photo ID.
    • Call 407-WDW-TOUR for reservations
  • VIP Tour Services
    • VIP Tour Guides help plan your day for your party — up to 10 Guests per group (more than 10 requires additional Tour Guides)
    • Many different options are available, all at a price.
    • Call 407-560-4033 for reservations
  • Walt Disney: Marceline to Magic Kingdom Tour
    • 3 hour walking tour located in the Magic Kingdom
    • More suited for adults, but Guests as young as 12 may attend.  Guests under age 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
    • Call 407-WDW-TOUR for reservations
  • Wilderness Back Trail Adventure
    • 2 hour outdoor tour of Fort Wilderness Resort (and beyond) on a Segway X2.
    • Includes 30 minutes training time beforehand.  Guests must be ages 16 and older, have a valid photo ID, and sign a waiver.
    • Call 407-WDW-TOUR for reservations
  • World Showcase: DestiNations Discovered
    • 5 hour walking tour of the World Showcase Countries
    • Includes lunch at Restaurant Marrakesh in Morocco
    • Call 407-WDW-TOUR for reservations.  Billed for Teens and Adults, but doesn’t list age requirements specifically.
  • Disney’s Yuletide Fantasy
    • Seasonal in November and December
    • Call 407-WDW-TOUR for reservations
    • Must be age 16 or older and have photo ID.

This is just part of the information on these special tours.  I’ll link the tour to the post I write about it that has more details.  Thanks for stopping by, and go out and make it a great Disney day!

pixie-vacations-disney-quote

As a Travel Agent with Pixie Vacations, I am able to help you plan your next vacation to Walt Disney World, Disneyland, or any of the other Disney travel destinations!  In addition, part of my concierge service to you — which I provide at no charge to those that book through me — is to help you make dining reservations, plan what parks are busiest on this day or that day, help you with your FastPass+ selections, and if you wish to try one of these tours, I can help by making the reservations for you for this as well!  If you would like me to work with you on some baseline pricing, give me a call to 919-606-6725, shoot me an email to Mike@PixieVacations.com, or click on the link to submit an online quote request!

Thank you for stopping by, and as I said, look for additional information on these tours in the days and weeks to come!

 

What do you want to see on My Dreams of Disney?

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My Dreams

What do you want to see on My Dreams of Disney?

By Mike Ellis.

Every now and again, I query my readers to see what they are interested in reading about on My Dreams of Disney, and today is that day.  If you had a blank canvas, a clean slate, so to speak, what would you be interested in reading about right now?  Well, today, the best answers are going to get their blog post answered!

Let’s keep this whimsical, if we can, and let’s keep it focused on Disney.  Perhaps you want a post on what you want to see at the new Star Wars land when it opens, or perhaps you want to weigh in on what my buddy Andy from WDW Shutterbug asked about — “If you were given a free hotel stay on Walt Disney World property would you stay at the Grand Floridian or somewhere else?”

Or, perhaps you want to chime in on what your favorite attractions are, like I’ve been chiming in on Mike’s Favorites…

Or, if you are like me, and gearing up for some really cold nights and days (or are already experiencing them), perhaps you want to get out of the cold blahs and start thinking about warmer temperatures when you can ride Kali River Rapids to cool off, or enjoy Stormalong Bay at the Beach and Yacht Clubs…

Maybe you want to tell the story of your first trip to Walt Disney World, or your last trip?  Or maybe you want to share with us your most heartwarming story of Cast Member excellence, or the time your child met their Princess or favorite Character for the very first time…

I’ve got plenty of ideas here of my own, but I want to hear what you are interested in.  Take a moment, leave me a comment here, shoot me a Tweet on Twitter, write on my Facebook Page, or email me at mickey@mydreamsofdisney.com.  Somehow, reach out to me and let’s get working on YOUR story!

The sky is the limit here!  Let’s have some fun with this and see where it takes us!  Have fun dreaming about your Disney adventure!

Mike’s Favorites: Peter Pan’s Flight

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Peter Pan
Peter Pan’s Flight is one of Mike’s Favorites!

Mike’s Favorites: Peter Pan’s Flight

By Mike Ellis.

Hello everyone, and welcome to another of our series of Mike’s Favorites at Walt Disney World!  It has now been about 19 months since our last trip to Walt Disney World — which for us, feels like an eternity! I know that it isn’t, and that there are many great things to do that don’t involve Disney, but for me and my family, I think we are ready for that next trip whenever it should happen.  In today’s post, we’re taking a look at another of my favorites — that classic attraction known as Peter Pan’s Flight!

Peter Pan’s Flight is a continuous run attraction located over in Fantasyland, across from the attraction “it’s a small world”.  In the past, the problem that this attraction always had was a slow moving line and FastPass selections that would run out quickly.  Since it has been a while since we have been there, things have changed as they redid the queue area.  Has that made an improvement in your opinion?  Please leave me a comment and let me know what your opinion is.

Peter Pan’s Flight is one of the few attractions at Walt Disney World that utilizes a hanging system of propelling the galleons throughout the scenes, which feature Wendy’s bedroom, the scenic view of London below, Mermaid Lagoon in Neverland, and other recognizable scenes from the movie.

Like the Disneyland version, Peter Pan’s Flight at the Magic Kingdom is an opening day attraction, opening on October 1, 1971.  The Disneyland version is one of the few attractions at Disneyland that is still in operation over 60 years later.  Interestingly, the Disneyland version does not offer a FastPass option, but the Magic Kingdom version does.  Also, the Disneyland version features galleons that stop for loading, unlike the Magic Kingdom version, which uses the Omnimover style of loading similar to what you find over at The Haunted Mansion.

What I really like about Peter Pan’s Flight is the forced perspective elements that are introduced.  For example, I really enjoy the feeling of flying through the sky, and how high up we are over the London skyline.  Also, as you progress through the attraction, the story is told, scene by scene.

For us, Peter Pan’s Flight is one of our favorites at the Magic Kingdom, and one that we can’t wait to experience again.  What about for your family?  Is it a family favorite, one you can “take it or leave it”, or one you absolutely don’t do?  Let us know in the comments, and thanks!

My Top 5 Disneyland60 Moments from 2015

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Disneyland60
These are my Top 5 #Disneyland60 moments!

My Top 5 Disneyland60 Moments from 2015

By Mike Ellis.

Hello everyone, and welcome to our Top 5 Disneyland60 Moments from 2015!  I hope that 2015 has been a great year for you, and that 2016 is an even better year than this one!  This has been a hard year for my family, as I wrote about in my post “When Life Invades Disney“, but I am going to be optimistic and tell you that I expect 2016 to be a much better year than this one!  So today, I’m going to pull for you my top 5 moments from our trip to Disneyland for Disneyland60 this past July!

Moment #1: The Disneyland60 Photo

Disneyland60
Stephanie, Shane, Lindsay (not seen), Sophie and I getting our picture taken on July 17, 2015!

On the actual birthday of Disneyland, July 17th, we were able to be at the park!  It was a big thrill for myself and Sophie; having Stephanie and Shane and their baby to be there also made it special.  The only thing that I missed was not having Cindy there with us.  That’s okay, though, the 50th birthday of the Magic Kingdom is in just a few years, I’ll make sure we are there for that one to celebrate in style!

Moment #2: Riding all the Attractions we did!

That morning, we arrived early enough that the park was just getting going, and were able to get in to Disneyland with not much fuss.  I was, to be honest, a little surprised, because I remember how crazy packed the Magic Kingdom had been for the 40th Birthday just a few years earlier.  So we arrived, and looked in the gift shops briefly on Main Street, but then we started riding attractions.  We must have ridden 10 or 15 attractions — rides like the Jungle Cruise, Splash Mountain, and others — within the first couple of hours of being there — well before the 10AM presentation that they had to celebrate the park and the occasion.  It was incredible how many rides we just walked right onto.

Moment #3: World of Color

We saw the World of Color the night before the anniversary — so, on July 16th.  This was a special World of Color, hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, Mickey Mouse, and even an appearance by Walt Disney.  I had a Periscope session for this, as well as for Moment #4 and Moment #5.

Moment #4: Fantasmic

On July 18, we had reservations at the River Belle Terrace to enjoy dinner and get preferred seating for Fantasmic. The meal was incredible, but alas, the show was cancelled that night due to rain. However, on the 20th, Stephanie, Shane and myself went over to see the show on our own, and the video below is my Periscope video of the showing, which is why it isn’t 16×9. I hope you enjoy!

Moment #5: Disneyland Fireworks

Within minutes of the Fantasmic show ending, the Disneyland fireworks were being presented.  Rather than try to get over by the Castle and possibly miss getting a good spot for the fireworks, we decided to stay where we were and watch them from that location.  I think it was a good decision, and I have this video as well to share with you!  Once again, it was recorded as my Periscope session, so that’s why it isn’t 16×9. Enjoy!

What special Disney moments will 2016 bring to our world?  And what special Disney moments do you have from 2015 that you want to share with us?  Hit us up, leave us a comment, shoot us an email, write on our Facebook Page, shoot us a tweet, or even give me a call!  I’d love to hear about your favorite Disney moments from 2015!  I hope that you all have a very happy and safe new year celebration and that you have a wonderful year ahead!

Disney Vacation Offer!

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©Disney. All Rights Reserved.
©Disney. All Rights Reserved.

Many of you know that I am a travel agent with Pixie Vacations.  If you do not know, then you do know now!  Today Disney has released a special promotion that you and your family may be interested in.  Take a look at the details below, and call me at 919-606-6725 or email me at Mike@PixieVacations.com if you are interested in this offer:

Starting today, December 28, 2015, you can save up to 25%* on rooms at select Walt Disney World® Resort hotels for stays most nights April 14-June 11, 2016 when they book by March 31, 2016. Ask about other great rates for stays most nights Feb. 22-April 13, 2016.

Plus, you can receive 1 more ticket day FREE when they upgrade to a room and ticket package with a minimum 4-day Magic Your Way® Ticket.

It’s a perfect time for your Clients to discover all-new Star Wars™ adventures at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the Garden Rocks™ Concert Series at Epcot® International Flower & Garden Festival, the new nighttime experiences at Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park and so much more.

*The number of rooms allocated for this offer is limited. Length-of-stay requirements may apply. Savings based on the non-discounted price for the same room. Additional per-adult charges may apply if more than two adults per room at Disney Value, Moderate and Deluxe Resorts. Cannot be combined with any other discount or promotion. Advance reservations required. Offer excludes campsites, 3-bedroom villas, Bungalows at Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows and Disney’s Art of AnimationResort—The Little Mermaid Standard Rooms. 25% savings for select Disney Deluxe and Deluxe Villa Resorts; lower savings may be available for other Resorts. Everyone in the same room must be on the same package.

Also, there are special savings for Disney Visa Cardholders that wish to stay at a Deluxe Villa resort.  Check out these details:

When Disney Visa® Cardmembers book their spring vacation, they can save 35% on room accommodations at select Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts. Plus, when they purchase a Magic Your Way® room and ticket package with minimum 4-day Theme Park tickets, they can get one more ticket day FREE!*

Guests can choose from Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, Disney’s Old Key West Resort, Disney’s BoardWalk Villas, The Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge and Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows. They’ll also enjoy exclusive savings just for Disney Visa Cardmembers.

This offer must be booked by Feb. 28, 2016 for travel April 3-June 30, 2016. Subject to availability.

Number of rooms allocated for these offers is limited. Length of stay requirements may apply. Savings based on the non-discounted price for the same room.

Remember, I can help make your Disney vacation a reality!  Shoot me an email, give me a call at 919-606-6725, or even leave me a comment and I’ll reach out to you.  Where will your Disney Dreams take you next?

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Disclaimer

My Dreams of Disney is a Disney Fan Blog, and is not in any way affiliated with Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney, or the Walt Disney Company. In it's purest form, My Dreams of Disney is a site showcasing the love I and my family have for Walt Disney's creative genius and the legacy he has left behind. If it weren't for Walt Disney, Disneyland, Walt Disney World, the other Disney parks spread across the world, and this site would not exist. Click to view our Privacy Policy.

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