Wordless Wednesday: 50's Prime Time Cafe

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Tour Tuesday: Wilderness Back Trail Adventure

It's Tour Tuesday again, which means I'm bringing you another tour offered at Walt Disney World to give you a look at all the magic that makes vacationing there so special. Hopefully these weekly tour blogs will help you find something new and exciting to check out on your next trip.

To see the previous tours highlighted so far click here. This week's tour is unlike the others because while you do cover a lot of ground, you won't be walking... see what I mean below!

Tour Tuesday

Wilderness Back Trail Adventure

Photo credit: Fellow Journeys agent, Sarah Stecker

Departing daily Tuesday thru Saturday from the Fort Wilderness Resort, these two hour sessions give you a unique experience while exploring Florida's natural beauty. Tour the back roads around the Fort Wildernesss Resort & Campground and Wilderness Lodge via your own personal all-terrain Segway XR!

Never been on a Segway before? No worries- the tour includes a half an hour instructional period where you'll get some practice and pointers on a training course to help you prepare for the various terrains of the tour. You'll be fitted with a helmet and electronic earpiece as well, for safety and so you can hear the tour guide.

As with all Disney tours you can bet the tour guide will not only share some information but will most likely have some fun while doing it ;-) There will be plenty of wonderful photo opportunities as you make stops at  Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, the stables of Tri-Circle-D Ranch, and glassy Bay Lake.

The cost of this tour is around $90 per person, plus tax.

Now, for the Know Before You Go:

• Park Admission Required: NO
• Park Admission Included: NO
• Age Requirements: 16 years and older
• You must have a valid photo ID
• Proper footwear is required (tennis shoes/athletic shoes)- flip-flops, sandals or rocker/exercise-type shoes (e.g., Skechers Shape-Ups) will not be permitted as these are not compatible with the Segway
• This is an outdoor tour. Check the weather and dress appropriately
• Due to Segway design specifications, riders must weigh 100 to 250 pounds to participate. Riders should be in good general health and able to stand for the duration of the tour
• Guests on the 8:30 AM tour may need to arrange alternate transportation to arrive at the location on time, as standard Walt Disney World transportation will not be available. Check with your Resort Concierge for transportation options. Guests are responsible for their own transportation costs (e.g., taxi fare)
• "You will forfeit the entire price of your tour if you no-show or cancel within 2 days of your reservation"
• Check in at the Bike Barn at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort 15 minutes prior to your tour

 For more info click here. To book this tour (and I recommend you do it as early as possible) call 407-WDW-TOUR (939-8687) or contact your travel agent.


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Almost Wordless Wednesday: Who's That Doggy in the Window?

Disney puts so much into everything they do, right down to the little details. They go above and beyond anything we could imagine and it is so evident throughout the parks, resorts, shopping, movies, and so on. If it has the Disney name on it, you can bet a lot of time went into making it special!

I know the quality of the photo isn't great, but this was one detail I loved! When the kids and I ate at Tony's Town Square Restaurant we were seated near this "window" which featured the silhouhette of someone you might recognize. This truly made me smile, and the kids were very intrigued. It's those little details that truly make the experience all the more special!

Window in Tony's Town Square

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Tour Tuesday: Keys to the Kingdom

Welcome back to Tour Tuesday, where each week I'll highlight a tour offered at Walt Disney World that allows you a closer look at the inner working of various attractions around the parks. Many folks don't know these tours even exist, so I'm hoping to shed some light on these magical offerings.

Now, on to this week's tour! We started with the "mac-daddy" tour of all four parks in one day last week with Backstage Magic. This week's tour focuses more on Walt Disney World's original park, Magic Kingdom.

Tour Tuesday

Keys to the Kingdom

Photo credit: Disney's PhotoPass Service



Offered daily at 8:30am, 9:00am, and 9:30am, this 5-hour walking tour is a great way to learn the captivating history of the beloved Magic Kingdom from conception to outstanding growth. See and hear it all, from backstage access (including the famed "Utilidors"), to trivia and tidbits, and even some hidden secrets throughout the park!

The focus of Walt Disney's vision for this park is an amazing tale to hear. See how his creativity and innovative thinking came to life and built this magical place.

Like the Backstage Magic tour, the Keys to the Kingdom includes lunch and a special souvenir to take home.

This is a wonderful tour for all Disney enthusiasts, and it's very reasonably priced at only $79 per person, plus tax.


Know Before You Go:

• Park Admission Required: YES
• Park Admission Included: NO
• Age Requirements: 16 years and older
• You must have a valid photo ID
• Proper footwear is required (tennis shoes/athletic shoes)- no open-toed or open-heeled shoes allowed. (It's a lot of walking- think practical, comfortable shoes)
• This is an outdoor tour. Check the weather and dress appropriately
• Attractions and locations visited during the tour are subject to change
• "No cameras, video equipment or cellphones may be used throughout the duration of the tour. Photography is strictly prohibited."
• "You will forfeit the entire price of your tour if you no-show or cancel within 2 days of your reservation"
• Check in 15 minutes prior to tour time at the Chamber of Commerce building adjacent to City Hall 
• Walk ups are accepted based on availability

For more info click here. To book this tour (and I recommend you do it as early as possible) call 407-WDW-TOUR (939-8687) or contact your travel agent.


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Tour Tuesday: Backstage Magic

It's time for a new series here on the blog. I've been thinking lately about some of the tours that are offered at Walt Disney World, and it dawned on me... not many people know about the various tours they could experience while at Disney World. Yes, some are kind of pricey, but in doing my research I was surprised by how reasonable so many of them really were. So, meet me here for the next several Tuesdays, and I'll be happy to share some info on the tours with you!

 

Tour Tuesday

Backstage Magic

Photo credit: Disney's PhotoPass Service



Available weekdays at 9am this exciting 7-8 hour tour starts at Epcot and allows you the opportunity to see all four parks in one day and more!

Experience an insider's look at the daily operations at attractions in each of the parks to include a tour of the Magic Kingdom "Utilidor" tunnels, Creative Costuming, Centrals Shops (magical details around the Resort), Walt Disney World Nursery & Tree Farm, and some more surprises along the way.

You're going to get hungry with all this exploring, so a stop for lunch at the Whispering Canyon Café will do just right to hit the spot. And it's included in the price of the tour!

Not only will you leave this magical tour with a sense of history and "secrets" explained, you even get a special little something to take home to commemorate your experience.

Oh, and bottled water is provided throughout the tour!

The cost for this tour is $249-$255 per person, plus tax.


Now, for the Know Before You Go:

• Park Admission Required: NO
• Park Admission Included: NO
• Age Requirements: 16 years and older
• You must have a valid photo ID
• Proper footwear is required (tennis shoes/athletic shoes)- no open-toed or open-heeled shoes allowed. (It's a lot of walking- think practical, comfortable shoes)
• Attractions and locations visited during the tour are subject to change
• While backstage absolutely no cameras, video cameras or cell phones may be used
• "You will forfeit the entire price of your tour if you no-show or cancel within 2 days of your reservation"
• Check in 15 minutes prior to tour time at the silver-and-blue "EPCOT GUIDED TOURS MEETING LOCATION" sign to the far right of the Main Entrance

For more info click here. To book this tour (and I recommend you do it as early as possible) call 407-WDW-TOUR (939-8687) or contact your travel agent.


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Wordless Wednesday: TWIGA means...

Seen while on the Kilimanjaro Safari at Disney's Animal Kingdom

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The Pirates League Review

Alas, my beautiful daughter feels she's outgrown the wonderful Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. She still enjoys photo ops with the princesses, however the frills of the dresses are no longer "her style". No fear though, because we found an awesome alternative- The Pirates League at Magic Kingdom. Which is wonderful because my little guy was finally big enough to want to partake in some of the fun extras as well. This suited the both of them perfectly!!

We made our reservations at 180 days, but were able to find some availability to change dates later. When making your reservation, be sure to reserve a spot for each member of your party who will be participating. This is an all ages activity! 

Finally, our trip had come! We signed in approx. 15 minutes prior to our reservation time and only had to wait about 5 minutes or so. It started with the kids getting their official pirate names from the captain's log

A few minutes later we were taken back to the Muster Stations. Each of the kids got their own veteran pirate to give them their makeovers and turn them into the adventurer of their choice

Options include The First Mate and Empress Packages (starting at $34.95 plus tax), Jake and the Never Land Pirates Package (starting at $29.95 plus tax), and The Mermaid Package (starting at $39.95 plus tax) (**Ask about The Mermaid Deluxe Package for $74.95 plus tax**)

My kids chose the First Mate (Captain Hook) and the Empress  Packages.

At the end of the makeover each new recruit is sworn in

Once they were sworn in we were taken to a secret hidden chamber where we found treasure we cannot even begin to speak of... Dead men tell no tales... This is also where a PhotoPass Photographer snapped some great shots. (They're available for purchase, but you can have them scanned to your Magic Band. This is especially great if you've pre-purchased the Memory Maker, as we all know I am a huge proponent of doing, because you'll receive whatever photos they take free for you to download at home!)

I was very fortunate to have received some Disney Magic while we were there. Someone noticed my 30th birthday shirt and asked if I'd be interested in receiving a complimentary Mermaid Makeover. Turns out they have a veteran pirate in training that I suppose they thought could get a few more makeovers under her belt. It didn't matter- the kids thought it would be awesome, and I jumped at the opportunity.

It was a lot of fun, and I certainly wasn't the only adult in the room getting a new look. I noticed this was a very cool family activity for several!! It's definitely something I'd do again, but I would probably opt for the pirate next time (it's more my style).

Though there is a parade, we didn't participate this time. We did, however, stop outside with a PhotoPass photographer for some cool photos.

And later we got this awesome magic shot in front of the castle. I love that our photographer suggested it when he saw my Little Captain Hook.

Oh, and back to the Memory Maker, you can add some pretty cool borders to your photos when you get home before downloading.

All in all, this was an awesome experience. We'll certainly do it again!

For more info, check out my previous post here.

Oh, and the kids' totally awesome pirate shirts and my festive birthday shirt were done by my friend Belinda of Time4MommyCreations. She does excellent custom work for shirts, both in embroidery and vinyl. She also does a multitude of other custom creations. If you can dream it, she can likely do it! Check her out!

This post carries a disclosure Level of 0/1. I paid for my children's makeovers and while there was offered some Disney magic for a free makeover of my own. Disney had no way of knowing I may one day blog about the experience. These opinions are my own and were in no way persuaded by the free service. I definitely recommend trying this out! Please see my disclosure page for more details.