Behind the Scenes

Walt Disney wanted his guests to have the experience of a lifetime when entering his theme parks. When drawing the plans for the Florida project, Walt Disney World, he knew the changes he had to make from the first construction of the Disneyland Park. He knew in the second park that he had to purchase a great amount of land so that it could forever be expanded upon.
He had also envisioned a multi-layered city, where ground level would actually be underground and where guest would actually be entertained on the second and third levels. Walt Disney had so much in store for his knew project that guests will never understand the lengths of his dreams and most importantly, a day’s work behind the roller-coasters and fantasy rides.

Do you wish you knew more about how the behind the scenes work goes on throughout the parks? Well next time you are visiting Walt Disney World, reserve a spot in one of their behind the scenes tours that they host daily. When I first realized that Disney offered such tours where you are assigned a tour guide who teaches you all about the backstage work, I thought that it wouldn’t be worthwhile. You go to Walt Disney World for the endless dreams and magical atmosphere, don’t you? I thought to myself, why would I want to ruin the magic of the Disney experience? If I learn all about how everything is operated and specially taken care of, then maybe it just might be less magical.

With some later thinking and opinion, I realized there are advantages for taking these types of tours. For Disney fanatics like me, they are a way to learn something new and exciting and a break from the normal routine from the parks. Also, Walt Disney’s design is unlike any other. To have the chance to learn about his plans, his dreams and how he wanted the park to tick, is only a once in a lifetime chance.

Walt Disney World offers many different tours all ranging in different prices, times and age groups. Some even include a private lunch in an upstairs room. Tours vary in length, with many lasting as long as seven hours. The “Keys to the Kingdom Tour” gives a private look at Disney’s underground “utilidors” and the day to day behind the scenes of the park. The “Mickey’s Magical Milestones Tour” gives you insight on the making of Mickey Mouse and how his character evolved over the years. The “Disney's Magic behind Our Steam Trains Tour” invites guest to see how the steam engines are controlled and operated throughout the park. The “Holiday D-Lights” tour takes you behind the scenes on how Disney transforms their park into a holiday extravaganza. The “Behind the Seed’s Tour” at Epcot gives you the chance to get up-close with the greenhouses at Walt Disney World as well as to learn how their crops grow to perfection. There are also many tours that allow guest to get personal with the sea life of the park. Swimming with dolphins or inside a giant tank of rare fish is enjoyed by many animal lovers.

With the many different types of tours, you can learn information that is secret to many. On my next trip I plan to try one of the tours for the first time and hope to be amazed by every little detail. If you want to learn more about the parks after riding all of the attractions, then this could be a great thing for you too!



References:

The Disney Company. (2010). Tours and Experiences. Retrieved from http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/tours-and-experiences/

Kingdom Magic Vacations. (1996-2010). The Behind the Scenes Tours at Walt Disney World. Retrieved at http://www.kingdommagictravel.com/newsletter/articles/keys_kingdom_tour.htm