Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
223
• The 4 1 / 2 -hour Keys to the Kingdom tour provides an orientation to the
Magic Kingdom and a glimpse into the high-tech systems behind the magic.
It's $67 (mandatory park admission not included) and includes lunch at
Colombia Harbor House. Tours are held daily at 8:30, 9, and 9:30am.
• At the top of the price chain ($219 per person, including lunch) is Backstage
Magic, a 7-hour, self-propelled bus tour through areas of Epcot, the Magic
Kingdom, and Disney's Hollywood Studios that aren't seen by mainstream
guests. The 10am tour (Mon-Fri only) is limited to 20 adults, and you might
have trouble getting a date unless you book early. Some will find this one
isn't worth the price, but if you have a brain that must know how things
work or simply want to know more than your family or friends, you might
find it's worth the cost. You'll see WDW mechanics and engineers repairing
and building animatronic beings from it's a small world and other attractions.
You'll peek over the shoulders of cast members who watch closed-circuit TVs
to make sure other visitors are surviving the harrowing rides. And at the
Magic Kingdom, you'll venture into the tunnels used for work areas as well
as corridors for the cast to get from one area to the others without fighting
tourist crowds. It's not unusual for tour takers to see Snow White enjoying a
Snickers bar, find Cinderella having her locks touched up at an underground
salon, or view woodworkers as they restore the hard maple muscles of the
carousel horses. Park admission isn't required. Lunch is included.
Backstage Safari at Animal Kingdom ($70 per person, plus park admission)
offers a 3-hour look at the park's veterinary hospital as well as lessons in
conservation, animal nutrition, and medicine (Mon and Wed-Fri). Note: You
won't see many animals.
Yuletide Fantasy, available from November 30 to December 24 (Mon-Sat)
each year, gives visitors a 3 1 / 2 -hour front-row look at how Disney creates a
winter wonderland to get visitors in the holiday spirit. It costs $69 per
person, and theme-park admission isn't required.
6
redwood forests, Napa Valley, Yosemite, and more. You really will feel almost as if you're
flying through the sky. The ride carries a 40-inch height minimum. For the best experi-
ence, try to get seated in the first row; if you're not sanguine about heights, the third row
works best.
Mission: Space
Frommer's Rating: A+
Recommended Ages: 10-adult
This $100-million attraction, developed in partnership with Hewlett Packard and
NASA, seats up to four riders at a time in a simulated flight to the Red Planet. You'll
assume the role of commander, pilot, navigator, or engineer, depending on where you sit,
and must complete related jobs vital to the mission (don't worry if you miss your cue;
you won't crash). The ride uses a combination of visuals, sound, and centrifugal force to
Search WWH ::




Custom Search