Thanks for the photo post, @cbalusek. My DH might be okay in that, but it’s hard to tell. A lot of his weight is in his height, but not sure I want to chance it.
I’m looking at Caring for Giants and Behind the Seeds (which I’ve wanted to do since EPCOT opened!)
I love LwL it is favorit ride in WDW. I would do behind the seeds in a heartbeat but I need to use a ECV and I don’t think they allow them. If anyone knows differently please let me know.
I thoroughly enjoyed Behind the Seeds. And it’s surprisingly affordable. I think it’s one of the best kept secrets at EPCOT (even though it’s not at all a secret). I grew up on a farm, and agricultural innovations fascinate me. But BtS should be of interest to anyone who likes to eat. Especially since so much of what you see on the tour is served in restaurants throughout the resort.
Do you have kids, and how old are they? Most tours have an age limit, 16 for many behind the scenes tours.
I’ve done Keys to the Kingdom. Loved it. Particularly learning about all the theming in Main St (the stories behind all the names in the windows), Adventureland and Liberty Square.
Also did the World Showcase: Destinations tour which again I loved for all the background to the story, idea behind and the architecture of WS. I got really lucky, the guide co-created the tour and so knew it inside out.
But your question made me sad. Your last trip? For sure?
OMG! That looks so wonderful… and so NOT for DH! He won’t even go skiing because of the height of the lift. No way he’d walk over a bridge with crocs underneath.
Thanks so much for the post. I wonder if I can figure a way to do it without DH? Maybe tell him he needs a break and should go back to sit by the pool or something. Hmmm.
Thanks for all the great ideas!
Sense of Africa, and Caring For Giants are contenders.
Xmas party and mnsshp are out. I was crossing fingers that they’d have a Nov 1 mnsshp again this year, but Murphy’s Law, just my luck. We won’t have the option of either party. Trip is 10/31-11/6.
I omitted the obvious:
Fave park is Hollyweird.
2 40 something parents and a 9yr old son.
We live a short bike ride away from a world famous zoo, and we go quite often, so AK, while awesome, is not our favorite park because of the animals. We love the rides, and Lion King show is a must, but it’s a half day park for us. A midgrade tour might fit in well to round out an AK day.
Dhs (star wars and thrill rides) are a big draw, and MK is a VERY close 2nd.
This trip is gonna be relaxed to stop and smell some roses. Last trip by choice, no regrets. We’ve been lucky enough to get our fill. Universal next year, then hopefully on to interesting vacations after that.
If you’re all Star Wars fans then maybe the Star Wars tour? Until recently I was a little sceptical about it’s value, but I have changed my mind somewhat. Thee seem to be lots of little extras, like marching with the First Order, lunch with Storm Troopers that add value.
And if you love Star Wars, then don’t rule out a trip once Galaxy Edge opens ( a couple of years afterwards would be perfect). Maybe splurge on the new Resort experience?
Galaxy Edge opens 2019. With the Gondolas and Riviera resort, plus CBR and CSR should be finished.
Between then and the 50th, there will be Guardians, Rat, Mickey and Minnie Railroad ride, Tron and the Speedway makeover (Tron themed) with a general Tomorrowland refresh, and the Space restaurant at Epcot.
By the time of the 50th, the new resort at River Country should be underway. As should a U.K. ride and Epcot redo of Innoventions area (the Spine). A new Pavillion should also be underway, although unlikely to be open until a year or so later. New restaurant at Japan WS and refreshes of IDF and China movies… Those should all be announced at D23 next summer if they go ahead.
Rumours of Dinoland changes / Indy somewhere, plus re-use of the WOL building may well be announced.
Not sure what the next new “land” / expansion will be. It could well be the Dinoland thing, or something in MK.
Just peeked at Savor The Savannah, and it’s quite interesting. Can you elaborate on your experience if you get a sec? Foods and experiences in the reserve? I’m gonna scour the web for “reviews” as well.
Caring For Giants seems a bit tame for what I’m looking for, but it’s definitely not out of the picture.
Sense of Africa - age restricted.
Wild Trek - I’m just too lazy, and I also don’t fancy hiking. It’s just not for me.
The scuba stuff at Epcot…kinda looks cool as a “starter” experience for Scuba, if it’s not age restrictive as well.
I’m thinking now, I should pick out one or two extras per park, and book what seems like the best option.
MK - probably a HEA Dessert Party (son and wife are short. I remember when I went as a kid, all of the fireworks shows sucked, because I couldn’t see everything!)
Hollyweird - Possibly the SW dessert party, but maybe the SW tour.
Epcot - TBD
AK - Savor or Caring - more research needed. I think the fam would appreciate Savor more - we love to eat, and the description of Caring For Giants has the line “You’ll be 80-100 feet away from the elephants.” That sounds tame to me, not being snobby, but again, we go to our zoo a TON. We’ve been up close and personal with a bunch of cool creatures. We’ve been lucky in that regard.
The best part of Caring for Giants is the CM/guest ratio. When we went, there were 7 of us (4 in my group,3 in the other) and 4 CM! But it is not like pet the elephants. Those are dangerous wild animals!
UMMM. I just checked out the SW Tour on the DIs site. It seems like a no brainer, but the kid says he has no interest in doing the Jedi Training again - I bet I could use my Jedi mind trick to get him to do it.) I have to see how this tour is laid out. It seems like there are a ton of inclusions - meal at backlot, spin on Star Tours, viewing area for the SW night show, plus meet/greets, and other stuff? Seems like a no brainer (for us SW fans) if it’s all guided and VIP entry to the attractions.
EP has been my favorite park for many years - mostly because of WS, but AK, which has been number 2 since it opened, is rapidly catching up, and with the addition of Pandora (which I haven’t seen yet) I suspect it will move into first place.
If you into Operations Logistics and the science that makes Disney a Magical experience, the two backstage tours are an amazing opportunity. I can’t recall the name of the tours but there is a 1/2 day version that covers just the Magic Kingdom and a full day tour that covers Epcot, Magic Kingdom and several offstage operations like Central Costuming.
If you have ever wondered why the sidewalks in the Magic Kingdom are red (and wan’t the true answer) then a tour like this would be for you.
For sure?