I Took a "Walk in Walt's Disneyland Footsteps"

I arrived in CA on Wednesday for the Disneyland Half weekend.    The rest of the family wasn’t coming in until Thursday evening, so I had made plans for my solo days.

  

Wednesday was my travel day so by the time I got there, I was tired.  My room wasn’t ready so I walked around Downtown Disney (by walk around, I mean eat and shop!)   I returned to the hotel with several treasures, of course my favorites being the 2 new Alex and Ani bangles added to my collection.

My plan for Thursday morning was to take a tour.  After taking the “Keys to the Kingdom” tour at WDW, I decided I wanted to do something similar at DL.  30 days out, I secured my reservation to “Walk in Walt’s Disneyland Footsteps”.  I received a 20% discount by using my Disney Visa.  Annual passholders also get a discount.   You also must have entry into Disneyland as this is not included in the tour. I recommend getting your reservations as soon as your date is available, as I understand this tour fills up quickly, especially in busy park times.  

The day was finally here and I was excited!  I walked over to Disneyland and arrived about 9:00 am at the meeting place right next to City Hall.   While you’re waiting for the other tour guests, you get your name tag and have to pick your lunch choice for later on in the tour.  You get quick instructions on using the headsets they supply so you can clearly hear your tour guide above the park “sounds”.   Then, you’re on your way to learning about Disneyland, Walt and his Dream.

We stopped at many points along the way listening to stories about Walt and the history of Disneyland.  It was interesting to hear about how the opening day of Disneyland didn’t go off as smoothly as planned.  Our guide’s narrative was enhanced by clips of Walt himself! 

The Matterhorn was
one of the first "E" ticket rides

Check out Walt's anniversary gift to
Lillian - the petrified tree that sits in
Frontierland.

After visiting the VIP Corporate Lounges at the NY
World's Fair ('64-'65), Walt wanted to introduce something
similar in DL. The new entrance takes you to the newly
renovated Club 33. The old door, though no longer the
entrance, will remain.

We bypassed lines and rode Peter Pan’s Flight, the Disneyland Railroad and enjoyed Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, listening to more fun facts along the way.  (And checked out the Hidden Mickey on Big Ben in Peter Pan's Flight!)



The time went really fast as we absorbed all the familiar and new information we were receiving.   Then, the time came.   Half the tour went off to lunch and the other half, which I was part of, headed with the guide to the side of the Fire House, up the stairs and into Walt’s apartment.   What a feeling seeing the room that the Disney family spent many happy times in.   The space was very small being only around 500 square feet.   The bathroom was very indicative of the era, with the exception of the multi-jetted shower which was ahead of it’s time.    We were allowed a photo opp where our guide our picture (we were not allowed to take any photos ourselves).    

Walt and Lillian's Apartment
above the Fire House

Looks like a lot of runners
wanted to take this tour!

I could have listened to the stories here for another 3 hours.  But, alas our time was done.

We headed to The Jolly Holiday Bakery Café where lunch was waiting for us.  At this time, we got a very special pin which I fell in love with immediately.  We sat and chatted for a while and then it was time to go.  

The pin opens like a book and has a replica of a
DL placque and a quote from Walt

This was a tour that was definitely worth taking, not only for the chance to see Walt’s apartment, but to take in all the history and love that went into Disneyland.

Have you experienced a Disney tour?  Would you do it again?   This was my second tour and I definitely would opt for another.  It's a really interesting thing to do, especially for the frequent visitor looking for something different.

Did you get your "Keys to the Kingdom" at WDW?

Reading Aly’s review of “Dining with an Imagineer” (One of my top 10 Disney experiences)  reminded me that our family always did the Disney “extras”, many of which no longer exist.    When my daughter was 16, the Disney Institute offered fun classes for guests.   Somehow she talked me into taking a hip hop dance class!  Back when she and her cousin were around 12, we sent them on a 6 hour tour  - Show Biz Magic.   No one OVER 16 could go on the tour.  It took them to all 3 parks back then, the Magic Kingdom, Epcot Center and MGM Studios .  My husband and I had the luxury of enjoying a day at the parks by ourselves (but secretly I was wishing I could go with them on the tour).   The envy peaked when they came back and told us all about the Magic Kingdom being built “up” and how they saw the utilidors underneath.   It’s funny how I can’t find anything online about this tour.   Everything I see says “no one under 16 is allowed in the utilidors”.  That may be the new rule, but my family knows that back in the 90s, it was just the opposite.  We still have the book they received, so we have proof! To my delight, Disney turned it around and now has adult tours where you can enjoy this experience.

Last November, I joined Aly  in running the Jingle Jungle 5k. Bill and Aly were running the Wine and Dine half and going to the after party.  Since we were sharing a room, I knew they would want to sleep in and get a later start the next day.    Planning in advance, I reserved my spot on Disney’s Keys to the Kingdom tour.  I always wanted to do something like this and my opportunity was here. I was so excited as I quietly got up, got ready and put on comfortable walking shoes for my 5 hour tour!

I checked in at the Chamber of Commerce, where we placed our preferences for lunch, met our guide and other members of the tour.  I knew this would be a special experience when I learned that one couple on the tour was doing this for their third time!

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The Keys to the Kingdom is a 5 hour tour that is a must if you love Disney.  This tour concentrates on the Magic Kingdom.  You get to stroll through the infamous Utilidors and see where the parade floats are stored.  But there is so much more. You get interesting perspectives of the park and learn a lot of facts from your tour guide.  Being a Disney fan forever, I knew about some of the stories that were shared, but I learned a lot of new ones and came back with a wealth of Disney information. The five hours seemed to fly by.  Lunch at Columbia Harbour House was enjoyable.  We passed the line at the Haunted Mansion, getting some insight both before and after the ride. It is the kind of tour where it can be a different experience each time, personalized by different tour guides.   

We stopped and sat while we listened and chatted at least twice during the 5 hours, so don’t let the time scare you.  You probably walk more than this in your day’s visit to a park.  I’m not going to share any of the interesting tidbits I learned.  Yes, you can probably research them all on the internet, but it is so much more interesting listening to a guide tell you the stories as he points them out on the tour.  You are not allowed to use cameras, videos or cell phones on the tour.  When making your reservations, make sure you find out about discounts.  I got a 20% discount on the tour by having a Disney Visa Card.

I enjoyed this so much that I’m looking forward to taking the tour "Walk in Walt’s Disneyland Footsteps" when I am there in August. Have you ever taken a tour at Disney World or Disneyland?  Was it one of your favorite things?  Do you remember or did you participate in the Show Biz Magic Tour back in the day?  

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