Questions about Backstage Magic Tour

[jnjusoioa]

Hi there, just looking to get some feedback for the Backstage Magic Tour, first of all, do you think it will be on the list for a few more years? Also if you have gone it, is it worth the money? It seems as though it would be. If you are traveling alone, do you have to room with someone? Do you have a good amount of alone time in the parks? Do they take photos for you to purchase throughout your trip? Do you have turndown service at the Grand Californian?
Thank you in advance for any and all help.

 

[AStamm]

My family did this ABD in June 2010 and had a FABULOUS time. I'd highly recommend doing the tour if you're a big Disney buff. While I don't have answers for all your questions, I know you can pay a surcharge to stay by yourself in a room. At the conclusion of the ABD, you're sent a (free--although you paid $$$ for the ABD) Photopass CD with all the pics taken during the trip.

As for time in the parks, if you've never been to DL I'd highly suggest adding on a few days at the conclusion of the ABD. A lot of people in our group had never been to DL before and were only given a few hours the day we toured DL and about 1/2 day the day we went to DCA.

 

[Tozzie]

Hi there, just looking to get some feedback for the Backstage Magic Tour, first of all, do you think it will be on the list for a few more years? Also if you have gone it, is it worth the money? It seems as though it would be. If you are traveling alone, do you have to room with someone? Do you have a good amount of alone time in the parks? Do they take photos for you to purchase throughout your trip? Do you have turndown service at the Grand Californian?
Thank you in advance for any and all help.

I did this tour in 2009 and while some of the activities have changed it still is a fabulous tour and worth every penny. There are many activites that are completely closed to the public and the only way to see them is on this ABD trip, I want to do it again.

I travel solo and have done 3 ABD trips, ABD does not pair up guests and you will not have to share a room with strangers, just get ready for the cost as there is a substantial single supplement.

I felt there was a good amount of time in the parks, especially with the fast passes they give you, but it is also dependent on the time of year you go and how crowded the parks are. you get two full days and 1 half day in the parks, part of that time is spent with the group part is on your own. I don't know if the tickets are issued the same way they were when I went, if they are your ticket is good for 4 days, and if you added an extra night at the hotel then you could spend the last day, after the farewell breakfast, in the parks and leave the next day. That is only if they still issue the 4 day tickets as there was talk they were going to start issuing three day tickets.

If you decide to go I think you will have a blast.

 

[sayhello]

I think it's a good bet that Backstage Magic will be around for a while. It's a very popular trip.

ABD will not pair you with a roommate. So you can either pay the single supplement to have a room to yourself (which is usually 30-40% of the trip price) or find your own roommate.

And as AStamm said, the Guides will take tons of photos throughout the trip, and they are included in the price of the ABD.

Sayhello

 

[jnjusoioa]

Thank you for all the help. It does sound like a wonderful trip. All the places you get to visit and shopping in Mickey's of Glendale, how awesome. Does anyone know if you get turndown service at the Grand, what I mean is do they put those chocolates on your bed at night. Thank you for the idea of expanding my trip a little, that is a good idea. I hope it is around a few more years because I need to save and would like to do it the year of Disneyland's 60th anniversary.

What has changed about the tour??

 

[Tozzie]

Thank you for all the help. It does sound like a wonderful trip. All the places you get to visit and shopping in Mickey's of Glendale, how awesome. Does anyone know if you get turndown service at the Grand, what I mean is do they put those chocolates on your bed at night. Thank you for the idea of expanding my trip a little, that is a good idea. I hope it is around a few more years because I need to save and would like to do it the year of Disneyland's 60th anniversary.

What has changed about the tour??

Yes there is turndown service at the Grand

 

[Dolby1000]

It appears some of the non-theme park portions have been changed.

This year the tour does not include:
Tours of the El Capitain Theatre or Kodiak Theatre (I think past tours did one or the other)
Tours of Jimmy Kimmel Live (this was done at least in 2011)
Tour and possible ride at the Train Park (bit bummed about this one, being the train buff that I am, see some of the trip reports about this stop).

I think the time at Disneyland and CA is the same though, and the tour this year still has the 4 day multi-park ticket. The number of meals is the same as well. Since have never gone on it, I'll assume the theme park days are still pretty much the same. However, in 11 days, that will change, our (my DW) tour start June 10!

Dolby1000

 

[jnjusoioa]

Yes there is turndown service at the Grand

Awesome, I just think that is the greatest and have never experienced that. Now hopefully the tour will still be here in a few years and hopefully much of it won't change because the places on the tour now are awesome.Any more information is greatly appreciated, share your pictures too. Thank You.

 

[jnjusoioa]

It appears some of the non-theme park portions have been changed.

This year the tour does not include:
Tours of the El Capitain Theatre or Kodiak Theatre (I think past tours did one or the other)
Tours of Jimmy Kimmel Live (this was done at least in 2011)
Tour and possible ride at the Train Park (bit bummed about this one, being the train buff that I am, see some of the trip reports about this stop).

I think the time at Disneyland and CA is the same though, and the tour this year still has the 4 day multi-park ticket. The number of meals is the same as well. Since have never gone on it, I'll assume the theme park days are still pretty much the same. However, in 11 days, that will change, our (my DW) tour start June 10!

Dolby1000

That is kind of sad about El Captain, that would have been neat.

 

[jnjusoioa]

Does the Adventures By Disney photopass CD have borders you can add? Thank You.

 

[Tozzie]

It appears some of the non-theme park portions have been changed.

This year the tour does not include:
Tours of the El Capitain Theatre or Kodiak Theatre (I think past tours did one or the other)
Tours of Jimmy Kimmel Live (this was done at least in 2011)
Tour and possible ride at the Train Park (bit bummed about this one, being the train buff that I am, see some of the trip reports about this stop).

I think the time at Disneyland and CA is the same though, and the tour this year still has the 4 day multi-park ticket. The number of meals is the same as well. Since have never gone on it, I'll assume the theme park days are still pretty much the same. However, in 11 days, that will change, our (my DW) tour start June 10!

Dolby1000

There was never a tour of a train park, what there is, is a stop at Griffith park anda tour of Walt.s barn and a ride on his train that he had in the backyard of his house.. This has never been on the itinerary but is a part of each trip. It is not included in the itinerary as it is all run by volunteers and if the volunteers can't open it the day of your tour you can't go so they don't ut it on the itinerary

 

[sayhello]

Does the Adventures By Disney photopass CD have borders you can add? Thank You.

The last couple of years, they've been just sending a CD with the photos on it, not an actual Photopass CD. This might be different for BSM, since you do go to the Parks, but that's what they've been doing for at least the tours I've been on. There's no borders, etc, on the CD's I've gotten from ABD lately.

You can always upload the photos to Photopass yourself to add borders.

Sayhello

 

[Dolby1000]

There was never a tour of a train park, what there is, is a stop at Griffith park anda tour of Walt.s barn and a ride on his train that he had in the backyard of his house.. This has never been on the itinerary but is a part of each trip. It is not included in the itinerary as it is all run by volunteers and if the volunteers can't open it the day of your tour you can't go so they don't ut it on the itinerary

THen I'll hold out hope for the Griffith park stop, I don't need to ride, but I would love to see it!

Dolby1000

 

[jnjusoioa]

Thank you for all the great replies. Looking forward to doing this in a few years, just have to save. Are there trip reports on this tour anywhere with photos that I could look at. Thank You.

 

[tufbuf]

One of the forum members, stenogoddess posted her digital photo book. It's amazing!!! It also inspired me to start digital scrap booking.

Here is the link:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2573515&highlight=photo+book

 

[Tozzie]

Thank you for all the great replies. Looking forward to doing this in a few years, just have to save. Are there trip reports on this tour anywhere with photos that I could look at. Thank You.

Here is a link to a great trip report, it is from 2008 so it is a few years old and the itinerary has changed a bit. Also realize if you don't go for another 2 years the info on this will be outdated as well.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2035488

 

[jnjusoioa]

Hi There, thank you for both these awesome trip reports, they are really great. I do realize the tour might change a little, however thinking since so many people seem to enjoy it, that they hopefully won't change it too much till I can save. Any other advice or photos is grreatly appreciated. Thank you.

 

[mzalicia]

How "repeatable" is the ABD Backstage Magic Tour?

I am going on the July 29-Aug 3 trip and just saw that the Podcast team is taking a group December 2013. Would repeating these "special" experiences make them less special? I know the Podcast crew has taken the ABD trips many times and they still seem excited to go again...

Thank you,
Alicia

 

[Tozzie]

How "repeatable" is the ABD Backstage Magic Tour?

I am going on the July 29-Aug 3 trip and just saw that the Podcast team is taking a group December 2013. Would repeating these "special" experiences make them less special? I know the Podcast crew has taken the ABD trips many times and they still seem excited to go again...

Thank you,
Alicia

I went in 2009 and loved it and I would love to do the trip again unfortunatley there are so many trips I want to take and so little vacation time I need to wait anywhere from 1-5 years, depending on when I want to retire.

 

[jnjusoioa]

Just a few more questions, sorry for being a pain. I was searching through stuff trying to find more information about this tour. First of all, I had read that people had been scheduled for this and then they postponed it. Does that happen a lot? Really want to do this but just need to wait a few years to save, but don't want them to do away with it or change it a whole lot. Also does this tour always get to shop at Mickey's of Glendale?? Thank You.