Backstage magic tour

[~Tinkerella]

Merry Christmas Everyone! DH and I will be taking a Disney Cruise in May. Thinking about staying onsite for a night or two but not visiting the parks, rather doing one of the tours.

Has anyone done the Backstage Magic tour recently? Wondering if it's worth the cost and if you really get to see enough of the "backstage" stuff to make it worth while. Also wondering if a park ticket is needed.

Thanks.

 

[Lurch]

I took the Keys to the Kingdom tour and loved it; learned a bunch and found new appreciation for the park and would do it again. My wife was bored so that pretty much rules out the all day tour for us.

 

[Meriweather]

Love Backstage Magic....I have taken it twice.
Almost all is backstage....some through the parks and some at other sites.
No park admission is needed.

 

[Braden's Momma]

I took the Keys to the Kingdom tour and loved it; learned a bunch and found new appreciation for the park and would do it again. My wife was bored so that pretty much rules out the all day tour for us.

Do you remember how long it lasted & the cost?

 

[ZoZo]

Have done both Keys to the Kingdom and Backstage Magic tours. Of the two, I enjoyed KTTK much more.

Backstage Magic is eight hours, and very expensive ($249 if you don't have any discounts). Parts of it were interesting (like the costume shop), but I found other parts sort of boring (such as the backstage area at American Adventure and the part where they show you a ride-car from ToT). It makes for a very long day. It does include a good lunch at Whispering Canyon. I was pretty disappointed in what you got for the really expensive price.

The KTTK tour is shorter, around five hours. It's much less expensive (around $80, if I remember correctly) and packed with tons of interesting info. I loved it! I'd totally recommend it.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Backstage Magic was my first tour years ago. Based on how much I enjoyed it, since then, I try to take a tour each trip. And I did Backstage Magic a second time a few years ago. Again, excellent. No admission required. And a great lunch at Whispering Canyon at Wilderness Lodge. Seeing how the show operates at the American Adventure is one of the highlights, very interesting and creative.

Don't forget 15% discount for AP, DVC, Disney Visa, and sometimes AAA.

 

[BuffaloJim]

One key difference that might matter to some people is that KTTK requires admission to MK, while BSM does not require admission to any of the four parks it visits. This also accounts for some of the difference in price - KTTK is already "getting some money" from you, before you include the price of the tour.

 

[~Tinkerella]

Thanks for the responses. Now I have to make a decision

 

[mtmbyck]

Do you need to use a day pass to stay in the park after the backstage tour? I would like to stay in the park after the tour but prefer not to use a pass. I am assuming since I paid $250 I can stay at whichever park they leave me at......now the big question.......can I book fast passes for that park after the tour?

 

[Dan Murphy]

Do you need to use a day pass to stay in the park after the backstage tour? I would like to stay in the park after the tour but prefer not to use a pass. I am assuming since I paid $250 I can stay at whichever park they leave me at......now the big question.......can I book fast passes for that park after the tour?

You are returned outside Epcot entrance, which is where the tour originates. No free park entry after the tour.