Disney tour questions???

[MnzWildcat28]

So I have a few questions. I've been thinking of doing the Dolphins In Depth tour and the Wild Africa Trek tours with my mom and friend when we come to disney next December/January. Are these tours worth the money? (I would be paying for all three of us, so I want to make sure it would be worth the expense!) Also, when you reserve for a tour are you required to pay in full for the tour at the time of reservation or will I have until the actual tour date to pay for it?

 

[Grumpy92]

The Animal trek tour is definitely worth the $$. You get to see some areas you dont normally see. I am sure the Dolphins tour is good as well, though I have never done it. I have done the Divequest which was a once in a lifetieme experience.

You do pay for the tour when you make the reservation. No payment plan or pay at a later date.

 

[goofy78]

I did the wild Africa trek in August and it was awesome. It was only me and DH on that trip and we booked it about a week before our trip. We are going this August with the kids and are going to do it again. Does anyone know how far in advance you can book this?

 

[Hopefully]

We have done several Disney tours, including the Wild Africa Trek but not the Dolphins in Depth tour. We have always felt they were worth the money. You do pay in full at the time of booking. The tours can be booked 180 days in advance.
Have Fun

 

[Dan Murphy]

Don't forget the discounts...AP, DVC, Disney Visa and sometimes AAA...15%.

 

[Micca]

Of all of the facets of WDW that people cuss & discuss here on the boards, tours are almost universally acclaimed. We haven't done those tours you've asked about, but the two we've done (KTTK, and Marcelline to MK) were excellent. Of all the extras you can spend money on at WDW, you could do much worse than one of the tours.

 

[Lancer]

It has been many years, but I had taken the Dolphins in Depth tour. The first thing to know is that this is not a swim around with the dolphins type of encounter you may find at other resort destinations. You do get to enter the water with the dolphins but stay on a shallow ledge at the top of the aquarium. They are then brought to you, where you can gently "pet" them and pose for pictures etc. They also stress that if the dolphins do not wish to participate, they will not force them to. I don't know if that has ever happened though.
The tour starts with a behind the scenes tour of the aquarium, followed by a group discussion/education on conservation and dolphins in a back stage lounge. we then "on stage" and watched a scheduled research program with the dolphins and cast members. The final part of the tour is where we put on provided "shorty" wet suits and went back stage again to the top of the aquarium for the face to face time with the dolphins. We were also given a photo of us with the dolphins as well as a "Dolphins in Depth" t-shirt as part of the tour.

While it may not have the excitement of a more hands on encounter like other resorts(which I never did) I still enjoyed it immensely and going backstage is always a treat where you get to do and see thing most guest do not. Having said that though, if you are looking for a more scenic, constantly moving, outdoor type tour then maybe the African Trek is better(which I will be doing for the first time in February).

Hope this helps!

 

[Duchie]

I just started looking into the Wild Africa Trek for our upcoming trip. Would someone who had done it maybe give an more in-depth description of what you did on the tour?