Grand Circle Tour - Need feedback

[jeepnjudy]

Contemplating booking this for end of December as I have 2 train fanatics in my family... Any feedback would be appreciated, both positive or negative. Thank You!!

 

[cmwade77]

I don't know personally, but I am interested as well.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

We just took this tour over the weekend and enjoyed it very much. Our tour guide was wonderful, very energetic and friendly. It was easy to ask her questions and she really took the time to answer or look up the answers and share later. We were fortunate to have a small group (only 4 guests). Our guide said that she has been leading full groups (12 guests, I think) ever since the tour started. I think that would have negatively affected my enjoyment because much of the tour involves watching video clips on an iPad type device. If there are other guests in your way, you would miss the videos. (Definitely bring your own headset/ear buds if comfort matters a lot to you -- my ear piece kept falling out.) The tour met first thing after park opening at the Tour Garden. We checked in, were seated, and were given a special donut (a sort of maple bar with a dark chocolate locomotive engine and white chocolate Mickey head decoration). Beverages were coffee and hot chocolate. I brought my own hot tea. (My food allergies were noted, but didn't really affect any of the menu offerings. I knew I couldn't have the coffee or hot chocolate, thus the hot tea.) I was glad we had brought breakfast sandwiches with us, too, because I don't think the donut alone would have kept us going for the whole tour. There was plenty of time to finish eating before the tour started. The tour lasted about 2 hours and went from Town Square to NOS. There was a lot of walking, with frequent breaks, and some stair climbing at the train stations (MS and NOS). There is one restroom stop in NOS before boarding the Lilly Belle. We heard about Walt's early years falling in love with trains, his job as a news butch working on trains and learning all he could about the engines, his studio days building his own train set, and his passion for the DLRR. The tour boards the Lillly Belle at NOS station, photos are allowed on board (our guide took photos for all of us), there were lots of questions and answers, then the tour ended back at the Tour Garden with a M&G/Q&A with one of the train conductors. The tour was really fun, and I'm glad we did it. But I think that the more interaction you can have with the guide, the more fun the tour will be. (So a dud group might not make for a very fun time.)

 

[jeepnjudy]

We just took this tour over the weekend and enjoyed it very much. Our tour guide was wonderful, very energetic and friendly. It was easy to ask her questions and she really took the time to answer or look up the answers and share later. We were fortunate to have a small group (only 4 guests). Our guide said that she has been leading full groups (12 guests, I think) ever since the tour started. I think that would have negatively affected my enjoyment because much of the tour involves watching video clips on an iPad type device. If there are other guests in your way, you would miss the videos. (Definitely bring your own headset/ear buds if comfort matters a lot to you -- my ear piece kept falling out.) The tour met first thing after park opening at the Tour Garden. We checked in, were seated, and were given a special donut (a sort of maple bar with a dark chocolate locomotive engine and white chocolate Mickey head decoration). Beverages were coffee and hot chocolate. I brought my own hot tea. (My food allergies were noted, but didn't really affect any of the menu offerings. I knew I couldn't have the coffee or hot chocolate, thus the hot tea.) I was glad we had brought breakfast sandwiches with us, too, because I don't think the donut alone would have kept us going for the whole tour. There was plenty of time to finish eating before the tour started. The tour lasted about 2 hours and went from Town Square to NOS. There was a lot of walking, with frequent breaks, and some stair climbing at the train stations (MS and NOS). There is one restroom stop in NOS before boarding the Lilly Belle. We heard about Walt's early years falling in love with trains, his job as a news butch working on trains and learning all he could about the engines, his studio days building his own train set, and his passion for the DLRR. The tour boards the Lillly Belle at NOS station, photos are allowed on board (our guide took photos for all of us), there were lots of questions and answers, then the tour ended back at the Tour Garden with a M&G/Q&A with one of the train conductors. The tour was really fun, and I'm glad we did it. But I think that the more interaction you can have with the guide, the more fun the tour will be. (So a dud group might not make for a very fun time.)

Thank you for the feedback...this is helpful!!