MK Tours? What do you think?

[TPCShauna]

DH and I have both been to MK once for one day and Epcot twice for one day. He has also been to MGM once for one day and neither of us have been to AK. We are taking our first long trip to WDW December 17-23 and are wondering about the tours offered in each park.

We are specifically interested in the "Keys to the Kingdom" Tour at MK. I have a few questions.
Have any of you done this tour?
Is it worth the time expenditure of 4.5 to 5 hours?
I'm more into Disney stuff than DH but he loves knowing trivia tidbit things so I thought it would be interesting for him. Did you find it interesting?
Where is lunch?
What time was the tour?
Would you recommend it for first timers at WDW?

Thanks for your input! DIS is the best!

Cheers!

 

[TimothyG]

On that topic, if I'm taking a 5 full days at Disney and 1 part day, is it worth the 7 or 8 hour tour where they take you to the utilidors, etc.? I think it would be if I had a longer vacation but I don't know because of the time we're spending and all I wish to do.

 

[kathyseb]

We did the Keys to the Kingdom Tour a few years ago and loved it. Going in, we thought we were Disney experts, but we were far from it. We learned so much.
The tour is long.
You eat lunch at the Columbia Harbor House. When you check in in the morning, you pick what you want for lunch.
The lunch is upstairs in the Harbor House, a lot of people don't even know there is an upstairs. But we always go upstairs to eat as it is normally empty and you can sit at the window and look down onto Fantasyland.
We went on about three rides with the tour guide. On the ride they will point out different things to you. We went on POTC and HM.

When we took the tour we have made many previous trips to WDW. But there was someone in our group that it was their first visit.

I can tell you you will never look at some things the same way after the tour. There were a few things that I found out that I would have preferred not to know, but for the most part we loved it.

We thought it was well worth the time and the money.

 

[snowglobe girl]

We did the tour in October and it was GREAT!!! I was worth it just to get to go in the Utilidors..and we also got to go into an upstairs office above one of the stores on Main Street. Since you've only been once, it will be a perfect tour for you both. I had been so many times and spent so much time on these boards that I already knew most of the "little known facts" that our tour guide told us about. I actually think I could have led the group!!! The rides that we went on were Jungle Cruise, Haunted Mansion, and POTC. We got to go in the back door of the Haunted Mansion. You go behind the buildings on Main Street and see where props and parade floats are stored. But it is well worth your money - good information - good food - but it does take away some of the magic.

 

[Beastlover]

We did the Behind the Magic tour. It was all day, and the best money we spent at WDW!! We saw wardrobe, Christmas Warehouse (IMPRESSIVE) Central Shops (where they build/rehab everything!), Floral, gift baskets, utilidors, lunch at MGM (Mamma Melrose) underneath American Adventure, so many other places...it was so cool!
Next time we want to do the KTTK tour!!

 

[Brer_roadrunner]

Seeing costumed character's wandering around the back without their "head's" on and seeing them freaked out when they saw the tour group was well worth it.... Seriously though it's well worth the 4+ hours... The things you learn will make you appreciate the park more...

 

[Forevryoung]

We did the tour in October and it was GREAT!!! I was worth it just to get to go in the Utilidors..and we also got to go into an upstairs office above one of the stores on Main Street. Since you've only been once, it will be a perfect tour for you both. I had been so many times and spent so much time on these boards that I already knew most of the "little known facts" that our tour guide told us about. I actually think I could have led the group!!! The rides that we went on were Jungle Cruise, Haunted Mansion, and POTC. We got to go in the back door of the Haunted Mansion. You go behind the buildings on Main Street and see where props and parade floats are stored. But it is well worth your money - good information - good food - but it does take away some of the magic.

I have only been when I was younger (8 years or so)- If it takes away some of the magic is it still worth it??