Nature Inspired Design Segway tour at Epcot . . . feedback please

[Disneyfriend]

Last trip we did the regular Epcot Around the World Segway tour and loved it.

We're hoping to do another Segway tour this trip and are trying to decide between doing the Around the World tour again - or trying the Nature Inspired Design tour. I have read the tour descriptions already, but the Nature Inspired Design tour is so new that there are very little feedback/reviews available.

If you have done this new tour, can you tell me about it and whether or not you would recommend it?

Our other option is the Ft. Wilderness Segway tour. I hesitate to do that one only because it seems like a real challenge to actually get to the right place in Ft. Wilderness. But it does seem to get good reviews.

Thanks in advance for any input or feedback you can give!

 

[Disneyfriend]

bumping . . . anyone?

 

[The Expert]

We have done Around the World at least 10 times and love it, so last December we tried the Nature Inspired Design tour. We own i2 Segways so it was interesting for us to get to try the x2 "off road" versions.

You do get a lot more behind-the-scenes information and spend most of the tour back stage, but the Segways are merely used to get from point a to point b. Even though the tour is longer, you get less riding time on the Segway. They did do a short "free ride" toward the end where we went over into a grassy/hilly area that is actually the location they would empty out the water from The Seas should they ever need to, but the rest of the tour was simply gliding from one location to the next, then parking the Segway and going inside.

It was a decent behind-the-scenes tour (we saw the greenhouses, the water filtration system building, got to ride Soarin with an Imagineer and several other things) but if you are more interested in the Segway riding time, stick to Around the World.

We have yet to try the x2 tour at Ft Wilderness but understand it also offers similar riding time to Around the World. And Ft Wilderness really is not difficult to get to. Just take a Disney bus or, if you drive, follow the signs to the Magic Kingdom Resort Area and you'll take a right just past the MK toll booth. It's maybe a half mile down that road.

 

[MrsToad]

We have done Around the World at least 10 times and love it, so last December we tried the Nature Inspired Design tour. We own i2 Segways so it was interesting for us to get to try the x2 "off road" versions.

You do get a lot more behind-the-scenes information and spend most of the tour back stage, but the Segways are merely used to get from point a to point b. Even though the tour is longer, you get less riding time on the Segway. They did do a short "free ride" toward the end where we went over into a grassy/hilly area that is actually the location they would empty out the water from The Seas should they ever need to, but the rest of the tour was simply gliding from one location to the next, then parking the Segway and going inside.

It was a decent behind-the-scenes tour (we saw the greenhouses, the water filtration system building, got to ride Soarin with an Imagineer and several other things) but if you are more interested in the Segway riding time, stick to Around the World.

We have yet to try the x2 tour at Ft Wilderness but understand it also offers similar riding time to Around the World. And Ft Wilderness really is not difficult to get to. Just take a Disney bus or, if you drive, follow the signs to the Magic Kingdom Resort Area and you'll take a right just past the MK toll booth. It's maybe a half mile down that road.

This mirrors our circumstances and opinions closely. We have one i2 at home, which DH mostly rides while I ride along on my bike. We loved the Around the World at Epcot tour so much that we still do it each time we are there, which is typically twice per year.

We did take the Natured Inspired tour shortly after it began and agree with everything this poster said. It was a nice tour, we were glad we did it, but we most likely won't do it again.

We have also done the Fort Wilderness tour on the x2 Segways. Again, while we are glad we did it, we likely won't do it again. We like the feel of the i2 Segways better and, as DH puts it, he would rather, "look at all the World Showcase pavillions rather than lots of trees" . While it was nice touring the fort, seeing the horse barn, and riding out to a view of MK, the Around the World tour holds more interest for us - it's just a personal thing.

All that said, I would encourage anyone to take all three tours, just for the experience.

 

[CJ]

Thank you so much for the true story about this tour!

I had booked it for DH & I, as we have done both the other Segway tours and DH just loves riding them! I discussed what you experienced with him and just now got off the phone from cancelling it.

It's too bad we won't get to ride the Segways..... but you just saved us $264 !

 

[Pakey]

Smart move on cancelling this tour. We've done the Around the World, the Ft Wilderness and we've done tours in Paris and the Bahamas on them. We love riding.

We were so bored on this Nature Inspired tour. It was bad enough that I apologized to the group I had drug with me on it.

 

[The Expert]

Pakey, we did a tour in Paris too - the Fat Bike one. It was awesome but a little scary! I was so glad we'd had the thorough Disney training because they did a super-quick session and then plopped us right out onto the streets of Paris!

CJ - glad we could help! If you really want another ride, just book the Around the World tour again.

 

[Disneyfriend]

Thank you so much to *everybody* who responded, and particularly to Expert and Mrs. Toad for sharing your experiences in detail.

I really appreciate your help!