Opinions on Garden of the World tour at Epcot?

[flying_tigger]

Hi everybody!

I'm a longtime lurker, but don't post much. I'm planning a two-week blowout to WDW in early March, and the DIL's are coming with us. They are both huge gardners, and I was thinking of surprising them with the Gardens of the World tour sometime during the week we stay at BCVs.

Opinons of the tour? Was it worth the money? Would a couple very knowledgeable about horticulture get anything out of it?

Thanks in advance!

Chris

 

[AladdinsPrincess]

My DH and I are also interested in this tour so I'd love to hear some feedback too!

 

[Leota]

Here's a link with some reviews of the tours....

http://allearsnet.com/btp/tours.htm#gw

 

[missminniemouse]

DH and I both did this tour probably about 10 years ago and we really enjoyed it. We're from Wisconsin and happened to get a horticulturist who was also from Wisconsin as our guide. Since we're Annual Passholders, he even took us behind the scenes a little, even though he supposedly wasn't scheduled to do that. ( and as it turned out, we were the only ones on the tour that day.) Our tour ran over the scheduled time and the guide was extremely helpful in answering any questions we had. They certainly point out a lot of things you would never think of on your own. The main thing they talk about is how they make the WS areas look as much like the native countries as possible, yet they sometimes have to use look-alike plants because the real thing wouldn't survive the Florida weather. I would certainly recomment this tour for anyone who loves landscaping and plants.

 

[flying_tigger]

Thanks for the replies. If anyone has a more up-to-date review, I'd love to hear it (thanx for the link, Leota).

Chris

 

[stink]

Took the tour last December and I would not recommend it. The specifics were the quality of the guide from enthusasmim to knowlegdge and the organization of the tour itself. You could walk the park yourself and look at the various signs & horticulture & learn more about the gardens then what was provided on the tour. The guide was actually very negative about Disney Management. If I was in the Disney managment I would never want this guide to represent the company as a tour guide or a cast member.

That being said, you may have a different guide and come away with a different perspective. We also took keys to the kingdom Tour and Steam Trains tour at MK. I would highly recommend both of those tours. These two tours were 180 degrees opposite of what we expericned on the Gardens tour.

 

[webmomom]

We took the tour a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it. We did go behind the scences a little and it was part of the tour. They took us be hind the mts in Canada.

They are the Disney horticulturist that do the tour, at less that is what he told us when we took the tour. He explained some of the problems Disney has had, and what they have gone through to correct them.

I would recommend this tour.

Stink-------- Did you let Disney know how the tour guide was talking or acting? I am sure they would like to know. No one can correct a problem if they don't know about it.