So it was now Sunday morning and my Keys To The Kingdom day tour. I was up early and grabbed a bagel and apple juice at the Pop food court. I had a poncho in my bag but guess what? It was not raining! AMAZING! It was hot and sunny if I recall. I took the early bus over to MK as I was on the 8:30 tour but was supposed to be there by 8:15. I think I got there at like 7:45, it was pretty empty.
They let me in and I went to sign in. They give you a nametag to wear and you choose your lunch at this point. Lunch is at Columbia Harbor House and you choose off the menu. I ordered a salad and a coke. They also have bottled water that you can grab one for the day. I got one of those and then went outside to walk around and look in the Main Street windows without anyone in the way.
The windows have such creative displays, stop and look next time you are there. I meandered up and down. I also had a Photopass guy take a few pics in front of the castle. I have the disc but haven't loaded it yet. Maybe at some point I'll add a few of those pictures.
You can't take any pictures during the tour so I don't have any to share. And I really don't have a lot of details to tell you, it would ruin it if you took the tour and I don't want to do that. So let's see what I can tell you.
It is a great tour! If you pay with a Disney Visa you get 20% off so it was just $48 for me and that includes the lunch. If you are a fan of Disney World I really recommend this tour!
It is a ton of walking. The tour was 4.5 hours long and we did a lot of walking. Well worth it though, just wear comfy shoes.
Okay so our time came and we gathered with our guide. She reminded me of a friend from college. She was so friendly and sweet and knowledgable, I wish I could recall her name though! I must have jotted it somewhere. Anyway she was great, really great. She handed out the earpieces that we would wear. This is very cool. It attaches to your waist so you can turn the volume up or down or turn the unit off or on. Then it has an earpiece that you wear. So you don't have to be standing right next to her to hear her. You can be looking in another direction and it still hear her story. A really great way to take a tour.
Our group was diverse. There was a young couple, a couple of friends, an older couple, another single older woman traveller, a mother/daughter (she was college age), another mother/daughter (high school age) and "the" family. They probably DIS but they'll probably never find me.
They were, oh how to describe. You know those people that know eeeeevvveeeerrrrryyyything about Disney and want to be sure you know they know? They were here, on my tour. Mom, Dad and the son they had waited since the day he was born to be able to take him into a Utilidor. Dressed head to toe in Disney garb (not that there is anything wrong with that) they were the ones throwing their hands up for every question a la Arnold Horshack and even trying to stump the Tour Guide with a smirk on their face. It was annoying. About 3/4 of the way through the tour the son and the other High School daughter seemed to be throwing a little interest to each other which was quite comical. The whole thing was like a show within a show.
Anyway, I could regal you with stories, they were annoying, I'll leave it at that. We did a lot of walking, started on Main Street, learned a lot of stuff, some things I knew, some I did not, we went on a ride, we went backstage, we saw some cool stuff, we went to the Utilidors, we learned some more cool stuff, we got neat Keys to the Kingdom pins.
Sorry to be so vague, I just really don't want to ruin it for anyone! Go take the tour next time you are there and you can. You won't regret it! I was seated at lunch with the mother/daughter (college age) and the other single woman traveller. It was cool to get seated with her. Her kids are college age and she has come to Disney several times alone. It was nice to talk to someone else who wanted to do the solo thing.
Okay so after the tour was over I think it was like 1pm. If I recall I headed down to the Ice Cream Parlor and I indulged with a Sundae in a waffle bowl. Mmmmmm was it good! I think then I went over to Tomorrowland. I might have ridden Buzz? My memory is pretty shot so I can't be totally sure. I know I then went to the Emporium and did some shopping. I remember that I did buy a necklace like the one I bought in March that broke. It has two Mickey heads that hang on the chain, I wear it all the time.
I was supposed to meet some DISers at the Pop pool this afternoon so I headed on out to go back. It was really sweaty hot at this stage, that I remember!
Next up, who did I meet at the pool?
Allyson
PS Marathon training update, the race is about 2 months away. I was going along good and then this week hit. Boom! I was in a funk all week, DH is away travelling, I have not run since LAST Sunday. GULP! Not good. I need to resume training today or else it is going to be worse!
They let me in and I went to sign in. They give you a nametag to wear and you choose your lunch at this point. Lunch is at Columbia Harbor House and you choose off the menu. I ordered a salad and a coke. They also have bottled water that you can grab one for the day. I got one of those and then went outside to walk around and look in the Main Street windows without anyone in the way.
The windows have such creative displays, stop and look next time you are there. I meandered up and down. I also had a Photopass guy take a few pics in front of the castle. I have the disc but haven't loaded it yet. Maybe at some point I'll add a few of those pictures.
You can't take any pictures during the tour so I don't have any to share. And I really don't have a lot of details to tell you, it would ruin it if you took the tour and I don't want to do that. So let's see what I can tell you.
It is a great tour! If you pay with a Disney Visa you get 20% off so it was just $48 for me and that includes the lunch. If you are a fan of Disney World I really recommend this tour!
It is a ton of walking. The tour was 4.5 hours long and we did a lot of walking. Well worth it though, just wear comfy shoes.
Okay so our time came and we gathered with our guide. She reminded me of a friend from college. She was so friendly and sweet and knowledgable, I wish I could recall her name though! I must have jotted it somewhere. Anyway she was great, really great. She handed out the earpieces that we would wear. This is very cool. It attaches to your waist so you can turn the volume up or down or turn the unit off or on. Then it has an earpiece that you wear. So you don't have to be standing right next to her to hear her. You can be looking in another direction and it still hear her story. A really great way to take a tour.
Our group was diverse. There was a young couple, a couple of friends, an older couple, another single older woman traveller, a mother/daughter (she was college age), another mother/daughter (high school age) and "the" family. They probably DIS but they'll probably never find me.
They were, oh how to describe. You know those people that know eeeeevvveeeerrrrryyyything about Disney and want to be sure you know they know? They were here, on my tour. Mom, Dad and the son they had waited since the day he was born to be able to take him into a Utilidor. Dressed head to toe in Disney garb (not that there is anything wrong with that) they were the ones throwing their hands up for every question a la Arnold Horshack and even trying to stump the Tour Guide with a smirk on their face. It was annoying. About 3/4 of the way through the tour the son and the other High School daughter seemed to be throwing a little interest to each other which was quite comical. The whole thing was like a show within a show.Anyway, I could regal you with stories, they were annoying, I'll leave it at that. We did a lot of walking, started on Main Street, learned a lot of stuff, some things I knew, some I did not, we went on a ride, we went backstage, we saw some cool stuff, we went to the Utilidors, we learned some more cool stuff, we got neat Keys to the Kingdom pins.
Sorry to be so vague, I just really don't want to ruin it for anyone! Go take the tour next time you are there and you can. You won't regret it! I was seated at lunch with the mother/daughter (college age) and the other single woman traveller. It was cool to get seated with her. Her kids are college age and she has come to Disney several times alone. It was nice to talk to someone else who wanted to do the solo thing.
Okay so after the tour was over I think it was like 1pm. If I recall I headed down to the Ice Cream Parlor and I indulged with a Sundae in a waffle bowl. Mmmmmm was it good! I think then I went over to Tomorrowland. I might have ridden Buzz? My memory is pretty shot so I can't be totally sure. I know I then went to the Emporium and did some shopping. I remember that I did buy a necklace like the one I bought in March that broke. It has two Mickey heads that hang on the chain, I wear it all the time.
I was supposed to meet some DISers at the Pop pool this afternoon so I headed on out to go back. It was really sweaty hot at this stage, that I remember!
Next up, who did I meet at the pool?
Allyson
PS Marathon training update, the race is about 2 months away. I was going along good and then this week hit. Boom! I was in a funk all week, DH is away travelling, I have not run since LAST Sunday. GULP! Not good. I need to resume training today or else it is going to be worse!
Yep, mom works at Artist Point. I actually saw you later in the day, during the tour, but didn't think that would be a good time to try and get your attention
). And you got a hot sunny day...nice! 
I would love to take that tour someday hopefully not with a bunch of know-it-alls along though. 
I hope your training is going well!
