Keys to the Kingdom Tour at Magic Kingdom is one of the best kept secrets! Totally worth your time and money to participate in this tour. You must be able to walk for an extended period of time as it is a walking tour. Lunch is included with the tour.
All I can say is WOW!! I hesitated to take this tour for many years because I thought it would take the magic away, sooooo wrong! It really created more magic.
This report may seem a bit general at times, but I don’t want to ruin the tour for anyone who is lucky enough to take this great tour!!
We arrived for the 10 AM tour at 945 AM as we were advised to do to check in at City Hall. Upon arriving at 940 AM we were issued our personalized name badges and hearing packs. Our lunch was from a choice of 8 items at Pecos Bill . You could take ‘one or couple’ of bottles of water with us onto the tour. There were 20 people in our group.
Our guide Michael arrived promptly at 10 AM and moved us out onto the porch area where he introduced himself and gave us a history about who he was, where he was from (Buffalo NY) and his Disney history. He then showed us how to work our ear pieces and intercom. These were great as we walked through the park or even behind the scenes to hear him. Michael was great about asking for questions and repeating it so we could all hear before he answered.
Then it was onto the front of the castle and how everything was about the “show”. Michael showed and explained to us how the original four Disney keys are still very much a part of Disney culture. You are probably wondering what the Disney Keys are. They are guidelines that the company started with and still use today to create a magical time for every person that visits a Disney Park or Resort. The keys are:
1-Safety
2-Courtesy
3-Show
4-Efficiency
These keys all work together, and you learn and see as you go through the park.
You may notice that customer service is not specifically listed but you learn how all four keys work together to create that special level of customer service that we know and love. You learn what each term means to what we see and do at Disney.
The group toured through Adventureland making a stop at Jungle Cruise and going for a ride. I learned more history than I ever knew existed (note see the “hidden Mickey” of Gooseberry Jam just before you get on the ride). Next the tour took us behind the Splash Mountain ride where we saw floats and so much more! We learned how the water is treated with bromine and not chlorine (so it doesn’t hurt a person’s skin). The water at Jungle Cruise and other rides is dyed to have that green color we know, it is NOT dirty water.
We got a peek at the Electric Water Pageant Parade Floats (this was the first night time parade at Disney). It was supposed to have been just for the opening, but it was liked so much that it has stayed all this time. You can see this water parade as it goes through the Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake every night. Check the times it passes The Polynesian Resort, The Contemporary Resort, Magic Kingdom, Grand Floridian Resort, and the Wilderness Lodge Resort and Campgrounds. It is a 15-minute parade.
Now it was time for lunch at Pecos Bill. The great thing was the reserved area for us to eat at. When we arrived, our food was on a table with our own Keys to the Kingdom Pin. I enjoyed my meal and was ready to press on. Moving right along, we then toured through Adventureland to Liberty Square and made our way to The Haunted Mansion and were given a great history lesson about that ride and everyone involved. This information was given to us prior to going on the ride so we could look and listen for all the things we had learned.
Lastly were off to Fantasyland where we made our way “off stage” again into the Utilidors. This was amazing to see even in its plain decor. It is so alive down there and I think you get a small taste of what it is like to be a cast member and see that they are real people. We came back up in the Utilidors behind the Ice Cream Shop and walked back to the front of the park.
Everyone saw so much, and I learned so many things about Disney. I totally enjoyed the tour, learning even more than what I already knew about Disney. I recommend taking the 5-hour tour and really getting to know not only Magic Kingdom but Disney itself. You will not be disappointed. The tour currently runs $99 plus you must have a park ticket for the day as well. You can call 407-939-8687 as early as 180 days out, the fee is charged when you make the reservations.
Put this on your list of things to do when Disney planning. Another tour is Up Close with Rhinos