Alicea: 0:23

Hello everyone, I'm Alicea.

Nathan: 0:25

And I'm Nathan.

Alicea: 0:26

Welcome to this week's episode of Adventures and Mouscapades. You've heard us talk about Disneyland tours. Now we are going to talk about Disney World tours.

Nathan: 0:36

Indeed. We are touring the world of Disney.

Alicea: 0:42

Yeah.

Nathan: 0:43

Something like that.

Alicea: 0:45

Yeah. Disney World has a lot more options when it comes to tours.

Nathan: 0:50

Indeed, it does. I mean, it has lots more options when it comes to parks, too. This is true. Yeah. And to horribly oppressive weather. But I digress. Yeah. Where do you want to start? Let's start off at Epcot. Okay, I like it. So they have a tour package that brings you to every bar around the world, correct?

Alicea: 1:11

Incorrect.

Nathan: 1:12

No. Missed opportunity.

Alicea: 1:15

Uh I don't know that that would ever happen. Those are those are going to be on your own tours.

Nathan: 1:23

Yes. No, but I can just imagine it. You need one of those like trams that they use out in the parking lots, and it just goes from like country to country, so you don't have to walk. That'd be great.

Alicea: 1:35

They should have like a railroad. Yes.

Nathan: 1:40

Perfect. We're just enhancing Walt's vision. No, it needs to be a mini, like not a mini, but like a scaled-down monorail that you can take around the world. Tiny monorail realm. Tiny monorail. Yes.

Alicea: 1:54

Let's talk about what they actually have for tours.

Nathan: 1:57

Okay, let's do that.

Alicea: 2:00

If you've ever been on Livin' with the Land, which is a great ride, actually. They have something called the Behind the Seeds Tour. Seeds as in flower seeds or plant seeds, which is actually kind of cool. You can explore the future of agriculture during the up close and personal backstage walking tour of the land pavilion. Kiddos have to be three years of age or older to participate. Although I don't think kiddos that young would really appreciate this tour very much.

Nathan: 2:32

No, not so much. Not so much.

Alicea: 2:34

It is $39 a person, and they recommend that you go on living with the land before the tour, just so you get a better appreciation of it.

Nathan: 2:44

Right. You get the overview from the ride, and then you get to dive in for some of the specifics. Yeah. Disney's webpage says you get to learn about the hybrid striped bass, tilapia, catfish, and freshwater shrimp in their fish farm. You get to behold gigantic fruits and vegetables and unusual crops from around the world, and discover the latest plant growing techniques, including hydroponics. Look, Ma, no soil. Exactly. That's from their copy, not mine. Yeah.

Alicea: 3:21

Epcot also has a Seas Pavilion adventure, which is Dive Quest. To do this, you do have to have proof of open water scuba certification. Okay. And you get to go into the whole aquarium there at Epcot Seas, which is honestly pretty darn cool. You have to be at least 10 years of age to participate, and of course, have to have that scuba certification. Right. This is $229 per person. And you get to go, like I said, into the 5.7 million gallon saltwater aquarium at Epcot and swim with all the amazing aquatic animals there. It's a total two-hour thing, but you are in the actual dive for 40 minutes.

Nathan: 4:13

Well, that makes sense. That's about the time on an air tank. I mean, with some safety margin built in. So that's that makes sense.

Alicea: 4:19

And if you're just happening to visit the seas, you can see people in the aquarium, which is kind of cool. So bring your friends and family so they can watch you scuba dive.

Nathan: 4:30

Okay. So this is a pretty dang unique thing. I mean, obviously it's a tour, but at $229, yes, you have to have gone through the whole rigor of certification and all the rest of that stuff. But $229, if I had the certification, that seems like like that's a no-brainer. That seems like an awesome opportunity. That's cool.

Alicea: 4:55

And they do provide all the diving equipment. Um, they do not allow you to use personal diving equipment at all, though you can bring your own dive mask.

Nathan: 5:04

Makes sense. I mean, that's liability. Plus, they don't want to have cross-contamination. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Alicea: 5:08

Uh, you do have to wear a bathing suit. But they will provide a shorty wetsuit, and they have men's sizes extra small to 7x and women's sizes extra small to 7x.

Nathan: 5:23

Uh also no, no cameras or video equipment or cell phones may be used while backstage or in the water. So you'll just have to do that FaceTime video with grandma after you get out of the water and or have her at the aquarium. Oh, there you go. That would be even better.

Alicea: 5:42

Yeah.

Nathan: 5:43

All right. So that's what's at Epcot. Where are we going next, Alicea?

Alicea: 5:47

Magic Kingdom.

Nathan: 5:48

Ooh, I know where that is.

Alicea: 5:49

I do too.

Nathan: 5:51

Unfortunately, you have to park at the TTC.

Alicea: 5:54

Yeah. Ticketing and transportation center.

Nathan: 5:57

Yes. Anyhow, after you've done that and then taken the monorail or the ferry or on some days even the bus, what magical kingdom tour do we have on offer here? Or tours.

Alicea: 6:12

Tour.

Nathan: 6:13

Tour, just one.

Alicea: 6:15

Tour.

Nathan: 6:15

Tour.

Alicea: 6:16

For now. I'm sure they'll have more later. But Disney's Keys to the Kingdom Tour. This is something that I want to do.

Nathan: 6:23

I have heard about this one.

Alicea: 6:24

Yes. This is a five-hour look at the most iconic theme park at Walt Disney World Resort. Guests have to be 16 years of age or or older and have a valid photo ID to participate. It is $149 per person.

Nathan: 6:40

Okay. But what do you get for that, Alicea?

Alicea: 6:45

You get to uncover the hidden secrets of classic attractions at Magic Kingdom Park.

Nathan: 6:50

Oh. Cool.

Alicea: 6:52

You get to go down to the famed underground Utiladoor tunnels that allow people and supplies to travel beneath the park unseen. I think this is the big one of the big things that that people like to see, I guess, is because this is an area of the park that people just do not get to see. Right. Right. So, and of course, there's facts and trivia and all sorts of exciting tidbits about the park that the cast member will share. Cool. And lunch is also included with the tour. Nice. Very nice. Because yeah, I mean, five-hour tour, you need some snacks.

Nathan: 7:25

Yeah.

Alicea: 7:26

And foods. And you get to take home an exclusive keepsake. I don't know what that is. It's probably a pin.

Nathan: 7:32

Probably. Probably. That's awesome. Well, the copy from Disney's website on this one says, Hear the intriguing story of Walt Disney and how his vision, innovation, and creativity brought the theme park to life. You'll gain insight on Walt's thought process as he was designing the park, learn fun trivia and little-known facts, discover hidden Mickeys and other overlooked details and more. Yes. So just know that when you are in a backstage area, just like we were talking about uh over in the Seas Pavilion, you will not be allowed to take any pictures or any video recordings and all the rest of that stuff. So uh don't think you're, you know, you can obviously have your phone with you, but it needs to stay in your pocket.

Alicea: 8:23

Yep, when you're backstage, yeah.

Nathan: 8:25

Yes.

Alicea: 8:25

I find it interesting that guests have to be 16 years of age and older for this tour. I wonder why they're doing that. Is it just because of the length?

Nathan: 8:34

I don't think so. I would imagine it is liability because you're going into areas that are not necessarily set up to be guest friendly or kid friendly. And they don't want little kids running all over the place.

Alicea: 8:49

Little kid Yes, I understand that. But I was thinking like, you know, 13 and up would be okay. Like Sterling wouldn't be able to go on this for another couple of years, right? Yeah. And the Walt's apartment tour or Main Street tour they had, I think it was 10 and up, maybe for that. And they consider at Disney, they consider a 10-year-old an adult.

Nathan: 9:17

Yeah. Yeah. Mostly for pricing purposes.

Alicea: 9:20

Yes, mostly for pricing. True.

Nathan: 9:23

Yeah, I I don't know. I I I still think it's I still think it's going to be liability.

Alicea: 9:29

Okay.

Nathan: 9:30

But who knows?

Alicea: 9:32

Who knows?

Nathan: 9:33

I mean, somebody knows, and I'll guarantee you that somebody is in Disney legal.

Alicea: 9:38

Probably.

Nathan: 9:39

Yeah.

Alicea: 9:39

This one, someday I would like to do this one. Actually, I'd like to do all of these. Um, maybe not the dive quest, because I do not have any um drive to go get scuba certification.

Nathan: 9:53

But yeah. I I used to be very interested. And even as a as a small kid or I don't know, growing up, I discovered that I cannot equalize my ears when I dive real deep just in a pool. Like it just the pain gets to me, and I couldn't, I just couldn't do it. And so um, yeah, scuba diving is not on my list unless you have. I mean, they do have options where you basically have like a dry helmet on instead of a mask. Like, I think I might be able to do that, but I I don't know. Anyhow, that's enough about my problems. Let's go back to Disney Tours.

Alicea: 10:35

Disney Tours. That's the only one that they have for the Magic Kingdom.

Nathan: 10:39

That's surprising.

Alicea: 10:40

Yeah. Well, things change all the time.

Nathan: 10:43

Very true.

Alicea: 10:44

I will say we have done a couple of tours ourselves that are not on this list from back in the day.

Nathan: 10:52

Oh, yeah.

Alicea: 10:53

It's not on their websites anymore. Um, like we did a Ultimate Thrills VIP tour.

Nathan: 11:00

Yeah.

Alicea: 11:00

And that was going to all of the parks and getting on the bigger thrill rides. That was really cool. That was awesome. And Kaitlyn and I did an Animal Kingdom VIP tour a little later in the afternoon and hit a lot of the big rides there too. And neither of those are available on Disney's website anymore.

Nathan: 11:20

Interesting.

Alicea: 11:21

They curate and change tours all the time.

Nathan: 11:24

Yeah.

Alicea: 11:25

This is what is available right now.

Nathan: 11:27

Agreed. I mean, I don't know how I could disagree. It's just the simple fact.

Alicea: 11:31

Yes, that's just how it is.

Nathan: 11:32

I mean, people don't disagree about facts, right? Oh my dear. Moving on. What's up next on the list?

Alicea: 11:40

Next on the list is something called the Wilderness Back Trail Adventure. This is actually over at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort. And it's kind of cool. You get to explore on a Segway. Oh. Yeah. It's a two-hour tour.

Nathan: 11:58

Okay.

Alicea: 11:59

And they teach you how to ride on the Segway and everything beforehand, of course. Because yeah, you need to know how to do that. Right. And then you get to go wild on two wheels, is what it says in the copy. I only took a couple little blurbs from this, but the first line was take in Florida's natural beauty while gliding along scenic back roads. Um this is a two-hour circuit that includes stops at the stables of the Tricircle D Ranch and Glassy Bay Lake where photo ops abound.

Nathan: 12:39

Wow. Do they just like jump out at you as you're

Alicea: 12:42

I guess but the whole Tricircle D Ranch thing is pretty cool. Yeah. Now I will note you do not have to go on a Segway tour to visit Tricircle D Ranch. You can just go visit anytime. And that's something we have not done yet. And I want to do that in the future as well.

Nathan: 12:59

We we should let's put that on our list.

Alicea: 13:02

Okay.

Nathan: 13:02

Okay.

Alicea: 13:03

Many things to do on our list.

Nathan: 13:05

Yeah. Of course, this is outside on a Segway, so just be aware that weather may be a factor and make sure that uh you are dressed appropriately if it's going to be cold or stupidly hot or something like that. Um, there are some interesting um uh details that you will want to be aware of in terms of transportation before and after and all sorts of that stuff. Uh, and there are weight restrictions for segways. You have to be 16 years or older. Again, I think this is because you have to sign a waiver and liability and all the rest of that stuff. In general, there's some more caveats around this one and requirements. Make sure you go back on Disney's website and check out the details for the wilderness back trail adventure if this one sounds interesting for you. And it's $90 a person. I can't remember if we mentioned it, but if we did, oops, sorry I said it again. If we didn't, now you know.

Alicea: 14:04

Now you know. Next on the list, we're moving over to a different resort to Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge to highlight the Starlight Safari at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge. This is pretty cool. You get to set out on an immersive safari adventure reminiscent of a nighttime drive through an African game reserve.

Nathan: 14:26

Got it. So you're not actually going to Africa.

Alicea: 14:28

No.

Nathan: 14:29

That makes more sense.

Alicea: 14:30

That would be a lot longer tour.

unknown: 14:33

Yes.

Nathan: 14:34

It would cost a lot more than between $75 and $89 as well.

Alicea: 14:39

Yes. Uh guests need to be eight years of age or older to participate. And this is pretty cool. You are going to be given night vision goggles, a device, or whatever it is, binoculars, something or another. And you're going to go on um a safari vehicle, basically, through the open savannah at Animal Kingdom Lodge.

Nathan: 15:02

That's awesome.

Alicea: 15:03

Yeah.

Nathan: 15:04

That's cool. So this is about a one-hour tour. And yeah, if uh, you know, this sounds interesting to you, it kind of does to me. Go ahead and sign up for this one. It's not too expensive.

Alicea: 15:18

You don't need park tickets because you're not in a park. Right. You just need to get yourself to Kidani Village, uh Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge.

Nathan: 15:26

Yes. Yes. And if it's thunderstorming out, like they're not gonna run. So just know that these are you know subject to weather cancellations. Now, if it's just rainy or drizzly, they're probably gonna go. It's just the lightning stuff that shut stuff down. Or a hurricane or things like that. There are a bunch of tours at Animal Kingdom Park proper, Alicea. Let's talk about some of those. The first one on the list is called Caring for Giants. You get a closer look at the majestic African elephants at Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park and learn what it takes to care for them. This is a $39 tour. Uh, it's about an hour-long experience, and you get to meet with a knowledgeable guide who will provide insight into the inner workings of Disney's African elephant herd. Uh, you'll be provided kind of a glimpse into the day-to-day care of these amazing animals and hear stories of Disney's conservation efforts dedicated to the preservation of wild populations throughout the world.

Alicea: 16:34

And of course, because this does take place at Animal Kingdom theme park, you do need separate admission to get there. You're gonna end up being around 80 to 100 feet away from the elephants, which is pretty darn cool. Um, when you are backstage, you cannot use cameras or video equipment or cell phones, any of that stuff as normal. And guests need to be four years or older to participate.

Nathan: 17:01

Oh, that's not too bad.

Alicea: 17:02

No, no. And because you are going backstage where animals are, you'll be exposed to like dust and hay and all sorts of stuff.

Nathan: 17:13

Yeah. So if you have some allergies or or are sensitive to some of those environmental factors, just know this isn't like walking around the paved areas in a theme park. This is eau natural. Yep.

Alicea: 17:29

Yep. Another animal experience you can have is up close with rhinos. Meet these mighty but gentle giants in a special viewing area for a wildlife experience like no other. Guests need to be four years of age or older on this one as well. And it is $49 per person. This is another 60-minute guided adventure, and the rhino keepers will take you backstage to meet the massive creatures as few people ever do.

Nathan: 17:59

That's very cool. Yeah. So this is basically the rhinoceros version of the elephant tour. Yes. And the rhinos are $10 more expensive because they're more cool.

Alicea: 18:09

I guess. Sure. They have horns.

Nathan: 18:12

Yes. The rhinos are horny. Moving on. Wow, thanks for thanks for helping me out of that.

Alicea: 18:24

Yep, no problem.

Nathan: 18:25

Yep. Anyhow, let's talk about Savor the Savannah. Enjoy the savannah at Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park with a private safari, African-inspired tapas, beverages, and more. This is a $189 per person event, and it is restricted to guests eight years and up. Your safari begins with a journey deep into the heart of the Harambe Wildlife of the Harambe Wildlife of the Harambe Wild. Of the Harambe Wildlife Reserve. You'll soon find yourself with one of the most secluded and breathtaking private viewing areas the savanna has to offer. Listen along as your guide tells tales of the unique residents who inhabit the reserve. And you get to have a meal out there on the savannah as well. This seems pretty cool.

Alicea: 19:25

We've seen a couple of, I guess, vlogs of people that have done this tour. And there's, I don't know what to call it, other than like there's a there is a special area specifically for people doing this. And you are kind of like out on the middle of the savannah having lunch.

Nathan: 19:43

Yeah. It looks really neat. It looks really awesome. And there is kind of like a little lodge building out there where where they do the food and everything, and they tell some more stories and stuff like that. So yeah, it's it's pretty neat. I would definitely be interested in doing this.

Alicea: 20:00

A little more expensive, 189 to 199 plus tax. Uh, they do have some alcoholic beverages as well with the lunch for those that are 21 and older and wish to imbibe.

Nathan: 20:12

That would be the that that would be us.

Alicea: 20:15

Yes. The last Animal Kingdom theme park tour we have is the Wild Africa Trek. This is a privately guided VIP expedition full of close encounters with exotic African wildlife. Guests need to be eight years of age or older and at least 48 inches tall to participate. This is $219 per person. And there's a reason why this has a little bit extra of a cost. This is a three-hour wild Africa trek. You get to um basically walk over where the alligator crocodiles are. I cannot remember exactly which ones they are, but um, you get to go over that enclosure on um like the little suspension bridge thingy that they have.

Nathan: 21:05

Yeah.

Alicea: 21:05

Which is pretty cool. Um the rope bridge, I guess. Yeah, you get to go in your own little safari vehicle with people and get to see the giraffes, the rhinos. It's your own little private safari with your VIP group, of course.

Nathan: 21:23

Right. It's not, I mean, unless you buy out the whole tour. Yes. I think it's like 20 people, I think. Because we've seen a vlog of somebody who did this as well. It wasn't a huge group, but I mean, you're definitely gonna be, you know, with with a few other folks.

Alicea: 21:37

Yeah. They also have a photographer there to take pictures um of you on this experience.

Nathan: 21:44

Right, right. And it's not just the alligator area. No, it's not. You're going all over the place. You get the the the alligators, you get giraffes, rhinos, hippos, and of course, crocodiles. It's not alligators at all. It's crocs.

Alicea: 21:59

That's why I said both, yeah. So wear your shoes.

Nathan: 22:02

Yeah.

Alicea: 22:03

No, don't. Actually, you you are not allowed to wear those shoes. You have to wear closed-toed shoes. Yeah. That don't have the um slip-off things. Yeah. No crocs.

Nathan: 22:12

No. Wait. Don't wear crocs to see the crocs. Correct. Got it. Oh, yeah. This I would I would love to do this one as well. And this one also includes uh uh some food options.

Alicea: 22:31

Yes, and I don't know if it's in the same place or not. Um, I would think it might be actually in the same type of place. Yeah. Yeah, and the menu menu sounds pretty good too.

Nathan: 22:43

Yeah. Now, just note in addition to the uh the age restriction of terms of eight years and 48 inches, and I think that's because of the rope bridge and you have to get strapped in and all the rest of that stuff. There are weight limits, both both minimum and maximum. You must have the quote, physical stamina, comfort with heights, and the sure-footedness to negotiate small hills, foliage, and unsteady rope bridges on this tour, unquote. So, you know, you probably don't need to be a gymnast, but um this may not be the tour for folks who have some mobility challenges.

Alicea: 23:23

Yeah. And it also says cameras are allowed as long as they can be securely fastened to the vest because you're also getting a safety vest and a wireless headset.

Nathan: 23:34

Got it. Interesting. Cool. All right, well, and then just like in Disneyland, there's also the opportunity to rent a plaid. And if you haven't listened to our Disneyland Tours episode, uh, the folks from guest services who do VIP tours have a plaid uniform that they wear and are often known colloquially, colloquial, collo, they're frequently referred to as plaids.

Alicea: 24:03

Yes, they are. VIP Oh, go ahead. You do it. Okay. VIP tours are quite pricey. They range from $450 to $900 per hour, and there is a minimum of seven hours, a maximum of 10. You can have up to 10 people involved in this tour. Gratuities are not included, and separate admission is required.

Nathan: 24:27

Here's the real big question, Alicea. Do they have VIP tour merch available in Disney World like they do in Disneyland?

Alicea: 24:35

I don't know.

Nathan: 24:36

Hmm.

Alicea: 24:37

I would think so.

Nathan: 24:38

I would hope so. Better, otherwise, there would be a revolt.

Alicea: 24:44

Easy to check, I'm sure. Disney's great with merchandise, so I would be very surprised if they did not. Yes. Well, these are the tours that Disney World currently has available on their website. It can change. It may change.

Nathan: 24:57

It does change. It will change. It will change, yes.

Alicea: 25:01

So if you are interested in any of these, I highly recommend working with a travel agent or checking on Disney's site directly.

Nathan: 25:09

We'd love to hear from you. Which tour would you be interested in doing? Or multiple. All of them? Sure, why not? All of them. Exactly. Exactly. Well, just remember, we are not affiliated with Disney or their subsidiaries. These are personal opinions and suggestions based on our own experiences. We recommend working with a travel agent or contacting Disney directly to plan your perfect vacation.

Alicea: 25:36

If you have any questions or suggestions or would like to be interviewed on our show to share your own experiences, please send an email to podcast at our mousecapades.com.

Nathan: 25:46

Go ahead and follow us on social media. You can find us at Our Mouse Capades. We're on Instagram, Facebook, Threads, and YouTube.

Alicea: 25:55

Please give us a rating and review in your podcast app. It really helps people find us.

Nathan: 26:00

And of course, don't hesitate to share us with your friends and fellow Disney lovers of all ages.

Alicea: 26:06

Thank you for listening. We will be in your ears next week.

Nathan: 26:10

Thank you for flying Star Tours. Bye-bye.

Alicea: 26:21

Sorry. Oh my gosh, watch frickin' turn off. Sorry, he'll have a little doo doo doo because I moved. Yay!