In February of 2017, we experienced the Backstage Magic Tour at Walt Disney World. I went on this tour with my mom, my friend Kelly, and her mom. Each of us had been to Disney multiple times and we were looking for something a little different. We were most excited to get behind the scenes and see the ultilidoors at Magic Kingdom but our interest was piqued by the promise of costuming as well.
First, the logistics. The Behind The Senes Magic Tour is a 7 hour experience. It begins at 9am and ends at 4pm. You do not need a park ticket for this day. (Though to be honest, we did get a park ticket for he day, taking advantage of the decreased price of adding a 6th day to a 5 day pass, this allowed for us to have a nice dinner at Epcot and a ride on Frozen!). The cost of the tour as of August 2018 is $275.00 a person and we used a Chase Visa for a 15% discount. There is also a 15% discount available for Annual Passholders. The discount for DVC members is 20% and currently it is offered on Mondays and Fridays. The tour starts promptly at 9am with a meeting point in front of Epcot. Guests under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult, and closed toe shoes must be worn. Bottled water and lunch are provided (more about that later!!)
We met at the designated Epcot area at 8:45. We were able to find the spot easily because a cast member was holding up this sign. Obviously we got a picture with it! We received name tags and met our VIP guide, Harry. Now, I ALWAYS think that Disney cast members go above and beyond when it comes to customer service, but Harry was in a class of his own. His knowledge, enthusiasm, and dedication to Disney were palpable and he really enjoyed answering questions and sharing facts. As we loaded the bus to take us backstage, we were given personal headphones (think 1980s walkman!) that were connected to Harry’s body microphone. I really liked this feature. I was always able to hear him clearly no matter where I was standing in the group! We went Backstage to see where the magic begins.
So excited to Start Our Backstage Magic Tour!
Now, I do not have pictures of backstage because they are not allowed on the tour but here are the places we visited: backstage at Epcot, textile services (laundry), Creative Costuming, Central Shops, backstage at the Magic Kingdom, and Wilderness Lodge (that was not a backstage part, it was for lunch at Whispering Canyon…. YUM).
Backstage at Epcot included exclusive time in the world showcase pavilion before it opened. Harry pointed out some aspects of Disney Imagineering that really brings the world to Orlando and shared many facts about the building of the pavilions. We then went behind the scenes at The American Adventure to see the morning’s test run from behind the scenes. If you have a family member who is mechanically inclined, they will LOVE this part. The engineering behind the scenes to coordinate all the different parts of the show was my favorite behind the scenes portion of the trip. We made sure to go to the American Experience later that day and had a whole new appreciation for the complexity of the production.
Textile services was an aspects of the tour that didn’t particularly appeal to me at first glance. But wow, I was wrong. The huge facility dedicated to laundry is such a marvel. I could have watched the pulley systems of laundry bags to different resorts all day. It gave me an appreciation for how vast the Disney property really is!
Costuming and Central Shops were also fascinating. I had no idea how many outfits were available for each character and how much work goes into fitting cast members for uniforms and costumes for stage shows! The pattern printer used for costumes is huge and the walls are all full of costumes throughout the years which showed the evolution of costumes. I was not sure what to expect at Central Shops but this was also really interesting. Central Shops is where pieces of the attractions go to get created, repaired, and tested. We were walked through some of the process of creating animatronics and walked through the warehouse to see the seasonal decorations- I wish Disney would come and organize my house! Everything (and there is SO MUCH) is organized beautifully for seasonal purposes as well as special events.
Lunch was in the middle of the tour and was at Whispering Canyon at the Wilderness Lodge. It is served family style in an all-you-care-to-enjoy fashion with fried chicken, mashed potatoes, ribs, cornbread, pulled pork, corn on the cob, sausage and baked beans. The peach cobbler with ice cream is a Disney dessert I still dream about. Which is saying a lot. I dream about a lot of Disney desserts. It was also my first time at Whispering Canyon and I had not experienced the shenanigans of it before so this was a great break to the walking and the food was delicious. I highly recommend a meal at Whispering Canyon next time you are at World Disney World.
The day ended at the Magic Kingdom, we explored the utilidoor channel which is an underground tunnel system that lets cast members go between the different lands without walking through the park. It was explained to us that this system was put in place by Walt Disney to preserve the magic of the parks. You would never see someone in frontier dress in Tomorrowland, so cast members are able to get to their posts quickly and discreetly.
On the topic of preserving the magic of Walt Disney World: that is where I think this tour really shines. I love checking all aspects of my adult life at the door in Disney. I WANT to believe that one Mickey Mouse reports to the Magic Kingdom each day to greet guests and welcome them to a happy place. Harry made it very clear throughout the tour that although he was there to answer questions, provide insight, and bring us backstage, he was also there to make sure some of the magic stays exactly that- magic. The balance of this tour was great. I saw the backstage without losing the childhood amazement that comes with all aspects of Disney. I would highly recommend it, especially if you have been to Disney World many times and are looking for something new and exciting or have a late flight home and do not want to pay for a park ticket to only have a half day in the park. The added bonus of a great sit down lunch is also great!
