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nvmom
08-14-2007, 02:42 PM
In reading about Walk in Walt's Footsteps, it says you get a private lunch and a ride on the train? Where is lunch likely to be and is there a special train car? Thanks.

nvmom

Malcon10t
08-14-2007, 02:46 PM
In reading about Walk in Walt's Footsteps, it says you get a private lunch and a ride on the train? Where is lunch likely to be and is there a special train car? Thanks.

nvmom
Lunch used to be in the Gallery Courtyard, but someone has said they moved it to the area by City Hall. On the train, you ride in the regular train cars. The guide will tell you where to get off. They don't use a special car (in case you were thinking of the Lilly Belle.)

nvmom
08-14-2007, 03:21 PM
Thank you Malcon10t. So is the food for lunch from a particular restaurant in the park and they just seat you in a private area??

For who ever has done this tour... you enjoyed it, I assume?

nvmom

Malcon10t
08-14-2007, 03:30 PM
Thank you Malcon10t. So is the food for lunch from a particular restaurant in the park and they just seat you in a private area??

For who ever has done this tour... you enjoyed it, I assume?

nvmomWe had Turkey Sandwiches. I think they were from the Blue Ribbon Bakery. They were EXCELLENT.

I really enjoyed the tour. I've heard the upgrades are really good.

Faith Trust & Pixie Dust
08-14-2007, 03:44 PM
I know I'm in the minority here, but I was disappointed with the Walk in Walt's Footsteps tour when I took it this May. It may just have been our guide, but it was a decidedly low-key and not terribly informative event. I didn't really learn much, and there weren't a lot of perks or insider information that made it worth $43 (or so with the AAA discount). Lunch in the courtyard of the Disney Gallery was nice, but my salad was so-so. I gave rave reviews to the 50th anniversary tour--fantastic guide, walked onto 4 attractions, fun information, reserved seating for the fireworks, etc. Even the pin they gave us for the WIWF tour seemed a little cheap, compared to the beautiful lighted pin (of the lamp in Walt's window) and souvenier e-ticket book we got for the 50th tour. I know lots of people who loved the tour, but it just wasn't what my friend and I were hoping for.

cstephens
08-14-2007, 03:49 PM
Thank you Malcon10t. So is the food for lunch from a particular restaurant in the park and they just seat you in a private area??

For who ever has done this tour... you enjoyed it, I assume?

nvmom

I've done the tour twice in the past couple of years, and I enjoyed it both times. I'm not sure if the food is from a particular restaurant or is just made by DLR restaurant staff. You get a choice of a few different sandwiches and salads.

I did enjoy having lunch in the Disney Gallery courtyard. The Disney website says it's in the Tour Gardens, which is the patio area right where the tour kiosk (formerly AAA kiosk) is. That doesn't seem nearly as interesting to me, but that's the only downside I see.

nvmom
08-14-2007, 03:50 PM
So for more adult tours there's Walk in Walt's Footsteps and Welcome to Disneyland?

nvmom

Malcon10t
08-14-2007, 03:53 PM
The guide can really make or break the tour. We've had great guides, except one on the Holiday tour. We actually dropped out of the tour early because she was so depressing. Our WIWF tourguide had a lot of information and could answer any questions posed of her. But I could see where a not so great guide could bore a person. We recently did the VIP tour and our guides were excellent. I can't wait to go back and ask for them again in Dec!

Stichy626
08-14-2007, 06:57 PM
I took this tour last Thursday and was somewhat let down. As Malcon10t said, the guide can really make or break the tour.

Our guide was not good. She couldn't answer a single question that was not part of her script. It was as if she was on auto pilot and her personality was very fake. I even caught her rolling her eyes a time or two. There may have been only two or three new things I learned on the tour everything else could have been found in a book. Using the headsets and hearing things in Walt's on voice was really cool though.

The hi-lite for me was the ride in the Lilly Belle. That happened by chance. When we arrived at Toon Town station the Lilly Belle happened to be on the back of the next train and since there were 15 people + the guide that day we were allowed in.

The lunch was also fabulous. I had the Turkey Sandwhich also and it is from the Blue Ribbon Bakery. No salads are offered but the Chocolate Chip Cookies are incredible.

I'd have been really happy with a ride on the Lilly Belle and lunch only for half the price.

disminfan
08-14-2007, 08:06 PM
I took the tour last month and had a pretty good tour guide. She had a very perky smile and was very informative. As the others said, it's the guides that make your tour interesting and pleasant. We had taken the Walt's tour six years ago and was very disappointed because our tour guide was boring and only pointed out the rides and attractions as though we were there for the first time. This time, however, I gave it another chance because I had read here that the tour has been enhanced through the years. I especially enjoyed looking into the lobby of Club 33 and we were also lucky enough to ride in the Lilly Belle. That was the best part. The lunch was at the patio where you turn in your tickets for the tour. It was a good way to end the tour in a nice relaxing atmosphere. I recommend it and hope you have a treat time.

misdisney
08-14-2007, 11:40 PM
Ok so we're going to Disneyland in November and are really looking forward to doing a tour. My daughter and I go to Disneyland twice a year and have never done a tour. She's turning 9yrs old and I thought it would be a great time to do a tour this year. I was looking at WIWF and really thinking that was what we were going to do but then I saw something about a Holiday Tour and another called Discover the Magic. Does anyone have any info about either of these? If so of the 3 witch on is the best!!! One you just have to do? :D
Thanks for any info you all can give!

emmah
08-15-2007, 03:30 AM
I did the WiWF tour in January, on the martin luther king holiday, and I have to say that I too, was really disappointed in it. Our guide seemed like a lovely woman, but something about the group didn't gel and I didn't learn anything new or particularly interesting. We rode an ordinary train to New Orleans, and the guard spoke to us for a while. We had lunch in the gallery courtyard, but as a vegetarian I was really disappointed - it was a salad and it was not really very fresh or tasty. there was a huge piece of cheesecake which I carted around all afternoon - ended up leaking all over my bag (it just was not my day!). Having said that, I absolutely LOVED the 50th anniversary tour, that was a really super tour, and I also really loved the christmas tour I did the year before - that comment above about a tourguide making or breaking a tour was right on the money. ultimately i think tours are really subjective - depends on who is in the group, how you bond with the tour guide, and whether your interests all coincide. but it could be that i am just not a group person ... :D


i have never done the discover the magic tour but as i recall from earlier threads, its a bit like a scavenger hunt for families with children - you could search and read what parents who have done it, thought of it. it sounds like you will be there for the holiday tour, and i really recommend that. you get to learn a lot about different faith traditions over the holidays, you go on HMH and SW Holiday, and for me the best part was front row seats along with hot chocolate and treats for the holiday parade. we got lots of attention from the characters as they came past, and it was lovely to have such nice seats and to be able to see everything without crowds in front of me!

oregontraveler
08-15-2007, 04:44 AM
I did WIWF in July, with AP discount. It was worth the price for me. I enjoyed the Club 33 lobby, after Tiki Room, they bring out one of the original
flowers used in the show. Listening to Walt on the headset was cool. We happened to be behind the castle when the DL band started their show and all the characters came out across the drawbridge. At Small World, the train
pulled in at ToonTown and our guide suddenly 'hauled buns' to make sure we got on and rode the Lilly Belle. So our guide that day made it worth it. Lunch at the tour gardens was good. I also did the Holiday tour back in '04.
I think a 9 year old would have fun with that. I'm pretty sure we were back doored into Small World and Haunted Mansion. And Reserved seating for the
Dreams Parade outside Small World was definitely worth it. I would try doing it at night since all the lights are on.

Malcon10t
08-15-2007, 07:36 AM
I think a 9yo would enjoy the Holiday tour more. They take you on HMH and IASWH. You also ride the train and get excellent seating to the parade, along with a cookie and hot chocolate. You learn about the holiday traditions at the park. I learned more on this tour than I did any others. (I've done it 2 or 3 times and have learned something new each time.)

If she is a Disney Geek, and it seems you get the right tour guide, WIWF can be fun for her. When we did it, they showed us about an older Tiki bird (and we saw the show) and we went in Club 33, lobby only (which my kids enjoyed!) 99% of the info we knew, but we did learn a little and it was a fun tour.

Malcon10t
08-15-2007, 07:38 AM
And Reserved seating for the
Dreams Parade outside Small World was definitely worth it. I would try doing it at night since all the lights are on.In November, POD will be down, but there is seating for the Holiday tour for the Christmas Fantasy Parade.

DianeM
08-15-2007, 07:50 AM
We took this tour our last visit, and enjoyed it very much. It is, as the name suggests, very focused on Walt Disney. My husband was so inspired that he went out and bought several books on Disney. Our tour guide was enthusiastic and professional. I particularly enjoyed the behind the scene look into Tiki Room, since that is one of my favorite attractions. Lunch was very nice. Overall, I would recommend it. I doubt we'll take the same tour last time, but I'm sure we will take some kind of tour, since we enjoyed this one so much.

One caveat ... I don't think younger kids will enjoy this tour much. It's more of a history lesson than a ride tour. There was one teenager in our group, and she seemed to be having a good time, but most kids would find this boring (unless they are Disney fanatics and/or history buffs).


Thank you Malcon10t. So is the food for lunch from a particular restaurant in the park and they just seat you in a private area??

For who ever has done this tour... you enjoyed it, I assume?

nvmom

Tinkermommy
08-15-2007, 09:20 AM
We took Walk in Walt's Footsteps and liked it, but didn't love it. There wasn't a great deal our guide told us that we didn't already know (our fault for reading too much - lol), but it was all new to the relatives who came with us. The Gallery was temporarily closed, so our lunch was served at the Golden Horseshoe. My favorite part was getting to go into the lobby of Club 33, but when we were able to actually go eat there months later, I discovered some of what our guide told us in the lobby was wrong. That kind of bothered me, that people were paying for a tour that gave some wrong information. There was a secondary guide on our tour who discovered that my daughter loved Tinker Bell, left and got a pin, and came back to give it to her. She told her she'd run into Tink and that Tink had asked her to deliver the pin personally. I suspect she may have bought it herself, because it was in one of the store bags. I was very touched that she went to that trouble, and my daughter was delighted that Tink thought of her.

We took the "Discover the Magic" tour the first summer it came out, and LOVED LOVED LOVED it. We had the incredibly good fortune of being the only two on that particular tour, so my little girl essentially had her own tour guide. It was a little bit embarrassing walking up Main St. with our tambourines and singing the Mickey Mouse Club song with just the three of us, but it was one of the best times we've ever had at Disneyland! I have friends who took it later with a full group, and they also had a wonderful time. It's GREAT for kids!

misdisney
08-15-2007, 02:04 PM
Thanks you guys!!!:D Although now I'm even more confused about what to do! I want the WIWF so I can look at Club 33 lobby, the holiday tour so we can see the lights and the prade with good seats and the Discover tour for the rides and the hunt!!!! What am I going to do:confused: Thanks for all the onfo...:p

emmah
08-15-2007, 08:37 PM
What am I going to do:confused: Thanks for all the onfo...:p

the obvious answer to that is ... do them all! on my trip two years ago, I did both the 50th anniversary and the christmas tour, and it was a really great way of breaking up the week. I did the last 50th tour of the day so that i got great seats for the fireworks, and I did the christmas tour starting around midday i think, so that we got seats for the afternoon parade. the WiWF tour started really early in the morning and ended at lunch - I did that on a day that I knew was going to be really busy. During all three tours, whenever we went near a fastpass machine i excused myself for a minute and grabbed a fastpass, so that come the end of the tour, i could still go and ride without those insanely long queues... if you have an AP, you get decent discounts on the tours, but last time I booked through getawaytoday and my tickets came with a booklet that had really excellent discounts too, so I didn't miss the AP discount... enjoy!!

nvmom
08-15-2007, 09:25 PM
Thank you for the continued opinions and info.
For sure, as of tonight at 10:25 PST we are going to DLR to celebrate our 15th wedding anniv!! Just the 2 of us. This will be our 4th trip to DLR. I am going to call first thing tomorrow to see if Walk in Walt's Footsteps is available any of our 3 days there, Sun, Mon or Tues Aug 19-21... So, this tour is always in the morning? and ends with lunch?

nvmom

Tinkermommy
08-16-2007, 07:32 AM
So, this tour is always in the morning? and ends with lunch? nvmom

No, unless it's changed. Ours started in the afternoon and ended just after dark. (I had to excuse myself from the tour to run to the lockers for our jackets when the sun went down and the temperature dropped. :p)

nvmom
08-16-2007, 08:43 AM
Well, we're in! 2 pm. tour this coming Mon.
I hope we like it! :)

nvmom

disneyhound
08-16-2007, 08:48 AM
Well, we're in! 2 pm. tour this coming Mon.
I hope we like it! :)

nvmom

Hope you get a good guide, that seems to be the key! Our guide was wonderful, she had the "gift for gab" so she was able to talk easily to everyone, and she was full of DL knowledge and trivia; great tour!

wenderella
08-16-2007, 11:16 AM
My kids (ages 11 & 9) and I did our first Walk In Walt's Footsteps tour in June. We are PAP holders that live in Utah and we live and breathe Disney. We got Tour Guide Julie (long blonde hair) and had a GREAT time. The kids learned (and have remembered) so much we didn't know. They share the info they learned with anyone that'll listen. TG Julie was so cute, and the kids really enjoyed her. She even gave us her e-mail address and she is our newest Cast Member friend! WE lOVE THOSE! It was worth it. For lunch get the CHILI. I know it sounds wierd. But it was Walt's favorite and the tour is the ONLY place you can get it. It's a bottom layer of chili topped with cornbread. It was DELICIOUS!. I loved this tour! Have fun!

kathynova
08-16-2007, 03:11 PM
I agree...a good guide is the key! I took the tour about a year ago, and didn't really enjoy it too much, but I think it was because the guide wasn't that engaging. I did just take the Cruzin California Segway Tour DCA on Monday, and could not have enjoyed it more. It was so much fun to ride the Segway's around the park before it opened. As for actual "tour information", there wasn't too much of that. We stopped here and there and got a few pieces of DCA trivia, but mostly it was just the experience of "cruzin" around the park that really made the tour fun.