Don’t you love that VIP feeling? Especially that Disney VIP feeling?
The Keys to the Kingdom tour at Walt Disney World does just that. Taking you “behind the curtain” of the Magic Kingdom, this 5-hour journey shows you how the magic is made. Oh, and did I mention access to those infamous Utilidors?
This tour has long been on my Disney bucket list. I’m excited to share this Keys to the Kingdom Tour overview with you… Off to the Magic Kingdom we go!
We met our tour guide and group at Town Square theater. Once we picked up our name badges, audio earpieces and placed our lunch orders for later, we were ready to go!
Before walking from Town Square to Main Street, our guide warned us that some things we’ll see and hear may change or “ruin” the magic of our future Disney Park experiences. For the sake of future tour-goers, I’ll save most of the magic for you, but I’ve still got a lot of spoiler-free fun to share!
Our guide explained the real “Keys” to the Kingdom – safety, courtesy, show, and efficiency. Safety always being first and the most important. Show probably being the most obvious element, especially walking through the Magic Kingdom. Our guide walked us right down the middle of Main Street U.S.A., pointing out little-known details found within the turn of the century architecture, windows and other sites.
While much of the tour was walking and learning facts about the park, there were a few surprises along the way. The first one being a ride on the Jungle Cruise with our guide as the skipper! We bypassed the queue to find an empty boat waiting for our group.
Our “skipper” shared great behind-the-scenes facts about the attraction throughout. As much as I love the classic Jungle Cruise spiel, this was a pretty cool experience!
We spent some time in Adventureland, learning more about Walt and the area. We eventually made our way to the first backstage area…
Just past the railroad tracks near Splash Mountain, we toured the Parade Storage and Operations area. Definitely a highlight of the tour.
After learning about parade organization and a few other tidbits backstage, we made sure we were “show-ready” before stepping back onstage, heading towards Liberty Square. This may have been my favorite part of the tour – our guide shared a lot of facts about Walt, the land and its premier attraction, the Haunted Mansion.
After hearing some grim grinning secrets, we entered the Mansion, skipping standby through a hidden hallway to board our Doom Buggies. As a HUGE Haunted Mansion fangirl, this was one of the best moments of the tour for me.
from the Haunted Mansion, we arrived at Pecos Bills for lunch. We had a reserved dining area, complete with our own toppings bar. Since we placed our lunch order in the morning, our food was ready for us upon arrival.
After lunch, we made our way to one of the backstage entrances to the… wait for it… Utilidors! You could feel the excitement from everyone in the group – truly, the moment we were all waiting for. As you can imagine, it’s not the most aesthetically pleasing down there, but walking through tunnels and hallways underneath Fantasyland, Main Street U.S.A. and around the Magic Kingdom felt oddly satisfying, especially knowing that there’s a whole world above ground.
The bustling and organized hive of the Utilidors are the veins of the Magic Kingdom, allowing Cast Members from any department or land to easily traverse, transport and support park’s operations.
Towards the end of the tour, there was a hallway filled with vintage photos – from initial concept, construction photos all the way up to opening day, complete with Roy’s dedicating the park to his brother. Seeing those rare photos combined with our guide’s great storytelling, made quite a few of us emotional afterward.
After spending 30-40 minutes underneath the Magic Kingdom, we walked down backstage Main Street, ending our 5-hour journey back at the Town Square Theater.
Our tour-exclusive parting gift was a golden key pin to commemorate our special experience!
My Thoughts
The Keys to the Kingdom Tour is fit for both first-timers and Disney veterans. I grew up going to Walt Disney World, constantly studying Disney knowledge, and I still walked away with fun facts and secrets I hadn’t heard before!
This experience is like no other. Between the backstage and utilidors access, front-of-line access to multiple attractions (not to mention the private trivia-filled Jungle Cruise) and that adorable key pin, I feel like this tour is well worth the price!
I highly recommend making advanced reservations. We booked this a month in advance and just barely got in! I also recommend comfortable walking shoes, and possibly a babysitter as this tour is reserved for guests 16 and older. See more info on booking and applicable discounts here!
Now I really want to experience the Walk in Walt’s Footsteps Tour at Disneyland!
Have you taken a tour at Walt Disney World or Disneyland? If so, which one(s)?
Is the Keys to the Kingdom tour on your Disney bucket list?
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