Is Walt’s Main Street Story Tour at Disneyland Worth the Cost?

Disneyland guided tours have returned… but with some major changes. There is a brand new addition for Walt Disney’s personal fans that runs half the time of the previously offered Walk in Walt’s Footsteps tour and comes at a whopping 45% price increase. This new tour, “Walt’s Main Street Story,” only runs 90 minutes and covers a short 1,000 feet of Disneyland, spanning only Town Square to Main Street USA. And yet, every Disney fan will be curious about its value with access to arguably one of the most coveted locations in all of Disneyland Resort: Walt Disney’s Apartment above the Firehouse in Town Square. Is the new “Walt’s Main Street Story” guided tour worth the cost? Our newest reporter, Kristen Carr, took the tour to see for herself…

Walt’s Apartment at Disneyland

The intimate 500 sq. foot space once inhabited by Walt Disney, his wife Lillian and their family is perched above the Fire House next to City hall. Upon Walt’s passing in 1966, the space was reserved strictly for family, and more recently Club 33 special offerings and the occasional tour of the past.

Disneyland fans of every age will often look at the storied lamp in the window and reflect on Walt Disney. It is said that when Walt was on-site the lamp would serve as a signal to cast members that the big cheese was in the park. Today, five and a half decades after his passing, the lamp in the window (now with a new design) commemorates Walt’s legacy. 

Disneyland Guided Tour Expectations

Previous guided tours have offered a running time of 3 to 4 hours, with a lunch or snack included. In the past, a guided tour also included a VIP-entry onto an attraction as part of the tour. And as a final touch, most offered an exclusive parting gift, like a keepsake enamel pin. 

As someone who has experienced numerous guided tours over the years, I was looking forward to spending time learning new things, taking a deep dive into Walt’s history with the apartment and walking away with a keepsake to treasure and remember my time spent in such an exclusive space. 

For half the time and $50 more, “Walt’s Main Street Tour” offers little of what the previous guided tours did. But that doesn’t make it without merit… here’s what it does offer: 

“Walt’s Main Street Story Tour” Breakdown

During the first 30-minute block of your tour, the guide will escort your group (10 max) to the flag pole in Town Square to briefly discuss Walt’s dedication speech.

Then, you’ll walk and stop along Main Street USA. 

Great attention to detail is given in discussing park history, hidden pieces incorporated into storefront displays, the honorary windows of Main Street, and the importance of Walt’s childhood in Marceline, Missouri. 

The second portion of the tour is what everyone really paid for, 30 minutes inside Walt’s apartment— and honestly, this alone could potentially feel worthy of the $160 price point. You’re welcome to physically walk into every space, (except the bathroom), to see items and photographs up close, including the famous window with the lamp.

At first glance, the apartment appears to be frozen in time with a decor aesthetic dedicated primarily to Lillian Disney’s love for antiques and roses. The tour guide noted that the hidden beds on each side of the main space are rumored to be the original mattresses. But many of the Disney family’s personal artifacts were returned to the family many years ago and are now replaced with similar items and reproductions. 

There are no photographs or video allowed inside the apartment. However, towards the end of your time here, a PhotoPass Photographer joins the group to take a few photos, (reserved to one designated spot). The pictures are included in the price of the tour and are quickly available for download via the Disneyland app.  

Lastly, your tour guide moves the group onto the second-story patio balcony of the apartment. Here, you can feel what Walt would have experienced observing guests walking through Town Square. This location has never been offered to the public before, so it is a rare chance to see a new aspect of park history. Although it’s a lovely space, it does feel like a missed opportunity to serve the park’s famous mint juleps. 

Although Walt would have preferred a Scotch Mist, instead, you are given a choice of water, Coke, Diet Coke, or Sprite (indicated at check-in for the tour) served alongside an exclusive, oversized lemon icing cookie from Jolly Holiday Bakery. 

The last 30 minutes with the tour group is spent with your guide on this patio among simple rod iron outdoor furniture, lattice and a turf-like rug for ground covering. There was a cart on display with a tea set that seemed like an attempt to tie in Lillian Disney’s love for florals and antiques, but overall the theming and storytelling ended inside the apartment.

To cap it off, one would assume that there would be a keepsake memento from this experience based on its level of exclusivity and high cost. However, guests are given a simple laminated badge on a thin Disneyland-branded string when they check in. I’m not a fan of this new style of keepsake for Disneyland events. And although I’m a mega-nerd for all things Disney/Walt history, I did feel a special pin or unique keepsake was missing.

Is “Walt’s Main Street Story Tour” Worth the Cost?  

Would your average Disney Guest feel like this tour was of high value to their park experience? I’m not so sure. The tours of the past felt higher in value overall. Between an included lunch/refreshments, expedited access to an attraction, and a longer overall tour, the high (at the time) cost felt justified. However, this new iteration has had several cutbacks. It feels strange to pay more while getting far less by comparison, so guests on the fence about the splurge here may be less tempted to attend as a result— especially if they have experienced a guided tour in the past. 

But I would recommend this tour to other Disney history fanatics like me. This tour will hold special interest for avid fans of Walt Disney and those who want to know more about the details of Main Street U.S.A.  Getting to see the balcony above Town Square was an incredibly special treat— and one that is reserved for these tours. Sure, the cutbacks and higher cost are felt, but “Walt’s Main Street Story” is an incredible opportunity to learn more about Walt Disney’s personal time spent in what was considered to be his second home and appreciate how Disneyland came to be over his watchful eye. 

How to Book a Disneyland Guided Tour

“Walt’s Main Street Story” tour is currently being offered 7 days a week between the hours of 9am and 5pm. The cost to attend is $160 per person (aged 3+). You can book this experience directly in the Disneyland app under “Events and Tours” or through the Disneyland Website under special events and tours. 

To learn more about guided tours at Disneyland, including “Walt’s Main Street Story” and others, check out the article below.

Disneyland Guided Tours Return – But Not As You Remembered

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Let’s Hear from You

Does this new guided tour appeal to you? Does the opportunity to see Walt’s apartment justify the high price? If you have done the new tour, how do you feel it compared to the previous tours? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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