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Marceline to Magic Kingdom Tour

Thanks to my sons-in-law, Domenic and J.R. for inviting me to be a guest blogger today and Congratulations to both of you on creating such an awesome Disney Travel web site!!

Many bloggers will talk about “touring plans” which will save you time and allow you to see all of your favorite rides and attractions in Disney theme parks in record time,  but rather than a touring plan….. Let’s talk about…. planning a tour!

photo 1On our recent trip to Disney World, my husband Phil and I took the “Marceline to Magic Kingdom Tour”.  This is a three hour walking tour that includes a few of the Disney World classic attractions.  The tour begins prior to the opening of the park, so we had early access to the park with very little tourist traffic for our excursion!  We had a small group and a super inspirational guide named Julie!  We donned our souvenir Marceline name tags and neat headphones so that we could hear every word our tour guide articulated and off we wenphoto 5t!

Marceline, as we discovered, is the small historic railroad town in Missouri and the childhood home of Walt Disney.  It is where he began his “career” as a youngster drawing, painting and selling his pictures to neighbors and family!  The town of Marceline served as his inspiration for Main Street USA, sparked his life-long love for trains and his focus on the importance of the American Family.

After an interesting and informative trip down Main Street “Marceline”,   we turned to make our way to Liberty Square and… the Haunted Mansion!   Did you know that all of the creators and collaborators of Haunted Mansion are memorialized on the tombstones and grave markers surrounding the eerie estate?   Take the tour and you will discover all the spooky secrets that lie within!

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Walt Disney and his Imagineers were very focused on creating a story around the rides in the park.  From the instant you pass through the gates of the Haunted Mansion to the moment you exit  .….if you exit…..you are transported into the world beyond with creative interactive haunts.

After experiencing the ride, we were then escorted by our guide to a special “viewing” of the behind the scenes inner workings of the Haunted Mansion!  Want to know how the dancing ghosts appear and disappear in the ballroom?  Take the tour if you dare…photo 3

The haunted mansion is a wonderful combination of spooky and silly that reflects the styles of the two main designers, Marc Davis and Claude Coats.  They originally disagreed on whether the ride should be scary or funny, but both men got their “dying” wish and today we get to ride the doom buggy through a delightfully “spirited” adventure.

After touring the mansion, we walked through Fantasyland and rode The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.  This is another “story” ride that sweeps you through the world of Pooh on a blustery day in the hundred acre wood.  We boarded our giant honey pot and bounced along with Tigger, entered the dream world of Heffalumps and Woozles , then celebrated sunny days with Winnie’s successful attempt to eat some honey!

Our group then ventured to Tommorwland and the Carousel of Progress.  This attraction was the main feature at the General Electric Pavilion at the 1964 World’s Fair in New York City.   In 1967 it was moved to Disneyland in California and then in 1975 it was moved to Disney World!  The ride has been updated throughout its 50 year history to reflect the technological advances experienced by the American family.

photo 2It is said that the Carousel of Progress was Walt Disney’s favorite attraction and I can see why!  As you watch the family members interact through the different seasons and throughout the years, it demonstrates the promise of continued progress and advancement to create a better family life in the future for all of us!  The Carousel of Progress has a catchy theme song that will have you humming “It’s a great big beautiful tomorrow” well beyond tomorrow!

Our tour ended there with a rare insider’s view of some of the history of Walt Disney and little-known tid-bits of Disney World.  Julie, our tour guide was an expert and was open to answering any questions about anything Disney during our three hour adventure!

The Marceline to Magic Kingdom Tour is just one of a few different tours you can opt to participate in at Disney World.  Ask your Disney Travel Planner to reserve a spot for you and your family to see this magical park from “behind the scenes”!  The cost was $30 per person and well worth the walk!  So on you next trip to Disney World, in addition to a touring plan, plan on a tour!!

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