Disneyland Guided Tours are a great way to enhance the magic of a Disneyland Vacation! If you’ve ever wanted to dive deeper into the hidden gems, history and behind-the-scenes magic of Disneyland guided tours are the way to do it!
On my recent trip to Disneyland I took advantage of travelling solo and booked a guided tour for myself. There were a few guided tours to choose from:
- Cultivating the Magic Guided Tour – How the landscaping at Disneyland helps create a living storybook – 2 hours
- Disneyland Railroad Guided Tour – Explore Walt’s love for trains and how it impacted the park – 2 hours
- Walt’s Main Street Story – Experience hidden details and the history behind Main Street U.S.A – 90 minutes
- Disneyland Resort VIP Tours – Enjoy a private tour guide, Hassle-Free planning, Reserved viewing, Expedited access, VIP Service, Valuable tips and stories!
- Holiday Time at the Disneyland Resort Guided Tour – Only offered during holiday season – 2.5 hours
I have always wanted to visit Walt Disney’s Disneyland apartment so I decided on Walt’s Main Street Story Tour! It was very easy to book a time and they offered several tours throughout the day. I was able to take advantage of a Disney Visa Card Member Discount which saved about $25 – make sure you are signed into your Disney account and your memberships are linked in your profile for the discount! You will need to make sure you have valid park admission and a park reservation for the day of your tour as well.
What to expect on Walt’s Main Street Story Tour
Checking in for Walt’s Main Street Story
On the day of my tour, I made my way to the check-in location at the tour Gardens on Main Street, U.S.A. 15 minutes before my reservation time. It’s a nice little location to relax before your tour and there are bathrooms available in the Tour Garden. There is also a nice listing of which tours still have same day availability!
Once at the desk I gave the Cast Members my name and photo ID to check in. You’ll want to make sure you have your reservation confirmation and credit card used for the reservation just in case. I was given a name tag and a listening device for the tour. Walt’s Main Street Story tour includes refreshments at the end so they asked my beverage preference – I could choose from Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite or water, and I was also asked if I had any food allergies.
I then took a seat in the shade at a reserved table to wait for our tour to begin. While seated the tour guide came around and introduced himself to each guest and asked a little about us. He gave us some instruction about the listening device and had us turn them on – these allowed us to be able to hear him better while on the walking tour.
Mainstreet U.S.A.
When it was time to begin, our tour guide asked us to join him in front of the check-in desk and we were on our way. We started in front of the train station. Here our guide introduced us to Main Street U.S.A and the links to Walt’s childhood hometown of Marceline, Missouri. As we walked down Mainstreet U.S.A our guide gave us so many interesting facts and behind-the-scenes stories along the way. We visitedThis portion of the tour was about 30 minutes and then we made our way to the firehouse – which we were all eagerly awaiting.
Inside Walt Disney’s Disneyland Apartment
The crown moment of the tour was heading backstage and making our way up to Walt Disney’s apartment which is right above the firehouse on Mainstreet U.S.A. You can see the light Walt would leave on when he was staying in the apartment in the window on the second floor. Walking up the stairs and through the door into the apartment that Walt and his family stayed in while at Disneyland was a feeling I cannot accurately describe. Our guide told us so many interesting tidbits and touching stories about the apartment and the artifacts it contains and there were some tears shed by me. It was so amazing to see the place Walt originally created to oversee construction of the park and park operations which then turned into a place he, his wife Lillian and grandchildren would visit after Disneyland opened.
We were able to wander around the tiny apartment and look at but of course not touch anything. Unfortunately, private pictures are not allowed to be taken during this part of the tour. However after about 20 minutes a PhotoPass® photographer came up and did a photoshoot with each of us. The PhotoPass® photos are included in the cost of the tour, and can be viewed in the Disneyland app.
After everyone had their picture taken, we headed back down to Tour Garden to enjoy our themed lemon cookie and soda. Here, the tour guide answered questions and told us more stories. We had the opportunity to look through books and magazine articles about Mainstreet U.S.A and Walt’s Disneyland Apartment as well. Normally you’d visit Walt’s private patio to enjoy your refreshments, but it was also being refurbished.
Was Walt’s Main Street Story tour worth it?
For me it was absolutely worth it! I love history and Disney and really enjoyed everything about this tour. I already knew some of the history shared on the tour but for me the tour of Walt’s Disneyland Apartment alone was worth the cost. This tour may not appeal to everyone of course. However if you have never had a chance to visit Walt’s Apartment you will most likely enjoy this tour. This tour states it for all ages, but I wouldn’t take any kids younger than 12. Between the refreshments, PhotoPass® keepsakes and exclusive access to Walt’s apartment, I think the value of the tour is perfect. I will remember this experience for the rest of my life, and it totally made my Disneyland vacation.
Next time you are in Disneyland and have some free time consider taking one of the guided tours! It is such a unique and memorable experience!
Do you want to take a guided tour through Disneyland?
If you’d like help planning your next vacation I’d love to help! I can even help grab those dining reservations you are salivating over! Send me an email at melissa.griffith@themagicforless.com. You can also fill out a no-obligation quote request! Feel free to follow me on the socials and sign up for my newsletter.
