Adventures by Disney is an amazing way to see the world with a Disney difference. Your tour will have two Adventure Guides take you into VIP access areas and to private events and cultural experiences that only the Disney name can unlock. Also included with your Adventure are most meals, admission fees to attractions, transportation within the vacation, and luggage service when changing hotel accommodations. The accommodations are all selected by Disney to give you the best experience available, and since Disney knows families, you can be sure that there are fun, family activities, with special events just for the kids. And while Adventures by Disney can be a wonderful way to explore the world, why not start in Southern California, where it all began?
The “Backstage Magic” Adventure is a 6 day, 5 night tour that starts in Hollywood and ends at the Disneyland Resort. In Hollywood, you’ll get to visit some of the best, most iconic places including the TCL Chinese Theater and the Hollywood Walk of Fame. You’ll get to dine at one of Walt Disney’s favorite hangouts, Tam O’Shanter, and see the booth where he used to sit. You’ll also get to visit the Jim Henson Company Studios, which was built on the original site of Charlie Chaplin’s movie studio.
For Disney fans, the best part of the trip, in my opinion, is Day 3. On Day 3, you’ll get to visit the Walt Disney Studios and the Walt Disney Archives, shop at the Walt Disney Studio Store, and then tour Walt Disney Imagineering (and again, shop in an exclusive store dedicated to Imagineering merchandise).
Once you transfer to the Disneyland Resort, you’ll have VIP tours of both Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park, some fun character meals, special Disney Interactive Fastpass service, reserved parade viewing, and a VIP viewing area for World of Color. There are 5 breakfasts, 3 lunches, and 3 dinners included in your Adventure. And this is definitely an adventure for the entire family with a minimum age of 4 years old with a recommended age of 5+.
I was recently given an opportunity to experience Day 3. We were told we were going to Walt Disney Studios and then somewhere else (I hoped and prayed and crossed my fingers that it was Imagineering). Adventures by Disney was an experience like no other.
At the Studios, we were able to see a soundstage where the TV show “Blackish” is filmed and learn a bit about the filming process. (The soundstage that “Blackish” calls home is the same soundstage that was home to “Home Improvement.”) We learned about the history of the Walt Disney Studios and even got to see the window of Walt’s office (if you’ve seen “Saving Mr. Banks,” you know the buildings well).
We were able to go into the Walt Disney Archives and see some amazing Disney memorabilia, including getting to hold one of Walt’s Oscars. My favorite piece of memorabilia was the multi-plane camera that was invented to give animation new depth in “Snow White and the Seven Dwarves”.
We then travelled to the Disney Legends Pavilion, where handprints are displayed of Disney Legends. We saw Princesses (Jodi Benson, Anika Noni Rose, and Paige OHara}, Imagineers (Marc Davis, Ub Iwerks, and Ward Kimball), musicians (Richard and Robert Sherman), comedians (Dick Van Dyke and Tim Allen), and more. Then it was time for lunch and shopping at the Studio store. There is merchandise available that you can only get here.
Next we boarded our motor coach to head to our surprise location – Imagineering. (I may or may not have cried). And while we weren’t allowed to take pictures, let me tell you, it was everything I hoped for and then more. We met a couple of Imagineers who took us through some of the different processes that Imagineers go through and we were able to see some amazing historical props. The tour ended with a visit to the Imagineering store, where we were able to purchase exclusive Imagineering merchandise.
For a Disney lover, this tour was incredible and I can’t even imagine how great the rest of the itinerary would be. The Adventure Guides were incredibly knowledgeable and prepared for our every need, from snack and drinks on the bus, to frequent bathroom breaks when needed.
See the magic behind the magic of Hollywood and the Disneyland Parks! Email me at Amy@TravelWithTheMagic.com or you can find me on Facebook. You can also call me at 1-800-670-4312, ext 129. I can’t wait to plan your MAGICAL vacation!
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