Five Experiences Every Disney Fan Should Try
So, you think you’re a Disney pro?
You’re pretty sure that you’ve seen it all and done it all at the parks.
I’m calling you out. I bet that I can name several things that you’ve never tried at the parks!
Here are five experiences every Disney fan should try. I’ll be surprised and impressed if you’ve done all of them.
Capture Your Moment
Disney recently added a new option for everyone seeking more permanent vacation mementos.
Are you someone visiting the park for an anniversary, birthday, proposal, or the like?
If so, you’d like to have the precious moment captured for all time, right?
Are you going to trust a friend’s smartphone with this once-in-a-lifetime event?
I wouldn’t. The moment is too important to count on an amateur. And Disney knows it.
That’s why each park offers Capture Your Moment, wherein you receive “a personalized 20-minute photo session that captures the fun and excitement of your special day.”
I recently watched a famous athlete describe their experience. They wanted to propose to their girlfriend, but it was a surprise.
When the time came, they didn’t see the photographer and texted.
The Cast Member simply replied, “You can’t see us, but we can see you.”
Sure enough, they captured the picture without ruining the surprise! That’s the kind of professionalism you can expect.
Disney After Hours
Some of my favorite Disney memories have happened at Disney After Hours.
A few years ago, Disney officials realized that their holiday parties were among their most popular events.
By definition, Disney could only host a few thousand guests per event. Also, there aren’t that many major holidays.
So, park officials wisely chose to ignore the calendar and simply offer after-hours events throughout the year.
At the start, Disney After Hours was a total bust. Cast Members were giving away free tickets for the first three nights.
Then, a funny thing happened. Everyone who attended those early events had the time of their lives.
Word of mouth spread that Disney After Hours was a must-do event, and it evolved into something that sells out regularly.
I’ll save a personal anecdote for a later section, but let’s just say I’m devout about the benefits of Disney After Hours.
You can accomplish so much over the course of three or four hours!
Private VIP Tour
Literally THE best thing you can do at a Disney theme park is go on a Private VIP Tour.
In case you’re unfamiliar with them. Disney places a Cast Member known as a Plaid in charge of your party.
Up to ten guests then proceed on a Disney adventure the likes of which you’ve never encountered before.
The Plaid is both your tour guide and your chauffeur, taking you from park to park.
You’ll enter through hidden spots at the parks, some of which are so close that you’re in the parking lots for the attractions.
The Cast Member will either position you in the Lightning Lane for the attraction or skip you straight to the front of the line.
The option depends on the attraction, but it’s such an empowering feeling.
Let’s say that you want to ride Pirates of the Caribbean. There’s a side entrance you didn’t even know existed!
Your Plaid will take you through this door, and you’ll be on the ride in five minutes or less.
At Pandora – The World of Avatar, you’ll park outside and be beside Na’vi River Journey the instant you enter Animal Kingdom.
Along the way, the Plaid will also provide bottled water and snacks.
They’re also Disney experts as well. You can pick their brain to learn fascinating facts about the parks and attractions.
While these Private VIP Tours cost a minimum of $4,000, there are ways to split the cost.
Several social media groups exist for the sole purpose of strangers sharing Private VIP Tours.
Those can lower the cost to as little as $400 per person.
That’s basically the cost of two tickets to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. And I can assure you that you’ll never forget your VIP Tour!
The one anecdote I’ll add is that I’ve done the VIP Tour and Disney After Hours on consecutive days.
While we loved the experience more on the VIP Tour, we covered 16 attractions during those eight hours.
At Disney After Hours, we managed 18 in four hours. So, it offers better bang for the buck. It’s just not as special.
Segway Tour
For a brief, amusing period, Segways were legal at Disney theme parks. The chaos at the time was hysterical to watch unfold.
Technically, they weren’t Segways but Disney’s own transportation devices, which they had to create because…they got sued over banning Segways.
It was a whole thing, and if you lived through the era, you probably remember all the lawsuits well.
Eventually, Disney and Segway came to terms on a settlement that allowed the original transportation devices.
However, you’ll only find them at one spot at Walt Disney World.
When you visit the Tri-Circle-D Ranch at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Campground, you can go on a Segway Tour!
Technically called the Wilderness Back Trail Adventure, this tour costs $90 per person.
For that money, you’ll ride a Segway through Fort Wilderness, studying the beautiful campground from a unique perspective.
This tour is oddly satisfying since Segways have seemed illicit at Disney World over the past 20 years.
Management fought hard to keep them out of the parks – the case went to federal court – but here they are at Fort Wilderness!
Wild Africa Trek
The name alone should give away what this is.
You’ll explore Animal Kingdom in a way that nobody else could.
A tour guide will take you through several natural habitats during your journey through the park.
During this private guided tour, you’ll spend three hours watching the residents of the Safi River Valley.
According to the official site, you’ll:
“Walk along a grassland path, cross a rope bridge and ride in a rugged safari vehicle over an open savanna—with a chance to view African creatures including towering giraffes, powerful rhinos, hippos and crocodiles.”
The rope bridge is a real highlight, as you’ll connect your harness to safety wires to protect yourself as you walk.
This adds a feeling of adventure to the proceedings, which are already an animal lover’s dream.
The Wild Animal Trek currently costs $219 plus tax per person, which is again about the same price as Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.
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