A Palm Tree Among the Corn Fields: Magic Kingdom & The Keys to the Kingdom Tour

As a life-long fan of all things Disney, I have to say that I was the most excited for this day of our trip! I know I've mentioned many times how much I love all the extra details that Disney puts into everything it creates. Today was the day that we were going to go behind the scenes of the Magic Kingdom and get a glimpse into the how & why all those special little details I love so much were created. It's called the "Keys to the Kingdom" Tour and I could hardly wait!!! (squeal!!)

First rule of the Tour, no cameras allowed. And understandably so. Not only did we go backstage in some areas but we also got a tour of the underground "Utilidor" tunnels. Did you know that the Magic Kingdom park itself is actually on the 2nd floor, so to speak?? The tunnels below the park allow Cast Members, deliveries, garbage, etc to be "secretly" moved about the park with guests being none the wiser. If you've ever visited the Magic Kingdom, have you ever noticed a Cast Member dressed in an outfit not fitting to their particular area? For example: a Jungle Cruise operator walking down Main Street USA or a Colonial dressed Cast Member strolling through Tomorrowland. You haven't and you won't. The "Utilidor" system was created to keep the Magic flowing at all times. Walt Disney did not want his guest's experience "interrupted" by things that were "out of place"... like Cast Members dressed out of character or a large cart carrying hot dog buns to be delivered to Casey's Corner being pushed down the center of Main Street. He created the park to represent a grand cinematic experience and those types of things were meant to stay behind the scenes. The tunnels were unbelievable! I would have been lost down there for days if it weren't for the tips & tricks given to us by our amazing guide. I'm not going to give to much away, just in case you are planning to take the Tour yourself someday. I would highly recommend it!!

The Keys to the Kingdom Tour is a 5 hour walking tour. At the time of this post, it cost $79 per person in addition to your park ticket. It is for adults 18 and over only. Due to the nature of the experience, no children are allowed on the tour. Also, it is highly recommended that you book your reservation ahead of time as there are limited spots in each tour (our group consisted of 22). Lunch is included. Our group ate at the Columbia Harbor House in Liberty Square. It was your basic quick service fare and our food was waiting for us the minute we arrived. We also got a "Fast Pass" style tour of a few of the more popular rides, The Jungle Cruise and The Haunted Mansion. Meaning, not only were we able to take a special back entrance to get on the ride but also saw and learned things that other guests are not normally allowed to see. Now I could talk for days about the things we were told but I don't want to ruin it for any of you fellow Disney lovers. However, I will say this as far as the Haunted Mansion goes, there is SOOO much more to that ride than meets the eye... Details, people ... Details!! Oh my gosh!!!

I cannot begin to express enough how amazing this experience was!! It made me fall deeper in love with the Magic Kingdom, if I ever thought that was even possible. I mentioned our wonderful tour guide, well she told us the most beautiful story of the day the Magic Kingdom was dedicated. Walt had passed several years before the completion of the park, so his brother Roy was set to "officially" open the park on October 25th, 1971. (The park actually opened on October 1st, but they held off the dedication until that date.) According to our guide, Roy was a very prompt man. He was never late for anything ... ever. So the day of the dedication came and Roy was set to take to the podium at exactly 2 o'clock. 2pm came...no Roy... 2:01...still no Roy...2:02 still no Roy. People were starting to get worried that something was wrong until someone noticed him standing toward the back of the crowd. A few moments later, Roy approached the podium with Mickey Mouse by his side. After he delivered a beautiful dedication and stepped of the platform, people began asking if he was OK. They were worried that something had happen to him. According our guide, he simply said that he was waiting for his brother and since his brother couldn't be there... he called for the next best thing ... Mickey. It's always been said that Walt Disney & Mickey Mouse were one in the same, so for Roy, his brother was standing right there with him on that Magical Day. (yes, I had tears in my eyes as she told this story ... unbelievable.)

After our tour finished, we grabbed a snack and headed to find a spot for the Festival of Fantasy Parade. This is a amazing parade that pays tribute to Fantasyland and is full of favorite characters, beautiful music and fabulous costumes!!

The clouds were beginning to come in, so we thought we would hit up a couple rides before the rain came. Important Disney packing tip: Always bring a rain poncho! We have rarely had a trip to Disney where it didn't rain at some point. Whether it's an all day drizzle or a brief afternoon shower, you want to be prepared. I have had several people ask what do you do at Disney if it's raining? Well...you put on a poncho & keep going! Most likely, you have invested a lot of time, effort and money to get here. So why let a little rain get in the way of your fun, right ?!? Ponchos also come in handy for those water rides that you want to ride but really DON'T want to get wet on, like Splash Mountain for example. :)

I love these signs ... MAY get wet?? Yeah right?!

I love Splash Mountain! It has some of the coolest Audio-Animatronics around!! You can't help but smile while riding along through scenes of Br'er Bear & Br'er Fox trying to catch Br'er Rabbit (from Song of the South). Now everyone knows what's coming at the end, because you can see it from the outside ... a 5-story drop into the Briar Patch below. Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah! Honey & I thought we would be smart and put on our ponchos for the ride to minimize how wet we would actually get. Little did we know, that while we were safely enjoying the music & characters INSIDE the ride, that OUTSIDE the clouds had opened up & released a downpour of torrential proportions. So as we were plummeting down that 5-story drop, not only were we getting hit with water from the ride but also from the monsoon happening outside! That should explain the expression on our faces in this lovely photo. No poncho on earth could have saved us then! LOL!!

While the rain continued to fall, we headed over to battle the evil Emperor Zurg in Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin. Like Toy Story Mania, we like a little healthy competition on this ride. Using our space canons, our goal is to earn points by firing invisible lasers at "Z" targets. No matter how many times we ride this attraction (4 times on this trip alone), Honey ALWAYS reigns supreme! (Yes, we take our gaming seriously, as can be shown by our deep concentration.)

Eventually the rain eased up a bit and we were able to have a visit with Merida from the movie Brave. She is hands down one of the best character representations ever at Disney! Her voice, thick accent, mannerisms, and of course the hair are exactly as portrayed in the film. We absolutely adore her!!

Pirates of the Caribbean was closed for refurbishment while we were there, so in order to get our dose of all things pirate, we decide to try our hands at a new interactive game called "A Pirate's Adventure ~ Treasure of the Seven Seas". Arrg!

The premise is, Captain Jack Sparrow needs our help to find 5 treasures hidden throughout Adventureland. Our journey began at the The Crow's Nest, where we received our first map. As I said the game is interactive so with the use of your Magic Band, you are given a talisman to find that will lead you in the direction of the treasure you seek. It sounds more complicated that it is. :)

Each map (there are 5 in all) leads you to different areas of Adventureland. We quickly learned to look for the lanterns to find the talismans as some of them were hidden inside the shops.

Once you find the talisman you seek, you simply touch your Magic Band to it & listen for instructions as to where to head next. Often there were little "extras" that occurred while searching for the treasures. You see, we are not the only ones searching for the loot...beware of Captain Barbossa and his crew as they are seeking the treasure as well. Savvy? :)

This one cracks me up! We were listening intently to directions when from behind the gate bamboo poles rise up from the ground and started shooting "darts" (aka short blasts of air). It scared the heck out of us! Honey was immediately thrown into a fit of laughter. It reminded him of a scene from the movie The Naked Gun, which he then felt the need to re-enact. LOL!

Here's an example of when a new talisman appears to lead you to your next adventure.

The only complaint I have about this game was that you had to line your Magic Band up to the talisman just right in order to continue on. Since our game was linked to my Magic Band, it was up to me to struggle with the correct placement. Often while waiting for me, Honey would gaze around at the scenery. Because one of the things we learned during our Keys to the Kingdom Tour was that NOTHING was put ANYWHERE without a specific reason, whether it be functional or decorative. EVERYTHING has a meaning. Here is an example of that philosophy at work. Hidden among the case of this pirate's nook was none other than ...

The key to Davey Jones' chest!

We had a blast running around Adventureland like crazy people for the better part of an hour and a half searching for these treasures. Each time you completed a map, you returned to the Crow's Nest for the next one. We successfully completed each mission and hence became official members of Captain Jack's crew. So much fun!! Definitely doing this again with the kids!!

We decide to stay and watch "Wishes" one more time. (Sigh) After the fireworks were over, instead of heading for the gates with the rest of the masses of people, we lingered in the shops for awhile. I had read about a little thing called the Kiss Goodnight. You are not alone, if you've never heard of it. It's the Magic Kingdom's way of saying "goodbye" to its guests at the end of the day. It starts anywhere from 15 to 60 minutes after the park closes. You'll know it's beginning when the castle starts to twinkle as the music from "When You Wish Upon A Star" plays. Then the narrator says, "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, on behalf of everyone here at the Magic Kingdom, we thank you for joining us today for a magic gathering of family, friends, fun and fantasy. "

"We hope your magical journey with us has created wonderful memories that will last a lifetime. Walt Disney said that the Magic Kingdom is a world of imagination, hopes and dreams."

"In this timeless land of enchantment, magic and make believe are reborn, and fairy tales do come true. The Magic Kingdom is a place for the young and the young at heart. A special place where when you wish upon a star, your dreams can come true."