The rides and attractions at Disney’s theme parks and resorts are pretty extraordinary in themselves. But if you look beyond them, you can find some even more amazing and unusual things to do. If you feel that you’ve done everything that the parks have to offer, you may want to look beyond the standard line-up of rides and shows and explore some of the more unique tours and experiences that are available. Here are 5 suggestions for magical experiences to add to your personal bucket list…
1. Tour Walt Disney’s apartment
Image: Disney
It seems appropriate to start where it all began – Disneyland – with a visit to the very apartment that Walt Disney stayed in while building the park. The construction schedule for Disneyland was painfully short – the park famously opened just one year and one day after work began. Walt was heavily involved in almost every aspect of the project, and that meant spending a lot of time at the park. Often, it even meant sleeping there. So Walt had an apartment constructed above the Fire Department building on Main Street, USA.
The tiny apartment was equipped with a bathroom (complete with shower) and a small kitchen, and was “themed” to fit in with the firehouse downstrairs. It was decorated by Emil Kuri, who was also responsible for decorating the rest of Main Street, USA. Walt’s wife, Lillian, was able to relax on a small patio, while Walt worked away at a small wooden desk. Guess what? The apartment is still there. And you can visit it! Access to the apartment is limited to guests on the “Walk in Walt’s Disneyland Footsteps” tour, which launched back in 2012. Focusing on Walt’s life and work on Disneyland, it includes a look inside the apartment, a glance at the lobby of the exclusive Club 33 and a private lunch on Main Street, USA.
You can’t take photos in the apartment (there’s a sneaky glimpse above), but a group photo is taken, so you’ll have a memento of your visit. You can pre-book a slot by calling 714-781-TOUR (8687) – it’ll set you back $109 per person, or $87.20 per person for Premium or Deluxe Annual Passholders and Disney Vacation Club members. You’ll have to pay for admission to Disneyland, too.
2. Go underground at the Magic Kingdom
Many Disney fans will know that the Magic Kingdom’s rides and attractions aren’t actually situated at ground level. Instead, an immense network of utility corridors (“utilidors”) was constructed before the park opened, and then covered over with earth that was excavated from the Seven Seas Lagoon. The theme park itself sits on top of them. 
The utilidors serve a number of backstage functions, and were installed so that guests don’t have to see these being performed, thus breaking the “magic”. This includes waste removal using an Automated Vacuum Collection system, computer systems, deliveries, kitchens for the park’s restaurants and locker rooms for Cast Members. Until 2005, the costuming department – with over 1.2 million outfits – was also housed in this underground lair.
The utilidors are generally off-limits to guests, and most visitors to the Magic Kingdom don’t even know that they are there. But it ispossible to explore them as part of an organised tour. The Keys to the Kingdom tour, which includes visits to several other backstage areas, features a trip down into the utilidors. Want to check out what’s underneath the Magic Kingdom? You’ll need to call (407) WDW-TOUR to make a reservation. Expect to pay nearly $80 per person, with discounts for Annual Passholders.
3. Fly over Walt Disney World
OK, so you’ve now been underground at Walt Disney World. Now, why not soar above the resort? It’s possible to take an aerial tour over Walt Disney World, as well as many other Orlando-area attractions. One of the leading providers is Mauiva Air Tours, which offers trips that take in:
- Disney’s Magic Kingdom
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom
- Downtown Disney
- Epcot
- Walt Disney World’s Swan & Dolphin Resorts
- ESPN Wide World of Sports
- Celebration
- Universal Studios Florida
- Islands of Adventure
- The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
- SeaWorld Orlando
- Discovery Cove
- Old Town
- I-Drive
If you want to, you can even try your hand at being a pilot, taking controls of the airplane. Those purchasing the Captain’s Package will also receive a certificate showing the time they’ve logged towards becoming a pilot. The experience is available to those aged 5 and up.
Want to take a flight over Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando? Mauiva Air Tours offers packages starting at $60 per person.
4. Ride every version of Big Thunder Mountain
There are Big Thunder Mountain attractions at four of Disney’s theme parks: Disneyland, Disney’s Magic Kingdom, Disneyland Paris and Tokyo Disneyland. Hong Kong Disneyland is the only current resort not to feature one, although it does have the similarly-themed Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars.
The original version of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad resides at Disneyland, where it opened on September 2, 1979. The ride was actually designed for Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom by Imagineers Tony Baxter and Bill Watkins, but Disneyland managed to complete its own version first. The track layout was mirrored, placing it to the right of Frontierland’s Rivers of America, whereas the Magic Kingdom’s version is on the left. The “wildest ride in the wilderness” was manufactured by long-time Disney manufacturer Arrow Dynamics. 
Also built by Arrow, the Magic Kingdom’s version of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is near-identical to Disneyland’s, but with that mirrored layout. These days it features an enhanced queue line, packed with interactive elements. 
Tokyo Disneyland received its own installation of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in 1987. Like much of the rest of the park, it’s virtually a clone of the Magic Kingdom’s version. However, it was manufactured by Dutch firm Vekoma, rather than Arrow. 
Also manufactured by Vekoma was the Disneyland Paris of Big Thunder Mountain, which opened alongside the park in April 1992. It’s the most unique of the four versions of the ride, sitting in the middleof the Rivers of the Far West. This changes the ride experience, as the train now has to pass through a tunnel to actually reach the island on which the mountain is located. It also provides a stunning visual centrepiece for Frontierland. Not only that, but it’s the most likely version of Big Thunder Mountain to be covered in snow. We experienced a ride on the coaster back in 2010 while it was blanketed in the white stuff, at sunset. It remains one of the most amazing experiences we’ve had at a Disney theme park. How many versions of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad have you experienced, and which is your favourite? Let us know in the comments below!
5. Stay in the Cinderella Castle Suite
The fifth entry in this list is by far the hardest to accomplish. In fact, it requires a huge, gigantic slice of luck. But still, we can all dream of staying in the world’s most exclusive hotel room, can’t we? Originally conceived as a place for Walt Disney to stay at the Magic Kingdom when visiting with his family, the Cinderella Castle Suite sits on the upper floors of the Magic Kingdom’s iconic castle. Walt, of course, passed away before the park opened. The space set aside for the suite was therefore used for storage and as a call center over the following 40 years. In 2006, though, Disney announced that it would transform the area into a single, luxury suite. The move was made ahead of the Year of A Million Dreams promotion that launched in 2007, with the Cinderella Castle Suite to be one of its most impressive and talked-about elements. The suite can sleep up to six people, and is housed up on the fourth floor of the castle. To reach it, guests take a special elevator. It covers 650 square feet, making it smaller than some might imagine. Let’s take a look around… 
The stunning bedroom is truly fit for a king and queen. It boasts two queen-sized beds (appropriately), each featuring a custom-designed headboard decorated with a Cinderella crest. The beds face an ornate fireplace, weighing 600 pounds. This is made of limestone, and is in a 17th century gothic style, molded from a original wooden fireplace in France. Fiber optics are used to create a convincing “fire” effect, which can be switched on and off via a remote control. Above the fireplace sits a portrait of Cinderella. There’s more to this than meets the eye, though – it magically transforms into a flat-screen television. Disney’s Imagineers designed this effect. Either side of the fireplace are Venetian glass sconces, adorned by Cinderella likenesses. 
Elsewhere in the room, an antique Dutch secretary desk features velvet-lined shelves. There are three hand-woven rugs from Thailand, as well as two cinder pots designed to reflect Cinderella’s humble beginnings (each is made form hand-hammered copper). 
The mosaic floor of the suite’s entry area contains more than 30,000 tiles, including 3,400 24-carat gold and 120 white gold pieces. Four craftswomen created it over a period of four months. A custom-made glass slipper made by Steuben Glass is also on display. Guests receive their own glass slipper (of a less expensive design) to take home with them.
The impressive bathroom features sinks made from hand-hammered copper and silver leaf. The ceiling boasts “twinkling stars”, and the windows are made of stained glass. The highlight, though, is the custom-made jacuzzi, complete with multiple jets, a waterfall faucet and chromatherapy lighting.
The suite’s final room boasts a magic mirror, based on a French design. Like the Cinderella portrait in the bedroom, this transforms into a television. The custom-designed sofa-bed features French-style carved details, while the stained glass windows tell the story of Cinderella and look out towards the Prince Charming Regal Carrousel in Fantasyland. There are hidden draws and cupboards in the mirrored space in the parlor, with one opening up to reveal a DVD player and refrigerator.
Unfortunately, you can’t make a reservation for the Cinderella Castle Suite. You can’t even join a waiting list. You have to win your stay. Originally, Disney handed a night in the suite to one lucky family every day during the Year of a Million Dreams promotion. These days, it often offers them up via sweepstakes – so keep a close eye on the Disney Parks Blog for announcements. There is another method. Get really, really famous. Kevin and Danielle Jonas were handed the keys to the suite for their first anniversary, and Tom Cruise has also stayed there. Until then, though…keep dreaming!
