Payment Based Opportunities
Tours
Walt Disney World offers a variety of touring opportunities to learn about the park, it’s history and operations, and to learn about specific fields of study. The tours, their availability, and cost change periodically. I have taken a few tours myself and have found them to be very educational and fun at the same time. There are age limits for some tours and they may seem a little pricey, but the experiences I had have stuck with me ever since. Below are listed some of the tours I have been on and my experiences.
You can find all the tours offered at Walt Disney World here, along with specific scheduling and pricing information.
You can find all the tours offered at Walt Disney World here, along with specific scheduling and pricing information.
Behind the SeedsEpcot
Adult $20.00 / Child $16.00 On this one-hour tour, you will go behind the scenes and visit the Land Pavilion’s fish farm and four greenhouses. The tour is great if you have an interest in gardening or natural sciences, but even if you don’t, it will still be super fun and educational. While on the tour you’ll visit the fish farm during feeding time see American alligators and have the chance to get up-close looks at gigantic fruits, vegetables, and unique crops from all around the world. You will also discover hydroponics and learn about how Disney uses this latest plant-growing technique to grow food for their own restaurants. When my family and I took this tour, we took the last tour available for the day (4:30pm) and it turned out that no one else signed up for the tour that day so we had a personal one-on-one tour. It was a great experience to see the unique and unusual crops growing in the greenhouses. My parents and I were also able to sample house-grown cucumbers and we were even allowed to sneak one or two tomatoes off their tomato tree. I recommend this tour for anyone. It was my first tour at WDW and it would raise anyone’s, child and adult, curiosity about unique and fun gardening. |
Walt Disney: Marceline to Magic Kingdom TourMagic Kingdom
Adult $35.00 Discover the secrets behind the magic on this three hour walking tour. Your tour guide will share many little-known facts about Walt as well as the design and operation of several classic attractions. You will enter the Magic Kingdom before the park opens to the general public, allowing you to take rare and exciting photo ops along Main Street, USA. Along the tour you will learn all about the attractions that spawned from Walt’s participation in the 1964 World’s Fair and follow in Walt’s imaginative footsteps as his inspiration travels from Marceline, Missouri into Main Street, USA. This tour helped me explore the history of Disney in a fun and unique way. I have always been intrigued about the culture and history of Disney but the tour informed me in ways books and websites would never be able to. You learn a lot about Roy O Disney (Walt’s brother) and his amazing role in the construction of WDW. The tour guide was knowledgeable and pointed out small, unique details around the park that I would not have before noticed. Getting into the park before opening was a magical experience and we skipped ride lines so our tour guide could relay facts through headpieces as we rode. |
Disney's Keys to the Kingdom Tour
Magic Kingdom
Adult $79.00 Learn the keys to the Magic Kingdom on this five hour walking tour of the most iconic theme park at Walt Disney World Resort. Explore the creation and growth of Walt Disney’s vision, innovation, and creativity that brought the theme park to life. Wander through secret locations and get the inside scoop on some of your favorite attractions. You will get a look behind the scenes and a chance to enter the Utilidors - the Magic Kingdom’s underground service tunnels! While on the Keys to the Kingdom tour, you will discover little-known facts about the park, it’s creation, and it’s history, along with trivia and other exciting tidbits. You will have the opportunity to see many of the Magic Kingdom’s secrets of operation as well as learning about the deep and rich history of the magnificent theme park. Taking this tour had been a long time dream of mine. When I finally was old enough to take the tour, it did not let me down. We entered the park before it officially opened and stood at the center of the entrance where the flagpole is, in between City Hall and Town Square Theater, to experience Rope Drop from behind the rope. As we walked along Main Street, USA, our tour guide pointed out the names that decorate top floor windows and told us the story behind each window and who it pays homage to. When we went behind the scenes, we had the chance to see where all the parade floats were stored and we even got to see a parade get ready to leave to go on stage and perform. Everything I experience during the tour was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I would do it again in a heartbeat because the knowledge I gained while on the tour is something I will cherish forever. |
You can find all the tours offered at Walt Disney World here, along with specific scheduling and pricing information.
There are tours not listed on this page that are equally, or even more, educational then the ones listed on this page.
Do not be afraid to explore the options!
Disney Youth Education Series
One of the lesser known about aspects of the Walt Disney World theme parks are the Disney Youth Programs. Within the Disney Youth Programs, there is a branch called YES, or Disney Youth Education Series. YES classes are open to and range from a wide variety of age groups - from elementary school to high school students. The classes explore a wide variety of subjects such as applied sciences, environmental studies, liberal arts, and leadership development. The classes, their availability, and cost change periodically. I have participated in a few of these classes myself and have learned a lot from them. Education outside of a classroom environment is very beneficial, but learning in Mickey’s own backyard is even more of a fruitful experience when the classes are hands-on, educational adventures. You will have the opportunity to practice teamwork, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills as your group participates in one-of-a-kind moments that use the magic of Disney to make learning even more impactful. Below are listed some of the classes I have taken and my experiences.
You can find all of the classes offered at Walt Disney World (and Disneyland, if interested) here,
along with specific scheduling and pricing information. I urge you to explore the options!
You can find all of the classes offered at Walt Disney World (and Disneyland, if interested) here,
along with specific scheduling and pricing information. I urge you to explore the options!
Fundamentals of Photo StorytellingExplore photography and its relationship to story as you travel throughout Epcot. Epcot itself has a unique storytelling environment as its artistic techniques draws guests into the theme park. Epcot will allow students to discover and apply the craft of storytelling through the art and science of photography. Students will engage their creative side to understand the technical and creative elements that will result in images that impact and connect people, places, and events.
When I took this class, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I learned how to discuss and identify photographic decisive moments along with how to comparatively analyze photos to determines what makes one better than the other. I had an opportunity to bond with the Cast Member instructors as well as the other students, who were from all over the world. I have used the skills I learned in the class many times over since then. |
Exploring Careers in the Marine SciencesDiscover how Disney scientists maintain the environment and inhabitants of the nearly six million gallon aquarium at The Seas with Nemo & Friends. Students will learn the education and training required for a marine science profession and will explore the responsibilities of caring for aquatic animals and how they play an important role in oceanic conservation. You will also get an inside and close up look at the different and current research projects currently taking place at The Seas.
During the interactive field study, I got a got an inside look at the diverse careers necessary to provide marine animal car. The class was able to meet with professionals in their fields, including marine mammal trainers, marine researchers, water scientists, and more. The class shone a light onto to science behind marine biology and now I think differently about what I’m seeing with every trip to The Seas. |
You can find all of the classes offered at Walt Disney World (and Disneyland, if interested) here,
along with specific scheduling and pricing information. I urge you to explore the options!
Don't be afraid to explore the options and possibilities!
Other
Epcot World Showcase Passport
Epcot offers the Kidcot coloring signs for free, but you can also purchase a Passport Kit for about $11.00. Each kit comes with a button, a blank passport, and a series of stamps for each World Showcase country. Passports are great for young children, but they’re also great for older children who think they’re too cool for coloring and they’re great for adults. The Passports help keep children engaged in learning about each country as they have to go up to the Cast Members to ask for a stamp in their book. Each country also writes a special message in the book in their official language and relay it back to the passport holder. Passports are great souvenirs to collect with every trip since the Cast Member writes down the date and time and leaves a special message.
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