The Keys to the Kingdom Tour is a 5 hour walking tour of the park where you learn some fun hidden secrets behind the making of the park. A couple of rides are also included, we went on the Jungle Cruise and Haunted Mansion, I'm not sure if they do any others. You do get to go inside the secret Disney "tunnels" and backstage areas but the majority of the tour is out in the park. It includes lunch and you also get a keepsake key to take home with you! It was a rainy morning so I had to buy an $8 poncho to keep dry.
Unfortunately no photos are allowed on the tour so no pictures there. I do HIGHLY recommend this guide if you're a huge Disney fan and want to learn more about the history of the parks. Our tour guide, Iyar (spelling?) was amazing, he really had a love for Disney and the parks. Even though it was raining for a bunch of our tour he still kept it fun and upbeat. I would do it again (even in the rain) in a heartbeat.
Dress: Elle (Kohl's), Sandals: Ancient Greek Sandals 'Athanasia' (Moda Operandi), Bag: Disney x Coach 'Patricia' with Mickey ears, Sunglasses: Ray Ban 'Erika', Eyeglasses chain: Tinksky (Amazon)
Food
Pescos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe
We had lunch at Pescos Bill during our tour. I got the chicken tacos and grabbed a corn medley as well. SOOO good!
Liberty Square Market
In between our tour and dinner we were a bit hungry so we stopped for one of my favorite Mickey shaped treats, a pretzel! YUMMM!!Cinderella's Royal Table
On to dinner! We had previously done Cinderella's Royal Table with my sister back in December but one day I was randomly checking for reservations and saw one for the night of Kristen's birthday, it was a no brainer! The meal was amazing, as expected and we had some pretty great princesses to take photos with. We were there for the fireworks and unfortunately didn't have the best view to see them, but it was still really cool seeing the lights from inside the castle.
(The photo above is from when we moved to the center of the room to see the fireworks, our view was of one of the side windows)
Princesses normally get wands, but Kristen and I asked for swords because they're cooler (and we already had wands from last time) |
Food
The menu had changed slightly since our last visit where I had the starter salad, Pan-Seared All Natural Chicken and "The Clock Strikes Twelve." This time I got the Castle Salad and "The Clock Strikes Twelve" again but tried the Beef and Shrimp as my entree. It was DELICIOUS. The steak was perfectly cooked and the shrimp were delicious. I'm not normally a huge fan of mashed potatoes but I ate them all. Super smooth and tasty.Kristen had the Charcuterie Plate and Beef Tenderloin Salad with The Clock Strikes Twelve. Since it was her birthday I also ordered a special signature dessert from the special events department. It included a dark chocolate slipper (you could also get white chocolate) filled with a chocolate mousse, a chocolate cake with chocolate mousse covered with a chocolate ganache and finished with a Happy Birthday chocolate piece. You can also get one that says Happy Anniversary or Congratulations.
Castle Salad |
Charcuterie Plate - A Selection of Cured Meats, Cheese, and other specialty selections of the Castle |
Grilled Beef Tenderloin, Sautéed Shrimp in a Shallot-Butter Sauce, and Potatoes Au Gratin with Braised Rapini |
Grilled Beef Tenderloin, Mixed Greens, Roasted Marinated Mushrooms, Blue Cheese Crumbles, and Fried Leeks in a Balsamic Vinaigrette |
The Clock Strikes Twelve - Dark Chocolate Mousse with a Dark Chocolate Ganache served with a Raspberry Coulis |
Princess Photos
It's always fun taking pictures with the Princesses. Before dinner you take a photo with Cinderella, and while you eat Snow White, Princess Aurora, Ariel and Jasmine come around to your tables. The Cinderella photo is done by a professional but you take the other Princesses on your own. My one complaint about this experience is the fact that the lighting is dark in the room so the photos you take with the other princesses are never as good as Cinderella. For the price you pay for the meal there should be a photographer with each princess to take professional photos.You can see a video of the fireworks in my Instagram post:
This seriously looks like such an amazingly fun time - that insiders tour also sounds like it would be super neat.
ReplyDeleteCourtney ~ Sartorial Sidelines
Your dress is so cute! It looks like you had an amazing time!
ReplyDeleteDistrict of Chic
I always love following along with your disney trips! Loving your red dress :)
ReplyDeletexo Annie
New England Romance
Your dress is so pretty and looks like it was fun! The food looks delicious!
ReplyDeletexo Yvonne
www.aproposh.com
Even if the view and lighting wasn't the best it does sound like a fun way to celebrate a birthday, and the food looks delicious! I really like your dress too :)
ReplyDeleteHope that you are having a nice weekend :)
Away From The Blue Blog
The castle is so cool! It's fun you had dinner with the fireworks going off, like your very own magical disney ending.
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