Friends of ours took this tour last year and were very impressed. They learnt about the history and creation of Epcot and the legacy Walt Disney left for the Walt Disney World Resort.
The tour, I think, is quite expensive, at about $50 plus your Epcot admission but they thoroughly enjoyed it although it was tiring. They rewarded themselves with a meal at Nine Dragons.
The tour takes just over 4 hours and is on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 9 a.m. and you meet 15 minutes prior to this in the Guest Relations Lobby (to the left of Spaceship Earth as you enter the park). Like other tours some of this is outdoors and requires a good deal of walking. Most tours are accessible for those with special needs you just need to inquire when you call for reservations. You will need to have a good breakfast before the tour as you only stop for a 10-minute break.
Their tour started with an introduction at Guest Relations about the history of Epcot and Spaceship Earth.
They then toured the House of Innoventions, with a stop at the photo mural in Innoventions East focusing on a description of the Monsato House of the Future in '60s Disneyland. They then crossed Innoventions Plaza and stopped for a description of the fountains, before travelling through the disused corridors next to the Fountain View restaurant.
They excited near The Land, where their guide pointed out the Inventors Circle on the ground. Their next stop was the old United Technologies VIP lounge in the Living Seas and then The Land, with a stop for a snack.
Their next stop was the old ImageWorks room on the top level of Imagination. At this stop, their guide described the history of the monorail system.
They then crossed Future World to Universe of Energy. Although they did not go into the ride itself, they understood this had been allowed on some tours.
The tour includes a stop backstage at Mission Space, inside the control room that can be seen from the queue area. Although the consoles facing the queue are fake, the consoles on the back are real, and are used by the Cast Members seated there to monitor the attraction.
On to Test Track, they visited a small room next to the briefing rooms where guests with disabilities can practice getting into a ride vehicle. They also walked under the outdoor track, and the guide pointed out that the support columns are mounted on ball bearings, which can be seen to shift as a car travels overhead.
After Test Track, they visited the main Cast Member building, including a stop at the Costume Department.
The last major stop was the marina, where the barges for Illuminations, as well as other boats are stored. The guide explained the back-story to the show, as well as some of the technical details (i.e., that the globe barge has a two-person crew, but the other barges are unmanned.)
They returned on stage at the China pavilion, where they were given a tour pin, offered a 20% discount for lunch or dinner at Nine Dragons, as well as VIP viewing for Illuminations that night or another night. They were not sure how far in advance you could book VIP viewing as they opted for that night and were in a small roped-off area in front of Italy, which they said had excellent views.
Our friends really enjoyed their tour and said they were given masses of information. They were tired but after enjoying lunch at Nine Dragons stayed on for the Illuminations.
The tour, I think, is quite expensive, at about $50 plus your Epcot admission but they thoroughly enjoyed it although it was tiring. They rewarded themselves with a meal at Nine Dragons.
The tour takes just over 4 hours and is on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 9 a.m. and you meet 15 minutes prior to this in the Guest Relations Lobby (to the left of Spaceship Earth as you enter the park). Like other tours some of this is outdoors and requires a good deal of walking. Most tours are accessible for those with special needs you just need to inquire when you call for reservations. You will need to have a good breakfast before the tour as you only stop for a 10-minute break.
Their tour started with an introduction at Guest Relations about the history of Epcot and Spaceship Earth.
They then toured the House of Innoventions, with a stop at the photo mural in Innoventions East focusing on a description of the Monsato House of the Future in '60s Disneyland. They then crossed Innoventions Plaza and stopped for a description of the fountains, before travelling through the disused corridors next to the Fountain View restaurant.
They excited near The Land, where their guide pointed out the Inventors Circle on the ground. Their next stop was the old United Technologies VIP lounge in the Living Seas and then The Land, with a stop for a snack.
Their next stop was the old ImageWorks room on the top level of Imagination. At this stop, their guide described the history of the monorail system.
They then crossed Future World to Universe of Energy. Although they did not go into the ride itself, they understood this had been allowed on some tours.
The tour includes a stop backstage at Mission Space, inside the control room that can be seen from the queue area. Although the consoles facing the queue are fake, the consoles on the back are real, and are used by the Cast Members seated there to monitor the attraction.
On to Test Track, they visited a small room next to the briefing rooms where guests with disabilities can practice getting into a ride vehicle. They also walked under the outdoor track, and the guide pointed out that the support columns are mounted on ball bearings, which can be seen to shift as a car travels overhead.
After Test Track, they visited the main Cast Member building, including a stop at the Costume Department.
The last major stop was the marina, where the barges for Illuminations, as well as other boats are stored. The guide explained the back-story to the show, as well as some of the technical details (i.e., that the globe barge has a two-person crew, but the other barges are unmanned.)
They returned on stage at the China pavilion, where they were given a tour pin, offered a 20% discount for lunch or dinner at Nine Dragons, as well as VIP viewing for Illuminations that night or another night. They were not sure how far in advance you could book VIP viewing as they opted for that night and were in a small roped-off area in front of Italy, which they said had excellent views.
Our friends really enjoyed their tour and said they were given masses of information. They were tired but after enjoying lunch at Nine Dragons stayed on for the Illuminations.