[Remy]

I can't decide on which special experience to do for my son is graduated this year as a suprise, Keys to the Kingdom or lunch with an imagineer.

Any suggestions will be greatly appreicated.

[Soundgod]

I've done most, if not all of the currently offered tours, including Keys to the Kingdom.
I've also seen all of the WDW shows on cable.
So, I'd vote to do something different, which would be Lunch With An Imagineer.

[PhilliesFan]

I voted for the Keys to the Kingdom tour - I've always wanted to do it.

[mickeyspal]

Lunch with an imagineer undoubtley. To get first hand insight into the company, to me, is priceless. Whatever you choose, is quite a gift!

[Captgoodguy]

We are huge Disney fans and try to experience everything WDW has to offer, but we've intentionally never done the Keys to the Kingdom tour. We decided this would take away a little bit of the magic. So it depends on the individual who would be going. I would enjoy a lunch with an imagineer. Hearing the stories they would have to tell, etc.

[WishUponAStar]

I've done both, Lunch with an Imagineer is AMAZING!!! Totally choose that one!

[mickeyspal]

Originally Posted by Captgoodguy

We are huge Disney fans and try to experience everything WDW has to offer, but we've intentionally never done the Keys to the Kingdom tour. We decided this would take away a little bit of the magic. So it depends on the individual who would be going. I would enjoy a lunch with an imagineer. Hearing the stories they would have to tell, etc.

My husband and son did the keys to the kingdom tour. I wouldn't go for the very same reason.

[LittleMissMagic]

I've done both. And I enjoyed them both. However, if your son is a big Disney Dork like the rest of us, he probably already knows most of the information they tell you on the Keys to the Kingdom tour. Dining with an Imagineer is so much more personal. The Imagineer I got was sure to ask us all why we were there and what sort of information we were hoping to gain. He told us funny stories about his job - information you won't find in books.

[Pooh Fan]

I think "I would choose lunch with the Imagineer. A friend of ours did the Keys to the Kingdom Tour. She is not as much of a Disney fanatic as my family and she knew most of what they told her on that tour from books and shows she's watched. Plus, how cool would it be to be able to sit and talk with an Imagineer about what it is really like.

[Remy]

Thanks for all the feedback but I am still not sure.

[Captgoodguy]

Does the lunch provide you with one-on-one interaction with the Imagineer? I've done a "lunch with an astronaut" at the Kennedy Space Center and it was more of a guest speaker type of luncheon. They didn't have time to talk with the individuals. I still enjoyed it and would do the same for the imagineer, but that might make a difference for you.

[LittleMissMagic]

Well, I've taken some excerpts from my June/July 2008 TR that might help you out.

Originally Posted by littlemissmagic

We were supposed to meet at 9:15. We got to the park at 9:05ish, but didn't get in until 9:20... the turnstiles were backed up. We were almost there when a family of four's passes wouldn't work. They didn't have the right tickets, and their passes wouldn't match up to their fingerprints. Finally, after trying their passes numerous times, they were told to get out of line and see Guest Relations. We got in and rushed to the meeting spot, to find that we weren't late. We were given name tags and water bottles and were told to be back at 9:30. They gave us little earpieces so that we could hear our guide.

We started on Main Street and (rode the Jungle Cruise) worked our way to Columbia Harbor House for lunch... which soon became my dad's favorite quick service restaurant when he learned that there's rarely a crowd. Here our places were marked with little name tags... inside were our Key to the Kingdom pins. I had ordered the Tuna Sandwich... I'm not particularly a tuna fan, but it looked like the most expensive thing on the menu, and I'm all about getting my money's worth. It was actually very good. My dad got the House Salad and ended up eating my potato chips (I wouldn't have eaten them, anyway). After lunch, we rode the Haunted Mansion and then worked our way through Fantasyland. We then went into the Utilidors. After that, we spent a little more time backstage, then went back to Main Street where we concluded our tour.

Originally Posted by littlemissmagic

Well, for the most part, I enjoyed it. I believe our tour guide's name was Jerrid... I remember it was spelled funny. He was rather young... late 20s. He was easy to hear and follow. However, a lot of the information he told us, I had already read... either in An Imagineer's Guide to the Magic Kingdom, one of Walt's biographies, or on the Internet. Since I had already done extensive study on the Magic Kingdom (I made a Disney ABC book in 7th grade, and M was for Magic Kingdom... and U was for Utilidor), I knew a lot of what he told us already.

When we went backstage behind the McDonald's Fry Cart, I had already been back there when we went to get ready for the parade in February. However, I found the tour of the parade float area very interesting. I also found the Utilidors rather interesting, and wished we could've spent more time down there... covered more of the underground area.

So, overall, I was pleased with the tour. I thought it was worth the money. And I think I'd like to take the 7-hour, 3-park tour one day.

[mickeysgirlz]

Originally Posted by Captgoodguy

We are huge Disney fans and try to experience everything WDW has to offer, but we've intentionally never done the Keys to the Kingdom tour. We decided this would take away a little bit of the magic. So it depends on the individual who would be going. I would enjoy a lunch with an imagineer. Hearing the stories they would have to tell, etc.

DITTO! I wouldn't want to lose any Disney Magic!