Step inside Walt Disney’s apartment at Disneyland Resort. This spot at Disneyland is not open to the public, but if you’re lucky, you can book a guided tour to see some behind the scenes pieces of the resort you’ve never seen before.
I invite you to experience Disneyland in a new and exclusive way, complete with photos and bragging rights. Plus this tour is just a fraction of the cost of a daily VIP Tour Guide!
Learn more about the Disneyland tour that takes you inside Walt Disney’s apartment, find out what to expect along your the way and how you can experience more Disneyland classics just like Walt once did.
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Disneyland Guided Tours Quick Info
There are several ways to feel like a VIP at Disneyland Resort through a guided tour. Currently, Disneyland Resort offers these tours throughout the year:
- Disneyland Resort VIP Tours start at $3,500. Offered year-round as the ultimate VIP Theme Park Experience. You’ll receive your own Private Tour Guide and priority access to many theme park attractions, concierge planning and VIP service. Click here for reservation details.
- Walt’s Main Street Story starts at $160. This is the tour we’ll be highlighting in this article. Keep reading for all the details.
- Disney’s Happiest Haunts Guided Tour starts at $110 and is only offered during Halloween Time.
- Holiday Time at the Disneyland Resort starts at $110 and is only offered during the Holiday Season.
If these tours have given you sticker shock and you just want to see inside Walt’s apartment, that’s coming up in this article. And don’t worry, there are even more ways to feel like a VIP on a smaller budget. When you’re at Disneyland, I suggest some of these upgrades at a smaller price point:
- Discount tickets with locked in Genie+ pricing.
- Dinner and a show for entertainment like parades, World of Color and more.
- Character dining complete with meet and greets from some of your favorites.
Walt Disney’s Apartment Tour Reservations
The tour that takes you inside Walt Disney’s apartment at Disneyland is called “Walt’s Main Street Story.” It used to be called “Walk in Walt’s Footsteps” and although the two tours are very different in many ways, one remains the same…
You’ll get to step inside Walt’s apartment overlooking Main Street, U.S.A. and you won’t even have to shimmy up the firehouse pole to get there!
Seeing inside the apartment is certainly a highlight of the tour, but it is so worth the time spent for many other reasons. But first, let’s go over a few questions and answers about Walt’s Main Street Story guided tour. We’ll also touch on how to make reservations for this tour.
When can I book Walt’s Main Street Story Tour at Disneyland? Disneyland Resort tours are open for reservations 60 days in advance. You can check availability and book your tour online here.
How much is Walt’s Main Street Story Tour? Walt’s Main Street Story Tour starts at $160 which includes your tour, a treat and lanyard. Theme park admission and reservations are required to attend a tour. There are currently no discounts offered for Magic Key holders.
What time is Walt’s Main Street Story Tour? Times vary but are generally offered at 9:00 am, noon and 2:00 pm. 8:00 am and 10:00 am times may be offered during peak seasons.
How long is Walt’s Main Street Story Tour? Walt’s Main Street Story Tour is about 90 minutes long.
What is Walt’s Main Street Story Tour? Learn about Walt Disney’s legacy and how he brought his personal history to life at Disneyland Park. You’ll hear stories from your Tour Guide about the only park Walt himself ever walked, Disneyland.
What will I see on Walt’s Main Street Story Tour? Your tour takes you along Main Street, U.S.A., into Walt Disney’s apartment and onto the private patio attached to the residence. Each tour ends with a water or soft drink and Walt’s Main Street Story cookie to take home or enjoy right then and there.
Make your Walt’s Main Street Story Tour reservations here.
Walt Disney’s Disneyland Tour Check In
Arrive about 30 minutes before your tour is scheduled to begin at the Disneyland Tour Gardens kiosk, just left of City Hall on Main Street, U.S.A. Be sure to plan accordingly for morning tours; it will take more time for parking and security.
At the Tour Gardens welcome booth will receive your lanyard for Walt’s Main Street Story Tour to wear during your journey.
On one side it says “Walt’s Main Street Story” and the other side reads “Disneyland.”
Relax for a bit in the Disneyland Tour Gardens area at one of several shaded tables. Your Tour Guide will come out shortly to meet you and explain how to use the headset audio system during your tour.
Walt’s Main Street Story Attractions
Our tour began on Main Street, U.S.A. with our lovely guide, highlighting and detailing many things about Walt Disney’s vision for Disneyland. It’s an abbreviated version of the previous “Walk in Walt’s Footsteps Tour” and excludes the first-hand audio that used to play.
This time around, you’ll only hear from your Tour Guide themselves. One stop was in front of the U.S.A. where you can read the dedication speech Walt Disney gave on opening day, July 17, 1955.
Without spoiling the entire tour, you can expect to see these other attractions (but no rides) during your tour:
- Stops along Main Street, U.S.A.
- Main Street Cinema
- East Center Street (I just learned the name of this area a few years ago!)
- Refreshment Corner
- Main Street Vehicles as they pass by
- Fire Station
- Walt’s Apartment
- Walt’s Patio just outside the apartment
Visit Walt’s Apartment in Disneyland Park
At the conclusion of our tour, we were invited into Walt Disney’s apartment over Main Street, U.S.A.
I’ve been able to visit Walt’s apartment twice now and both times it was during the Christmas season. My first visit we were only give one photo shot, but this time a PhotoPass photographer joins the tour to get more photos of your visit.
I really loved this added touch and you can see at a quick glance how much better quality the second visit photos are.
The apartment has remained much the same but is something spectacular to see with your own eyes. This tour is really fantastic for not only devoted Disney fans, but anyone new to the parks as an adult or teen. It really helps frame the vision and the why behind Disneyland Resort.
Afterwards, we sat on the patio for some unscripted chats with our Tour Guide and members of the tour group. You can also indulge in your drink and cookie at that time. It was very fun and relaxing to reminisce, learn and talk with fellow Disney fans above it all while the sounds of Main Street rose from below.
Walk in Walt’s Footsteps vs. Walt’s Main Street Story
Many who have been on the Walk in Walt’s Footsteps tour will instantly make comparisons. This is definitely a different tour, a bit watered down and at a higher price point. I still feel it is worth doing, especially if you’ve never been inside Walt Disney’s Main Street apartment.
This tour does have some room to grow. I specifically missed these elements from the previous version of Walk in Walt’s Footsteps:
- First-person audio from
notable people like Walt’s daughters and others who worked on the building of Disneyland. - Touring various lands in the park and pointing out the hidden gems like the location of coveted Club 33 in New Orleans Square.
- The story of Walt’s bench from Griffith Park in Los Angeles.
- Hearing the tender last moments from Walt’s life before he passed away.
Other parts of the previous tour like riding attractions and eating lunch definitely upped the time frame of the tour, but I did not find those as important as the other points listed above.
I recommend this tour for ages 12 and up, depending on maturity level. But teens and adults will get the most from this exclusive experience. As an avid Disneyland and Disney history fan, there are plenty of things I had heard before, but even then—Disney stories never really get old do they?
Explore Walt Disney’s Disneyland
A self-guided tour through Disneyland Park seeing things the way Walt saw them during his days strolling down Main Street, U.S.A. is available in our print-at-home Disneyland Plan Classics.
While it is not a replacement for the official park tour, it outlines how to visit each opening day attraction, along with places to eat and visit that have special significance to Walt and Disneyland history.
Purchase your Disneyland Plan Classics before your next Disneyland vacation.
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Have you taken a Guided Tour at Disneyland? What about Walt’s Main Street Story—did you love it as much as I did?
Do you have to purchase a ticket to the park too or can you just do the tour?
Valid admission is required, the tour cost is additional.
Hi,
Do you know if Club 33 is still part of the tour? I’ve read somewhere that it has now been taken out of the tour and it is now only Walt’s apartment.
Club 33 is not part of this tour. While things can change, the tour was developed to showcase Walt’s apartment and that has been the focal point of the tour for the last few years.
I am assuming that the headsets used are Bluetooth. My question is that I have read in other reviews, that the single earbud that Disney provides is OK, but those that have Apple or any other Bluetooth earbuds actually work better. I am curious as to your recommendations.
You can use your own headsets but they are not bluetooth compatible.
Thank you for your description. My wife and I are going in May for our anniversary and are very much looking forward to taking this tour!
You’re going to love this tour! I can’t say enough good things about it.
I can see you said 4 hours in the tour I thought it was 2-3 hours was yours longer for any reason ? Thanks
Great catch Leanne, the extra hour was during our dining. Our group was split into 2 at the end. One group dined first and then saw the apartment. My group saw the apartment first, then ate which gave us plenty of time to linger and chat with our awesome tour guide. How long you spend eating (if you’re the last group) is totally up to you.
If you have never been to Disneyland ( I have been to Disney World a lot!) is this the tour you recommend?
Thanks!
Susie
My quick answer is YES! But then I’d ask, how many days will you be there? If a few, then yes– if one then no. It’s certainly something anyone with a love for Walt Disney and Disney history must do at some point. Please keep me posted if you decide to do it.
My sister and I did this tour a couple of years ago and believe me, it was so worth the money, it was amazing. We’re going again in November and plan to do the tour again, and we can’t wait! We saw the Dream Suite last time so we are very hopeful that will see Walt’s apartment this time.
I totally agree Roxanne. I am ready to do it again and it hasn’t even been one year. I need to try the other tours as well. Such high quality information and tour guides.
We are looking to take our Niece & Nephew in October. We went 2 years ago & loved it, but our tour included a tour of the Dream Suite. You mentioned Walt’s apartment…..is it a matter of when you go that they decide where you go?
Hello, thank you for your question. Walt’s apartment wasn’t open to the public a couple years ago as they were doing some maintenance and things. During that time they swapped out the apartment for the Dream Suite. Currently the Dream Suite is not being shown on any tour. However, it could change at any time but the Dream Suite is kinda a back up as the tour is always meant to include Walt’s apartment. I truly think you all will love it with this on the itinerary.
Would you recommend this tour if you have a small child? (Will be 20 months when we go) This will be my first time to Disneyland as I grew up in FL with Disney World. Love the history aspect of Disney.
Hi Steve, I would definitely say no. I do not recommend a 20 month old. All paying participants have a head set on the entire time and things move quickly. I believe we took one bathroom break in the 4 or so hours of the tour. Of course you know your child best. If you feel your child will stay put in a stroller for the duration of the tour with little entertainment or breaks, then try it out. I am not sure how they handle bringing little ones into Walt’s Apartment though because you’re in there a while with no place to sit or roam. I do hope you get to experience it one way or another, it’s so worth it.
How long did it take to do the tour?
Hi Kim, I spent about 4 hours on my tour.
Hi, how much was the tour? I’m going in December and would love to do it
Hi Sarah, it’s around $100 in addition to your theme park admission. Prices can change at any time but you can confirm when you call in to make your reservation 30 days in advance.