Welcome to the Disney Parks Moms Panel Jeremy ~
I am a HUGE fan of the tours at the Walt Disney World Resort and I think a tour will make a great gift for your wife! I love soaking up every ounce of knowledge to see how the talented Cast Members work super hard backstage to make all of the magic come to life onstage for Guests.
Audio-Animatronics are amazing and a big part of so many attractions at all of the Disney Parks. It is hard to believe that the original idea came from Walt Disney finding a small mechanical bird in a cage in an antique shop in New Orleans.
I would recommend doing the
Backstage Magic tour with your wife. I have done this one several times and never get tired of it. One of the first stops during this 7-hour tour is The American Adventure in the American Adventure Pavilion at Epcot. You get to go backstage and see how Cast Members maintain and take care of the 35 audio-animatronics in this production. Did you know they have make-up artists touch them up every day? And wait until you hear why they put pads on the floors underneath them.
The Backstage Magic tour covers a lot of ground and includes a trip into the legendary "utilidor" tunnels at the Magic Kingdom! You never know what or who you will see walking through. All of the Tour Guides I've had were very knowledgeable and happy to answer lots of questions. One of my Guides went on to become a Disney Ambassador so you know they know their stuff.
You can make reservations for the Backstage Magic tour by calling 407-WDW-TOUR. Tour group sizes are limited so I'd call as soon as possible to book.
Wishing you minnie magical memories :-) Allison V.