Visit the Chocolate Kingdom at 5720 W. Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway, Kissimmee, FL 34746. For more information, call them: (407) 705-3475

If you want to go get up close and personal with marine animals, go behind the scenes to meet a penguin, and plunge into the realm of the shark, chances are that a regular trip to SeaWorld Orlando just isn’t going to do it for you. But don’t fret! Those who want to experience the Orlando theme park in a truly unique way can try one of SeaWorld’s brand new tours. Perfect for those who have seen and done everything at the park or want a truly memorable trip out of their visit, these new 2009 tours blend adventure and education into an amazing day of fun with the animals.

First, there’s nothing like getting a close look at the inner workings of SeaWorld on the Behind-the-Scenes Tour. On the tour, guests will visit SeaWorld’s Rescue & Rehabilitation Center, explore a polar bear’s hidden den, come inches away from a penguin, and interact with a small shark. Best yet, ten percent of each tour admission is donated to the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund.

For dolphin and penguin fans, SeaWorld offers the Dolphin Spotlight and the Penguin Spotlight tours. The first offers the opportunity to learn from SeaWorld’s animal care specialists about what it’s like to work with dolphins. Guests will go backstage to the Whale & Dolphin Stadium and witness training sessions with the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin. Then they’ll get to practice what they saw at SeaWorld’s Dolphin Cove during a special training session.

During the Penguin Spotlight, guests will meet some of SeaWorld’s amazing puffins and penguins. They’ll learn about caring for these amazing birds from aviculture experts while exploring SeaWorld’s Penguin Encounter.

And for extra special visitors to SeaWorld, there’s the VIP Tour and the Elite VIP Tour. On the former, guests will embark on exhilarating thrill rides, enjoy spectacular shows and find out what it’s like to feed dolphins, sting rays, and sea lions. They’ll even get close to everyone’s favorite killer whale during Dine with Shamu, a poolside lunch.

On the Elite VIP tour, similar fun abounds with Manta, SeaWorld’s new flying coaster set to open May 22. Guests will get splashed by an 11,000 pound whale, encounter amazing animals, and meet a tuxedo clad penguin. The day finishes with dinner at the Sharks Underwater Grill.

But that’s not all; SeaWorld also offers Animal Connection Programs, which offer incredible opportunities to interact with amazing animals and experience up-close encounters. There’s the Beluga Interaction Program, which allows guests to step into the Wild Arctic’s chilly 55 degree water and come face-to-face with the beluga whale, and the Sharks Deep Dive, which puts guests into a wet suit and a Sea Trek helmet and plunges them underwater for a close encounter with more than 30 sharks.

All these amazing tours and programs require an additional ticket and can be reserved via SeaWorld’s website. However, SeaWorld admission isn’t included in that ticket and is required. So if you want to experience SeaWorld in a whole new way while saving money, be sure to visit DWTickets.com for discount SeaWorld tickets. And check out the park’s behind-the-scenes adventures and animal encounters for an adventure you’ll never forget.

Walt Disney World is without a doubt one of the most mysterious and magical places in the world. The four parks manage to create so many dream experiences and fun adventures that fans have often sought to uncover the science behind the magic. And though all the secrets can’t be revealed, there is a way that Disney fans can learn a bit more about how their favorite parks operate – through special Disney-offered tours.

For example, guests can opt to go on a Backstage Magic tour, a 7-hour adventure across Disney World that provides a detailed look at the workings of Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Magic Kingdom. This fascinating tour provides an in-depth look at the parks’ creative and technical operations that bring to life your favorite special effects and attractions. You’ll get to see Disney’s massive Florist facilities (all those flowers didn’t just pop out of nowhere, you know) along with the incredibly designed North Service area. By the end of the tour, guests will have a better idea of just how much magic it takes to make the parks work.

And if you love Animal Kingdom, there’s a tour for you too – the Backstage Safari, which provides a 3-hour look at the ways that Disney Cast Members care for the park’s 1,700+ animal residents. On this behind-the-scenes walking tour, guest will get up close to a variety of incredible animals in their backstage habitats and talk to the folks that keep them happy and healthy in the Animal Nutrition Center. They’ll also visit Animal Kingdom’s state-of-the-art veterinary hospital and other facilities and learn interesting facts, like how three tons of food is prepared, distributed, and fed to the critters of Animal Kingdom every day.

Another naturally fabulous tour is Behind the Seeds at Epcot, which takes guests backstage on a one-hour indoor walking tour of the greenhouses seen at the Living with the Land pavilion. An actual working greenhouse, The Land grows delicious produce indoors, and guests will be able to learn all about the advanced and sometimes-experimental techniques it uses. Described as an extended version of the Living with the Land ride, the tour gives guests the chance to go alligator gazing, release ladybugs, and see the future of agriculture.

Around the World at Epcot is another great tour if you love the futuristic park and want to see all it has to offer without all the walking. This fun tour takes guests around the World Showcase while riding board a 2-wheel Segway Personal Transporter. For those who have never ridden one before, the first hour of the 2-hour tour consists of a fun training session so that you don’t fall flat on your face. Once you’re ready, you and your group will head out to the World (Showcase, that is), and visit each of the 11 international pavilions it consists of. Meanwhile, your guide will point out interesting details and facts about the design of each pavilion.

All of the tours can be booked through Disney, and all of them, with the exception of the Backstage Magic Tour, still require separate Disney admission. So if you’re burning to know some of the mystery behind the magic at your favorite Disney theme park, get your Walt Disney World tickets at DWTickets.com and then give Disney a call to schedule a fascinating and one-of-a-kind tour.