Trip Report: “Disney Parks Around The World – A Private Jet Adventure” Day 16 – Great Pyramids and Sphinx of Giza

I can now say I’ve seen all surviving Seven Wonders of the Ancient World because only one is still standing – The Great Pyramid of Giza. Disney Parks Around The World – A Private Jet Adventure continued moving us closer to the Disneyland Paris Resort with a flight to Giza, a museum tour, and a very special after-hours visit to The Great Pyramids and the Sphinx. But first, we had to get there from Agra, India.

For the Egypt portion of our trip, only our carry-on-sized wheelie bags (provided by Adventures by Disney) would be coming off the plane. Our larger suitcases were collected the night before, while our wheelie bags had to be brought to the lobby by 4:45 am, which is also when a breakfast buffet began. By 6:15 am, we boarded coaches to the Agra airport and got to see some monkey business along the way.

Our 7-hour flight included a light breakfast and a full lunch. Guests were recruited to help give the in-flight safety demonstration. Becky Cline, Director of the Walt Disney Archives, gave a presentation titled “Walt’s Great Adventures” that chronicled Walt Disney’s global travels. From serving in World War I as an ambulance driver in Paris to the 37 other countries he visited during his lifetime, it was a humanizing look at Walt’s love of exploration. And as we approached Sphinx International Airport, our pilots told us when we were flying over the Nile River so we could get a nice view of it.

Ours was the first private jet to land at the Sphinx International Airport, which is still ramping up activity in preparation for an influx of travel when the new Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) opens later this year. Our Assistant Adventure Leader, Julie, prepared all of our passports and visas while Patricio took care of the luggage, making our entry into Egypt as smooth as possible (like China and India, they were extra thorough in examining passports and visas, which was not quick).

The 75 Guests on the trip were split between 5 coaches, 4 of which proceeded to the Egyptian Museum with an Egyptologist serving as our guide. During the ride from Cairo to Giza, we got our first view of the pyramids off in the distance.

The “feels-like” temperature was 110 degrees, and the Egyptian Museum doesn’t have air conditioning (it was built in 1902), so our time there was reduced by 15 minutes, but we still had 90 minutes of time to explore. Our Egyptologist guide, Ahmed, prioritized getting to see the artifacts from King Tut’s tomb, which will be reunited with all of the other pieces Howard Carter discovered when the GEM opens. No photos were allowed inside that section of the museum, but we got to see Tutankhamun’s sarcophagi, life mask, jewelry, and a collection of amulets. The tour ended in a gift shop, one of two shopping opportunities for us in Egypt.

We stayed at the Mena House Hotel, a Marriott property that was first built in 1869. Our rooms are in the more recently expanded area, but the original house is still standing and undergoing refurbishment. It’s where you’ll find the resort’s gift shop, which offers lots of mini-statues, amulets, oil lamps, and can customize shirts made from Egyptian Cotton and gold and silver cartouches with your name in hieroglyphics.

We had some leisure time to relax and recharge, enjoying the room.

Our balcony had a perfect view of the Great Pyramid.

The Adventures by Disney team gifted everyone a silver ankh necklace. It symbolizes life, death, immortality, and reincarnation.

Tours of the pyramids typically run from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. I’m told that between those hours, the base of each pyramid is flooded with thousands of tourists who came for an up-close view. But part of the magic of Adventures by Disney is that we got our own private after-hours experience from 6:00 to 8:00 pm.

We were allowed to go inside (no photos allowed) through the robber’s tunnel, which is below the entrance that was originally designed above it. We were warned that it would be a strenuous and claustrophobic climb, all of which was true. Low ceilings meant that most of the climb had to be done bent over, and some flat areas required a duck walk or crawling on hands and knees to get through. We first went to the highest chamber, which once housed the sarcophagus of Pharaoh Khufu. On the way down, we also got to visit the Queen’s Chamber, where Khufu’s wives were likely buried (the pyramids were looted before the founding of Egyptology).

Back on the coach, we drove to a spot where we could get a panoramic view of the entire Giza Pyramid Complex. From this angle, the Great Pyramid (454.4 ft) on the far left looks shorter than the Pyramid of Khafre (448 ft) in the center, which is much larger than the Pyramid of Menkaure (200 ft) on the right, which has a few smaller satellite pyramids behind it. This vista made for a perfect photo spot.

Our tour finished at the Sphinx. We were allowed to go past the typical walking platforms, beyond which no photos were allowed. This allowed us to stand between the giant guardian’s front paws and even walk around to see its tail. Between its front legs is the Dream Stele, a marble slab added nearly a thousand years after the Sphinx was carved, which depicts a second one. Egyptologists are still searching for a symmetrical companion to the famous statue.

We spotted lots of dogs around the pyramids, all with ear tags. A little research revealed that they are strays, but the ear tags mean they have been checked for health and safety. It was once common in Egypt for stray dogs to be poisoned to death, but efforts are underway to protect them with rabies vaccines in addition to spaying and neutering to keep the population down (I did see a few puppies, though).

As a “pawrent” of two dogs, whom I miss very much, my favorite photos of Egypt were of these dogs living their best life as guardians of the Giza Pyramid Complex.

Dinner was held outdoors at the hotel, overlooking the Great Pyramid and Pyramid of Khafre, which are illuminated after sunset. There was a vegetarian option in addition to beef or chicken main courses. But after such a hot day, many Guests found the dinner to be too heavy, retiring early after a long day.

During dinner, we were given our pin of the day, depicting the Egypt scene from it’s a small world.

Having just visited two places that always felt far removed from where we call home, it certainly does feel like a small world after all.

Disney fans will soon be able to travel the globe from the comfort of their homes with Disney Around the World from Ravensburger. We brought along an early review copy of the game and look forward to playing it during downtime on this adventure.

Bonus: The Pyramids, Sphinx, and Egypt at Disney Parks

The pin of the day was inspired by a classic Mary Blair scene from it’s a small world, as seen in this photo taken on the Tokyo Disneyland version of the beloved attraction.

In Tokyo Disneyland, the lobby of the Country Bear Theater features photos from the band’s world tour. Among their memorable tour stops is the Sphinx and Great Pyramids.

Soarin’ Around the World (aka Soaring: Fantastic Flight at Tokyo DisneySea and Soaring Over the Horizon at Shanghai Disneyland) includes a flyover of the Great Pyramids. At Shanghai Disneyland, the exit to the attraction features posters for the destinations you just soared above, including this one.

Lord Henry Mystic has an entire room in Mystic Manor at Hong Kong Disneyland devoted to Egyptian Antiquities. The queue offers a preview of the collection.

Artwork in the queue also showcases Henry and his monkey, Albert, discovering the sarcophagus that found a new home in their collection.

The trackless ride includes a stop in the room of Egyptian Antiquities. With Albert having activated a mysterious music box that makes the manor act in peculiar ways, the room literally brings ancient history to life.

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