I did a $160 tour at Disneyland that took me inside Walt Disney's 500-square-foot apartment, and it was totally worth it

Disneyland offers several tour options ranging from small-group excursions to VIP guides with priority access to attractions.

Walt's Main Street Story is one of the most affordable tours at $160 a person. Theme-park admission is not included in the cost and a park reservation is required.

It's offered seven days a week with a few time options per day.

The guided tours were temporarily suspended amid the start of the coronavirus pandemic, and some updates were made since reopening. It's now broken up into three parts: a historical-based tour of Main Street USA, a tour of Walt Disney's apartment, and snacks on the apartment's patio.

It's a small-group, intimate walking tour meant to share hidden details and little-known facts.

I arrived at Disneyland about 20 minutes prior to the tour's start time.

Check-in was located just past the park entrance on the left side of Town Square. The sectioned-off area was clearly marked and there was plenty of seating for guests participating in the tour.

We were presented with a commemorative lanyard and a soft drink as we waited. At this point, we also got personal speaker devices so we'd be able to clearly hear our tour guide even in the crowds.

Our guide was a perfect blend of informative and engaging. His relaxed mood set the tone for the tour and allowed guests to feel comfortable asking questions.

The historical portion of the tour takes place along Main Street USA and is focused on how Walt's own hometown of Marceline, Missouri, served as inspiration for Disneyland.

We began the tour in the hub at the foot of Main Street's flagpole. The guide recited Walt's opening-day speech before sharing some facts about the flagpole and its subsequent tributes in Tokyo Disney and Shanghai Disney.

Then we made our way down Main Street in its entirety — with several stops along the way — before looping back to the front of the park.

Along the way, our guide pointed out nods to Walt's hometown all over Main Street.

One of my favorite Easter eggs was an employee badge adorned on a prop ticket-booth attendant named Tilly at the movie theater.

The Disney name tags include the employee's name and hometown, and Marceline was listed as Tilly's hometown.

We also learned that Tilly is given refurbishments throughout the year.

Along Main Street, there are windows guests would otherwise pass by that are actually dedicated to important figures in the history of Disney.

These include Disney Imagineers like Bob Gurr, who designed the Matterhorn Bobsleds, and set designers like Emile Kuri, who won an Oscar for his work on "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea." Walt also enlisted Kuri to design the interior of his Disneyland apartment.

Some of the windows even come alive throughout the day with noise effects.

Our guide pointed to the Penny Arcade, which houses one of the oldest orchestrions in the world.

The self-playing pipe organ dates back to 1907, and it plays mini concerts of popular Disney tunes every seven minutes.

I really enjoyed that our tour guide pointed out other Easter eggs we could explore on our own after the tour.

One of my favorites was photos of the original Walt Disney apartment lamp, which can be found in the Disneyland Story Presenting Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln attraction.

My favorite tidbit was hearing about Walt's late-night walks along Main Street in his pajamas.

Our guide pointed out a shop that was previously Sunkist Citrus House, which is where Walt would satisfy his midnight cravings.

There are very few ways to visit Walt's Disneyland apartment, housed above Disneyland's fire station. But this tour guarantees it.

Previously, I'd only seen photos of it and was really excited to step inside history.

The Main Street apartment was built for Walt and his wife, Lillian, because of the demands of his job in the theme park. He believed he was wasting too much time driving back and forth to his home.

The 500-square-foot space was designed during the mid-20th century, but the décor evokes a turn-of-the-century Victorian vibe. Almost everything was a bright berry (Lillian's favorite color), and there were tons of roses (her favorite flower) in the decor.

It was more or less one big room that actually felt pretty small. It was surprising to learn that Walt and his wife Lillian would frequently entertain 10 grandchildren in that space.

We weren't able to use our phones or take cameras in the apartment, but a professional photographer was on hand to take our photo in front of the famous lamp. A download of this photo was included with tour admission.

The apartment was small but full of so many artifacts. Our guide informed us that it's a mix of actual pieces that were there during Walt's residence and continuously updated props to give it a homey feel.

I loved learning that famed Imagineer Kim Irvine, daughter of the voice and face of Madame Leota from the Haunted Mansion, is in charge of switching out the pieces.

One of my favorite pieces in the apartment was an original Regina music box that Walt gave his wife as a present.

It was also surreal seeing the famous lamp.

Dating back to the park's opening, a lamp has been in the window of the apartment overlooking Main Street.

Originally, when it was lit, it signaled to employees that Walt was in the park. But since his passing in 1966, the lamp has continuously stayed on, even throughout the park's closures.

The lamp itself has been switched out over the years, but the sentiment remains the same.

I was awestruck by the bathroom that was in pristine condition — guests aren't allowed to step inside. It featured a four-headed shower, which our guide pointed out was revolutionary at that time. You could also spot a sealed-off section of flooring where the fire pole below has previously come up into the apartment.

I was also surprised to learn that the couple slept on two separate sofa-bed pullouts. These were positioned on opposite sides of the living space and distinguished by photos of Walt's mother and Lillian's mother over the small sleeping quarters.

The apartment's main kitchen area was a single-counter kitchenette equipped with a small refrigerator and sink. It might be surprising that this sufficed the Disney family, but Walt's tastes were supposedly very simple.

There was a mini sandwich press that he'd use to make grilled cheese. He was also able to ring up employees to bring him food from anywhere in the park.

Glass baby bottles used by the couple's grandkids were also on display in the kitchen.

After spending around 30 minutes in the apartment, we were able to relax on the adjoining outdoor private patio.

Here, we enjoyed more soft drinks and a cookie emblazoned with the tour's logo. We were also free to ask the tour guide any additional questions we might have.

The view from the patio was especially stunning during golden hour, and we could spot Space Mountain in the distance.

The price is steep, but I would highly recommend any Disney fan that loves the history of the company and theme parks to take the tour once.

Our guide was knowledgeable and informative while still entertaining. And the highlight was spending time in Walt's apartment — I was happy they didn't rush this aspect of the tour.

The complimentary souvenir lanyard was also a nice touch.