As a lot as I marvel on the surprise of Disney, I’m not a fan of crowds and features. So once I had an opportunity to take one of many Disney VIP excursions, I jumped at an opportunity to see the way it labored. I used to be actually curious how a Disney VIP tour labored and if it was value what the common household would pay.
Taking a Disney VIP tour was eye-opening! As a lot as I beloved being handled like a VIP and leaping into the Lightning Lane on each experience, I additionally discovered a couple of downsides. While the expertise was very particular, I additionally had combined emotions afterward, so I wished to share each the professionals and the cons.
I’ll additionally break down the distinction between an official Disney World VIP tour and a non-public VIP tour of Disney from a third-party guiding service.
My Disney VIP tour was hosted by Disney as a part of a press journey with Visit Florida. This publish incorporates affiliate hyperlinks. If you click on a hyperlink and make a buy I’ll obtain a small fee. All opinions are my very own.
What is an Official Disney VIP Tour?
Walt Disney World affords official non-public premium VIP excursions. If you e-book a non-public VIP tour by way of Disney, you’ll work with a information to create a customized touring plan. While you might be within the park, your group is then guided all through the park(s). When on a Disney VIP tour, you’ll get Lightning Lane entry to all rides.
In addition to guiding you thru the parks, your information additionally serves as a concierge. With official Disney excursions, the tour information is a Disney forged member and gives door-to-door service.
Private Disney VIP excursions begin at $450 per hour (costs are topic to vary and depending on seasonality) and have a minimal dedication of seven steady hours. Each tour can accommodate as much as 10 visitors with a single information. Larger teams require a number of guides. This worth doesn’t embody park tickets, these should be bought individually. (Purchase discounted tickets by way of my affiliate companion Getaway Today!)
Private Disney VIP excursions will be customized to deal with the rides and the Disney parks that you simply need to expertise. For instance, in the event you love Princesses, the tour will deal with Princess meet and greets, Princess rides, and so on. If you will have thrill seekers, your information will map out an itinerary that packs within the thrills. (See my teen’s picks for the finest Disney rides for teenagers.)
Disney VIP excursions can be found by reservation solely, they usually replenish so it is strongly recommended to order your tour 180 days upfront of your go to.
Official Disney Group VIP Tours
In addition to non-public VIP excursions, there are additionally group VIP excursions with pre-set itineraries such because the Disney’s Keys to the Kingdom tour. These excursions are provided at particular days of the week and occasions of the day for a 4 to seven-hour tour (park admission not included.)
“Unofficial” Private Disney VIP Tours
In addition to the VIP Tours provided by Disney, there are third-party tour firms that provide VIP excursions to Disney World and Universal Orlando, akin to Magic VIP Tours.
These third-party excursions are typically slightly extra reasonably priced and splendid for these on the lookout for VIP remedy. They additionally present a customized itinerary, VIP providers, and tour providers from a Disney professional to keep away from strains and crowds.
Why Book a Disney VIP Tour?
So now let’s have a look at the explanation why to take a VIP tour when visiting Disney. These benefits are primarily based on the official Disney VIP Tour.
1. You have restricted time
If you will have restricted time to spend within the parks (for instance, you are attempting to do Magic Kingdom in sooner or later), one of the best ways to maximise that point, particularly in the event you aren’t a Disney planning professional, is to have a VIP tour. Your information will speak to you about your “must dos” and perceive the sorts of rides and points of interest you want finest.
For instance, are you a thrill seeker or a thrill avoider? They can even have in mind the ages and sizes of any youngsters in your social gathering to deal with the rides that everybody can get pleasure from. Maybe you simply need to deal with Magic Kingdom or maybe you need to maximize your loved ones trip and hit all 4 parks — the non-public guides could make it occur.
Disney VIP guides can zip you out and in of points of interest and parks in probably the most environment friendly methods doable with minimal time spent ready in line. In seven hours, we hit three of the 4 parks.
We have been in a position to squeeze in Soarin’ in Epcot, Star Wars Launch Bay and The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and a number of rides on Expedition Everest. With all that we had time to spend a couple of hours having fun with a gourmand dinner at Tiffin’s and soak up a present at Animal Kingdom.
2. Skip the road
Part of maximizing your time and having a VIP expertise is the flexibility to skip the road. To be clear, a Disney VIP tour provides you entry to the Lightning Lane. You can’t truly skip that line, however you’ll be able to return into that line time and again in the event you actually like a experience.
Plus, you don’t must take care of navigating the system and also you aren’t restricted to a set variety of Lightning Lane passes. [Note: VIP tours from private companies deal with Lightning Lane access differently.]
But along with having a information to create an environment friendly itinerary and route you rapidly by way of the crowds, gaining access to the Lightning Lane saves a ton of time and avoids all of the whining and fussing that comes with ready in lengthy strains.
3. Go behind the scenes
When I used to be in enterprise college, we learn a whole lot of case research concerning the magic of Disney advertising. From the time I realized concerning the secret tunnels and entrances that allowed the forged members and characters to magically seem the place they’re wanted, I used to be inquisitive about what Disney parks have been like behind the scenes.
One of my favourite elements of our Disney-led VIP tour was attending to go out and in of forged entrances. You hardly ever get a peek behind that curtain however utilizing worker roads, parking and entrances permit you to rapidly get to precisely the attraction you need to go to.
Many of the options of a VIP tour are about comfort and effectivity, however this actually is one thing you’ll be able to’t do by yourself.
4. VIP remedy
I significantly loved among the tales our information shared concerning the celebrities and dignitaries she has guided by way of Disney. Yet one of many true luxuries was the VIP concierge service that our information offered.
For instance, we have been there in June and the temperatures have been effectively above 90 levels. Imagine how completely satisfied we have been to disembark from the Kilimanjaro safari experience in Animal Kingdom to see our information standing there with bottles of chilly water.
Or, when one in all our group misplaced her cellphone, our non-public information looked for it from the place it had fallen out throughout a experience on Everest. Plus, our reservations at Tiffins and VIP seating on the present weren’t too shabby both.
5. Families touring collectively
If you might be two households touring collectively, you’ll be able to share that charge and on a per-person foundation, possibly it turns into a bit extra palatable. The trick shall be getting everybody to agree on what to do. But the great a part of that’s you’ll be able to hand the decision-making over to the information and inform the youngsters it’s good to observe the schedule they developed — taking you off the recent seat.
Are Disney VIP Tours Worth It?
There are additionally a couple of good the explanation why it’s possible you’ll not need to take a Disney VIP tour.
1. Price
Price is the apparent con to a VIP tour of Walt Disney World. Not many households have a spare $3150+ (plus tickets) to drop on a VIP tour. But hey, if you wish to have the expertise of a lifetime, possibly it’s value a splurge.
2. Not an genuine expertise
What is probably not as initially apparent is what a unique expertise you will have when on a VIP tour. Instead of experiencing the magic of strolling by way of the gates or seeing the Castle for the primary time, you might be whisked behind the scenes on to the experience you need to go to.
I had by no means been to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and regardless that I received to hug Chewie and had my probability to experience the Tower of Terror, I had completely no thought what the remaining park regarded like.
Likewise, I hadn’t been to Epcot in over 30 years however our energy stroll from the aspect entrance to Frozen after which in a again approach to Soarin’ left me with no sense of how a lot has modified or stayed the identical.
So in case you are fluent within the language of Disney, you’ve had your Disney “firsts” and also you simply need to get probably the most out of a brief go to — then by all means e-book a Disney VIP tour.
But I actually wouldn’t advocate it to your youngsters’ first Disney expertise. It was just a bit too surgical. And I do know that it was designed that approach to maximize our time to see the most recent points of interest however nonetheless, you’ll be able to’t match all of it in with out a few of these shortcuts.
3. Teaching privilege
The different factor that sort of rubbed me the incorrect approach is one thing that I wrestle with usually as we get to journey and expertise issues that many households won’t ever get an opportunity to see. And that’s offering my baby with a privileged expertise that’s unattainable for many of her friends.
If that’s the solely approach {that a} baby experiences the world, it will be simple to turn out to be entitled and anticipate these alternatives to all the time be accessible to them.
I work arduous to ensure that after we are getting a particular expertise, my daughter is aware of it and he or she is aware of that we now have both saved for that splurge, or it’s a perk of the arduous work and really lengthy nights that I’m placing in in alternate. I need her to know that if she needs the occasional particular expertise in her life, she’ll have to work arduous to have the flexibility to avoid wasting for these experiences.
I feel there’s something fairly instructional and rewarding a couple of conventional Disney expertise — full with strains and crowds. But after you have been there and accomplished that and simply need to see what’s new or discover a enjoyable approach to have fun an important day, a Disney VIP tour actually could be a magical expertise. Just be sure the youngsters don’t anticipate that kind of expertise each time.
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