Find out exactly what it means to get VIP treatment & how much it will set you back.
Admittedly, paying for a VIP tour at Walt Disney World is insanely expensive. But under the right circumstances, you and your family may decide that it’s worth it. My family was presented with just such a scenario when booking a trip for the week before Easter, which is one of the busiest times of the year at Disney World. It was a last-minute trip, and by the time we made our reservations, all the FastPasses were gone. (FastPasses can be reserved up to six months in advance.) I envisioned shoulder-to-shoulder crowds and horrendously long waits for rides. So we bit the bullet and bought the private VIP tour.
The tour cost ranges from $400 to $600 per hour (up to ten people) with minimum time requirements, depending on the season. Your park tickets and food are not included, but here’s a look at the 6 perks that are part of this premium package.
1. Skip the lines
There’s no need to worry about securing FastPasses for your favorite rides. During your tour, your VIP guide will escort you straight to the FastPass lines on rides that have one and to the front of the line for rides that don’t participate in FastPass. Our longest wait was in the FastPass line for Pirates of the Caribbean, where we stood for about 10 minutes.
KidTripster Tip: If you wish to sit in a specific seat on a ride, your VIP guide will make it happen. My daughter’s wish of riding in the very front seat of Space Mountain came true!
2. Ride as many times as you’d like
Do you ever finish a ride and wish you could do it again? Your wish is your VIP guide’s command. Ride as many times as you’d like with little to no waiting.
3. Meet popular characters
Wait times for some of the most popular characters, like the Frozen gang, can be incredibly long. If you aren’t able to snag a FastPass ahead of time, you’re probably out of luck. With a VIP guide, however, you can meet as many characters as you like without the wait!
4. Priority seating at shows & parades
Your VIP guide will be able to secure amazing seats for any shows or parades that you wish to see. Want front row seats for Festival of the Lion King at Animal Kingdom? What about Fantasmic at Hollywood Studios? Your VIP guide will make sure that you have the best seats in the house.
5. Your own private chauffeur
You won’t have to bother waiting for a bus or driving your own car to the parks. Your VIP guide will pick you up from your hotel and whisk you away to the park of your choice in a private vehicle. Our guide drove a brand new Suburban which was clean and spacious. At the end of our tour, we had the option to say goodbye to our guide at the park or enjoy a private ride back to our hotel.
KidTripster Tip: If you need car seats or booster seats for your kids, just request them when you make your reservation. I forgot to do this, but our guide had noticed the ages of our children and brought them anyway.
6. See behind the scenes
One of my favorite parts of the tour was getting to see behind the scenes. Driving around the back of Epcot and seeing the infrastructure of the park was fascinating. Who knew there were so many buildings back there? Because you don’t use the main entrances of the parks, you’ll be able to catch a glimpse of exactly how they make the magic happen!
In addition to being a Disney addict, Diana Smith is a expert cruiser. She and her family, including her three Disney princesses, have set sail on seven Disney cruises. For more, check out Disney Cruise Mom.
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