twodogs
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 20, 2012
- Messages
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We have been to WDW and DLR several times over the last 4 years, and this year we decided to try the Ultimate VIP Tour at WDW. I looked for reviews on this tour on the DISboards and other sites, and didn't find much information. I decided to write about our experience so that it may help others trying to decide if this is right for their families.
Firstly, it is expensive, which is why we have been hesitant to try it in the past. We were able to get the lowest hourly rate ($360/hour) due to the time of year that we went (mid May). It goes up to up to $500/hour during high season and holidays. Because of cost, which doesn't include the required park hopper tickets, we only did this one day of our trip. I know many people will probably say that we should just take a longer trip, and we could do all of the same attractions over more days. However, this does not work well for our family as I own my business, and when I am gone, there is no income generated, while expenses, employee costs and overhead continue in my absence. So for me, with no paid time off, time is at a premium. This allowed us to do the maximum in the minimum time. We were a party of 6: me, DH, DD7, DD9 and my parents (in their 70's but extremely fit and able to go at a fast pace). The VIP guide can take up to 10 people (everyone counts, even infants), and you have to get a second guide at the same price as above, if you have greater than 10 people. The minimum booking is 6 hours, though they will stay all day/evening as late as you want beyond that (though you do need to give them a ballpark of how late you think you will use the guide).
I set up the day by calling the number below about 2 months prior to our trip. They put me in touch with the coordinator, who I spoke with and was my contact for any issues. I emailed the coordinator a list of the attractions/things we wanted to do for the day so the guide would have a ballpark plan, but told her that we would do whatever order the guide advised. The coordinator said we didn't have to do any planning at all, but she welcomed my "wish list"! We were contacted by email a few days prior to our trip with our guide's name.
This is what the Disney site says about the Tour:
Private Premium VIP Tours
Begin your day as your Disney VIP Tour Guide whisks you away to the park of your choosing! After being picked up from your Central Florida accommodations in a private vehicle, relax and unwind with personalized service—including the following:
The cost of each Private Premium VIP Tour varies between $360 and $500 per hour, depending on the season.
For more information or to make a reservation, please call (407) 560-4033. Guests under the age of 18 must have parent or guardian permission to call.
We used this service on the first Friday of Star Wars Weekends in May. We didn't have too much interest in the SWW stuff, so we did not use the guide for those activities (there is a separate VIP tour just for SWW also, if interested). The guide is essentially a human fast-pass. You will be taken to any FP line you want to ride by the guide, and you can ride over and over in the FP line if you want (you do not get to stay on the ride for a second riding, you have to get back in the FP line). You can use the guide to enter any FP line in the park, except ETWB (the guide said they are trying to get this allowed, but so far management says "no"). If the ride or character does not have FP, you will just use SB, so we did not do any of those SB attractions/M&Gs since there was no advantage.
We originally planned to visit all 4 parks in one day, but dropped AK since we had just been the day before and ridden everything we wanted to ride. We did not do any shows on the VIP day because I felt it wasn't a good use of the time, however, you can do shows and apparently get VIP seating.
This trip, we stayed at AKL, so our guide picked us up in a van promptly at 9AM (our choice) at the valet of AKL. She had seen our plans, and suggested we start at DHS to get in and out prior to major SWW crowds (not sure if this would have been the starting point without SWW). We parked in an employee parking area and entered right into the TOT unloading area/picture viewing area. We had our MB scanned by her iPad to make sure we had park hoppers for the day. We rode TOT, and then walked over to RR and rode that. Then got back in the van to park closer to TSSM, and entered through a back gate right by TSSM. Rode this twice, then left DHS.
Got back in van and drove to EPCOT. We were able to leave bags in van all day (except at MK) which was nice, since we got back into same van each time. Drove under TT track (pretty cool!) and parked, entered EPCOT right near TT. Rode TT (which I might not want to use this time on again since it is long, even in FP line, with designing the car, etc). We wanted to eat lunch at Electric Umbrella (DD9 loves their Mac and Cheese), so the kids, grandma and I went there to order while the guide took DH and grandpa on Mission Space. They were quickly back and we all ate lunch. The guide insisted on paying for her own lunch as that is provided for her by WDW. She did say she could get us any dining reservation that we wanted at TS, but we did not want to do this for the sake of time (retrospectively should have done it for dinner but will explain later). Rode Soarin (got to sit it the requested front row of the middle vehicle), and then back in van.
Drove to MK, where they take the van and valet park it. That is because close parking to MK is at a premium, so they can't leave the van there. I took my bag at this point since I wouldn't be back to the van until the day was over at MK. We had requested priority seating at the Festival of Fantasy parade at MK at 3pm, but we had a little time. So we rode Buzz twice, and then met Tink at Town Square. She had fun tips on how to score higher on both Buzz and TSSM! We still had a little time prior to the parade, but elected just to rest our feet. The priority seating was in a roped off area near the bathrooms in Town Square (right across from the Barber Shop). It was in the shade which was nice. The guide asked if all were excited for the parade, and when DD9, DH and GP said they weren't too excited, she suggested taking them to ride SpaceM while we watched the parade. Great idea and saved a lot of time since none of the parade-watching trio was wanting to ride Space! After the parade, we went to POTC (DD7's favorite ride). We then did Peter Pan, SDMT x 2 (would have done this more had I known how much all would love it), Dumbo, Barnstormer.
By this time, all were getting tired, so we wrapped up. They brought the van, and she took DH, GP, and kids back to AKL to swim (it was around 5pm). The drive was neat in that we saw the new AK expansion construction, the nursery where all the plants/trees are grown, etc. She then took my mom and I back to EPCOT to enjoy Flower and Garden Festival. We should have asked her to make us a dining reservation for dinner, but it didn't enter my mind until writing this review!! It was a last minute decision to go back to EPCOT, and that would have eased our dining issues, since we had no ADR that night.
I was told that you had to have the guide with you to get the priority fireworks/Wishes seating, and since these are not big priorities for us, we didn't want to keep the guide that long due to cost. But this is an option.
Overall, I would definitely use this service in the future if we can afford it. It makes for a very relaxed day (although it sounds like we were running around, we were just walking at a nice pace, she was pointing out all of these cool things along the way), without any planning on my part. She had a lot of Disney history and information and was happy to share it with us. I learned a lot that I didn't know about Disney! If I were doing it again, I would have her make us a dinner ADR for that evening. I would also possibly cut out TT and maybe Soarin (if I had FP+ for them on another day, which we didn't this trip) to save time for other attractions or M&Gs. I think we did get some extra attention at the M&G that we did do, but not sure if that is standard practice with this service. I would also skip the parade as that took a lot of time (though not really wasted since others went on Space during parade).
Lastly, I had read a few places on this board that you are not allowed to tip the guides. I went in with that in mind, and didn't even have any cash on hand. At the end of the day, I thanked her and told her I understood that they could not accept tips. She said that they could, but that they had to decline it three times. So then I awkwardly asked my mom for cash so I could tip her. I would have rather had the amount in my mind and ready to go, had I known this.
We had a great time and the kids were both fighting to ride with the guide by late morning! She got along well with them and taught them a lot about the parks/Disney along the way. Overall we had a very positive experience!
Firstly, it is expensive, which is why we have been hesitant to try it in the past. We were able to get the lowest hourly rate ($360/hour) due to the time of year that we went (mid May). It goes up to up to $500/hour during high season and holidays. Because of cost, which doesn't include the required park hopper tickets, we only did this one day of our trip. I know many people will probably say that we should just take a longer trip, and we could do all of the same attractions over more days. However, this does not work well for our family as I own my business, and when I am gone, there is no income generated, while expenses, employee costs and overhead continue in my absence. So for me, with no paid time off, time is at a premium. This allowed us to do the maximum in the minimum time. We were a party of 6: me, DH, DD7, DD9 and my parents (in their 70's but extremely fit and able to go at a fast pace). The VIP guide can take up to 10 people (everyone counts, even infants), and you have to get a second guide at the same price as above, if you have greater than 10 people. The minimum booking is 6 hours, though they will stay all day/evening as late as you want beyond that (though you do need to give them a ballpark of how late you think you will use the guide).
I set up the day by calling the number below about 2 months prior to our trip. They put me in touch with the coordinator, who I spoke with and was my contact for any issues. I emailed the coordinator a list of the attractions/things we wanted to do for the day so the guide would have a ballpark plan, but told her that we would do whatever order the guide advised. The coordinator said we didn't have to do any planning at all, but she welcomed my "wish list"! We were contacted by email a few days prior to our trip with our guide's name.
This is what the Disney site says about the Tour:
Private Premium VIP Tours
Begin your day as your Disney VIP Tour Guide whisks you away to the park of your choosing! After being picked up from your Central Florida accommodations in a private vehicle, relax and unwind with personalized service—including the following:
- A flexible start time, picked by you
- Visits to multiple theme parks in one or more days, if desired
- The ability to enjoy some of your favorite attractions efficiently, even repeatedly
- VIP seating for parades, select stage shows and nighttime spectaculars
- Shared insight from your highly knowledgeable VIP Tour Guide throughout your tour
- A completely customized experience based on your preferences
The cost of each Private Premium VIP Tour varies between $360 and $500 per hour, depending on the season.
For more information or to make a reservation, please call (407) 560-4033. Guests under the age of 18 must have parent or guardian permission to call.
We used this service on the first Friday of Star Wars Weekends in May. We didn't have too much interest in the SWW stuff, so we did not use the guide for those activities (there is a separate VIP tour just for SWW also, if interested). The guide is essentially a human fast-pass. You will be taken to any FP line you want to ride by the guide, and you can ride over and over in the FP line if you want (you do not get to stay on the ride for a second riding, you have to get back in the FP line). You can use the guide to enter any FP line in the park, except ETWB (the guide said they are trying to get this allowed, but so far management says "no"). If the ride or character does not have FP, you will just use SB, so we did not do any of those SB attractions/M&Gs since there was no advantage.
We originally planned to visit all 4 parks in one day, but dropped AK since we had just been the day before and ridden everything we wanted to ride. We did not do any shows on the VIP day because I felt it wasn't a good use of the time, however, you can do shows and apparently get VIP seating.
This trip, we stayed at AKL, so our guide picked us up in a van promptly at 9AM (our choice) at the valet of AKL. She had seen our plans, and suggested we start at DHS to get in and out prior to major SWW crowds (not sure if this would have been the starting point without SWW). We parked in an employee parking area and entered right into the TOT unloading area/picture viewing area. We had our MB scanned by her iPad to make sure we had park hoppers for the day. We rode TOT, and then walked over to RR and rode that. Then got back in the van to park closer to TSSM, and entered through a back gate right by TSSM. Rode this twice, then left DHS.
Got back in van and drove to EPCOT. We were able to leave bags in van all day (except at MK) which was nice, since we got back into same van each time. Drove under TT track (pretty cool!) and parked, entered EPCOT right near TT. Rode TT (which I might not want to use this time on again since it is long, even in FP line, with designing the car, etc). We wanted to eat lunch at Electric Umbrella (DD9 loves their Mac and Cheese), so the kids, grandma and I went there to order while the guide took DH and grandpa on Mission Space. They were quickly back and we all ate lunch. The guide insisted on paying for her own lunch as that is provided for her by WDW. She did say she could get us any dining reservation that we wanted at TS, but we did not want to do this for the sake of time (retrospectively should have done it for dinner but will explain later). Rode Soarin (got to sit it the requested front row of the middle vehicle), and then back in van.
Drove to MK, where they take the van and valet park it. That is because close parking to MK is at a premium, so they can't leave the van there. I took my bag at this point since I wouldn't be back to the van until the day was over at MK. We had requested priority seating at the Festival of Fantasy parade at MK at 3pm, but we had a little time. So we rode Buzz twice, and then met Tink at Town Square. She had fun tips on how to score higher on both Buzz and TSSM! We still had a little time prior to the parade, but elected just to rest our feet. The priority seating was in a roped off area near the bathrooms in Town Square (right across from the Barber Shop). It was in the shade which was nice. The guide asked if all were excited for the parade, and when DD9, DH and GP said they weren't too excited, she suggested taking them to ride SpaceM while we watched the parade. Great idea and saved a lot of time since none of the parade-watching trio was wanting to ride Space! After the parade, we went to POTC (DD7's favorite ride). We then did Peter Pan, SDMT x 2 (would have done this more had I known how much all would love it), Dumbo, Barnstormer.
By this time, all were getting tired, so we wrapped up. They brought the van, and she took DH, GP, and kids back to AKL to swim (it was around 5pm). The drive was neat in that we saw the new AK expansion construction, the nursery where all the plants/trees are grown, etc. She then took my mom and I back to EPCOT to enjoy Flower and Garden Festival. We should have asked her to make us a dining reservation for dinner, but it didn't enter my mind until writing this review!! It was a last minute decision to go back to EPCOT, and that would have eased our dining issues, since we had no ADR that night.
I was told that you had to have the guide with you to get the priority fireworks/Wishes seating, and since these are not big priorities for us, we didn't want to keep the guide that long due to cost. But this is an option.
Overall, I would definitely use this service in the future if we can afford it. It makes for a very relaxed day (although it sounds like we were running around, we were just walking at a nice pace, she was pointing out all of these cool things along the way), without any planning on my part. She had a lot of Disney history and information and was happy to share it with us. I learned a lot that I didn't know about Disney! If I were doing it again, I would have her make us a dinner ADR for that evening. I would also possibly cut out TT and maybe Soarin (if I had FP+ for them on another day, which we didn't this trip) to save time for other attractions or M&Gs. I think we did get some extra attention at the M&G that we did do, but not sure if that is standard practice with this service. I would also skip the parade as that took a lot of time (though not really wasted since others went on Space during parade).
Lastly, I had read a few places on this board that you are not allowed to tip the guides. I went in with that in mind, and didn't even have any cash on hand. At the end of the day, I thanked her and told her I understood that they could not accept tips. She said that they could, but that they had to decline it three times. So then I awkwardly asked my mom for cash so I could tip her. I would have rather had the amount in my mind and ready to go, had I known this.
We had a great time and the kids were both fighting to ride with the guide by late morning! She got along well with them and taught them a lot about the parks/Disney along the way. Overall we had a very positive experience!
