First VIP tour tips?

[bethwc101]

I will have the opportunity to go on my first VIP tour. I am the most knowledgeable about Disneyland so they have me planning the tour for the group. I know things like not wasting tour time doing a sit down meal. We have people in our group that have never been, two who haven't been in 30+ years. And some that frequent the parks. With such a range in Disneyland knowledge, what would be the best way to plan the tour.
We told them we wanted fireworks and last showing of Fantasmic!, but other than that I'm not sure.

 

[ParkHopper1]

No need to "plan" the tour. Just set some goals of what you wanna accomplish and let the VIP guide work their magic how to best execute.

 

[bethwc101]

No need to "plan" the tour. Just set some goals of what you wanna accomplish and let the VIP guide work their magic how to best execute.

What would be a goal? Like we want to do fireworks and Fantasmic because the kids have never been to Dland before. I guess as someone who has had an AP since 2001, I have a hard time thinking of "magical" things first timers MUST see.

 

[Nonsuch]

Just a few bits of advice:

• Start the tour inside the park, to avoid wasting time with security screening and entrance lines.
• Likely start inside DCA, since you want to end with shows in DL.
• Spend early park hours without guide, and plan to end the tour in time for Fireworks. It’s nice to rest in the Fireworks seating.
• Have your guide point out the reserved viewing check-in locations. Fireworks is near the partner statue, at the north spoke of the Hub. F! is next to the churro cart near the entrance to Haunted Mansion.

...We told them we wanted fireworks and last showing of Fantasmic!...

That is a good combination.
After Fireworks at the Hub, enter Frontierland and try to stay toward the left (on the wood sidewalk). Avoid the Fastpass “mob” for the second show

 

[bethwc101]

No need to "plan" the tour. Just set some goals of what you wanna accomplish and let the VIP guide work their magic how to best execute.

Just a few bits of advice:

That is a good combination.
After Fireworks at the Hub, enter Frontierland and try to stay toward the left (on the wood sidewalk). Avoid the Fastpass “mob” for the second show

I would also love your thoughts on which rides will be worth it for the VIP guide and which ones won't. For example, I'm thinking of not using the guide for Indiana Jones, because I feel like that queue merges rather quickly and will just do that one early in the day or fastpass on our own time. What rides are the ones not to waste the guide time on and which are best to use, I was thinking like Pirates?

 

[DLRExpert]

As stated before, use them when the park is busier. Don't request a guide before 11am. If you start early enough you can get a lot done in those first few hours of park opening.

Attractions you should target are the ones that do not offer Fastpass. Or FP attractions you want to ride more than once.

 

[Malcon10t]

It really depends on your group. We usually start in DCA if we are doing fireworks. We kind of circle the park. The nice part of a guide is riding multiple times if you want. My granddaughter loves Screamin', so one trip she looped Screamin' 5 times. Another, she rode Goofy's Sky Skool 10 times. It was what she wanted (she was 4) so that's what we did! In DL, Dumbo is a great one for VIP, as are the tea cups. And Pirates, etc...

 

[Iceman93]

Part of the benefit, to me, is NOT having to plan every minute of the day in a frantic attempt to maximize value or "get your money's worth". As ParkHopper1 said, lay out a few goals or must-haves, and otherwise go with the flow and enjoy the experience. If you want to do Indiana Jones, being able to walk on will be wonderful. If you want to do something else, just do something else (again, with a minimal wait and minimal frustration). I think the best way to RUIN this experience will be to try to pack as much as possible into every single minute (much like any Disney experience, to be honest).

 

[bethwc101]

With the Paint the Night parade returning, but being in DCA, will it be possible to do parade, fireworks, and fantasmic in one evening? Fireworks are usually 9:25, wtih second fantasmic at 10:30, but not sure about DCA parades, and if we will be able to jump back over and up to the castle in time for fireworks.
We would do the parade, but the Pixar Play parade was always a snooze fest for me. And not sure how they will run it at night unlsess they add some LED lights.

 

[ParkHopper1]

You do get one nighttime show you can book the VIP seats for even after your tour concludes. If you wanna do more than one show on your tour day that will have to occur during your scheduled tour hours and that all is based on availability.

While you do not get the Castle View, tour or not we always shoot for the earlier F! show as you also get to stay in your spot for the Fireworks with are always immediacy before or after F!. They pump the music through the F! sound system and shoot the Castle projection mapping images on the water screens. It is a great areal view of the overhead fireworks. The F! early show is like a 2 for 1 deal!

 

[bethwc101]

You do get one nighttime show you can book the VIP seats for even after your tour concludes. If you wanna do more than one show on your tour day that will have to occur during your scheduled tour hours and that all is based on availability.

While you do not get the Castle View, tour or not we always shoot for the earlier F! show as you also get to stay in your spot for the Fireworks with are always immediacy before or after F!. They pump the music through the F! sound system and shoot the Castle projection mapping images on the water screens. It is a great areal view of the overhead fireworks. The F! early show is like a 2 for 1 deal!

I booked yesterday and they said no problem for the Fantasmic and Fireworks seating. I just didn't know if we could fit a parade in that same time over at DCA

 

[Nonsuch]

I booked yesterday and they said no problem for the Fantasmic and Fireworks seating. I just didn't know if we could fit a parade in that same time over at DCA

PTN parade times and VIP viewing locations are unknown, so it's difficult to plan. If PTN is early (before 8:30) and the seating is near Carthay, it might be possible to do PTN-Fireworks-F! in one night.

I have done WOC and F! on the same night (with VIP seating) and it is quite a hike (often with guest moving the opposite direction or not moving at all), so I advise against trying to park-hop for night shows.

 

[Malcon10t]

PTN parade times and VIP viewing locations are unknown, so it's difficult to plan. If PTN is early (before 8:30) and the seating is near Carthay, it might be possible to do PTN-Fireworks-F! in one night.

I have done WOC and F! on the same night (with VIP seating) and it is quite a hike (often with guest moving the opposite direction or not moving at all), so I advise against trying to park-hop for night shows.

We've done it before too. We barely made it, and it was everyone moving full speed. We didn't try to keep the group together, just said "Regroup there"... I won't do that again.

My understanding VIP will be about where it is for WOC.

 

[frozengirl]

First of all, you are going to have a blast!!! We loved our tour and it will be hard to not do again. First thing to note is that they take care of everything for the entire day. They arranged for breakfast for us. She picked us up after breakfast and we went for a straight 6-7 hours. I said that I always wanted to eat at Blue Bayou. She arranged for us to sit at the waters edge after our tour. She also got my daughters in without waiting for jedi training. We had front seating at any show after our tour and we each got fast passes to go. I was a long day but there was nothing we missed!