"Ultimate Classics VIP Tour" - Have you done it??

[SeaSpray]

We're bringing our great-niece to WDW for the first time ever this August. She just turned 18 and graduated high school, but she's crazy about all of the great animated Disney movies, and wants to ride everything!

DSS told me about some of the special tours and dessert parties, etc, and the Classics VIP Tour looks good; in 4 hours we can do up to 10 of the classic attractions. It's not inexpensive but it would save us time and use our FP+'s for other rides/attractions.
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/events-tours/ultimate-classics-tour/

I'm wondering if any of you DISers have done this tour, and how you liked it? Thanks in advance!

 

[Shanti]

We're bringing our great-niece to WDW for the first time ever this August. She just turned 18 and graduated high school, but she's crazy about all of the great animated Disney movies, and wants to ride everything!

DSS told me about some of the special tours and dessert parties, etc, and the Classics VIP Tour looks good; in 4 hours we can do up to 10 of the classic attractions. It's not inexpensive but it would save us time and use our FP+'s for other rides/attractions.
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/events-tours/ultimate-classics-tour/

I'm wondering if any of you DISers have done this tour, and how you liked it? Thanks in advance!

In four hours, I might be able to see 10 attractions at MK just via the skillful use of FP+ and rope drop, so I can't imagine using this myself. However, if a person is not that familiar with how to use early arrival & FP to best advantage, then the price might be worth it. Personally, if I wanted to spend that kind of money for easier ride access, I'd purchase an extra 1-day ticket for each of us using different MDE profiles, and just use that for 2 sets of FP+. It would be cheaper and probably just as useful as the tour. But that is skirting the rules a bit and would require a bit of hassle (you'd have to enter MK twice). For a birthday treat, go for the tour if you're so inclined. She'll probably love it. It might make your MK day fun and effortless.

 

[Marshel]

I understand it from a business perspective. but I really am getting to dislike the whole pay your way to a better park experience that Disney has/is cultivating. The old idea of everybody is equal once they pass through the turnstiles was part of the magic for me; don't blame people who take advantage of the offerings, but wish it was more limited to after hours/special events.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

With the express transfer busses and aggressive FP strategies, we are able to do much more for much less. But we are WDW veterans. YMMV

 

[SeaSpray]

In four hours, I might be able to see 10 attractions at MK just via the skillful use of FP+ and rope drop, so I can't imagine using this myself. However, if a person is not that familiar with how to best use early arrival & FP to best advantage, then the price might be worth it. Personally, if I wanted to spend that kind of money for easier ride access, I'd purchase an extra 1-day ticket for each of us using different MDE profiles, and just use that for 2 sets of FP+. It would be cheaper and probably just as useful as the tour. But that is skirting the rules a bit and would require a bit of hassle (you'd have to enter MK twice). For a birthday treat, go for the tour if you're so inclined. She'll probably love it. It might make your MK day fun and effortless.

Thanks for replying! My husband and I have been to WDW many times over the years and we're not rope drop people, basically because of certain illnesses and mobility issues. I love and definitely understand how to use the FP+ system; it worked great for us in 2015.

But for this trip, since our great-niece has never been there before, we're trying to plan as many attractions as possible, within the confines of my disabilities. I know that this tour is expensive, but we feel it'd be a great way to get us started with her in the MK, in the least amount of time. I can only last a few hours in one of the parks each morning, then have lunch at the park, and then have to go back to the Polynesian to swim and nap and freshen up before dinner. Then I'm good to go for a few hours in the evening.

If it were just my husband and I, I wouldn't consider this tour because we wouldn't need to.

 

[Shanti]

Thanks for replying! My husband and I have been to WDW many times over the years and we're not rope drop people, basically because of certain illnesses and mobility issues. I love and definitely understand how to use the FP+ system; it worked great for us in 2015.

But for this trip, since our great-niece has never been there before, we're trying to plan as many attractions as possible, within the confines of my disabilities. I know that this tour is expensive, but we feel it'd be a great way to get us started with her in the MK, in the least amount of time. I can only last a few hours in one of the parks each morning, then have lunch at the park, and then have to go back to the Polynesian to swim and nap and freshen up before dinner. Then I'm good to go for a few hours in the evening.

If it were just my husband and I, I wouldn't consider this tour because we wouldn't need to.

Sounds perfect for you, then!

 

[Shanti]

I really am getting to dislike the whole pay your way to a better park experience that Disney has/is cultivating. The old idea of everybody is equal once they pass through the turnstiles was part of the magic for me; don't blame people who take advantage of the offerings, but wish it was more limited to after hours/special events.

The issue with that is that not everyone is equally able to hit the ground running at the park at rope drop, so even the old days were not a level playing field. They favored the young & able-bodied, or those who at least had young & able-bodied members of their party. They also favored locals & those who could otherwise afford to visit WDW many times & get to know the best way to tour.

Today, with the upgrades available, people who are not young & spry, who don't have insider knowledge, & who are only able to take a once in a lifetime trip, can still have an amazingly productive MK day with the help of a guide.

 

[SeaSpray]

I understand it from a business perspective. but I really am getting to dislike the whole pay your way to a better park experience that Disney has/is cultivating. The old idea of everybody is equal once they pass through the turnstiles was part of the magic for me; don't blame people who take advantage of the offerings, but wish it was more limited to after hours/special events.

I understand what you're saying, and I basically agree. But there have been VIP tours in the parks since Disneyland. I don't know how well-advertised they are; I happened to read about this one in the list of "Enchanted Extras" that Disney Signature Services sent to me. We've done a few tours in years past, they were always fun and worth what we paid for them. Admittedly, this one is fairly expensive, but this is a special trip for us and our great-niece.

 

[SeaSpray]

The issue with that is that not everyone is equally able to hit the ground running at the park at rope drop, so even the old days were not a level playing field. They favored the young & able-bodied, or those who at least had young & able-bodied members of their party. They also favored locals & those who could otherwise afford to visit WDW many times & get to know the best way to tour.

Today, with the upgrades available, people who are not young & spry, who don't have insider knowledge, & who are only able to take a once in a lifetime trip, can still have an amazingly productive MK day with the help of a guide.

You've perfectly summed up our situation, thank you!

 

[allsaintsatx]

I have not done it, but those VIP tours are always fun and I say go for it!

It's a unique experience to be lead around the park by one of the VIP CMs. I think it's worth it to maximize your ride time without having to get up at 6am and if you are going in August, not having to stand in those lines might be worth it alone. And you can save your FPs for the not-classic (yet) rides like ETWB, SDMT, talking Mickey. That's 13 rides in one afternoon with zero waits!

And a little math shows that at 199.00, and 10 rides, that's 19.99 per ride, and in the blistering August heat with your whole family I would gladly spend 20 bucks not to wait 30 minutes to see IASW!!

 

[hiroMYhero]

In four hours, I might be able to see 10 attractions at MK just via the skillful use of FP+ and rope drop, so I can't imagine using this myself. However, if a person is not that familiar with how to use early arrival & FP to best advantage, then the price might be worth it. Personally, if I wanted to spend that kind of money for easier ride access, I'd purchase an extra 1-day ticket for each of us using different MDE profiles, and just use that for 2 sets of FP+. It would be cheaper and probably just as useful as the tour. But that is skirting the rules a bit and would require a bit of hassle (you'd have to enter MK twice). For a birthday treat, go for the tour if you're so inclined. She'll probably love it. It might make your MK day fun and effortless.

Shanti, you really won't be skirting any park entry rules at all by using your plan:
~ Purchase 2 tickets to enter the park
~ Enter the park twice so the "in park system" recognizes each ticket as being used for entry
~ Use the FPs that are linked to the Profiles where the tickets are linked

This is fine within Disney rules!