I was ready to splurge on a VIP tour for a post-pandemic/post-surgery celebration for our first trip since 2019 later this summer in August. We have never done a VIP tour before. However, after reading a ton of threads about VIP tour and LL wait times, I'm torn. Now I'm considering canceling it to stay on-site and use Genie+ instead.
WWYD? Our goals are to maximize our time on the E-ticket rides. Space Mountain, GOTG, and Incredicoaster are our favorites, but we haven't been since 2019 so we haven't been to the new rides at Avengers Campus and Star Wars Launch Bay. I believe our top choices all have LL access so technically we can use Genie+ to get the same access since VIP tours can't skip to the front. However, VIPs can ride multiple times per day. That's the biggest reason I'm hesitating on canceling my VIP tour.
The other benefits of doing a VIP are not relevant to us. Since we're focused on thrill rides, we won't be doing dark rides, any shows, or any of the sit-down restaurants that don't have outdoor seating (we're still super cautious with COVID and not eating indoors so there won't be visits to Blue Bayou, Napa Rose, or Carthay Circle this trip).
Other details:
- The group of visitors include me, 2 DDs (13 and 16) and 7 of my older DD's friends (e.g. her boyfriend + other guys and girls). Since it's a big group and we need 3 rooms, the plan was to stay off-site at the Desert Inn and Suites. We're all rope drop to closing people, so I figured we'll only use the room to sleep. I'm fine staying in a motel but obviously would prefer nicer accommodations. FYI DH dislikes DLR so he's staying home. Other than touring together for the VIP tour, the older teens would go off on their own before/after the tour. If I cancel the VIP tour, I probably won't see my older DD at all until we're ready to head back to the airport. This might mean there's a small advantage to doing the VIP tour as then I'll get some fun ride photos of the entire group. I might even rope her into taking a photo with the Photopass photographer by the RSR billboard for old times' sake.
- We are only there for the weekend, as we fly in on the last flight on Friday night in August after older DD's last day of work at her summer job and fly home Sunday night. Younger DD has already started school by then so we have to return Sunday night. Thus, I want to maximize our time. We're buying 2 day park-hoppers and the current plan is starting in DL first. VIP tour would be Saturday (our only full day in the park) and we'd use Genie+ on Sunday before leaving on the last flight home (which means exiting the park by 5:30 pm or so).
- If we cancel the VIP tour (which is almost $5K during the high season plus an additional tip--do people tip 20%? That's $1,000!), I'd move us on-site to GCH. I checked and 3 standard rooms for 2 nights will cost about $5700. I'd just cover it as the teen friends are paying for the rest of their expenses (airfare and parkhoppers) from their summer job earnings and I know they can't afford GCH. I loved our GCH stay on our last trip as it was so convenient but the room is small and only okay. The premium is the location since we are rope drop to closing people. With that said, we always took an afternoon pool break. If we stay off-site, it's not worth going back to a motel room pool. I was planning to have a leisurely outdoor lunch in DTD with my younger DD after we maximized our morning rope drop time. If we stay on-site, then it's possible I'd go back for a nap in the room or sit by the pool (which it sounds like is crazy busy at all on-site hotels this summer). I liked DLH's bigger rooms and pool area, but that walk felt too long to me given the price. Yes, I agree that going through DTD is a nicer walk than going down Harbor but it's still crowded.
- EMH at the on-site hotels starts AFTER we leave so we don't benefit from that, otherwise I would be even more likely to cancel the VIP tour.
I think those are all the relevant details. I would love to hear your thoughts, DisBoard friends!
WWYD? Our goals are to maximize our time on the E-ticket rides. Space Mountain, GOTG, and Incredicoaster are our favorites, but we haven't been since 2019 so we haven't been to the new rides at Avengers Campus and Star Wars Launch Bay. I believe our top choices all have LL access so technically we can use Genie+ to get the same access since VIP tours can't skip to the front. However, VIPs can ride multiple times per day. That's the biggest reason I'm hesitating on canceling my VIP tour.
The other benefits of doing a VIP are not relevant to us. Since we're focused on thrill rides, we won't be doing dark rides, any shows, or any of the sit-down restaurants that don't have outdoor seating (we're still super cautious with COVID and not eating indoors so there won't be visits to Blue Bayou, Napa Rose, or Carthay Circle this trip).
Other details:
- The group of visitors include me, 2 DDs (13 and 16) and 7 of my older DD's friends (e.g. her boyfriend + other guys and girls). Since it's a big group and we need 3 rooms, the plan was to stay off-site at the Desert Inn and Suites. We're all rope drop to closing people, so I figured we'll only use the room to sleep. I'm fine staying in a motel but obviously would prefer nicer accommodations. FYI DH dislikes DLR so he's staying home. Other than touring together for the VIP tour, the older teens would go off on their own before/after the tour. If I cancel the VIP tour, I probably won't see my older DD at all until we're ready to head back to the airport. This might mean there's a small advantage to doing the VIP tour as then I'll get some fun ride photos of the entire group. I might even rope her into taking a photo with the Photopass photographer by the RSR billboard for old times' sake.
- We are only there for the weekend, as we fly in on the last flight on Friday night in August after older DD's last day of work at her summer job and fly home Sunday night. Younger DD has already started school by then so we have to return Sunday night. Thus, I want to maximize our time. We're buying 2 day park-hoppers and the current plan is starting in DL first. VIP tour would be Saturday (our only full day in the park) and we'd use Genie+ on Sunday before leaving on the last flight home (which means exiting the park by 5:30 pm or so).
- If we cancel the VIP tour (which is almost $5K during the high season plus an additional tip--do people tip 20%? That's $1,000!), I'd move us on-site to GCH. I checked and 3 standard rooms for 2 nights will cost about $5700. I'd just cover it as the teen friends are paying for the rest of their expenses (airfare and parkhoppers) from their summer job earnings and I know they can't afford GCH. I loved our GCH stay on our last trip as it was so convenient but the room is small and only okay. The premium is the location since we are rope drop to closing people. With that said, we always took an afternoon pool break. If we stay off-site, it's not worth going back to a motel room pool. I was planning to have a leisurely outdoor lunch in DTD with my younger DD after we maximized our morning rope drop time. If we stay on-site, then it's possible I'd go back for a nap in the room or sit by the pool (which it sounds like is crazy busy at all on-site hotels this summer). I liked DLH's bigger rooms and pool area, but that walk felt too long to me given the price. Yes, I agree that going through DTD is a nicer walk than going down Harbor but it's still crowded.
- EMH at the on-site hotels starts AFTER we leave so we don't benefit from that, otherwise I would be even more likely to cancel the VIP tour.
I think those are all the relevant details. I would love to hear your thoughts, DisBoard friends!
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