VIP tour tips/suggestions

[Tink3rbell86]

We just booked our first VIP tour for our upcoming Disneyland trip! Excited is an understatement. We have been planning and saving for this dream.

We want to make the best use of our time and get as much accomplished as we can while enjoying our time. For anyone that’s taken a tour before do you have a tips or suggestion?

Is there a benefit of meeting the tour guide at the hotel vs. in the park? Anyone have a preference of start time? Is 7 hours enough time or should we consider bumping it to 8??

Thanks for any feedback!

 

[OlliePop27]

We just booked our first VIP tour for our upcoming Disneyland trip! Excited is an understatement. We have been planning and saving for this dream.

We want to make the best use of our time and get as much accomplished as we can while enjoying our time. For anyone that’s taken a tour before do you have a tips or suggestion?

Is there a benefit of meeting the tour guide at the hotel vs. in the park? Anyone have a preference of start time? Is 7 hours enough time or should we consider bumping it to 8??

Thanks for any feedback!

I can't wait to read along to learn more! Please post a trip report.

I have never done one, but I have heard to start in the afternoon and end it shortly before parade/fireworks. This gets you the VIP seating but doesn't waste tour time actually watching the show. Maybe also start after lunch to not use up tour time eating.

 

[mrjack5]

We just booked our first VIP tour for our upcoming Disneyland trip! Excited is an understatement. We have been planning and saving for this dream.

We want to make the best use of our time and get as much accomplished as we can while enjoying our time. For anyone that’s taken a tour before do you have a tips or suggestion?

Is there a benefit of meeting the tour guide at the hotel vs. in the park? Anyone have a preference of start time? Is 7 hours enough time or should we consider bumping it to 8??

Thanks for any feedback!

Mammoth club just recently did a VIP tour at Disneyland and they give some really good tips.

 

[ParkHopper1]

Having been fortunate to have been on a few here is my recommendations...start the tour later AM and wake up rested and relaxed with enough time to get a full breakfast and coffee prior to the tour start. If you are early risers knock out a few of the more popular e-ticket rides ahead of time so you are not burning tour time just standing in those longer lightning lanes.

During the tour plan on a quick grab and go lunch on the fly or fast quick serve meal (hence the full breakfast prior)....you don't wanna burn the clock taking a ton of time sitting down for a meal. Book a table service sit down dinner about 45 min - 1 hour after the completion of your tour but early enough to be able to still change into evening clothes and get to whatever nighttime spectacular you have book reserved seating for (you should be able to request this in advance with you VIP services. The show you select can be after your tour has ended and guide has departed). We always reverse engineered our timelines based on what show we wanted to see that night but usually 10a start seemed to be the sweet spot. It is usually quicker and easier to just book meals on your own unless you are not seeing the availability you desire then you can reach out to VIP services for booking help if needed.

A VIP tour can actually be very physically demanding and tiring because unlike a typical day where you get rest periods waiting in line on the tour you are on the move all day of your guide is good and lines cooperate. You will NEED a break after the tour, hence the table service dinner following the tour.

Have some objectives but let you guide decide best way to execute and go with the flow as they are the experts in park efficiency. We have done both all out attraction blitz days and days with the kiddos where it was more focused on character meet and greets, parades, shows, and other off the beaten path things VIP Guides had access to so all depends on your objectives and group dynamics.

100% schedule your meetup inside DL or DCA rather than say the GCH lobby so you do not have to burn time waiting to get into the gates of your starting park. VIP Tours can no longer jump the lines at the gate if there is a backup. Pro tip: VIP guides are supposed to be at the meet spot 15 min early so arrive then to get in those few extra min to meet and greet and chat about the day.

Have fun!

 

[Jojo Cat Lady]

We

Having been fortunate to have been on a few here is my recommendations...start the tour later AM and wake up rested and relaxed with enough time to get a full breakfast and coffee prior to the tour start. If you are early risers knock out a few of the more popular e-ticket rides ahead of time so you are not burning tour time just standing in those longer lightning lanes.

During the tour plan on a quick grab and go lunch on the fly or fast quick serve meal (hence the full breakfast prior)....you don't wanna burn the clock taking a ton of time sitting down for a meal. Book a table service sit down dinner about 45 min - 1 hour after the completion of your tour but early enough to be able to still change into evening clothes and get to whatever nighttime spectacular you have book reserved seating for (you should be able to request this in advance with you VIP services. The show you select can be after your tour has ended and guide has departed). We always reverse engineered our timelines based on what show we wanted to see that night but usually 10a start seemed to be the sweet spot. It is usually quicker and easier to just book meals on your own unless you are not seeing the availability you desire then you can reach out to VIP services for booking help if needed.

A VIP tour can actually be very physically demanding and tiring because unlike a typical day where you get rest periods waiting in line on the tour you are on the move all day of your guide is good and lines cooperate. You will NEED a break after the tour, hence the table service dinner following the tour.

Have some objectives but let you guide decide best way to execute and go with the flow as they are the experts in park efficiency. We have done both all out attraction blitz days and days with the kiddos where it was more focused on character meet and greets, parades, shows, and other off the beaten path things VIP Guides had access to so all depends on your objectives and group dynamics.

100% schedule your meetup inside DL or DCA rather than say the GCH lobby so you do not have to burn time waiting to get into the gates of your starting park. VIP Tours can no longer jump the lines at the gate if there is a backup. Pro tip: VIP guides are supposed to be at the meet spot 15 min early so arrive then to get in those few extra min to meet and greet and chat about the day.

Have fun!

We did a VIP tour in June. Since we were staying at the GC, we met our guide in the lobby. They had several complimentary VIP items we received as gifts and you could purchase additional items exclusive to VIP participants at that location, near the fireplace.

We provided a list of our "must have" rides and events for the day and the guide took it from there. We started at 10 and had a 7-hour tour. I think 10 hours would be more than you could handle. The guide arranged a sit-down lunch mid-day. He also made reservations at the Blue Bayou for dinner which was the last item on our schedule. He had made previous reservations for the parade and fireworks. So after dinner, we went to our reserved seating area, with comfortable chairs, only a few feet from the parade floats.

What surprised us most was how exhausted we were! But no time was wasted going from ride to ride so we never slowed down. We spent the next day just resting.

It was a wonderful experience and worth every penny. We will never go back to the old way.