VIP Tour with infants/toddlers?

[disneyfam31]

Does anyone have experience using the private VIP tour with an infant / toddler? I am curious about your experience and anything to consider before booking a private tour.

We are taking a large family trip between Christmas and NYE and are staying at the parks for 3 days prior to a cruise. We have a total of 8 adults and 6 kids in our group, including (2) infants/toddlers who will be 19 months and 15 months at the time of the trip. Although we have all been to WDW numerous times, we think we would greatly appreciate having the VIP tour guides (need 2 for our size group) during the busy and crowded holiday week. However, I am trying to figure out if there is anything we should take into consideration since we have a few very young guests with us. FWIW, we only plan to use the VIP tour in MK for one day and will not be park hopping.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

 

[Love Tink]

The tour guide is at your disposal and will take you to do whatever you want - you are in charge of the pace and what you do. So there is no reason that having young children would affect things at all.

One piece of advice, since you have young kids in your group. For the afternoon parade at MK there is a spot where VIP tour guests can sit pretty much by themselves on the bridge between Liberty Square and the Hub. People sitting there get all the love from the performers in the parade. I didn't know this when we did our VIP tour and I always wished I had scheduled our time block so we could have done the special parade spot.* (*Of course, confirm this when you schedule in case things have changed, as they often do.)

 

[DisneyWishes14]

I don't think there is anything in particular you need to take into consideration. The VIP guide will make sure things run smoothly for everyone in your group. I've never done the tour with a toddler (we did it when my DS was 6), but, I did notice on our last trip, VIP guides pushing strollers, so that may be an extra bonus for your group!

 

[wdwftw]

We have done a VIP tour with a 1 year old and 3 year olds. If you’re only doing Magic Kingdom, there won’t be all the getting in and out of the van that we did to get from ride to ride (and also park hopping), so no worries there. For example, our little guy fell asleep in the stroller while at Animal Kingdom and doesn’t transfer well, so my husband just strolled him to the next ride while the rest of us drove over. At Magic Kingdom, you park and get out and don’t come back to the van, unlike at the other parks where you might drive from ride to ride. One thing I’ll say - the car seats and boosters were installed more securely in those vans than in our own cars I think!

One thing to consider with the young ones on a VIP tour, and especially at Magic Kingdom, and most especially between Christmas and New Year’s, is that even VIP guides can’t disperse the crowds for you. I’m assuming you’ll have a stroller, and during parade time, or trying to get to your special spot for fireworks at night, pushing a stroller through those crowds around the hub was the stuff of nightmares. Not leaving it to the last minute to get to those locations probably helps.

Happy to answer any questions!

 

[N Shah]

VIP service was the same as getting someone in the party dedicated to reserving fastpasses. They did not help us out much at all

 

[Karin1984]

VIP service was the same as getting someone in the party dedicated to reserving fastpasses. They did not help us out much at all

I am sorry to hear that. Was there anything else that was disappointing about using Disney's VIP service?

I take the main difference is that the fastpasses are always available and never run out with the VIP tour? Did you use the option for the VIP seating at parades or shows or private transportation from backstage at the parks?

 

[jo-jo]

I've never done a VIP tour, but can you split the group for a bit? I can see some adults and bigger kids going on splash and runaway railroad, while a few adults and the younger ones, hitting small world, PP, carousel. Or do you (can you?) plan to have the tour guilds watch the babies while everyone else goes on the ride?

 

[TwinkleKS]

VIP service was the same as getting someone in the party dedicated to reserving fastpasses. They did not help us out much at all

You must not have been using the "plaid" VIP tour guide. There are services like a concierge that come with booking a Club Level room, etc. But if you pay for a VIP tour guide, you are able to go through all of the fast pass lines as many times as you wish during your tour - there is no limit. You can arrange for special seating for parades and fireworks as well as long as the time of them is during your tour. If you park hop, you can go from park to park inside "back" entrances where you don't have to stand in the long security lines at each park.

The OP appears to be asking about one of these guides. They will be great with the infant - with two guides you can arrange to split the group up if you wish to (but do this ahead of time if you are going to want to have one group park hop).

 

[White Rose]

I've never done a VIP tour, but can you split the group for a bit? I can see some adults and bigger kids going on splash and runaway railroad, while a few adults and the younger ones, hitting small world, PP, carousel. Or do you (can you?) plan to have the tour guilds watch the babies while everyone else goes on the ride?

The guide must be with the group. Not sure how two tour guides work, but for their fast pass privilege and line bypass, they must be with you.

When we used a plaid, my dad wanted to watch the carousel of progress so my brother and SIL went with him without plaid assistance, cause you don’t need a fast pass for that....and my brother’s kids, my hubby and I went on space mountain and a few other things with the guide. The guide could not do anything for my brother, SIL and dad while they were off doing their own thing. The guide had his timing perfect and just as they were leaving carousel of progress we met up and continued together.

 

[anomamatt]

I've never done a VIP tour, but can you split the group for a bit? I can see some adults and bigger kids going on splash and runaway railroad, while a few adults and the younger ones, hitting small world, PP, carousel. Or do you (can you?) plan to have the tour guilds watch the babies while everyone else goes on the ride?

To some extent, and it's probably the guide's discretion. For example, I have had a guide place my family on a ride and then he and I walked to RnRC to ride that -- and we all met up after. We did something similar when my kids were younger and didn't want to ride 7DMT. He put them and my wife into the Pooh FP queue and he and I did 7DMT. But there is no way he would have done this all day... but once or twice has never been a problem.

I don't think the guides are expected to watch kids, but I am sure it's asked of them. And they will probably do it...

 

[ErinsMommy]

Stupid question, but do the guides ride with you too? I mean if they're just standing around waiting, why not?

 

[Love Tink]

Stupid question, but do the guides ride with you too? I mean if they're just standing around waiting, why not?

In my experience, they ride with you if the seating arrangements call for it. For example, we used a guide for a group of three (myself and two of my sons). If we rode a roller coaster, our guide rode with us - seating two and two. If we rode Peter Pan, he met us at the exit since the three of us could ride together.

 

[ErinsMommy]

In my experience, they ride with you if the seating arrangements call for it. For example, we used a guide for a group of three (myself and two of my sons). If we rode a roller coaster, our guide rode with us - seating two and two. If we rode Peter Pan, he met us at the exit since the three of us could ride together.

Oh that's awesome! Thanks for sharing!

 

[Amanda999]

... Or do you (can you?) plan to have the tour guilds watch the babies while everyone else goes on the ride?

I suspect it would be WAY cheaper than $1,200+/- an hour to hire a babysitter (and buy his/her park ticket)!
Just kidding - I do think you have a great idea, that the group split up for part of the day with the younger kids and some adults going with one guide, and the older kids/other adults do the height requirement rides like the mountains.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

I could be wrong, but I think you have to pay more (probably double) if you want two guides. I don’t think they’ll just give you another one if you want to break the group in 2. Although maybe I’m misunderstanding what is being discussed above.

Granted, if your group is bigger than 10 and you’re already going to have 2 anyway, then splitting up makes sense.

 

[jo-jo]

I could be wrong, but I think you have to pay more (probably double) if you want two guides. I don’t think they’ll just give you another one if you want to break the group in 2. Although maybe I’m misunderstanding what is being discussed above.

Granted, if your group is bigger than 10 and you’re already going to have 2 anyway, then splitting up makes sense.

Yes, since they would need two guides, I just thought why have the younger kids just sitting around the rides they can' t go on.

 

[anomamatt]

Stupid question, but do the guides ride with you too? I mean if they're just standing around waiting, why not?

It depends on the guide -- and somewhat the ride. And it sometimes depends on the seating arrangements for the ride. They will sometimes use longer rides for a quick restroom/snack break.

 

[kandb]

A guide sounds awesome!!! How much do they cost for a day at MK?

 

[Cinderumbrella]

A guide sounds awesome!!! How much do they cost for a day at MK?

It varies depending on time of year. But roughly $450 per hour with a minimum of 7 hours (plus gratuity)

 

[GADisneyDad14]

The top end cost is over $600/hour, so there is a rather material difference in pricing. You have to call to get the price for a specific day.

I looked into one not too long ago just because I was curious... the Thursday of my stay was the lower cost, the Friday was middle cost, and Saturday was the highest.