VMK tour-how early-DLR*NEW TOUR REVIEW

[jlima]

I know you have to go to the VMK booth when the park opens to get a spot on the tour.

HOWEVER,

What time does the booth open on the days DL has Early Morning Entry?!?!?!

If the park opens at 7am for EMH and 8am for everybody else, what time do they open the VMK booth???

We have premium annual passes and we are not staying on property on our next trip (staying at Hyatt on Harbor Blvd). From what I understand I can only get EMH if I stay on property. Any information is appreciated!!!

EDIT - **SEE POST #19 FOR MY TOUR REVIEW!!**

 

[Chickysmom]

and I would really appreciate someone telling me where the booth actually is....

 

[FlyThenFall]

and I would really appreciate someone telling me where the booth actually is....

The booth is right next to the entrance to Innoventions, across from the PeopleMover/RocketJets platform. Just keep walking down the Tomorrowland promenade, until the end...and turn to your left at the giant rock ball.

I don't think the VMK booth would open during Early Entry, UNLESS Innoventions is open during Early Entry. Innoventions Hosts/Hostesses run VMK stuffs...so that would be my hypothesis. That said, I'm not complete sure as I haven't done Early Entry before either. BTW, either way...run (within the what's allowed by DLR Security) to the VMK booth as early as possible. The tours at the DLR fill up REALLY fast.

 

[deba]

The booth is in Tomorrowland, right outside Innoventions. I did ask when I was there how early the booth opens in the morning, since it's 'first come first served' each day in DL. I was told that someone is usually manning the booth about one hour before opening each day, so in the case of early entry, go straight there!

 

[Chickysmom]

Can you sign up for a tour that is on a different day?

 

[deba]

No, not at DL. That's why you must get to the booth as early as possible on the day you want the tour.

 

[FlyThenFall]

When I was at DL (albeit, it was the 50th weekend) we could not sign up for a tour in advance like they allow you to at WDW. I turned in my quest cards at about 7:00 PM the first day of our trip and the staffer told me to keep one set of quest cards, because all the tours were full for the day. If she issued us a tour card (and the rest of the quest prizes) we wouldn't be able to go on the tour at all. Your tour needed to coincide with the day when you turned in your final quest.

But policies may have changed since July 17.

 

[deba]

Wow, that must have been confusing. When I was there two weeks ago, you could do the quests in advance and have them turned in and redeemed for the prize cards. All you needed then on the morning of the tour when you signed up was the tour card (number 30 of 30) that they gave you when you cashed in your quests, and your pass. Hope that helps.

 

[jlima]

We got the tour cards on our last visit in August. The day we got them it was about 10am and she said the first tour was full; the second tour had one spot left and we needed to use them on another day.

I may start a thread on the DL board to figure out what is open during EMH. We were there for EMH on July 4 but we never left Fantasyland so I have no idea if Innoventions is open that early!

 

[mousepartygrl]

When I was at DL (albeit, it was the 50th weekend) we could not sign up for a tour in advance like they allow you to at WDW. I turned in my quest cards at about 7:00 PM the first day of our trip and the staffer told me to keep one set of quest cards, because all the tours were full for the day. If she issued us a tour card (and the rest of the quest prizes) we wouldn't be able to go on the tour at all. Your tour needed to coincide with the day when you turned in your final quest.

But policies may have changed since July 17.

They've changed! You can get a tour card and the cast member will leave the date taken blank and write how many people it's for. The other day I went with a previously acquired tour card right at opening signed up for the tour. Took my quest cards completed them at lunch and returned a little early for the tour to turn in completed quest cards and received a new tour card to be used in 90 days.

 

[Califgirl]

Lucky you! Mouseparty girl we are both so close we need to meet for some Disneyand VMK adventures! Are you going to be able to be at Jellyroll's Wed. Oct 12th meet? (I think it is at 5pm) It would be fun to meet other Dis'ers.

 

[kitashus]

When I was at DLR last Sunday and tried to sign up for tour (unsuccessfully, I might add), the Cast Member said to come on the early opening days (sorry, can't remember the initials). They were Mondays, Tuesdays...some other weekdays and Saturdays. Which don't work for us. Kids are in school and we can't go on Saturdays (we have SoCal passes...good on Sundays, but not Saturdays).

So it sounded like that was the ONLY way to get in on a tour. She said the line is always very long.

I wish you could sign up in advance...

 

[cseca]

Wow... they let you do that?
Get a tour card before finishing the quest?
That's really different than WDW then.
It's good to know because I only have a couple of days in the park.
maybe I'll have to do that. Get a card and then sign up and then fill up the quests.

 

[kitashus]

Wow... they let you do that?
Get a tour card before finishing the quest?
That's really different than WDW then.
It's good to know because I only have a couple of days in the park.
maybe I'll have to do that. Get a card and then sign up and then fill up the quests.

No, I don't think so. You have to finish all quests first, then you get the tour card. Get your tour card(s) one day, then get there early on the other day for the tour.

 

[mousepartygrl]

Lucky you! Mouseparty girl we are both so close we need to meet for some Disneyand VMK adventures! Are you going to be able to be at Jellyroll's Wed. Oct 12th meet? (I think it is at 5pm) It would be fun to meet other Dis'ers.

I was going to pm you before that day to see if you wanted to go - I ended up not because I was going there for a MOMS Club Disney Day - Quite a few of them RSVP'd I wasn't sure how much fun that would be for you... non of the moms showed up... nice! So I thought I'd make the most out of that situation. I ended up on the tour and coincidentally meeting Shiregirl, which was fun - she is super nice!

Yes, October 12th meet would be fun! I am trying to schedule that in... my hubby is going to have to watch the kids unless I bring them I haven't decided yet... LOL. Hopefully Jellyrolls will not be passing out boogies..

 

[mousepartygrl]

Wow... they let you do that?
Get a tour card before finishing the quest?
That's really different than WDW then.
It's good to know because I only have a couple of days in the park.
maybe I'll have to do that. Get a card and then sign up and then fill up the quests.

They don't let you get the tour card before completing the quests. You must complete all the quests to get the card. With the exception of the prize for the tour from vmk. I had tour cards from previous visits and family members It had been 30 days since my last quests so I took the opportunity to collect on all again

 

[Chickysmom]

Can you pick up the quests from the same booth you register for the tour at? (Except the one you print off online)

 

[kitashus]

Can you pick up the quests from the same booth you register for the tour at? (Except the one you print off online)

Yes, you do both at the same booth. (There is only one booth.) The quest cards are just sitting in slots to the side though...you don't have to ask for them, just go up and get them.

 

[jlima]

So I still have no idea if the VMK booth is open during Early Entry. But we did get the spots we wanted on our tour yesterday (Oct 1).

We got to the park at about 7:40 and they opened the gates about 7:50. We made it to the VMK booth about 8:05 and there was one couple already at the booth. The CM pulled out a binder for the tours, and the list for the 1:30 tour only had 2 names on it. So we got on the early tour. I never saw the sheet for the 5:30 tour.

The tour was pretty cool. They asked you to return at 1:15; you get a name tag and the tour left about 1:35. The guide took us to the hub area first; then to Jungle Cruise, Big Thunder Mountain RR and POTC. She asked trivia question throughout the tour and gave out cards such as 500 credits, the Big Thunder Mountain Transporter, Jungle Cruise Explorer's Tent guest room, and Rhino Jungle Cruise Photo Safari Poster. The tour also visited the Shrunken Ned machine in the Adventureland Bazzar, and here the guide gave everybody on the tour got a retro penny press card. We also rode the DLRR from New Orleans Square to Tommorrowland (we answered the quest questions while waiting for the train), and the tour ended in Innoventions where everybody was given the prizes from the Pirate quest - the Pirate Insider Tour pin, the Captains Quarters Couch, the Pirate Treasure Rug, the Seagull's Nest Pirate Hat, the Crow's Nest Barstool and the Flaming Ransacked Window. We also were given the HM Conservatory guest room card, and the DL Golden Show Designer collection card.

(note - all the cards we got had "redeemable through 9/30/05" in the fine print on the back - and we were given them on 10/1! But DS11 entered two of them on his character when we were in Innoventions and VMK accepted them. Hope the rest are OK! VMK was closed by the time we got back to the hotel last night and when we got home to LV tonight)

The only disappointment I had was that the tour didn't go into any "backstage" areas. We went through the exits on all four attractions; but it would have been cool to go into a backstage area. But the whole point of the tour is to get stuff to use in the VMK game and that certainly happens!!

The are not using the Haunted Mansion quest on the tour. Because of the NBC decorations, some of the quest questions can't be answered by going on the ride so it's been changed to a POTC quest. But DS11 was beside himself when he realized he had the HM Conservatory card even though the tour didn't go to the HM. He put in the code on this card when the tour ended in Innoventions!

The tour guide had a spiral bound book with screen shots from VMK, and she had some concept shots of the new Frontierland in VMK. Evidently it won't be launched until January, and Tommorrowland will now be launched in April 06. Also, the name tags they gave you were a mini screen shot from VMK and they wrote your name on it with a Sharpie. The tags were the exact shape & size that were used last year, when I did the "Magic Behind Our Steam Trains" tour at the MK in Orlando.

They only take 15 people per tour. There was one family there who was only able to book two spots on each of the tours. The mom asked everybody on the 1:30 tour if there were two people that would trade for the 5:30 tour so her family could go together, and she couldn't make it work. She ended up cancelling the 2 spots she had on the 1:30 tour (which IMHO isn't fair to anyone who tried to book & was turned away). She complained (loudly, IMHO) that she woke up at 6:30 and made it to the VMK booth by 8:30 and didn't want to spend 5 and a half hours apart from her family . If it had been me, you bet I would have been flexible after driving four hours & staying in a hotel just for the opportunity to take a free guided tour with no guarantee that I'd get a time at all. Moral of the story - BE THERE WHEN THE PARK OPENS TO SCHEDULE YOUR VMK TOUR!!! And if you get separated into the two different tours just be flexible because you'll still have all the cool VMK stuff when you are done.

 

[Califgirl]

They only take 15 people per tour. There was one family there who was only able to book two spots on each of the tours. The mom asked everybody on the 1:30 tour if there were two people that would trade for the 5:30 tour so her family could go together, and she couldn't make it work. She ended up cancelling the 2 spots she had on the 1:30 tour (which IMHO isn't fair to anyone who tried to book & was turned away). She complained (loudly, IMHO) that she woke up at 6:30 and made it to the VMK booth by 8:30 and didn't want to spend 5 and a half hours apart from her family . If it had been me, you bet I would have been flexible after driving four hours & staying in a hotel just for the opportunity to take a free guided tour with no guarantee that I'd get a time at all. Moral of the story - BE THERE WHEN THE PARK OPENS TO SCHEDULE YOUR VMK TOUR!!! And if you get separated into the two different tours just be flexible because you'll still have all the cool VMK stuff when you are done.

Okay, this cracks me up about that woman. My BIL who went on the VMK tour with me in Aug. saw the same family on the 5:30 tour as was there on the tour with us. Actually my neice recognized the kids. My BIL and niece were walking by adventureland where the tour stops for a break and recognized the guide and some of the people from our tour a couple of months ago. (Those people were a bit obnoxious then, too) And yes, it was the same day you were there! I wasn't in the park with them and they were not there to do VMK stuff, but we all found this interesting.