Disney VIP Tours

Disney VIP Tours were originally created by Walt Disney himself and was called the Disneyland Resort Ambassador Program.  He created this to make guests trips truly unforgettable.  The current Disney VIP Guides still wear the signature plaid uniforms to this day and are referred to as “Plaids” by Disney guests.  These guides have been handpicked by Disney and trained in top level customer service.  Your guide customizes your itinerary and touring plan for your day as a VIP.  There are now 5 different VIP tours available at Disney World and can be very expensive additions to your trip.  So what are these top notch VIP Tours and are they actually worth the money?

The Private VIP Tour is the classic tour that is completely customizable by you and your guide.  You will be picked up at your resort or you can meet your tour guide at a predetermined location since the clock starts ticking the second you meet your tour guide.  If you want to make the most of your time it is probably best to meet your guide at the first attraction of your day.  With this tour you can visit one or more theme parks, ride your favorite rides as many times as you want, watch parades and live shows and sit in special reserved viewing areas for select nighttime spectaculars.  

Guests staying at select resorts can skip lines with FastPass+ at 3 different attractions per day but can only reserve a FastPass for 1 top tier attraction for that day.  VIP guests don’t have a limit to their FastPass line access.  Yes you can ride Avatar Flight of Passage as many times as you want and skip the often three hour line other guests are waiting in.  This tour does have a minimum duration of 7 continuous hours for up to 10 guests.  Theme park tickets aren’t included and the price does start at $425 per hour. 

Tours can be booked up to 180 days in advance.  Another advantage to being a VIP is the chance to go behind the scenes.  You will often enter the parks through cast member entrances that people rarely get to see.  Say you ride Soarin’ at Epcot, you will exit a back exit to a waiting vehicle that will drive you over to another back entrance to Test Track.  So you skip all the lines, the crowds and the time it takes to walk from one place to another.  Plus you will be met multiple times by other guides who will have cold water bottles and unlimited snacks waiting for you.  

The Ultimate Day of Thrills VIP Tour takes you through the Magic Kingdom, Epcot and Hollywood Studios to ride all of the main attractions.  This is also a 7 hour tour with a stop for a Quick Service meal of your choice or recommendation by your guide.  This tour starts at $349 per person plus your Park Hopper tickets which aren’t included.

Animal Kingdom has its own group tour called the Ultimate Nights of Adventure VIP Tour.  This wild nighttime tour takes you through the park to ride all of the attractions and explore all of the lands.  Like I said earlier, you can ride the Na’vi River Journey and Avatar Flight of Passage without waiting in line. This tour also provides signature snacks and a specialty alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverage.  The Ultimate Nights of Adventure VIP Tour costs $249 per person plus of course your theme park ticket for the day.

If you are traveling with younger children the Ultimate Disney Classics VIP Tour is the way to go.  This tour gives you special access to select attractions at the Magic Kingdom.  You won’t get access to rides such as Mine Train, Splash Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean or Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.  It is designed for your little travelers.  If you are a Mom traveling alone with multiple kids your guide will quickly grab your stroller and make traveling with kids much easier.  They know how to handle the melt downs every parent faces at least once during their travels!  This tour is $249 per person not including your park admission.

The newest tour is the tour every foodie must splurge on at least once.  The Taste of Magic Kingdom Park VIP Tour takes you behind the scenes to discover how the food is made as you taste your way through the kitchens of the Magic Kingdom.  During this three hour experience you will get to chat with chefs and cast members while you visit their backstage kitchens and working areas while tasting some of the most beloved menu items.  You will even get to sample an item that is still in development and give it your foodie review!  This tour is the least expensive of the tours at $99 per person not including park admission in to the Magic Kingdom.  

As you can see the addition of a VIP tour can add a significant expense to your magical vacation.  I would recommend checking it out if you have limited days at the parks so you can zip in and out of attractions and parks in the most efficient way possible.  VIP tours are all about efficiency so you can see and experience attractions and more in one day that might take you three or four days to experience on your own.  So if you only spend a couple of days at Disney rather than a week the price is almost the same as that weeks’ vacation when you add in a VIP tour for one of those days.  Another way to cut down on the expense is for families traveling together to split the cost making it more manageable.  

While you can book directly through Disney and plan using their services it is even better to book through a travel agent like us, Mousing Around Travel.  We know Disney.  No, like REALLY know Disney.  We know the flow of the parks and what are the must see things to do while you are there.  If we are already taking the time to plan your vacation to your specifications we can use our knowledge along with your travel guide to make your VIP experience even better.  So what do you think?  Is a VIP tour something you want on your bucket list or to experience on your vacation?  Let’s chat and see how we can make this dream a reality and plan your vacation to be able to include one of these VIP tours!  Don’t worry though if this isn’t in your budget you can still work with us and we can develop a plan for you to use to experience the parks in the most efficient way possible!