OCTOBER 2020 UPDATED REVIEW HERE

I am so excited to share all of the details and my thoughts on the Private VIP Tour at the Walt Disney World Resort.  I had the incredible opportunity to experience my own Disney VIP Tour when I was in training earlier this month.

Private Disney VIP Tour

With the help of your own VIP Tour Guide, you can maximize your fun with minimal fuss for the Disney vacation of a lifetime!  Your guide will plan the most efficient, enjoyable way for groups up to 10 guests to see and do all that’s on your list. With door-to-door private transportation from your resort, preferred seating during select entertainment offerings and expedited entry to FastPass+ attractions, you’ll spend less time waiting and more time soaking up the magic of Walt Disney World. You will experience unparalleled hospitality at one or more theme parks, ride your favorite attractions and watch magnificent parades, live shows and select nighttime spectaculars from special reserved viewing areas. Rates run $400-450 per hour (7 hour minimum; $500-600 during peak seasons) for up to 10 guests.

That sounds amazing, right?!  Well, here’s how it went down for my tour.  We had a group of 8 ladies and one guide.  In our abbreviated 4-hour tour we wanted to catch as many thrills as we could.

Disney Private VIP Transportation

At precisely 2:29 PM we were walking out of The Contemporary Resort with our guide, Ryan.  He loaded us up into his van (SUV for smaller groups) and we were off to the back entrance of Magic Kingdom.  There were no lines to wait in at a gate or back-ups at security.  Rather, we waltzed right in to Fantasyland in a few quick steps from his off-stage parking spot.

Magic Kingdom Mountains

Less than 10 minutes from the time we were leaving the resort, we were cheesing for a picture in front of Cinderella Castle.  That’s amazing, y’all!

And, about 25 minutes later we were splashing down Splash Mountain!  The posted wait time was 85 minutes at the time we entered the line.

We scooted over to Thunder Mountain next and by 3:32 PM were thundering along on Big Thunder Mountain, having bypassed a 100 minute wait in the stand-by line.

Sixteen minutes later and we were clear across the park loading up on Space Mountain!!  The wait time here was 130 minutes.  It was peak Spring Break time.

Animal Kingdom Thrills

When we finished up in Magic Kingdom, we headed back to our van.  It was already running with the AC blowing, as Ryan had called ahead to let them know we were on our way back.  We piled in and were off to Animal Kingdom!  If you are familiar with the property, you will know that it is a bit of a drive over there.  Ryan shared so many interesting tidbits with us as we drove around the back stage area of Animal Kingdom, such as how the call in the Animals at night, how they test out textiles and finishes, the massive green house and even how they clean some of the park areas each morning before opening.  Like in Magic Kingdom, we entered Pandora through a private back stage area and bypassed the lines at the turnstiles!

We were on Flight of Passage, already the number one ride in Disney World,  at 4:48 PM!  The wait time when we arrived in the stand-by line was FOUR hours.

Since Animal Kingdom is such a sprawling park (Did you know that the other 3 Disney parks could all fit inside of Animal Kingdom?!  Ryan taught us that.), we headed back to our van and he drove us to the back stage entrance near Expedition Everest.  You could, of course, choose to walk through the parks but we were on a mission for as many thrills as possible!  We were on and off of Expedition Everest, with a posted 65 minute wait time, by 5:52 PM.

The BIG Rides in Hollywood Studios

A mere 20-minutes after getting off of Expedition Everest and we had already loaded in the van, driven across the resort to Hollywood Studios and were getting ready to scream our way down the Tower of Terror!  The wait time here was 95 minutes.

And, finally, 18 minutes later and we were entering Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster to finish up our incredible Private VIP Tour, having skipped a 120 minute wait.

To sum it all up, in almost exactly 4 hours we were picked up at our resort and did the major thrill rides in 3 different parks!  That’s unheard of y’all!

Private VIP Tour Tips and Thoughts

I work with all interested clients to incorporate a Private VIP Tour into their schedule and help outline the optimal start and end times, as well as must-dos to share with their guide.  I also help hand pick a guide that will best suit their needs!

• Private VIP Tours are expensive, but they are the ultimate in experiencing luxury Disney World.
• Each VIP guide can take up to 10 people in a group.  If you are unsure of the price, consider sharing a guide between two families with similar interests.  I experienced the tour with a group of 8 thrill seeking moms and would also recommend it for a bachelorette group, reunion group, or RunDisney race weekend group!
• The clock keeps running while you dine and I will ensure you maximize your time with the guide.
• You do not necessarily go to the “front of the line” with a VIP guide.  Rather, you enter attractions in the FastPass line.  In essence, it is like having unlimited FastPasses during your day.
• Our group moved at a fast clip.  At a more leisurely pace in seven hours, you can cover much of two parks, thrill rides in four parks or everything you want to do in one park – including rides, parades and nighttime shows!
• Speaking of which, not only does your guide move you through the FastPass lines, with proper planning, they can also secure AMAZING seats for the Festival of Fantasy Parade in Magic Kingdom, get you in to Jedi Training in Hollywood Studios, and put you in reserved seats for the nighttime shows in all four parks.
• Using a Private VIP Tour guide is ideal for families with limited time in the parks.  You can cover the same ground in 1 day of a VIP tour as in 2-3 on your own.
• A Private VIP Tour guide is also a great option for trips booked less than 2-months in advance where prime FastPasses are no longer available.  Your guide can get you on any of those rides!
• The tours will have access to not only Pandora, but also Toy Story Land attractions when that opens on June 30.  I expect Flight of Passage to continue to be very hard to get where FastPass is concerned, and the Toy Story Land attractions to be nearly impossible for a long time.
• A huge benefit of the guide is the transportation and back stage park entrances.  Without the guide, we would have spent 3 hours alone getting to Magic Kingdom and between the other 2 parks.
• Park tickets and a park hopper (if needed) are not included in the cost of the VIP tour.
• If you are a Disney fanatic, the guides not only get you on the rides, but they share the history, little known facts, and extra magical tips and tricks as you move through the parks.  This was one of my favorite parts of the tour!  It was almost like a Keys to the Kingdom Tour that crosses parks with every ride you want to do thrown in.
• These tours do fill up and I recommend booking them in advance.

I have received glowing feedback from my clients that have added a Private VIP Tour to their Walt Disney World vacation.  Having now experienced one myself, I can confidently say that it is a fantastic experience!

As an independent consultant with Glass Slipper Concierge, an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, I offer concierge travel planning for Walt Disney World® Resort, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland® Resort, Adventures by Disney®, Aulani and other delightful destinations.
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