On our recent trip to Walt Disney World, we were able to experience a VIP tour. This was a bucket list item, and it did not disappoint. Walt Disney World offers numerous tours for Guests to experience throughout all four Disney Parks. No matter what you are looking for, there is a tour for you and your goals.
A VIP Tour is the ultimate tour experience. Guests can book this experience 60 days before their check-in day. With the tour, Guests will have a private Cast Member that will guide them throughout Disney Parks, allowing them to experience anything and everything on their list. Guests can hop between Parks (with a valid ticket) via private transportation.
A VIP tour is a minimum of seven hours with a max of ten hours. Pricing ranges per hour based on the day of your booking, but typically you can find a VIP Tour running between $400-900 per hour. This is a fantastic way to split the cost and enjoy the experience if you have a group.
Our VIP Tour experience was FANTASTIC, and I will get into what we experienced and why we loved it.
Cast Member
The number one reason we loved our VIP Tour at Walt Disney World was because of our outstanding Cast Member. Annie was full of energy and excitement. This positive attitude rubbed off on everyone else and made our experience more enjoyable.
Annie took time to ensure she knew our goals for the day. We discussed our priorities, and she worked extremely hard to ensure those experiences happened for us along the way.
She also ensured on a scorching day in the Parks that we remained hydrated and fueled. She grabbed water and snacks several times to ensure everyone could keep going.
Her personal touch and energy made our day extra magical.
Private Transportation
Another significant aspect of the VIP Tour is that you are provided with private transportation. This allows you to move around the Walt Disney World Resort quickly and efficiently. With a group of nine, we had a large, spacious van to travel between the three Disney Parks we visited during our VIP Tour.
By providing private transportation, we avoided the typical downtime of waiting for a Disney Bus, Monorail, or Boat to move between the Parks. This was a fast way to travel and allowed us to experience more during our limited time.
Related: How to Park Hop at Disney Successfully
Learning
A part of the VIP Tour that was a bonus was all the information we learned along the way. Annie was a wealth of knowledge and was great at sharing it with us along the way. Both the adults and teens asked many questions throughout the VIP Tour experience. Annie was great at providing fascinating answers but also kept the magic alive for all of us.
Our teens often asked about the Disney College Program and how she became a VIP Tour guide. It was interesting to hear about how these outstanding Cast Members work their way into the positions they hold at the company.
Backstage Access
Seeing small behind-the-scenes parts of Walt Disney World was also enjoyable as our group was filled with Disney fans. As we drove from Park to Park, we could see some of the backstage areas of different Disney Parks.
We also took advantage of particular parking areas to give us quick access to the Parks. Being around these specific areas was a neat treat for Disney fans. Knowing that we were parking where top Disney executives such as Josh DeMaro and Bob Iger park when they visit the Parks was thrilling.
All the Rides
One of the significant advantages of booking a VIP Tour is that you experience so many rides in a short period. On the VIP Tour, Guests are taken either through the back door entrances to rides or are given access to the LIghtning Lanes.
We had provided Annie with an overall goal for the day and we used that to make priorities as we moved throughout the Parks. In seven hours, we could experience 13 rides and 3 Disney Parks and get access to the VIP view for Happily Ever After. That is a successful day at Walt Disney World.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, Slinky Dog Dash, Toy Story Mania, Rock n’ Roller Coaster, Tower of Terror
Disney’s Animal Kingdom: Avatar: Flight of Passage, Expedition Everest X 2
Magic Kingdom: Space Mountain, Tron: Lightcyle Run, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Haunted Mansion, Big Thunder Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, Happily Ever After
Personal Touch
The final reason we loved our VIP Tour was because it was personal. Annie became another member of our group. She chatted with the kids to learn about their likes and interests, allowed the moms to grab drinks when we didn’t want to ride a few of the rides, and she always listened to our wants and needs as we enjoyed our day.
She could connect to all of us, which made our VIP Tour extra special. She rode rides with us, completed Toy Story Mania against the kids, and had an outstanding attitude throughout seven hours. Annie is just one example of the outstanding Cast Members that make VIP Tours so unique. They focus on making sure all are experiencing the magic.
I wasn’t surprised that we enjoyed the VIP Tour. I knew the kids would love being able to do so much across multiple Parks without having to wait in long lines. What I didn’t expect to enjoy so much were the stories and connections we made with our guide. The VIP Tours aren’t cheap, but they are a magical experience that if you have the chance to experience during your Walt Disney World trip, you should do so.
