Welcome to planDisney, Mark!
How wonderful that you received such a generous gift for your visit to the Walt Disney World Resort! My family has twice been gifted a
Disney VIP Tour, and those have been two of the most special Disney days we’ve spent. We talk about our guides and the memories we made ALL the time!
You should be contacted by Disney VIP Tour Services in advance of your visit to discuss your plans for your special day. The Cast Member you speak with will ask questions to learn a little more about your Disney dreams and help you plan your time with your Tour Guide. While the VIP Tour Guides do have a lot of pixie dust up their sleeves, including the ability to whisk your party into much shorter attraction wait times for many attractions, there are some things that even they can’t do – but it never hurts to ask if you have something special you’re dreaming of.
One of our unforgettable pixie dust moments came in the form of a very special appointment with a certain Snow Queen. My son’s very favorite character was very difficult to meet at the time of our tour, and our Guide was able to “book” us a time slot to meet her. We were whisked in a side door for our special meet-and-greet, and it all felt a little like Cinderella racing the clock – we planned attractions around that special time. On our most recent tour, we had a similar experience, where we were able to experience
Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run when it was brand-new, but only in a very narrow time window. It was my experience that some highly in-demand experiences may be limited, so be ready to be flexible so your Guide can make magic!
In terms of
dining reservations, it doesn’t hurt to ask. Because of the hourly cost of a VIP Tour, Table Service dining may not be the best use of your time, but if there’s a high-priority dining experience you weren’t able to secure, I would certainly inquire. Your Guide likely can’t get around capacity restrictions that are in place for health and safety reasons, but they may have special access to cancellation or walk-up lists.
Another really neat aspect of Disney VIP Tours is backstage access. If you have the
Park Hopper Option on your theme park ticket and decide to park hop on your visit, you will be transported by your Guide in a private vehicle and dropped off backstage. I love being able to see areas other Guests don’t see, and I’ve found the Guides to be really great about sharing fun facts and answering questions. That’s another great aspect of the Tour Guide experience: the Guides are highly experienced Cast Members, and they have so many stories to share. Our Guides have taught my children how to get high scores on
Toy Story Mania!, shared touring strategies for shorter wait times, and even pushed our stroller. By the end of our tour days, we felt like they were part of our family.
I hope you have an unforgettable day with your Disney VIP Tour Guide, Mark!
Wishing you a magical vacation,
Robyn