Hey Pamela,
Thanks for bringing your question to planDisney! It sounds like this is a big family vacation and I love the idea of adding one of these magical extras to your Disney day! Let’s go over some details about these options.
The
Lightning Lane Premier Pass allows you to access the Lightning Lane to each available attraction one time. You won’t need to select a return time, you can just walk up to the attraction and enter the Lightning Lane queue. The Premier Pass is valid for one day and one theme park, which you will choose at the time of purchase. The price of Premier Pass varies based on the date and theme park you are visiting, but you can preview the prices up to 21 days in advance. Valid theme park admission is required to purchase a Premier Pass.
A
Private VIP Tour is more customizable. You’ll plan certain details of your tour in advance, like start time and place and which parks you’d like to visit. The Tour Guide will lead you through the parks based on your preferences. You can visit multiple parks and the Tour Guide will transport you between parks, sometimes through backstage areas. Your Tour Guide will take you through the Lightning Lane entrances of the attractions. At this time, the price of a VIP Tour ranges from $450 to $900 per hour with a minimum of 7 hours and maximum of 10 hours. Tours can include up to 10 Guests, including infants, so your party will definitely need to book two tours. Reservations can be made up to 60 days in advance by calling the VIP Tour Services number. Valid theme park admission is also required for a VIP Tour. If you’d like to Park Hop, you will need the
Park Hopper Option.
With Premier Pass, your group can take your time exploring one theme park. If you’re on a VIP Tour, a VIP Guide will take you to the attractions of your choosing and can share information about the theme parks along the way. My family enjoyed a VIP Tour a few years ago and I loved when the Tour Guide pointed out fun attraction details and hidden Mickeys throughout the parks. We managed to visit all four theme parks in one day, but I know others who have opted to use their tours to focus on two or three of the parks. The VIP Tour experience is up to what you’d like to do!
In my opinion, I would consider the members of your party. If you think it would be best to stay at one theme park and know that you can ride the available Lightning Lane experiences one time, then Premier Pass sounds like a good option! If you have a group that wants to visit multiple theme parks and have expedited access with the guidance of a knowledgeable Cast Member, VIP Tour is the way to go. With a large travel party, splitting the cost of the hourly VIP Tour may be a factor as well.
I hope this was helpful, Pamela! I’m sure you will have an amazing family vacation with whichever option you choose. I really enjoyed answering this question about one of my favorite experiences at Walt Disney World. I’d love to help you
here at planDisney if you have any questions in the future!
Kaitlin