Hi Kristy,
Welcome to planDisney. It sounds like you are planning the trip of a lifetime! You will put Disney’s service to the test with experiences like a VIP tour in the parks and club level access at your hotel. Your boys are the perfect age where they can really soak up lots of the Disney magic and adventure. I understand the desire to make sure you have a magical, stress free time on your trip. You can definitely feel like Alice in Wonderland as you plan every aspect of your trip. You came to the right place; I am happy to help you with your question.
VIP tours are a unique way to experience the park. The
VIP tours are customizable to the specific needs of your family. You would be assigned a Tour Coordinator, who can help you pre plan major parts of your park visit, and can help you adjust on the fly once you are in the parks. Your Tour includes support with making dining reservations, access to reserve seating for nighttime entertainment (i.e. fireworks, parades, and World of Color) and gives you
Lighting Lane access (subject to availability). If you are looking for a guided experience throughout the parks, this might be the way to go for you and your family. You can make reservations for a VIP Tour by emailing DisneylandVIPTours@disney.com or calling (714) 300-7710. Kristy, keep in mind that VIP Tours range from $500 to $800 per hour and need to be a minimum of 7 hours and a maximum of 10 hours. This can be a bit of a financial commitment but will definitely make you feel like a celebrity. If you are really just looking to cut down your wait time, then getting a Lightning Lane Multi Pass for your family would be a way to extend your vacation budget. Lightning Lane Multi Pass allows you to make reservations for the more popular attractions in the park allowing you to wait in a shorter line. The cost of a Lightning Lane Multi Pass starts at $32 per day per ticket.
In regards to the club level access, I had to reach out to a helpful Cast Member to get some guidance. They were happy to let me know that if you have a Suit, you can add on club level access within 10 days of arrival or when you check. You can call the hotel to add that service. On my Disney bingo card is to visit The
Pixar Place’s club lounge, the Creators Club. I have done club level at both the Disneyland Hotel (E-Ticket Lounge) and the
Grand Californian (The Veranda). I enjoyed having club access at the Grand Californian. coupled with a special park entry into California Adventure. It made breakfast time easy when we could head to the lounge for a bite to eat and then head down to the heart of the park. With two little ones, every convenience makes a world of a difference.
Planning Tip: The E-Ticket Club at the Disneyland Hotel is currently undergoing refurbishments. If you have not made hotel reservations yet, you may want to consider one of the other hotels (The Grand Californian of Pixar Place) so that you can get the full club lounge experience.
I hope this was helpful advice, Kristy. Planning a Disneyland vacation can feel a bit overwhelming, but we are here to help. If you have any other questions or need help planning a magical trip, please feel free to write back to me or my fellow panelist, and we would be happy to share our thoughts.
Best of luck!
-Melinda