Our Experience on a Disney World VIP Tour: Is It Worth It

The Disney World VIP Tour experiences are a luxury upgrade to your visit to the Disney theme parks. This guide will help you decide if a Disney World VIP tour is worth it for your Disney trip.

Disney World can be a chaotic vacation, but what if everything was taken care of for you. That is where a Disney World VIP tour can be totally worth it.

When you book a Disney World Private VIP Tour it takes all the planning away and lets you sit back and enjoy the happiest place on Earth.

A Disney tour guide vip service will help you avoid long lines, make the most of each day at the parks, offer private vehicle service, and spend less time figuring out where to go.

Everything is taken care of for you, you and your party have your own Disney vip guide for your visit, and if it is in your budget, you will find it is definitely worth the money.

It is very expensive to take a Disney VIP tour and it does not include theme park admission. Prices start between $450.00-$900.00 an hour. If you have the budget for this type of experience you will not be disappointed.

From the moment we met our Disney tour guide, we knew we were going to have the most amazing Disney trip ever. The Disney VIP tour guides are incredible people that work to make the magic VIP tour a reality for your family members. The best part is spending quality time with family and not worrying about all the little details of the vacation.

minnie at disney private vip tour guide.

We had the opportunity to attend a media visit and experience a Disney Private VIP tour for a few days. The Disney VIP Tours give guests a way to experience luxury at the Walt Disney World resort like no other.

Common Questions for the Disney VIP Tours at Walt Disney World

Before I share our full experience of being on a private VIP tour at Disney World I want to answer some frequently asked questions as well as give an overview of what a Disney World VIP Tour is.

Are Disney VIP tours worth the spurge for your Disney vacation?

How much does a Disney VIP Tour cost?

We are answering all the questions on what to expect on a Disney VIP tour to help you decide.

There are some misconceptions about the tours that you skip every long line and have unlimited access all backstage areas. That is not always the case.

There are also a few different options when it comes to booking a VIP tour at the parks that are a splurge or a little more budget friendly.

What is a Disney VIP Tour?

The Disney VIP Tours are customized guided tours guests can reserve during the Disney Vacations. They offer exclusive access to the most popular rides, dining, and shows.

During the tour you have a special VIPI guide for your group. They will help make sure you are taken care of during your trip and you get to experience the best of Walt Disney World.

Below are the different options that are available for guests. All VIP tours require park tickets. This is not included in the cost of the tours.

Disney Private VIP Tour

This is a private tour and the most exclusive tour offered at the parks. You and up to 10 guests have a private tour guide for your day. Private VIP tours have a minimum of 7 hours and offer a customized itinerary.

You tell your guide what you would like to do and they will set it up. The price of the tour vary by season but range from $450-$900 an hour.

The Private VIP Tours give you an opportunity to see all 4 parks in one day with the luxury of private transportation and a guide to maximize your time at the parks.

I recommend also including a tip for your guide. Keep that in mind when planning your buget.

Update November 2023: The Ultimate Day of Thrills, Ultimate Classic VIP Tour, Ultimate Nights of Adventure, and Taste of Magic Kingdom VIP Tour are currently not available to book. I will update when/if things change.

Ultimate Day of Thrills VIP Tour

The Ultimate Day of Thrills is a 7 hour action packed day that starts at the Magic Kingdom.

You will experience Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, Haunted Mansion, and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train followed by a quick-service meal included in your VIP tour cost.

From there head over to Epcot to experience Soarin’ and finish your day at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. At Hollywood Studios enjoy Toy Story Mania!, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, Tower of Terror, and Star Tours.

This tour starts at about $349 a person and park hopper is required for admission.

Ultimate Disney Classic VIP Tour

The Ultimate Disney Classic VIP Tour has guests enjoy 10 of the classic Magic Kingdom attractions. This is a great option for families with small children because all of the attractions do not have a height requirement. The tour is $249 a person and guests must have a valid theme park admission.

Ultimate Nights of Adventure

The Ultimate Nights of Adventure tour is a 4-hour group tour at Animal Kingdom. Included in your tour guests will experience Expedition Everest, Kilimanjaro Safari, Avatar Flight of Passage, Na’vi River Journey, Dinosaur, and Rivers of Light night show.

Guests also receive a signature snack and specialty beverage along with a souvenir lanyard and other surprises. This tour is $249 a person and guest must have a valid theme park ticket.

Taste of Magic Kingdom Park VIP Tour

On this 3 hour tour you will go behind the scenes at the Magic Kingdom to experience the food and menu items at the Disney parks. Guests will visit backstage kitchens and sample delicious menu items as well.

*All rides and itineraries are subject to change. Learn more at Walt Disney World VIP Tours.

disney world vip tour big thunder mountain.

How much does a VIP Disney Tour Cost?

A Disney World VIP tour is definitely a splurge. The cost can range between $450-$900 per hour depending on the season of your visit. There is a minimum of 7 hours and up to 10 guests. All guests must have a valid theme park admission ticket.

On the low end a tour can cost around $3,200 for the day. That does not include your admission tickets or dining during your day.

What is included in a VIP Tour at Disney World?

All VIP tours have a Disney tour guide that will help you navigate the park, ride attractions, secure dining, and show seats. The private tours are customizable to the needs of you and your party.

If you are doing a Classic or Thrills tour your day is planned ahead of time. As I mentioned above these tours follow an itinerary that is set for the group.

Do you skip lines on a Disney VIP Tour?

A misconception is that the Disney VIP Tours give you front of the line access, it doesn’t work that way for all attractions. On a VIP tour at Disney World you will use the Lightning Lanes.

This doesn’t give you full access to any attraction but you will spend less time in lines. There are a few attractions that bypass a small portion of the line as well.

Having unlimited access to attractions is a huge perk. You don’t have to make reservations and you can ride popular attractions multiple times.

Rise of the Resistance and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind will be included on a VIP tour. This means guests will not have to join the boarding passes on the My Disney Experience app or book an Individual Lightning Lane.

If you want to ride multiple times you will have to purchase a pass or book a virtual queue time.

Guests also do not have to book Genie+. They will have access to the Genie+ Lightning Lane as they want to ride.

Do you have to stay at a Disney Resort to book a Disney VIP Tour?

No you do not have to stay on-site at Disney World to purchase a Walt Disney World VIP Tour.

Will the VIP Tour Guide Ride attractions with you?

Yes, most of them. They usually do not ride the water attractions. They also are not required to ride the attractions with you. It is really up to you and your guide.

Are Disney VIP Tours Worth It?

This is not an easy question to answer because it depends on your Disney vacation budget and expectations for your visit.

Overall we rode 32 attractions, met 14 characters, and ate endless amounts of Mickey shaped treats on our Disney VIP tour. We created unforgettable memories too.

I would never suggest someone spends outside their means to go on vacation. You can have an amazing Disney vacation without breaking the bank.

With that being said. The Disney VIP Tours was incredible.

It took all the stress out of navigating the park. If this is within your budget I highly recommend the tours.

48 Hours on a Disney VIP Tour (Our Itinerary & Experience with a Private VIP Tour Guide)

I have to admit I didn’t know what to expect when we were booked for our Disney World Private Premium VIP Tour.

Typically, I plan our Walt Disney World vacations and having someone set up the itinerary was a different kind of vacation for me. I also didn’t know how I would feel spending our entire vacation with a stranger.

I had so many thoughts running through my head. How would the kids react to another person on vacation with us? Would there be many moments of awkward silence?

Would my kids have a meltdown? Do we eat our meals with this person? What if we had nothing to talk about?

As we came down the escalators we saw Miss Kelly, our Private Disney VIP Tour guide, waiting with a sign and a welcoming smile.

It took about three minutes waiting for our luggage at the airport to realize all of my worries had melted away. This was going to be an amazing once in a lifetime Walt Disney World vacation!

We checked into our resort for the night, said goodbye to Kelly, and went to sleep anticipating an amazing day at the parks.

disney vip tour guide beach club.
Disney’s Beach Club Resort

Disney VIP Tour: Day 1

We met our tour guide, Kelly, in the hotel lobby. We were greeted with a huge smile and it made us even more excited for the day.

During our Disney tour Kelly kept a running list of awesome on her phone. This was a full list of everything we did during our VIP Tours. It was amazing how much we got done with the help from Kelly and lots of pixie dust.

The Disney VIP Tours are serious about getting things done and you should be ready to walk! You really get your money’s worth of a full day of activities.

Guests can customize the tours to fit their needs, and if you want to stop and move at a slower pace you certainly can. Most people on this tour want to maximize their time because the cost of the tours make them a once in a lifetime Disney vacation.

For our first park we were starting at Disney’s Magic Kingdom.

When you are on a Disney VIP Tour you are picked up at your resort and enter the parks from a special entrance. It was behind-the-scenes and we were not allowed to take pictures or video. It was basically a parking lot with offices.

When we arrived at the back entrance, we were welcomed by cast members with snacks and water bottles and then made our way into the Magic Kingdom.

Your tour guide knows the best ways to get everywhere on property and they save you so much time. We had reservations at Be Our Guest at 12:45 so we started our day hopping from attraction to attraction.

We rode 9 attractions, met 5 princesses, and stopped for a sweet treat all before our reservations. Before lunch we had to do special filming on Splash Mountain for the media event we were attending.

They were running a bit behind and it altered our schedule a bit but we still got an amazing amount of attractions accomplished.

Lunch at Be Our Guest was amazing! It is the second time we have dined there and I always love the food. My kids liked the Mac & Cheese, Shrimp, and Chicken Fingers, and I loved the Potato Leek Soup.

Your Disney VIP tour guide will take care of everything. They made the reservations for us, and when we arrived she checked us in and got us set-up to order.

She also found us a table and helped make everything go as smoothly as possible.

When you are on a Disney World VIP tour you spend the day with your guide. This includes meals. 

As a parent it is always a little nerve racking to take your kids out to dinner. Add in a theme park and heat and it can cause for a meltdown. Then add a person you met a few hours ago to the mix. I was a little worried!

Kelly seamlessly joined our family. From this moment on we knew we were in for a special treat with her.

Having Kelly dine with us made the moment even more special and enhanced our vacation in ways I didn’t expect. 

Kelly helped the kids pick out their meals and even ordered more shrimp when we ran out. When you have a Disney VIP tour guide with you, the attention to details are amazing and unlike anything we have ever experienced.

After our big lunch we headed over to Mickey’s Philharmagic to digest and get ready for the second part of our day. Mickey’s Philharmagic is a 3D show that we all really enjoy.

It showcases many of the animated Disney favorites and is an attraction that is great for the entire family.

We finished our Magic Kingdom day with it’s a Small World, Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, and the Jungle Cruise. After Jungle Cruise we made our way to the car and headed over to Epcot.

Having a personal car to take you from park-to-park is a huge perk of the Disney VIP Tours. It saves so much time!

We arrived at Epcot and entered right by Test Track. From there we rode Test Track, Spaceship Earth, Finding Nemo, Living with the Land, Soarin’, and Journey Into Your Imagination.

At each attraction we entered through the fastpass line, now the Lightning Lane, this is a huge perk of the Disney VIP tours.

You do not skip the lines altogether, but having unlimited Lightning Lane/Genie+ allows you to experience all of the rides and attractions.

With a Disney VIP tour guide you don’t have to walk to the World Showcase, you exit behind attractions to your car and drive to World Showcase.

After we drove over to World Showcase we met Anna & Elsa, experienced the Frozen attraction and the Gran Fiesta Tour, and ended our day with dinner at San Angel Inn.

At this point we were exhausted and headed back to the resort for a good night sleep. We had another full day planned tomorrow.

Disney VIP Tour Itinerary (Day 1)

I think it is helpful to see what we did and how the day was spent. As you can see below we experienced so many attractions in one day.

  1. Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin
  2. Space Mountain
  3. Tomorrowland Speedway
  4. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
  5. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
  6. Ariel’s Grotto-Meet Ariel
  7. Under the Sea
  8. Gaston’s Tavern-Coffee and Snack break!
  9. Princess Fairytale Hall
    *Rapunzel
    *Princess Tiana
    *Cinderella
    *Elena of Avalor
  10. Peter Pan’s Flight
  11. Splash Mountain
  12. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
  13. Lunch at Be Our Guest
  14. Mickey’s Philharmagic
  15. it’s a small world
  16. Haunted Mansion
  17. Pirates of the Caribbean
  18. Jungle Cruise
  19. Headed over to Epcot.
  20. Test Track
  21. Spaceship Earth
  22. The Seas with Nemo and Friends
  23. Living With the Land
  24. Soarin’
  25. Journey Into Your Imagination
  26. Frozen Ever After
  27. Royal Sommerhus-Meet Anna and Elsa
  28. Gran Fiesta Tour
  29. Dinner at San Angel Inn

Disney VIP Tour: Day 2

Day 2 started with us meeting Kelly at the resort lobby at 8:30am. We had filming to do at the Magic Kingdom for the media event we were attending. It was so much fun! The kids were surprised with a visit from Mickey Mouse.

Watch the video here

filming at the Magic Kingdom Walt Disney World
Filming is not part of the Disney VIP tour but was a really fun part of our media visit.

After our short morning at Magic Kingdom we headed over to Animal Kingdom to start our day. We entered close to Dinosaur and experienced all three attractions in DinoLand very quickly.

From there we drove over to Kilimanjaro’s Safari but decided against riding it because the line was really backed up.

A common misconception with the Disney VIP tours is that you skip the lines completely. This is not entirely true. There are a few attractions that offer special entrances, but most attractions you enter through the Lightning Lane line.

Obviously this saves an enormous amount of time and your VIP tour guide has planned your itinerary based on the best times to visit attractions.

From there we headed over to Pandora to enjoy Flight of Passage and Navi’ River Journey. We also stopped for lunch at Satuli Canteen.

Lunch was one of our favorites from the weekend. Check out the best quick service at Disney World.

The food was delicious and I highly recommend visiting. It is quick service and does not require reservations.

I do recommend you take advantage of the mobile ordering system and use the My Disney Experience App on your phone. This saves you so much time waiting in lines to order.

We typically order while waiting in line for Flight of Passage or Navi’ River Journey. Then as we walk to lunch we check-in. It is a huge time saver and is not just for VIP tours. This is available to all guests.

After lunch we took a break and headed to the Beach Club to enjoy the pool. Our visit was so short and the kids wanted to try the water slide.

I do not recommend stopping for a break during your VIP tour because your tour cost does not change. The hours spent at the pool are included in your hours spent with your guide.

We took a short water slide break and were back with Kelly within 90 minutes. We also wanted to take a break to make cards for Kelly because she meant so much to us. Kelly picked us up and we headed to Disney’s Hollywood Studios to end our day.

At Hollywood Studios we entered near Rock n Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror. We rode both and Kelly got a chance to ride with the kids, which they loved! From there we headed to Star Wars Launch Bay and met Chewbacca, Kylo Ren, and BB-8.

Disney Hollywood Studios felt a little more slower pace.

We met characters, rode Toy Story Mania(2x!), enjoyed a fun dinner at 50’s Prime Time Café, and ended the day with Disney Movie Magic(A projections show of Disney Live Action Classics) and Star Wars A Galactic Spectacular.

Day 2 was a full day of three parks and so much fun. We were exhausted on the drive home but really sad to say goodbye.

Disney VIP Tour Itinerary (Day 2)

  1. Arrive at Magic Kingdom
  2. Meet Mickey Mouse in Town Square Theater
  3. Drive to Disney’s Animal Kingdom
  4. Primeval Whirl
  5. Triceratops Spin
  6. Dinosaur
  7. Navi River Journey
  8. Avatar Flight of Passage(2)
  9. Lunch at Satuli Canteen
  10. *Swimming at Beach Club*
  11. Disney’s Hollywood Studios
  12. Rock’n’Rollercoaster(2)
  13. Tower of Terror(2)
  14. Meet Chewbacca
  15. Encounter Kylo Ren
  16. Meet BB-8 Astromech on Duty
  17. Toy Story Midway Mania(2)
  18. Star Tours
  19. Muppet Vision 3D
  20. Dinner at 50s Primetime Café
  21. Meet Olaf
  22. Minnie and Mickey’s Red Carpet Dreams
  23. Disney Movie Magic
  24. Star Wars A Galactic Spectacular

4 Things that Surprised Us on our Disney VIP Tour

So what makes a VIP tour so special at Disney World. Obviously the perks of the tour are the guide that plan everything, the unlimited fastpass(lightning lane), and the access to things that you don’t find on a regular day at the park, but the magic is in the tour guides themselves.

They make your Disney World trip a once in a lifetime experience.

Our Private Disney VIP Tour Guide Became Part of Our Vacation Memories

To us Kelly was not only our tour guide. She was not just a sweet and kind cast member. To our family Kelly became part of the vacation.

The kids negotiated who could ride with her next. They wanted her to be part of each picture and sit next to them during the shows.

As we collected pictures in our Disney Memory Maker I was happy Kelly was part of them. She not only showed us the park.

She showed us an entirely new way to experience Walt Disney World. A visit to Walt Disney World is pretty amazing but having Kelly with us enhanced it a way I didn’t think was possible.

Our Private Disney VIP Tour Guide Felt Like the 6th Member of Our Family

I seriously had no idea what a profound effect Kelly would have on my kids. She became part of our family for those few days we spent together. Often my husband and I found ourselves walking as the kids held hands and walked with Kelly.

They wanted to soak up every minute we had to spend with her. She added a new energy to our family vacation and we loved every minute of it.

As we waited in line she created secret handshakes, remembered that my son wants to be a park imagineer, and introduced the kids to the best waiting in line game ever: Heads UP!

Heads Up is an app on your phone much like Head Bands. You have to give clues to a person to guess the person or object. It is a fun way to pass the time in line and I am forever grateful Kelly showed it to us.

Our Private Disney VIP Tour Guide Was Difficult to Say Goodbye To

When I was thinking about the tour before we arrived, I didn’t even think about how difficult it would be to say goodbye. I didn’t think we would feel so emotional or really realize the impact Kelly would have on my family. Before we left the kids each wanted to make Kelly cards to show her how much she meant to them.

Our final goodbye was filled with tears and hugs. We really bonded with her and it will be difficult to experience Walt Disney World without her.

It was not her VIP access or knowledge of the parks that made the tour so special. It was the kindness to my family, the attention to each one of my kids, and the overall experience of spending our time with Kelly that made it so special.

What Really Makes the Disney Private VIP Tour So Special

The magic behind the Disney VIP Tour is not the special access or the planned itineraries. It is not the back stage entrance or the special parade viewing areas.

It is the people. The cast members make your tour special for your family.

The VIP guides that work so hard to make your vacation special are pure magic. They truly believe in Disney magic and they want to share that with you in whatever ways they can. The tour guides seamlessly become part of your Disney vacation in the most incredible ways.

As I write this I still can’t believe we had the privilege to meet Kelly and share our Disney memories with her. We will miss her so much and she means so much more to us than a tour guide. She will forever be part of this special family vacation.

If you are considering a Disney Private VIP Tour I highly recommend them for the people. The guides will become part of your Disney story and they will help create an amazing magical Walt Disney World vacation that your family will never forget.

Read More: Step-by-Step Disney World 7 Day Itinerary Planning Guide

Thank you to the Walt Disney World Resort for inviting us to experience the Private VIP Tours. All opinions are honest and my own.

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6 thoughts on “Our Experience on a Disney World VIP Tour: Is It Worth It”

    • Hi-During our visit we did 2.5 days and over 7+ hours a day. Our visit was part of a media trip to learn more about what a VIP tour is like.

      Reply
  1. What an amazing way to experience Disney! We are always so impressed with all the little details at Disney and the VIP experience sounds like it takes it to a whole other level!

    Reply

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