Disney World VIP Tour Shares - Is It For You?
- Ruth
- Aug 15
- 6 min read
WDWAO Member, Ruth, shares her experience with the Walt Disney World VIP Tour Offering
As a Disney adult, the allure of a VIP tour at Walt Disney World is undeniable. The promise of skipping lines, getting insider knowledge from a coveted plaid-vest guide, and experiencing the magic in a way few others do is incredibly tempting. However, the excessive cost can be a significant barrier. This is where tour share groups come into play, making the VIP experience more affordable. But, as I recently discovered, there are both good and bad aspects to this approach.
What A Disney VIP Tour Includes
A Walt Disney World VIP tour is the ultimate way to experience the parks. With a VIP tour, you get:
Personalized Itinerary: Your tour guide will tailor the day to your preferences, ensuring you hit all your must-see attractions.
Front-of-the-Line Access: Skip the lines for rides, shows, and character meet-and-greets.
Insider Knowledge: Insights from your highly knowledgeable Disney Private VIP Tour Guide
Convenience: Enjoy door-to-door transportation and reserved seating for parades and nighttime spectaculars.
Typical Cost
The cost of a Disney VIP tour can be quite steep, ranging from $425 to $850 per hour, with a minimum tour length of seven hours. This means a 7-hour tour can cost anywhere from $2,975 to $5,950. For many, this price tag is prohibitive, which is why tour share groups have become a popular option.
Joining Our Shared Tour
Knowing that booking a VIP tour through a tour-share group can make the experience much more affordable, I kept an eye on a reputable Facebook Disney VIP Tour Group, and wouldn’t you know, a tour share was posted for a date during my birthday trip. For this particular 7-hour tour, the cost was $500 per person, tip included. The group sounded appealing as well, described as a “fast paced adult group focused on most popular rides in EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Magic Kingdom, ending with fireworks in the VIP viewing area”. The tour was being organized by the travel agent of the lead guest so that was a plus for me. Paying the TA for our share seemed less risky than paying an individual. The TA even set up a Facebook group chat so that as new folks were added to the tour, we could get to know each other. Once full, our tour was made up of the lead guest and her family member, my husband and me, one other couple, and four solo adult travelers. We chatted in the weeks leading up to the tour, paid for our spots 2 days before the tour, and before we knew it, we were meeting at EPCOT at 2pm on the day of our tour, eager to get started.
Tour Day
Our first hiccup in the tour came before we even started. The meeting spot was at wheelchair rental at the front of EPCOT. All but one guest arrived on time. Turns out that guest, on his first ever WDW trip, had come in through the International Gateway entrance and didn’t know how to get to the front of the park. By the time he met up with us, we were almost 15 minutes into our tour, so quickly made our way to ride Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. Along the way, there were no park insights or information shared by our guide. She handed out ponchos as rain was imminent though. We were hustled us through the Lightning Lane entrance and she stayed with us until we made our way to the boarding area. She then met up with us at the ride exit. This was the standard process for most of the tour. We weren’t magically escorted to the front of the line, but rather, got into the same line we would have if we’d bought Premier Pass, MultiPass, or Individual Lightning Lanes. After Guardians, we hustled over to Frozen Ever After, rode that, then came back to Guardians to ride it one more time. Our guide then took us backstage to our awaiting van for the ride to Hollywood Studios.
Backstage at Hollywood Studios, VIP guides met us with a snack basket with things like chips, cookies, and protein bars. We entered the park next to Rock ‘n Rollercoaster and rode that first. For this stop, our guide put us in the single rider line and didn’t stay with us as she was headed off to get us water. After a little confusion inside about where we were supposed to wait, we rode as a group and met our guide outside. The ride schedule at HS was pretty hectic, we didn’t have any time to stop for photos or drinks, and some friction began between group members. This is when we realized that we’d be with these eight strangers, who didn’t necessarily enjoy each other’s company, until 9pm. After RnR we rode Minnie & Mickey’s Runaway Railway (where we joined the line at the pre-show area), Toy Story Mania, Slinky Dog Dash, Rise of the Resistance, and Tower of Terror before getting back in the van to head to Magic Kingdom.
We entered Magic Kingdom behind Main Street USA, first stepping into the park between The Plaza Restaurant and Tomorrowland Terrace. It was dinner time, but we weren’t offered time to place a mobile order. We went straight to Tron, where we joined the Lighting Lane queue. Our guide held all of our bags so we could skip lockers. That was a nice perk. After Tron, most of the group rode Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, but Marc and I chose to do Pirates of the Caribbean instead. We walked down there on our own and bought popcorn and a drink while we waited for our guide. She took us through what would be our only front-of-the-line experience all day. We went backstage and came in at the boarding dock where we got to pick our own seats. Front row baby!
Once the Tiana’s ride group caught up with us over by Pirates, it was time for us to go to view the special VIP tour merchandise that we could buy. While we each put in our order, our guide took an order for snacks. We could choose from a Mickey ice cream sandwich or ice cream bar. We also got water. During this time, the other couple on the tour bid farewell to the rest of us. They’d had enough, were starving, and ready to find a place to eat. We felt the same way but waited for our ice cream, then said goodbye to our guide and our group at the fireworks viewing area. I’d really wanted to see Happily Every After, but I was starving and cranky. We took the bus back to our resort and had a late meal there.
Cautionary Advice
If you're considering booking a VIP tour through a tour share group, here are a few tips:
Research the Group: Try to find out as much as you can about the guests with whom you'll be sharing the tour. Compatibility can make or break the experience. Better yet, start your own group and fill it with friends and family.
Set Expectations: Communicate your expectations and preferences clearly with the group beforehand. If you can’t soldier through a seven-hour tour on just a bag of chips, water, and a Mickey bar, ask your guide for time for a quick-serve meal stop.
Be Flexible: Understand that sharing a tour means compromising on some aspects of the itinerary.
While the cost savings of sharing a tour are great, and even with research about the group in advance like we did, you may still find yourself paired with people you don't get along with. Unfortunately, this was our experience. The tension and personal conflict within the group made the day less enjoyable, despite the fantastic service from our guide. I’d tour with her again in a heartbeat, but only if I was the lead guest and built my own agenda.
While booking a Walt Disney World VIP tour through a tour share group can make the experience more affordable, it's important to weigh the potential for personal conflict. If you decide to go this route, do your research and set clear expectations to ensure a magical day at the parks.
Have you done a Walt Disney World VIP Tour? Did you organize your own group tour or join another group of park goers?
Photos: Walt Disney World Adults Only
This is really interesting. Thank you for sharing your experience. I'm sorry that this wasn't the magical day you were hoping it would be.
Great perspective, thanks for sharing